Press release
Minister Coveney announces appointments to the Board of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI)
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Peter Hynes as Chair to the Board of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland and the appointment of Ms. Caroline Reidy and Ms. Rhona Murphy to the Board of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI).
The Minister also approved the nomination of Anne Lanigan (Enterprise Ireland) as the department’s representative on the Board of DCCI following the retirement of the previous nominee.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Minister Coveney said:
"I am delighted to announce the appointment of Peter, Caroline, Rhona, and Anne to the Board of DCCI and I am confident that they will contribute to the development of DCCI as it continues to support the design and craft sector in Ireland which plays such a vital role in our economy."
Rosemary Steen, CEO, Design and Crafts Council Ireland said:
"I am delighted to welcome the new chair, Peter Hynes to Design and Crafts Council Ireland, as well as three new board members, Rhona Murphy, Caroline Reidy and Anne Lanigan. I look forward to working with each member over the coming years. It is great to have such a broad range of expertise on the board as we continue to grow the organisation’s impact and reach across the design and craft sectors."
Peter Hynes is an experienced former chief executive and independent director of several not-for-profit organisations. Peter has extensive experience working in the local government sector and served as Mayo County Council Chief Executive from 2010 to 2020. In 2022 Peter established A4 Consulting, an independent consultancy providing strategic Development and Delivery Advice in the areas of Design and Place Making, Enterprise and Energy, and Community Engagement.
He has served on the boards of Ireland West Airport and the Western Development Commission and is currently a member of Council and honorary treasurer of the RIAI and an academician member of the Academy of Urbanism.
Caroline Reidy is the Managing Director of the HR Suite and HR and Employment Law Expert. Caroline is a former member of the Low Pay Commission and is also an adjudicator in the Workplace Relations Commission. Caroline is also an independent expert observer appointed by the European Parliament to the Board of Eurofound.
She has also completed a Masters in Human Resources in the University of Limerick, she is CIPD accredited as well as being a trained mediator. Caroline had worked across various areas of HR for over 20 years in Kerry Group and in the retail and hospitality sector where she was the Operations and HR Director of the Garvey Group prior to setting up The HR Suite in 2009. She also has written 2 books, has done a TEdx and is a regular conference speaker and contributor to national media and is recognised a thought leader in the area of HR and employment law. Caroline also mentors female entrepreneurs on the Acorns Programme.
Rhona Murphy is an experienced non-executive director having served on the board of The Irish Times DAC since 2016, and Bus Éireann since 2022.
Since 2020, she has been the Chair of the Board of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) based in Washington DC.
In her executive career, Rhona worked for Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal in New York and Singapore. She then moved to Newsweek where she became Global Publisher and then CEO of the combined Newsweek and The Daily Beast in New York. Rhona started her media career at The Times of London in 1988 after graduating from Trinity College. A native of Dublin, she relocated back to Ireland from the US in 2015.
Anne Lanigan is Enterprise Ireland’s Divisional Manager for Technology and Services. Prior to this role, Anne led the Enterprise Ireland’s response to the changed trading relationship with the UK as the head of Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit Unit, before moving to the role of Director of Eurozone & Central, Eastern Europe where she was responsible for the organisation’s activities across their 11 offices in Europe, which are focused on increasing export growth into the single market.
Anne joined Enterprise Ireland in 2003 and her distinguished career in the organisation has included a number of leadership roles and senior positions in the Enterprise Ireland head office in Ireland, as well as across their network of international offices. She previously served as Enterprise Ireland’s Director in Japan, before going on to hold a role in the Enterprise Software Solutions Department. She also worked as a Client Engagement Adviser before managing the HPSU Start team for a period.