Board Members' Roles and Responsibilities [Online Training]

07 October 2021

09:45–15:00

Online

ONLINE booking for this event is now closed. If you have any queries please email governance@ipa.ie

This one-day online event will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of Boards and Board members of state, public and not-for-profit bodies. It will address, inter alia, the Board's role in the effective direction and control of entities, the obligations and duties of members, and the key characteristics of the Board as a team and board effectiveness.

It will be of particular value to new Board members, to members who would like to receive a 'refresher' briefing, and to others who work closely with Boards. It will take account of the most recent Governance Codes, including the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016). Participants will have the opportunity to raise issues of particular interest for discussion.

The event will address:

The roles and responsibilities of modern Boards and their members, individually and collectively
Key ethical and behaviour expectations
Adhering to corporate governance guidelines and codes
Key relationships: Board, Management, Ministers and Government Departments, and other stakeholders
The Board's role in relation to strategy and performance
The Board's role in relation to internal control, including audit, risk, finance and other areas
Board Committees
Board effectiveness, including processes, behaviours and culture

Speakers

Aidan Horan

Aidan Horan is a Director at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) with overall responsibility for governance, assurance and related services. A qualified accountant, he is leader of the governance specialist team and is the founder member of the Governance Forum at the IPA. The spectrum of governance services provided by the Institute incorporates training, consultancy, advisory and supports for client organisations, boards, committees, chief executives and senior leadership teams and managers.

In addition to his work with board and senior leadership teams, Aidan has also been nominated to a number of non-executive roles over the years including as Audit Committee Chairperson, Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He is also a member of the Public Financial Management Board and the Sustainability Panel at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy [CIPFA] (UK).

Dr Deirdre Bane

Deirdre is a Senior Finance Specialist in the IPA Governance Team, delivering Financial Management, Audit and Internal Control Training and assistance programmes together with consultancy services to various public, state and semi-state bodies, charities and not-for-profit organisations. Previous to her position at the IPA, Deirdre worked in education for over thirteen years as a Lecturer in Finance, teaching Financial and Management Accounting (including Financial Statement Analysis), Corporate Finance and Financial Management (Investment Appraisal), and Economic and Statistics.

Prior to her experience in education, Deirdre spent ten years in the United States, working in the financial services sector (including equity research and asset management). In addition, she worked for an independent consulting practice performing economic impact analysis studies, economic development planning, social research and analysis, and providing strategic planning services to government, non-profit and corporate clients in the United States.

Dr Tom Ward

Tom is a Senior Governance Specialist in the IPA Governance Team, and re-joined the Institute in May 2017 having previously been a member of staff between 2006 and 2011. He co-manages the Governance Forum with Aidan Horan and works on a range of governance assignments for clients, including board effectiveness reviews and governance reviews, strategy development, and delivering training and workshop sessions on governance matters for boards and senior teams. He has worked with a range of organisations, including government departments, state agencies, local authorities, higher education institutions, and sport, community and charitable organisations.

Prior to re-joining the IPA in 2017, Tom was a Senior Manager and Consultant at Crowe, managing and delivering a range of assignments in the areas of governance, organisational design, and strategy. Prior to this, he held senior strategy and governance roles at the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). Tom started his career as a Parliamentary Assistant in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Tom is currently a non-executive member of the Audit & Risk Committee of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, and was previously a non-executive Director and Vice-Chair of Badminton Ireland (2017-2022), the national governing body for the sport.