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Board of Directors

Executive Directors

Kevin Murphy Kevin Murphy
Executive (Age 58)
Appointed Group Chief Executive in June 2009. An actuary and an employee of Irish Life since 1972, he was appointed a main board director following the merger of Irish Life and Irish Permanent in 1999. He is a director of a number of companies within the Group and is a member of the board of the Irish Stock Exchange. He is a former Chairman of the Irish Association of Investment Managers and a past President of the Irish Insurance Federation.

David McCarthy David McCarthy
Executive (Age 49)
Group Finance Director, appointed to the Board in March 2009. He is a chartered accountant who formerly worked with Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers) and was the Group Financial Controller in Irish Permanent plc. He is a director of a number of companies within the Group including the associated company Allianz-Irish Life Holdings plc.


Non-Executive Directors

Gillian Bowler Gillian Bowler
Chairman (Age 57)
A member of the board of Irish Life since July 1998. A non-executive director of Grafton Group plc and of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board and former chairman of Fáilte Ireland She is a past President of the Institute of Directors and a director of a number of other companies.

Breffni Byrne Breffni Byrne
Non-executive (Age 64)
Appointed to the board in July 2004. He is Chairman of NCB Stockbrokers and a non-executive director of Coillte Teoranta, Tedcastle Holdings Limited, Hikma plc, Cpl Resources plc and a number of other companies. A chartered accountant, he was formerly a Senior Partner of the Audit and Business Advisory practice of Arthur Andersen in Ireland and Director of Risk Management for Andersen’s audit practice in Scandinavia, the Middle East and Africa.

Bernard Collins Bernard Collins
Non-Executive (Age 61)
Appointed to the board in March 2010 he was formerly vice president of international operations and director of the international board of Boston Scientific Corporation. He is currently non-executive director of IDA Ireland and a number of other companies in the medical device/life science sectors. He is also currently chairman of the VHI.

Danuta Gray Danuta Gray
Non-Executive (Age 50)
Appointed to the board in August 2004. She is Chief Executive Officer of O2 Ireland, a position she has held since 2001. Prior to her move to Ireland, she held the position of Director for BT Europe Germany and previous to that was General Manager at BT Mobile in the UK. She is chairperson of Barretstown and is a non-executive director of Aer Lingus plc.

Pat Ryan Pat Ryan
Non-executive (Age 63)
Appointed to the board in December 2009, he was formerly Group Treasurer and Chief Risk Officer of Allied Irish Bank plc. He retired from AIB Group in 2002 and is currently a director of AXA Life Europe Limited and J&E Davy. He holds an M.SC in Economics from University College Dublin, and is a fellow of the Institute of Bankers. His is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland and the Institute of Actuaries.

Roy Keenan Roy Keenan
Non-executive (Age 62)
Appointed to the Board in October 2006. He is a former chief executive of Bank of Ireland UK and a former managing director of Bank of Ireland Life and Bank of Ireland Mortgages. He is a non-executive director of Met Life Europe and a former council member of the British Bankers Association and the Council of Mortgage Lenders. He is also a former President of the Irish Insurance Federation.

Ray MacSharry Ray MacSharry
Non-Executive (Age 71)
Appointed to the board in December 2008. He is a former EU Commissioner, Minister for Finance, Minister for Agriculture and Governor of the European Investment Bank. He has served as a non executive director of Bank of Ireland Group, Jefferson Smurfit Group plc and Ryanair plc and is former chairman of London City Airport, Green Property plc and Eircom plc.

Margaret Hayes Margaret Hayes
Non-Executive (Age 55)
Appointed to the board in December 2008. She is a practicing barrister and a former Secretary General of the Departments of Tourism and Trade and of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. She is currently chairperson of Health and Social Care Professionals Council and of the National Performance Verification Group for the Health Sector. She is also a member of the Panel of Interviewers for the Public Appointments Commission.

Ciarán Long Ciarán Long
Company Secretary (Age 57)
An employee of Irish Life since 1969. He is an actuary and most of his time with Irish Life has been spent in the pensions area. Ciarán is a former director of the Retirement Planning Council and is a former member of the Pensions Board. He was appointed Company Secretary in May 2004.

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