Governance Ireland 2026

Overview

Governance Ireland 2026: Guiding Governance in Turbulent Times

Ireland's premier governance conference returns to Dublin on 7 May 2026 at the stylish Royal Dublin Convention Centre.

This one-day conference is not to be missed. Sessions taking place will include themes such as risk, AI, shareholder activism, and we will hear talks from regular contributors - the CRO Ireland and The Wheel. You can view this year's agenda below.

Tickets are on sale now! With a discount rate available for CGI Students and Members.

USE SPRING10 between 1-8 April 2026 to get 10% off your booking

For any related enquiries please contact us at events@cgi.org.uk, or call us at +44 (0)20 7580 4741

Key Details

Member ticket €410, Student and Non-Member rates available

The Dublin Royal Convention Centre

Thursday 7 May 2026

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

CPD: 7 CPD hours

Book now

TICKET PRICES

Conference prices (ex. VAT)

Non-Member - €460.00
Professional subscriber - €450.00
Member - €410.00
Student - €265.00

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING GOVERNANCE IRELAND 2026?
Get in touch to explore our range of sponsorship opportunities to showcase your organisation to a highly engaged community of governance professionals.

Tara Wilson
twilson@cgi.org.uk

+44 (0)20 7612 7021

PAYMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Invoicing will be available for a short period of time, whilst our new card payment platform is being set up.
Invoices must be settled 30 days, from the invoice date.
All cancellation or transfer requests must be submitted via email to: events@cgi.org.uk
Please note that the Irish VAT rate of 23% will be applied to your booking.
Full booking terms and conditions can be found on our website

Agenda

Agenda: Guiding Governance in Turbulent Times

08:30 - Main registration, exhibition and networking

09:15 - Welcome and opening remarks

09:20 - Keynote Address

Governance professionals are operating in one of the most complex and fast‑moving geopolitical landscapes in recent memory. Global uncertainty is no longer episodic; it is the norm. This session will provide governance leaders with a strategic, high‑level overview of the forces reshaping corporate risk, regulatory expectations, board dynamics, and organisational resilience.

Speaker: Derek Leatherdale, Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser, Sibylline

09:50 - Session sponsored by OnBoard

10.30 - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. What SORP 2026 Means for Your Directors’ Report
Get up to speed on the non-financial changes in SORP 2026 and how they'll impact your charity's Directors’ Report. This session will help governance professionals understand the key updates and prepare for the next reporting cycle with confidence.

Speakers:

Jon McBride Governance & Compliance Manager, The Wheel
Fergal Moran Director of Finance & Operations, The Wheel

2. CoSec Technical session Session details to follow

3. Company Boards and Geopolitical Risk - an Emerging Governance Dimension
An exploration of how boards traditionally assess geopolitical risk, the benchmarks and metrics used, how these risks are embedded into board agendas, and what geopolitical uncertainty means for business strategy and resilience.

Speakers:

Derek Leatherdale Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser, Sibylline
John Breen Geopolitical Risk Advisor, Sibylline

11:10 Refreshment Break

Refreshments for all, taking place in the exhibition space

11:30 Companies Registration Office

An update from the CRO

Moderator: Jillian O'Sullivan Partner, Grant Thornton

Speakers:

David McFadden Legal Advisor, Companies Registration Office
Maureen O’Sullivan Registrar, Companies Registration Office

12:10 Cyber Crisis Management

More details to follow

12:40 Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

Governance roles are intellectually demanding, high stakes, and often involve heavy workloads, complex decision-making, and the emotional labour of supporting boards, committees, and stakeholders.

This session offers a refreshing pause - a chance to explore how a healthy mind and body support better judgement, stronger resilience, clearer communication, and more sustainable performance. Wellbeing isn’t separate from governance excellence, it’s part of it.

Delegates will leave with simple, evidence informed tools they can use immediately, no matter how busy the schedules.

Speaker: Kellie Fennell, Leading Irish fitness entrepreneur, online coach & podcast host

13:10 Networking Lunch

Lunch and refreshments for all, taking place in the exhibition space

13:55 Afternoon welcome from CGIUKI's Chief Executive, Linda Ford

14:05 Shareholder Activism: The Boardroom Experience

This fireside Q&A will examine the role of the board in proactively anticipating and managing shareholder activism through understanding shareholder base. This session will also discuss tactics for management of contentious shareholder meetings in the face of activist campaigns. Experienced guest speakers will discuss the practical challenges that arise and the importance of careful and strategic responsiveness to protect a company's reputation, board composition and strategic direction to protect long-term value.

Moderator: Claire Lord Partner & Head of Corporate Governance, Mason Hayes & Curran

Speakers:

Nick Metcalfe
Declan Moylan Partner Corporate Governance Department, Mason Hayes & Curran
Margaret Sweeney

Sponsored by Mason Hayes & Curran

14:45 The Secret Sauce to People Management

We live in an everchanging technological age.
And yet one thing remains a constant.
People are still everything in a business.
Getting the most from your people is a critical art.
This session explores these three central factors to managing your people best.
Motivation. A Curated Role. Autonomy.
After this session, you leave with tools & techniques to maximise your people management skills.
The session will be energising.
It will positively challenge your mind.
You choose whether it will evolve your approach.

Speaker: John Slattery, CEO, Prosper With John

15:15 Refreshment Break

Refreshments for all, taking place in the exhibition space

15:35 - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. PwC

2. Keeping your human edge in an AI-driven word Session by Computershare, panel details to follow.

3. Sponsored Session

16:10 Closing Keynote

Speaker: Dermot Whelan

Multi-award-winning Radio & TV broadcaster, comedian & bestselling author

16:50 Closing Remarks followed by a drinks reception

Drinks reception kindly sponsored by Simmons and Simmons

Speakers

Geopolitical Risk Advisor, Sibylline

John Breen

John Breen is a Geopolitical Risk Advisor at Sibylline. Based in Dublin, Ireland, John helps organisations strengthen their resilience, enabling them to manage geopolitical risks and opportunities with confidence and insight. He works with a diverse range of clients – including blue-chip companies, multilateral institutions, and European governments – leveraging his extensive cross-sector expertise to deliver practical solutions for navigating geopolitical uncertainty. John has over ten years of experience in geopolitical risk and policy advisory, having guided businesses, governments, and NGOs on political, socio-economic, and security challenges across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Career highlights include advising Ireland’s mission to the United Nations on peace and security affairs, consulting government officials and businesses in London and Southeast Asia on Indo-Pacific geopolitics, and collaborating with civil society and the UN on human rights and self-determination. John earned a master’s in international relations from Queen Mary University of London, graduating with distinction. He also completed a professional diploma in data analysis at University College Dublin (UCD) and participates in the Good Judgment Open.

Leading Irish fitness entrepreneur, online coach, and podcast host

Kellie Fennell

Kellie Fennell is a leading Irish fitness entrepreneur, online coach, and podcast host, widely recognised for her science-based, personalised approach to health and wellness. With degrees in Neuroscience (UCD) and Mathematics (UL), alongside qualifications in teaching, personal training, and nutrition, she brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to her coaching. Her athletic journey is just as impressive - from competing at All-Ireland level rugby and amateur MMA to endurance challenges like Ironman triathlons and adventure racing. This rich sporting background shapes her holistic philosophy, which goes beyond physical fitness to focus on mindset, confidence, and long-term sustainability. With over 2 million social media followers worldwide, Kellie provides bespoke 1-to-1 coaching to clients across Ireland, the UK, Europe, America, and beyond. Her methodology centres on education, empowerment, and building lasting habits. Alongside coaching, she hosts The Kellie Fennell Podcast and creates engaging content across Instagram and TikTok, making fitness accessible, inspiring, and enjoyable for all.

Chief Executive

Linda Ford

Linda joins CGIUKI with a distinguished track record of leadership, membership growth and transformation across the professional and regulatory landscape. She was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX), where she spearheaded major programmes of modernisation, expanded access to legal qualifications, and secured wide-reaching policy, regulatory and legislative reform. Over a 15-year leadership career, Linda has demonstrated her commitment to professional excellence, public interest outcomes and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed. She brings deep experience in governance, professional qualifications, stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships and digital transformation.

Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser, Sibylline

Derek Leatherdale

Derek's focus is on promoting and supporting new approaches to geopolitical risk management by firms and their boards, management teams and other key internal functions. Derek’s background is in geopolitical risk consultancy, with previous roles including his work at HSBC, where he set up the geopolitical risk function in the bank’s global HQ, the first of its kind among systemically important banks, and led public policy campaigns for the bank’s government affairs team. He has also spent time in roles for the UK government. Derek holds an MA with Distinction in International Politics from King’s College London (UK). He was appointed as Visiting Scholar to the London Institute of Banking & Finance’s Centre for Governance, Risk and Regulation in 2023. Derek also sits on the Risk Forum Committee of the UK’s Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments and provides geopolitical risk training and input to the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and the Corporate Governance Institute. Derek is also Senior Adviser to the Risk Coalition, with whom he co-authors leading guidance for boards and risk functions on approaches to geopolitical risk management.

Corporate Partner and Head of the Corporate Governance team, Mason Hayes & Curran LLP.

Claire Lord

Claire is a Corporate Partner and the Head of the Corporate Governance team at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. Claire is widely recognised in the market as an articulate and clear-sighted lawyer able to distil complex issues of company law into practical and actionable advice. Claire’s practice comprises both advisory and transactional work. In her advisory practice, Claire acts as trusted advisor to corporate clients, providing ongoing advice on technical company law and corporate governance matters, always with a solution driven focus. In her transactional work, Claire relies on her experience and expertise to design corporate structures that meet her clients’ needs. She specialises in creating and efficiently implementing complex and multi-jurisdictional reorganisation projects.

Governance & Compliance Manager, The Wheel

Jon McBride

Jon manages the governance and compliance function at The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of charities, community organisations and social enterprises. He is responsible for ensuring the organisation’s governance functions effectively and fulfils statutory requirements while striving for best practice. He also supports members of The Wheel in their own governance journeys, working to ensure an effective and transparent nonprofit sector.

Legal Advisor, Companies Registration Office

David McFadden

David is a solicitor with almost 30 years of professional practice. He trained and worked in private practice before joining the Chief State Solicitor’s Office in 1997, working in the Criminal Division of that office. David joined the Companies Registration Office in early 2015 in the run up to the commencement of the Companies Act 2014. David is a solicitor with 25 years of professional practice. He trained and worked in private practice before joining the Chief State Solicitor’s Office in 1997, working in the Criminal Division of that office. A short stint in the Revenue Solicitor’s Office specialising in prosecutorial work was followed by over 14 years as the solicitor and legal advisor to the Competition Authority. Whilst working at the Competition Authority, David personally lead the investigation into the Heating Oil Cartel. As lead investigator, David was responsible for planning the investigation, conducting searches of business premises, interviewing witnesses and suspects and gave evidence before two jury trials. This case resulted in the conviction on indictment of 18 companies and individuals for their part in a price fixing conspiracy. These were the first such convictions by jury trial in either Ireland or Europe. David has a Ph.D. in law from Trinity College and has published widely on legal subjects, including two books on Competition Law. David joined the Companies Registration Office in early 2015 in the run up to the commencement of the Companies Act 2014. Susanne was winner of Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year at the IFLR EMEA Women in Business Law Awards 2024 and nominated as ESG Leader of the Year at Ireland's Climate Change Leadership Awards.

Partner, Corporate Governance Department, Mason Hayes & Curran LLP

Nick Metcalfe

Nick is a partner in the MHC Corporate Governance Department. He advises on complex group reorganisations, from planning to delivery as well as providing technical company law and corporate governance advice. Nick also provides advice on general and limited partnerships established under Irish law and drafts and advises on the form, content and effect of partnership agreements. Nick advises and trains boards of directors of a wide range of companies and other organisations, from multi-national household names to State and quasi-State bodies to charitable organisations and owner management companies on all aspects of corporate governance. This advice includes: directors’ duties; director-shareholder relationships; the need for and form of internal governance policies, such as board charters, conflicts of interest policies, committee terms of reference; the convening and holding of directors’ and general meetings; interpretation and implementation of constitutions and governing documents; and technical company law questions such as the making of distributions, statutory mergers and capital reductions and reorganisations. Nick also reviews, advises on and drafts shareholders agreements for joint ventures and multi member companies of all types.

Director of Finance & Operations, The Wheel

Fergal Moran FCG

Fergal is Director of Finance & Operations at The Wheel and a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained with KPMG. He joined The Wheel in 2022 following a career spanning the multinational, hospitality and nonprofit sectors, with over a decade of experience in the latter. Prior to his current role, Fergal served as Finance Manager for an addiction support clinic in Dublin and as Finance Director for an all-Ireland youth charity. At The Wheel, he leads the Finance & Operations function, overseeing a broad portfolio of internal services including governance, HR, communications and IT.

Partner, Grant Thornton

Jillian O'Sullivan

Jillian is a partner in Grant Thornton, as part of her role she leads the Company Secretarial offering for Grant Thornton Ireland, one of the leading professional services firms in Ireland. Jillian is a fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland and also chairs the company secretarial practice committee and a member of the Governance and Nomination Committee. Jillian holds diplomas in Commercial law and Corporate Governance from the Law Society of Ireland together with a Diploma in Taxation from the Irish Institute of Tax.

Registrar, Companies Registration Office

Maureen O’Sullivan

Maureen was appointed as the new Register of Beneficial Ownership of Companies and Co-Operatives in July 2019 and oversaw the opening of Register for filing on 29th July 2019. Ms O’Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Business Studies degree, Certificates in Public Management and Public Sector Human Resources and a Professional Diploma in Corporate Governance. She has been a Board Member of the European Business Registers Association since June 2021.

CEO, Prosper With John

John Slattery

John worked in PwC for 12 years, holding people and business development roles with local and international responsibilities. John set up his business, Inspo, in 2016 and rebranded the business to Prosper with John in 2024. John has over 15 years of coaching in his roles in PwC and through Inspo. He has worked with business leaders, management and their teams across the Professional Services, Healthcare, Banking, Recruitment, Technology, Education and Food & Beverages industries

Broadcaster, comedian & bestselling author

Dermot Whelan

Dermot is a multi-award-winning Radio & TV broadcaster, comedian, bestselling author, podcast host and meditation expert. Known for co-presenting the hugely popular Dermot and Dave Show for over 20 years, he has won 12 IMRO Radio Awards and achieved double platinum success with his comedy creation The Toll Trolls. Dermot's Mind Full Podcast, launched in 2024, and quickly topped the Apple and Spotify charts. As a certified meditation teacher, his number one bestselling book Mind Full offers a humorous guide to meditation. Dermot's latest tour and new book of 2024, Busy and Wrecked, continues his mission to help others destress with his signature comedic flair.