Dr Fiona Maloney, Director of Further Education and Training, ETBI

Fiona Maloney is the ETBI Director of Further Education and Training Services with over 20 years’ experience across Senior Management roles in the Education and Training sector. Responsible for the leadership of a high achieving and motivated team her role involves providing strategic direction and leadership in the development of education and training policy, the development strategic supports to the national network of ETBs and coordinating engagement arrangements between national stakeholders and the ETBs. 

John Kearney, Chief Executive CMETB

John Kearney took up the role of Chief Executive of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board in September 2016. John has wide ranging experience in education and training having previously served as Education Officer with the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board and Principal of Breifne College, Cavan Town.

John is very familiar with sectoral developments in acting as co-chair of the ETBI Directors of Further Education and Training Forum and representing the sector on the Tertiary Education System (TES) Steering Committee.

Niall Collins TD, Department of Further & Higher Education Research Innovation & Science

Niall Collins TD is Minister of State with responsibility for Skills and Further Education at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. He was appointed to this role in July 2020.

He has been a TD for the Limerick County constituency since 2016, and previously from 2011 to 2016 for the Limerick constituency and from 2007 to 2011 for the Limerick West constituency. He served as a member of Limerick County Council for the Bruff Local electoral area, being first elected to the council at the 2004 local elections.

Jim Breslin, Secretary General, Department of Further & Higher Education Research Innovation & Science

Jim Breslin was appointed Secretary General of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in July 2020.  The new Department has an annual budget of over €3 billion and is responsible for well over half of Government’s total expenditure on research and development, through its agencies Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council and the Higher Education Authority. He was Secretary General of the Department of Health from 2014 onwards and he led the establishment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in 2011 as its first Secretary General.

Andrew Brownlee, Chief Executive Officer, SOLAS

Andrew Brownlee was appointed SOLAS CEO in August 2019 following an open competition.

Andrew was Executive Director for Strategy and Knowledge at SOLAS since January 2018, where he played a key role in putting in place a strategic performance framework for the further education and training (FET) system, in implementing reforms to support a more integrated system and in developing an ambitious, new five year strategy for the further education and training sector.

Sadie Ward McDermott,  Director of Further Education and Training, LMETB

Mrs Ward McDermott has been working in Education and Training for over 25 years. Sadie started her career as a teacher and then took a post with the Louth VEC (Vocational Education Committee) working as an Adult Education Officer.

Sadie is currently Director of Further Education and Training with the Louth Meath Education and Training Board. This work encompasses working in partnership with other agencies, to deliver peace programmes alongside provision on behalf of Government in the following areas: Adult and Community education, Programmes targeting young persons not engaged in Education/Training, Training to enable up-skilling of current workforce, Supporting Employers to grow skills development in company, and Further Education Colleges.

Denis Leamy, Chief Executive Cork ETB

A graduate of Maynooth University and UCD, the Waterford native has experience managing youth and family support projects in Dublin and Kilkenny, having begun his career in 1989 as a Youth Officer in Tallaght. Denis Leamy is the Chief Executive of the Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), Lavitt’s Quay, Cork. He brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous role as CEO of Pobal, an Irish Government intermediary body for social inclusion and local and community development. He is currently chair of the OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Directing Committee and is also chair of the OECD LEED Forum Board.