Board of Directors

Admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1980 and in Ireland in 1982, she practised as a corporate lawyer for over 30 years, and her expertise spans all areas of corporate law including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, IPOs, joint ventures and debt and equity financing In January 2006 she merged Binchys Solicitors, of which she was managing partner, with Maples and Calder, the first international law firm to set up in Irelandand was, post the merger, the joint managing partner of Maples Dublin office and, until she retired from practise, head of corporate in that office. From 2005 until 2011 she served on the executive committee of Amnesty International (Ireland) and from January 2011 until the end of 2015 she sat on the Board of Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland Limited. She is currently the chair of Irish National Opera and sits on the Board of Fighting Words CLG and the Advisory Board of St. Patrick’s Athletic F.

Appointed April 2017.

She spent 10 years as a resident principal soloist with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich where she received the prestigious Promeritis scientiae et litterarum (2013) from the Bavarian government in recognition for outstanding contribution to the arts. Further operatic highlights include Tara’s company debut with New York’s Metropolitan opera (Nicklausse, Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann; Hansel, Hansel and Gretel) and Gran Teatre del Liceu (Stephano, Romeo et Juliette) as well as performances with Wiener Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, the Hamburg Staatsoper, Theater an der Wien, and Washington National Opera.

She has been an artistic partner with Irish National Opera since their inception in 2018.

Gerard has practised as a public affairs consultant since 2008, working for a wide range of clients in the public and private sector. His portfolio currently includes state bodies, not for profit NGO’s, financial services and multinational PLCs. He is a columnist with The Sunday Times and a regular contributor to political debate in the Irish media.

He was a Special Adviser at the Department of Taoiseach 1999-2007 and was Government Press Secretary June - August 2007. Previously he was a Special Adviser at the Department of Tourism and Sport 1997-1999. Gerard was a member of the steering committee of the National Campaign for the Arts 2012-2015. He was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Trinity College Dublin Association and Trust in October 2019.

He has served as a director/governor and chair or vice-chair of non-profit organisations, including the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC), and the Internet Consortium for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

He has considerable experience of general management and business leadership, corporate governance, financial reporting, audit committee work, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

He is an internationally recognised Internet Pioneer, and in 2014 was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame for his innovative work during the 1980s.

He is a lover of opera and classical music, and continues to struggle to learn to play the piano.

Recognised as the CEO “Building a Radio Powerhouse” (2021) and as a “Woman of Influence” (2022) by the Portland Business Journal (Oregon, USA), Suzanne leads All Classical Radio and the International Children’s Arts Network.

Suzanne has produced dozens of radio and TV documentaries. Heard internationally as the former host and producer of the syndicated Lyric Opera of Chicago Radio Broadcast Series, she has been praised for her work as the host and creator of All Classical’s popular radio programme Sunday Brunch and for creating the Emmy® Award winning TV program MaineArts!

A classically trained soprano, Suzanne has performed in operas and recitals throughout the United States, England, and Europe. She advocates for greater access to arts education and investment in the arts economy and is dedicated to promoting innovation, meaningful collaboration, belonging, and excellence in the arts and public service media industries.

Ann worked in financial services for nine years, before that she worked in both the expenditure and tax divisions of the Department. She has served on a number of State Boards including the Pensions Authority, the SBCI, the State Claims Agency and the Legal Aid Board.

Appointed April 2018.

After working with BNP Paribas as its Irish General Counsel for 19 years, she left the bank to join the board of the National Asset Management Agency. She has subsequently built a portfolio board career in financial services. She has been on the Board of Business to Arts for over 12 years and for the last three years held the chair position there. She also serves on the Board of the Dublin IFSC Inner City trust.

Davina has extensive governance experience, is a graduate of the Certified Director Programme with the IOD and went on to become a fully-fledged Chartered Director. She has extensive chairing experience on boards, risk committees and audit committees. She is an opera enthusiast and believes passionately in its ability to convey difficult and evergreen topics in a fresh way, convinced that Opera can be relevant for all age groups.

With over 20 years’ experience as a practicing accountant, he is a partner with the advisory and accounting firm HLB Sheehan Quinn and has worked extensively in the arts sector. In addition to the Irish National Opera, he currently serves on the board of Rough Magic Theatre Company and Graphic Studio Dublin.

Bruce has presented on a variety of taxation matters both in Ireland and at international conferences on topics such as EU VAT case law, the Irish Holding Company regime and business investment & expansion.