Galway Hosts Public Sector Leaders for Reform-Focused Event at J.E. Cairnes School

Key leaders from across the public sector are to come together at the University of Galway’s J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics to share insights and explore how lessons from crises can be used to deliver future reform.

The event – Leading Change in the Public Sector: Using Crisis to Deliver Future Reform – is part of the School’s Thinking Beyond thought leadership series.

Former and current public sector leaders will take part in the event on Wednesday, November 13th from 8.30 am to 11 am, in the O’Donoghue Theatre at the University of Galway.

Ireland has experienced two of the most significant crises over the past two decades. It has been 14 years since then Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced that the EU-ECB-IMF troika would oversee Ireland’s economic affairs due to the financial crisis.

Some 10 years later, the highest level of movement restrictions was imposed due to the novel COVID-19 virus. The Irish economy has rebounded on the back of both crises and the event will examine the lessons learned, as well as the ongoing cultural and structural transformation in process across the Defence Forces.

Former Secretary General at the Department for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Dr. Orlaigh Quinn, who worked in Government through both the seismic events will deliver the keynote address.

A panel discussion is also being hosted with Dr Quinn; Dr Ronan Glynn, the former Deputy Chief Medical Officer and current Health Sector Lead and Partner, EY; Elizabeth Canavan, Assistant Secretary General at Department of the Taoiseach; and Brian Molloy, Defence Forces Head of Transformation and President of the Camogie Association.

The event will be chaired by Alma McCarthy, Professor of Public Sector Management and Dean of J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, University of Galway.

Professor McCarthy said: “Ireland’s public services employ more than 370,000 people with an annual budget of over €90 billion in 2024. Effective leadership of our public services significantly impacts every single citizen in our state.”

“Our speakers all have extensive public sector management experience with responsibility for overseeing and delivering wide-ranging change and extensive reform programmes. I am looking forward to hearing how learnings from recent crises can be harnessed to continue to deliver public sector reform.”