22/2/2024 – County Kildare Chamber is pleased to announce the appointment of Sinéad Ronan as its new Chief Executive Officer. Sinéad, formerly the Head of Public Affairs and Operations for the Chamber, will now take the helm as CEO, succeeding Allan Shine.
As the newly appointed CEO, Sinéad Ronan expressed her commitment to addressing the pressing concerns raised by the Chamber’s membership. The most recent Membership Sentiment Report highlighted housing availability as the top concern for businesses in terms of competitiveness within Kildare, closely followed by skills and labour availability. The challenges posed by wage demands and recent legislation introduced by Government in January have added increased pressure on local businesses.
Sinéad emphasised the need for strategic infrastructure development within the County to attract businesses and nurture talent in Kildare and the Mid-East region. In the latest Chamber sentiment report, over 73% of businesses stated they believed infrastructure development within Kildare was lagging and more needed to be done.
To address this, Sinéad plans to champion the establishment of an agency dedicated solely to long-term planning and infrastructure development. “Too often we have seen glossy development plans with projects highlighted for regions and areas decided on by the geographical location of our cabinet. Our current policy development is based on election cycles, with a new plan developed with each incoming government and an end result with very little done or changed. We need an independent body that will lead projects from inception to completion, ensuring a comprehensive and impactful approach”.
In her previous role, Sinéad has played a pivotal role in shaping the Chamber’s policy and advocacy work, addressing the concerns and needs of the membership. With a background as a Parliamentary Advisor to the current Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, she brings a deep understanding of governmental and departmental functions, both nationally and internationally.
County Kildare Chamber is the largest business organisation in the Mid-East Region and the 4th largest chamber in the country, with a broad and varied membership base, from Intel, Pfizer, Keurig Dr Pepper, to homegrown SME’s like Irish Dog Foods and Ballymore Group. The Chamber represents 400 members, who employ over 42,000 people within Kildare and the wider region.
Commenting on her new role, Sinéad Ronan stated, “I am honoured to lead County Kildare Chamber as we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. My focus will be on fostering an environment that addresses the immediate concerns of our membership, with an emphasis on sustainable long-term planning for the benefit of businesses and the broader community in Kildare and the Mid-East Region.”
President of County Kildare Chamber, Mairéad Hennessy, welcomed the appointment, stating “Sinéad has an extensive knowledge of the Chamber membership, their concerns and wants, and has developed the Chamber’s policy and voice over the last number of years as of Head of Public Affairs. I look forward to working with Sinéad over the remainder of my term as President and into the future as a member of our Executive Board”.
Mairéad also paid tribute to outgoing CEO Allan Shine, for his work and dedication of the past 12 years, and developing the Chamber into the voice of business not just within Kildare, but the Mid-East region and wishing him well with his new venture with Kildare Innovation Campus.