SUZANNE EADE

 

Suzanne Eade was appointed as the first female CEO of Horse Racing Ireland in September 2021 and has overseen the emergence of the sports challenge of operating under the restrictions of Covid and lockdowns.

She stepped up to the role after a competitive recruitment process having previously served as Group Chief Financial Officer of the sport’s governing body.

Attendance figures are climbing back to where they were and the sport has survived well having had to keep going throughout those past two and a half years.

The addition of the Royal Bahrain Jockey Club as sponsor of the prestigious Champion Stakes at Leopardstown was a ‘statement’ deal on the health of Ireland’s reputation in the global game.

Eade plays a major role in that, representing the sport at a global level as well as making sure that it’s many stakeholders at home are catered for and happy.

Eade joined Horse Racing Ireland in 2015 from Boots Retail Ireland where she was Finance Director. She has also held senior roles in the multinational sector including with Procter and Gamble.

 

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This is the tenth edition of our Sport for Business listing of 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport.

Read more about the list and nominate who you think should be a part of it in 2022.

We are proud to do so again this year with AIG, an organisation that has pledged its commitment to equality in its partnerships with Gaelic Games, Tennis, Golf and more, for whom “Effort is Equal” and with whom we have ambitious plans to extend the reach of this annual celebration of the Women who are making a difference.

This year’s list will be drawn as before from the worlds of leadership, partnership, storytelling and performance.

We began this journey in 2013 when challenged that we would never be able to produce a list of twenty Influential Women in Irish Sport. The 20 stretched to 30, then 40 and 50 and it still does not do justice to the talent that is out there.

This year once more, to keep things fresh we will introduce at least 30 per cent of fresh names from last year. That will be the hardest part to have some names replaced but if it was too easy it would be of less value.

The list we will build over the coming weeks is a snapshot of those women who are making a mark on how sport is played, consumed, grown and delivered.

They are part of making the role of women in sport unexceptional by being exceptional in what they do.