Golf Ireland has announced details of an important recruitment process that will help shape the organisation over the coming years.
Applications for Chairperson and six other Director positions on the first board of Golf Ireland are now being accepted.
Golf Ireland came into existence this year with the merging of the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golf Union.
Mark Kennelly was appointed as CEO and he spoke in an exclusive interview with Sport for Business in February of 2020 being a “year of delivery” on the new body driving the leadership of the sport here.
Covid-19 stopped that in its tracks but the sport has negotiated the return to activity well and it was among the first sports to provide an outlet for activity once the lockdown began to ease over the summer.
In common with every other sector of society, it now faces challenges that could only have been imagined at the start of 2020 but that in itself will mean the role of the Board can have a greater impact in terms of providing a roadmap on how the sport can engage with its core audience and build a new one.
Any random study of the demographics of driving ranges over the last couple of months will show that there is an appetite among younger players that might have been considered to be fading previously.
The role of the Chair will require skills in leadership, communication and influence combined with an ability to operate to the highest standards of good governance.
The six Director posts will be skill-based appointments in the areas of corporate governance, finance and auditing, commercial activity, marketing and sponsorship, sports and/or golf administration and senior level experience or knowledge of sporting systems.
The demands on Board members have never been greater but that in itself should lead to a vibrant willingness to engage and make a difference for those who might put themselves forward.
in addition to the seven Directors to be appointed via this open process, there will be six Directors comprising the President, President-Elect and four Regional Directors appointed via a separate process through Golf Ireland’s regional structures.
The overall board of 13 Directors will have a 30:30:40 gender requirement. This means there will be a minimum of 4 male and 4 female Directors at any time.
Applications for the roles should be made by email to board@golfireland.ie and the closing date is Friday 25th September.
