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The NCEB is a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation, it is a company limited by guarantee, "owned" by the Government, Company Register No 224893. It is funded by the EU and the Department of Enterprise Trade & Employment under the National Development Plan 2007 - 2013.
Although an initiative of Central Government, the NCEB is led and controlled locally by its sixteen Board Members.
Reflecting the multi sector consensus approach, that was so successful at national level in the 1990s, membership of each of the enterprise boards was to comprise a special partnership of [1]four local political leaders; [2] four state officials from the County Council, Enterprise Ireland, FAS and Teagasc; [3] four nominees of the employer and farming organisations, the tourism sector and the trade unions; and [4] the NCEB also has four ‘wild card’ local business leaders.
1. At present, the four political leaders chosen by Cork County Council are Dan Joe Fitzgerald MCC MTC, Marian Murphy MCC, Liam O’Doherty MCC and Aileen Pyne MCC MTC;
2. The four officials of the state agencies are Teagasc Senior Adviser Pat Cashman, Enterprise Ireland Regional Manager Liam Kelly, FAS Services to Business Manager Enda McWeeney and Assistant County Manager Tim Lucey;
3. Tadhg Curtis of SIPTU is the nominee of ICTU; the employer / farming communities are represented by the CEO of Newmarket Co-op Creameries Michael Cronin, the nominee of IBEC / CIF, and Business Owner Emer Howard; and Noel O Connor MCC MTC of Blackwater Valley Tourism represents the tourism sector.
4. The four ‘wild card’ local business leaders to represent the business communities are AIB Regional Manager Dermot Graham, Ulster Bank Regional Manager Peter McKenna, Triace Ltd Owner Peter Merrigan MTC and Accountant John J Sheahan.
Because it is the job of the NCEB to support business, the Board Members have always ensured that the NCEB has a private sector ethos and modus operandi. Evidence of that determination can be seen in the decision to invite so many business leaders to join the Board and in always selecting a Business Owner to be Chairman.
John J Sheahan was Chairman until 19 Jun 2006, when Emer Howard was selected as Chairman and Tadhg Curtis as Vice Chairman. Rochie Holohan has been Chief Executive since October 1993; Joan Kelleher is our Development Executive and Sheelagh Neville is our Office Manager.
For the record, no Board Member of the NCEB has ever been paid a grant or hand-out of any kind or any travel or other expenses of any kind ... all give their time and energy voluntarily as their contribution to their local community.
One of the most important roles of the Board Members is to be strategic in their approach and outlook - setting out the most effective overall policy direction for the NCEB and over-seeing the work of the Executives. For the most part, this is done by deciding on and supervising the implementation of a multi annual strategic Enterprise Action Plan and an annual Business Plan of Key Activities.
Our last four-page Enterprise Action Plan for the seven years 2000 / 2006 was revised and formally agreed by the Board Members on 17 June 2002.
Outgoing Chairman John J Sheahan congratulates Emer Howard on her selection as Chairman in the presence of Chief Executive Rochie Holohan.
