Directors

The Board of Directors of Bank of Ireland Group plc

The Court of Directors of The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland

• Akshaya Bhargava

  

  Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 12 January 2024.
  • Appointed Chair on 1 January 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Chair of the Nomination & Governance Committee and Member of the Remuneration Committee.

  Key skills:

  Wealth management, fintech, technology, innovation and change.

  Experience

  Akshaya is a global banking and wealth management leader, with experience across fintech, financial services and large scale transformation. He spent 22 years in senior roles at Citibank and later served as Global CEO of Barclays Wealth. He was founding CEO of Infosys BPO and established several fintech ventures, including Bridgeweave, where he is Executive Chairman. He has held board roles across financial services and technology and holds an MBA from IIM Calcutta.

  Key external appointments:

  Executive Chair of Bridgeweave, Director of InvestorAI Technologies India Private Limited.

• Giles Andrews

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 17 November 2020.

  Committee Membership

  • Chair of the Group Transformation Oversight Committee.
  • Member of the Remuneration Committee, the Risk Committee, and the Sustainability Committee.
  • INED of J&E Davy Holdings Unlimited Company and J&E Davy Unlimited Company.
  • Chair of its Risk & Compliance Committee and Member of its Audit Committee.

  Key skills:

  Fintech innovation, digital banking, investment, lending and leadership.

  Experience

  Giles is a fintech pioneer with deep experience in digital banking, investment and lending. He co-founded Zopa, the first peer-to-peer lending marketplace, serving as CEO and then Chairman, and later supported the development of Zopa Bank. Giles holds degrees from Oxford and INSEAD and received an OBE in 2015 for services to financial services. Giles serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman on the board of Carwow Limited, a platform for buying new cars from franchised dealers.

  Key external appointments:

  Chairman at Carwow Limited, SID at C. Hoare & Co., and Chairman at Octopus Electric Vehicles Limited.

• Ian Buchanan

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 17 May 2018.

  Committee and other Group Roles

  • Chair of the Group Remuneration Committee.
  • Member of the Group Transformation Oversight Committee and the Nomination & Governance Committee.
  • Non-Executive Director and Member of the Risk Committee of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc.
  • Previously NED on the Board of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc from 2018 to 2024.

  Key skills:

  Technology, digital transformation, operations, global banking and financial services.

  Experience

  Ian is a senior technology and operations leader with extensive experience in across global retail, commercial and investment banking. He has held major roles including Group CIO of Barclays, COO of Barclaycard and CIO of Société Générale CIB.

  He also served as Group Manufacturing Director at Alliance & Leicester plc and Chief Operations and Technology Officer at Nomura He holds a Physics degree from Durham University.

  Key external appointments:

  Chair of Brocc Finance AB and Senior Advisor to Cerberus Capital Management.

• Emer Finnan

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 9 July 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Member of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee.

  Key skills:

  Finance, M&A, strategic development, stakeholder management, private equity, corporate governance, and capital markets.

  Experience

  Emer is a chartered accountant and financial services professional with extensive experience in private equity, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions. As a Partner and President of Kildare Europe, she has led major investments across European markets. She has substantial financial services experience, having worked in Investec Irela. Her earlier career includes senior roles with EBS Limited, NCB Corporate Finance, ABN AMRO UK and Salomon Brothers UK. She has served on the boards of Britvic plc and C&C Group plc. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. She holds a Commerce degree and Diploma in Accounting from UCD.

  Key external appointments:

  NED at Glenveagh Properties plc and the Ireland Fund of Great Britain. ED, Kildare Acquisitions Ireland Ltd (and Group entities).

• Richard Goulding

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 20 July 2017.
  • Appointed Deputy Chair/Deputy Governor and Senior Independent Director in January 2021.
  • Appointed Trustee of the Bank Staff Pension Fund in January 2021.
  • Appointed Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of J & E Davy in June 2022.

  Committee Membership

  • Chair of the Audit Committee.
  • Member of the Nomination & Governance Committee, the Risk Committee and the Group Transformation Oversight Committee.
  • Chair of the Remuneration Committee and member of the Nomination and Audit Committees of J & E Davy Holdings Unlimited Company, J&E Davy Unlimited Company.

  Key skills:

  Extensive experience in risk management and oversight, wealth management, fintech, technology, innovation and change.

  Experience

  Richard is a Chartered Accountant with extensive global experience in risk management and financial services leadership. He previously served as Group Chief Risk Officer and Director.

  Key external appointments:

  NED of Zopa Group and Zopa Bank and serves on the Royal College of Music Council, Member and Chair of its Finance and General Purposes Committee.

• Michele Greene

  

  Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Non-Executive Director on 5 December 2019.
  • Appointed Chair of the Risk Committee in January 2024.
  • Appointed Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Nomination Committee of J & E Davy in June 2022.
  • Appointed Deputy Chair/Deputy Governor and Senior Independent Director on 1 June 2025.
  • Appointed Trustee of the Bank Staff Pension Fund in June 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Chair of the Risk Committee.
  • Member of Audit Committee, Group Sustainability Committee and the Nomination & Governance Committee.
  • Chair of the Nomination Committee and member of the Remuneration and Risk & Compliance Committees of J & E Davy.

  Key skills:

  Strategic development, risk oversight, digital banking, finance leadership, board governance and transformation.

  Experience

  Michele is a Chartered Accountant with extensive executive and board level experience across digital banking, strategy and financial services. She held senior roles at Virgin Money’s Digital Bank, including Managing Director and Director of Strategic Development, and previously served as CFO of MBNA Europe. Earlier, she worked with Goldman Sachs, Credit Lyonnais and KPMG. She is a Trinity College Dublin graduate.

• Niamh Marshall

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 23 June 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Member of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee.

  Key skills:

  Audit and accountancy, fintech innovation, digital banking, investment, lending, leadership and governance.

  Experience

  Niamh is a Chartered Accountant and audit specialist with deep experience in banking, investment management, audit and risk. As KPMG Ireland’s first female partner, she advised major domestic and global financial institutions She has held non-executive roles at Ulster Bank, the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland and Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies. Niamh is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants of Ireland and has a Batchelor of Commerce degree from UCD.

  Key external appointments:

  NED of Greencoat Renewables plc and Kepak Holdings and a member of the Audit & Risk Committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union.

• Hans van der Noordaa

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 10 October 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Member of the Remuneration Committee, Group Sustainability Committee and the Group Transformation Oversight Committee.

  Key skills:

  Banking, insurance, payments, and technology, transformational change, international markets, and governance.

  Experience

  Hans is an international financial services leader with over 40 years experience across banking, insurance payments and IT. He held executive roles at ING Group and served as CEO of Delta Lloyd Group, leading transformation across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Hans previously advised the Dutch financial regulator and holds a Master of Public Administration.

  Key external appointments:

  Chair of the supervisory boards of Deloitte Netherlands, War Child, and Johan Cruijff Arena. Attends Deloitte’s North South Europe Board.

• Myles O’Grady

  

  Group Chief Executive and Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Group Chief Executive and Executive Director on 17 November 2022.

  Experience

  Myles is a senior banking leader with deep experience in strategy, restructuring, M&A and transformation. Over a 30-year career, he has held senior roles at Citibank, AIB and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. As Group CFO of Bank of Ireland, he helped drive key acquisitions including Davy and KBC portfolios. He has served on boards within Bank of Ireland Group and is a Fellow of ACCA and an INSEAD- Certified Director of the Institute of Directors Ireland.

  He has extensive local market knowledge and deep experience of working with a range of stakeholders including customers, colleagues, investors and regulatory authorities. His experience encompasses strategy development, business restructuring and recovery, M&A, organisational transformation and investor relations. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Myles has worked nationally and internationally in senior roles in retail, business and investment banking, including Citibank, AIB and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. Myles was appointed BOI Group Chief Financial Officer in 2019 and was also appointed Group Non-Executive Director of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc and New Ireland Life Assurance Company plc. As Group Chief Financial Officer, Myles played an integral role in the development and execution of the Group’s strategy, including the successful acquisitions of Davy and the KBC Ireland portfolios.

• Steve Pateman

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 10 September 2018.
  • Appointed Non-Executive Director of Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank u.c. in December 2023.
  • Appointed Non-Executive Director of Bank of Ireland UK plc in December 2024, and as Chair in May 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Member of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee.
  • Member of the Audit Committee in Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank u.c.
  • Chair of BoI (UK) plc Nomination Committee

  Key skills:

  Business transformation, strategic leadership, governance, business growth and restructuring.

  Experience

  Steve is an experienced banking executive with a strong record of business transformation and growth. He previously led corporate, commercial and business banking businesses of at Royal Bank of Scotland before joining Santander, where he led the UK banking operations. He later served as CEO of Shawbrook, Hodge and Streambank. Steve has held advisory and non-executive roles including Arora Group, ThinCats and Affordable Housing & Healthcare Investment Management. He is a former President of the Chartered Banker Institute from 2021 to 2024 and was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Kent for services to banking.

  Key external appointments:

  Chair of Recognise Bank.

• Mark Spain

  

  Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director on 31 March 2022.

  Committee Membership

  • As an Executive Director, Mark does not sit on Board Committees.

  Key skills:

  Strategic leadership, corporate finance, investor relations, M&A and finance transformation.

  Experience

  Mark is a senior finance leader with over 30 years’ experience, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1994. He joined the Bank of Ireland in 1998, holding leadership positions across corporate finance investor relations, finance and strategy, including Chief Strategy Officer. He previously worked in senior roles at Diageo and KPMG and served as a Non-executive Director on the Board of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a Diploma in Accounting from University College Dublin.

• Margaret Sweeney

  

  Independent Non-Executive Director

  Bank of Ireland Appointments

  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director on 1 October 2023.
  • Appointed Independent Non-Executive Director of New Ireland Assurance Company in January 2025.

  Committee Membership

  • Chair of the Group Sustainability Committee.
  • Member of the Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee and Group Transformation Oversight Committee.
  • Member of the New Ireland Assurance Company Audit, Risk and Remuneration Committees.

  Key skills:

  Corporate governance, strategic leadership, and stakeholder engagement.

  Experience

  Margaret is an experienced CEO, Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director with board roles across financial services, property and not for profit organisations. She was CEO and Executive Director of IRES REIT plc and previously served nine years on the Dalata Hotel Group plc board. She holds a Commerce degree from University College Galway.

  Key external appointments:

  NED with Institute of Directors Ireland and The Dublin Neurological Institute. Co-opted Trustee with The Chester Beatty Library. Chair of Dublin City University Business School – Industry Advisory Committee. Senior Advisor at Consello.