Triathlon Ireland eBulletin – 21/12/09

As part of the continuing developments within Triathlon Ireland, we are pleased to announce that the appointment of the organisation’s first ever Chief Executive Officer has been finalised. This recruitment process has taken several months and has involved a number of parties who brought their expertise to the table.


The short listing and interview panel consisted of Marie Ahern from the Irish Sports Council, Norma Bowman from SportNI, former TI President Hugh McAtamney representing the wider membership and myself representing the board. We were also able to call upon specific HR and legal advice from the sports councils. My thanks go out to all those who assisted.


The successful candidate is Mr. Matt McKerrow, who will join us from the Australian Sports Commission where he was employed as a senior consultant within their Innovation and Best Practice Department. His role there involved providing advice and support to a wide range of governing bodies, including Triathlon Australia. This broad spectrum of knowledge will now be applied within TI as we move towards a more professional structure suitable for a modern NGB.


Matt will start with us as soon as the relevant paperwork is completed and will hopefully be in post by the AGM on 30th January. He will have responsibility for the day to day running of the organisation and will manage the existing staff. The CEO will report to the board which will retain responsibility for the strategic direction that is to be followed.


The board itself has seen a number of changes recently and we can welcome Matt Coughlan on board as Treasurer, Eidin Christie as a Munster representative and Tommy Linton as the Ulster rep. Eidin and Tommy are replacing Eamonn Horgan and Oliver Harkin who have ‘served their time’. And after several years in the post, Jag Gunawardana has decided to stand down as President. A replacement will not be co-opted as we feel that this post-holder should always be elected by the membership.


Jag has overseen some significant changes within Triathlon Ireland during these years and will continue to provide assistance as required. He has dedicated many long hours during this transition period and has worked tirelessly for the good of our sport. Jag has recently been prioritising his TI involvement, to the detriment of other projects which he wishes to pursue. We wish him every success as he now takes up another challenge.


Our thanks go out to Jag, Eamonn, Oliver and all the other members who have previously served on the board. Their involvement has been critical in making triathlon the fastest growing sport in Ireland. With a professional structure in place handling the daily workload, the board will now be able to concentrate on ensuring that strategic goals are set that reflect the wishes and needs of the membership.


As mentioned above, the 2010 AGM will be held on Saturday 30th January. The meeting will start at 11:00am in Jury’s Inn, Custom House Quay, Dublin. Please regard this as official notice. A call for motions and nominations for executive board positions will be published on the website over the coming days and a comprehensive agenda and AGM booklet will be made available several days prior to the meeting. Any provincial representatives who have been previously co-opted onto the board will also seek ratification by the members. This will ensure that the board carries a strong mandate and is representative of the membership.


Following the AGM, we will be hosting the Annual Awards Dinner. This black tie affair will be an opportunity to dump the lycra and slip into something more formal. A chance to swap bike bottle for beer bottle but hopefully we’ll not all need to reach for a Kinetica recovery drink next morning. On a more serious note it is an occasion when so many of our age-groupers can take centre stage after their exploits during the 2009 National Series and National Championship races. They have worked hard and deserve credit for their achievements. Tickets will be available soon, again through the TI website.


As 2009 now draws to a close, on behalf of the board and staff of Triathlon Ireland, I would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year. See you on a start line in 2010!!


Yours in Sport


Conal Heatley
Secretary, Triathlon Ireland
secretary@triathlonireland.com
Tel: 00353 83 374 6607

December 22, 2009 09:57

Michael