Events

Date: 26/01/2022

8.15am, Wednesday 26th January 2022, Online Event.Thank you to Rosemary Keogh, MSc, CEO of the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) and Chair of the National Disability Services Association, who was the guest speaker of our first event of 2022.

Rosemary shared her research in the area of CEO Resilience, and the importance of leaders seeing their own well being as key not just to their own personal growth, but to the success of the organisation they lead.

Background to Event

As part of a Masters in Work & Organisational Behaviour, Rosemary completed a qualitative research study on the well-being of Irish CEOs that work with non-exec boards, and the factors that influence that.

The study, based on interviews with CEOs across medium to large organisations in the not for profit sector, sheds light on the well-being effects of working with non-exec boards; crisis management (financial, reputational, sectoral, and of course Covdi19); and the loneliness of life as a CEO.

The study has also provided valuable and thought provoking insights on CEO motivation, attitudes to vulnerability and how – or if – CEOs cope with stress and mitigate against burnout. At the event, Rosemary will share some thoughts and tips on how we can all be better at looking after our own well-being.

Why Does this Matter for ACESA?

Like their non-profit counterparts, state agency boards are comprised of non-executive directors, and ACESA CEOs are responsible for the leadership of a national workforce in agencies that carry out a wide range of work that has a huge impact on Irish citizens, and have significant economic responsibility for the management and governance of funding which comes from the State .

For all organisations to deliver on their objectives, they must be able to attract and retain the best talent and, particularly in a leadership context, motivate that talent to achieve and enable them to fully apply their skills and talents to their work.

This is no less important for state agencies that need leaders who, notwithstanding limitations to earning potential versus corporate sector counterparts, are value-aligned to their work; are willing to immerse themselves in their roles; and who demonstrate initiative and commitment to high performance achievement both organisationally and personally. This is highly relevant in the context of this research as previous studies have shown that well-being and engagement are related to tangible outcomes that include customer satisfaction; job performance; as well as organisations’ positive financial performance.

Rosemary Keogh has over 25 years leadership experience across diverse and multi-faceted organisations in the public, corporate and not for profit sectors. A qualified accountant, Rosemary has been CEO of the Irish Wheelchair Association since 2016 and is also currently a board member of the Charities Regulatory Authority and Chair the National Disability Services Association.   Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Rosemary acquired over 20 years’ experience of financial, audit and risk management up to and including international finance director level, and across a range of SMEs, Multinationals, and Public Sector.  Rosemary is a qualified leadership and executive coach and member of the Association for Coaching and in 2021 completed an MSc in Work & Organisational Behaviour at DCU.