Sustainability Expert Working Group

Terence O’Rourke, FCA, is a Former President of Chartered Accountants Ireland, former Managing Partner of KPMG, Chair of Enterprise Ireland, of ESB, of Kinsale Capital Management, and of the Irish Management Institute. He is also a board member with the Children’s Fund for Health – the dedicated fundraising Office that helps raise awareness and funding for projects within Temple Street Children’s University Hospital – and with the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Ireland’s leading think tank on European and International affairs.  

Susan Rossney is Sustainability Advocacy Manager with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland. A sustainability leader and project manager with 20+ years’ experience building networks and delivering projects, Susan leads a large number of sustainability initiatives for Chartered Accountants Ireland and regularly writes and speaks on sustainability. She is on the interim board of the Advisory Steering Group of the UN Global Compact Network in Ireland and is Board Chair of Business for Biodiversity Ireland. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and with post-graduate qualifications from IoB, Smurfit Business School, Oxford Brooks University, Dublin Institute of Technology, and the Institute of Project Management Ireland, Susan recently completed a MsC in Climate: Policy, Media and Society in DCU. 

Níall has responsibility for leading the development of policy and embedding of matters relating to business ethics and governance across operations in Chartered Accountants Ireland. Níall previously worked with PwC and before progressing to work in management consulting, advising in relation to provision of professional services, policy and internal control development and corporate governance. He has worked in Europe, USA and Canada with organisations such as PwC, McKinsey & Company and PGL Travel, and holds a M.Acc from NUIG, Diploma in Corporate Governance from UCD. Níall is a Chartered Accountant (FCA) and a Chartered Tax Consultant (CTC). 

Marie is the Chief Financial Officer of NTR plc. As long-term investors and managers of renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure assets, NTR is by its nature focused on critical ESG factors and the responsible stewardship of its investments. NTR became a member of UNPRI in 2018 and incorporates ESG best practice into all aspects of its operations. By integrating ESG into the way it conducts its business, NTR’s goal is to meet its objective of delivering strong risk adjusted returns while also having a positive influence on the sector in which it operates. 

Marie is a non-executive director of daa plc, serves on the Programme Board of the MSc. in International Accounting and Analytics at NUI Galway and is a member of the Ethics and Governance Committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland. She is formerly the Chair of the Board of Make-A-Wish Ireland. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from NUIG, a Masters in Accounting from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and is a Chartered Accountant.

Sara is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland with over 25 years' national and international experience across all aspects of enterprise risk, operational risk and controls assurance. She has advised clients across a broad range of sectors including public sector, banking, asset management, industrial, pharma, technology, construction, food and beverage, distribution and consumer goods, and she has experience in design, deployment and delivery of risk management frameworks; risk and control assessment programs; internal control monitoring programs and more. 

Sara holds qualifications in Advanced Banking Risk Management from University College Dublin, in IFRS from Chartered Accountants Ireland, a Masters in Accounting from University College Dublin (UCD), and is a Certified 6 Sigma green belt consultant.

A practice trained accountant, John joined AIB in 2011 where he spent a decade working in commercial lending before joining AIBs Business Banking Sector Team – firstly having responsibility for the non-food manufacturing industry. Johns took up his current sustainability focused role in 2023, which sees him working with AIB’s SME customer base, and the teams who service these customers – as they take steps to embed sustainability in their businesses.

Dee is Professional Accountancy Lead at Chartered Accountants Ireland. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Dee sits on the Sustainability Expert Working Group of the Global Accounting Alliance.  

Gordon is a recognised leader in helping businesses achieve their environmental goals by unlocking grants, low-cost loans, and financial incentives. With his background spanning accountancy, banking, corporate finance, lean black belt, and strategy consulting, he bridges the gap between ambitious sustainability commitments and commercial realities. 

A regular contributor to platforms such as Accountancy Ireland and Accountancy Europe, Gordon collaborates with organisations and policymakers to drive meaningful change towards a greener economy. His expertise in sustainable finance and industrial transformation has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor in navigating the financial complexities of decarbonisation.

Passionate about sustainability, Gordon combines strategic insight with a deep commercial background to deliver practical, actionable solutions. His work ensures that businesses can pursue environmental progress without compromising economic viability. 

Orla is an FCA and a strategic advisor and non-executive director of Cairn Homes Plc. As former Head of Listing for Ireland & UK with Euronext, Orla has an in-depth understanding of scaling companies, how they operate and issues they face through 25+ years’ experience of working with them from the perspectives of an executive leader, advisor, capital markets operator and non-executive. Orla is a strong advocate of governance and all ESG matters.

 

As Head of Advisory Services, Business in the Community Ireland, Bernadette sits on the Management Team of BITCI, the Irish business network for responsible business. She leads and designs BITCI’s corporate advisory services in responsible and sustainable business, working with over 100 corporate members. Within her role, Bernadette is responsible for the CEO Leaders’ Group on Sustainability which drives innovation, collaboration and standard setting within sustainability for business. She represents BITCI in a range of forums including the Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation’s CSR Stakeholder Forum and is a member of the Irish Forum on Natural Capital. She holds a Masters in Science from UCD, a BA (mod) in Economics and Geography from TCD and an Advanced Certificate in Renewable Energy from LIT.

Sarah sits within the sustainability team at ICAEW and is the technical lead on climate change. She drives the development of know-how to support members in tackling climate issues whether that be in business or practice and engages in policy work to drive meaningful government action. Sarah is also helping to deliver ICAEW’s own internal net zero strategy by engaging with internal stakeholders and ensuring the Institute conforms with best practice. Sarah is the Secretary of the ICAEW Sustainability Committee that brings together experts across business, practice, NGOs, academia and public sector to tackle some of the biggest sustainability issues facing the profession. She also sits on various groups to inform and advise on how professionals can act on climate change, considering capacity building requirements and responding to the ever-changing policy landscape. This includes the London Climate Change Partnership (LCCP) Steering Group, the Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) Sustainability Taskforce, Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter (PBCAC) Working Group, and the Sustainable Finance Education Charter.

Diarmuid holds an MPhil and DPhil (PhD) in International Relations from the University of Oxford. His research focuses on comparative and global politics of climate change, environment, and energy. He was central to the establishment of, and teaches on, DCU’s MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society. He is chair of Future Earth Ireland, the national committee convened by the Royal Irish Academy of Future Earth, a 10-year global research initiative to develop knowledge for responding effectively to the risks and opportunities of global environment change.

Kate is an ACA and finance professional with a social science background and a passion for sustainability and social justice. In her former role as Chair of the Young Professionals, Kate led a year of Sustainability-themed events, linked to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Kate has written in the area of sustainable finance and is currently completing a Masters in Renewable Energy and Environmental Finance at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Judith is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and lectures in the areas of corporate social responsibility, risk management, corporate governance and business ethics. Judith has a research interest in sustainability and has recently completed a PhD investigating CSR communication strategies in Irish listed companies.