Our People
Interim CEO
Nessa White
Nessa has worked in a number of Executive Director roles in SOLAS since 2020 and has over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the education and health sectors. During her time in SOLAS Nessa has driven strategic reform, innovation, and collaboration across the FET sector.
Prior to taking up roles in SOLAS, Nessa worked in the Department of Education as a Project Manager for the Education and Training Board (ETB) - SOLAS Project Management Office leading out on initiatives focused on reform. She also played a key part in driving ongoing change and shared vision of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) and was appointed General Secretary of ETBI in May 2018.
Throughout her career Nessa has gained extensive experience and expertise, especially in the areas of change management, strategic thinking and leading people.
Executive Directors
Executive Director - Strategy and Performance division
Mary Liz Trant
Executive Director - System Transformation division
Colm McEvoy
Directors
Funding, Strategy and Performance Alignment
Alan McGrath
Branding, Communications and FET Strategy Implementation
Maria Walshe
Enterprise, Employees and Skills
Mary Lyons
FET College of the Future
Avril Behan
Adult Literacy for Life
Yvonne McKenna
People
Moira Walsh
Finance
Robert Collison
IT and Digital
Paddy Seery
Construction, Quality and Climate Strategy
David Smith
Research, Future Skills Needs, Statistics and Risk
Shauna Dunlop
Learner Support
Roisin Doherty
Apprenticeships Capacity and Integration
Con Ferry
Governance
The SOLAS Board is accountable to the Minister for Education and Skills and is responsible for ensuring good governance in SOLAS. It consists of our Chairperson Sean Aylward and 11 ordinary members, all of whom are appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills. Our current Board comprises 54 per cent women and 46 per cent men.
The CEO and the senior management team follow the broad strategic direction set by the Board, and ensure that all Board members have a clear understanding of the key activities and decisions related to SOLAS.
The Board has three sub-committees: Audit and Risk Management Review Committee; Strategic Planning Committee; and Workforce and Organisational Development Committee.
SOLAS CEO, Andrew Brownlee, acts as a direct liaison between the Board and management of SOLAS.