Mark Foley. Image: Connor McKenna/SiliconRepublic.com
Martin Corrigan will take over as interim CEO of EirGrid while a formal selection process is organised to appoint a new chief executive.
Mark Foley has stepped down as CEO of EirGrid after six years in the role, according to an announcement released today (15 April).
The state-owned company has appointed Martin Corrigan as interim CEO, with a formal selection process to appoint a new CEO set to begin “shortly”.
In response to the announcement, Brendan Tuohy, chair of EirGrid, thanked Foley for his tenure at the helm of the company, saying that his commitment and contribution to the organisation is “widely acknowledged and much appreciated”.
“Mark has been instrumental in leading EirGrid through a period of growth and change and managed the country’s grid network through some challenging times,” he said. “We wish him well for the future.”
Foley was appointed to the position of CEO in 2018, and has since presided over numerous projects, including the commencement of the “historic” Celtic Interconnector subsea cable currently under construction, which when completed will enable the exchange of 700MW of electricity between Ireland and France. Construction is expected to be completed by 2026.
Foley also oversaw the launch of a plan to decarbonise Ireland’s electricity system by 2030, called the Shaping Our Electricity Future roadmap. At the time of the announcement in 2021, the plan comprised 40 new grid infrastructure projects, representing a total investment of more than €1bn. This roadmap intends to help Ireland achieve its target of having 80pc of the country’s electricity come from wind and solar sources by 2030, as part of the Climate Action Plan.
Prior to taking the helm at EirGrid, Foley was managing director of Coillte Land Solutions and director of capital programmes at Dublin Airport Authority.
In 2020, Foley spoke to SiliconRepublic.com about the Celtic Interconnector and EirGrid’s preparedness for a renewable future.
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