Julie Sinnamon. Image: Shane O'Neill/SON Photographic
Julie Sinnamon will step down from her role as CEO later this year and the search for her replacement will begin shortly.
Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon has announced that she will be stepping down from her role later this year.
Sinnamon has led the Government agency, which is responsible for developing Irish businesses globally, since 2013. She said that she will work with Enterprise Ireland until later in 2020 “to ensure an orderly transition”, and the search for her successor will begin shortly.
“In the meantime, [I] will continue to devote all of my efforts to help colleagues and clients achieve further success in global markets and in the development of Enterprise Ireland’s new 2021-2025 corporate strategy,” Sinnamon said.
Sinnamon has spent 30 years in senior public sector positions in Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. She is a business graduate of the University of Ulster and holds a master’s degree in international business. She is also an alumnus of the Stanford Executive Programme in the US.
Since 2015, she has served on the investment committee of the Irish Strategic Investment Fund. She is also a board member of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Delighted to meet Cormac Harris and Alan O'Sullivan @BTYSTE this morning. What two wonderful ambassadors! The future is secure!!#GlobalAmbition #irishadvantage pic.twitter.com/zHV7ntDTJj
— Julie Sinnamon (@JulieSinnamon) January 11, 2020
‘Hugely significant contribution’
Enterprise Ireland chairperson Terence O’Rourke made reference to the “hugely significant contribution” Sinnamon has made to the organisation, noting “the growth of Irish enterprises around the world” during her time as CEO.
“A record 221,895 people are now employed by Enterprise Ireland-backed companies, with exports of almost €24bn, the highest in the history of the agency,” O’Rourke added, citing figures from Enterprise Ireland’s 2019 report.
Speaking about her time at the agency, Sinnamon said: “It has been, and remains, an honour to lead this organisation and to work with colleagues throughout Ireland and globally to support the success of Irish exporters.
“It has been my absolute privilege and joy to work with ambitious companies throughout Ireland to help them realise their potential on the global stage.”
