Brid Horan Biography

Brid Horan has over 30 years¡¯ experience in executive and non-executive roles in leading private and public sector organisations. She was a member of DCU Governing Authority since 2014 and Audit Committee Chair from 2016 to 2021.

Prior to joining the Authority in 2014, she was also appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills as an external member of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education in Ireland (generally known as the Cassells Group). In 2016, she was appointed by the HEA as Chair of an International Expert Panel to review Ireland¡¯s Higher Education Funding Allocation Model which determines funding allocation across higher education institutions including universities and institutes of technology.

Brid retired from full-time employment in late 2014, following eight years at the most senior executive level in ESB as Executive Director and Deputy Chief Executive and nine years as Group Pensions Manager.  Responsibilities included oversight of ESB Group strategy development, corporate communications, risk management and compliance, executive responsibility for NIE Networks, and transformation of ESB¡¯s retail businesses from a fully regulated model to the competitive and newly branded business, Electric Ireland.  Prior to joining ESB, she headed KPMG¡¯s Pension & Actuarial Consulting business.  She was a Director of FBD Holdings and served two terms on the Board of IDA Ireland and as a Commissioner of the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Since her retirement from ESB, Brid has continued to pursue her interests in education, the arts, equality and business.  She has served on the boards of Chamber Choir Ireland and Dublin Theatre Festival and as a member of the Strategic Review of the Arts Council. She has played a leading role in promoting gender balance and inclusion, with a particular focus on business leadership and girls and women in STEM.  She was a Co-Founder of the 30% Club Ireland, currently a member of their Advisory Board, and was appointed as Co-Chair of Balance for Better Business by government when it was established in 2018 to set targets for and promote gender balance in business leadership. 

Brid is currently Chair of the Irish Cancer Society, of Nephin Energy Ltd (a company of the Canada Pension Plan and the largest shareholder in Corrib Gas), and of the Trustees Bank of Ireland Staff Pension Fund.  She is also a Non-executive Director of PM Group.

Brid is an Actuary, Chartered Director and Fellow of the Institute of Directors and of the Irish Institute of Pensions Management.