Founding chairman of The Convention Centre Dublin to step down

The executive chairman of The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD), Dermod Dwyer, has announced that he is to step down from the role after 23 years. Dwyer steered the concept, design, construction and funding of the CCD to completion in September 2010. He will chair his final meeting of The CCD Board at the end of February. The process to appoint a new Chairperson is currently underway. Dwyer became the founding chairman of The Spencer Dock Development Company in 1997, becoming executive chair of The CCD group of companies in 1999. Announcing his departure, Mr Dwyer said: “It has been my great personal privilege to work with the original promoters – John Ronan and Richard Barrett, with Kevin Roche as architect, and to have assembled an extraordinary team of people who tendered successfully for this Public Private Partnership project. “Together, we have designed what is visually and functionally a state-owned landmark building, and then established it to become a very successful, international business in partnership with our colleagues in the Office of Public Works. “While the past year has been uniquely challenging due to the global pandemic, The CCD is currently hosting the plenary sessions of Dáil Éireann and is poised to enter a new period of growth and success when the world returns to full-scale business activity.” Philip Doyle, a director and principal of the Irish Infrastructure Fund said: “On behalf of the Board and shareholder we wish to express our sincere gratitude to Dermod. He has been a stalwart leader and custodian of the culture, values and business focus that has made The CCD such a success over the last decade.” The chief executive of The CCD, Stephen Meehan, said: “Dermod has provided consistent leadership, values and vision for this nationally important project from when it was just an idea, to a point where the iconic image of The CCD and the adjacent Samuel Beckett Bridge have become a central fulcrum of Dublin’s cityscape and business life. From a start-up business opening in the teeth of an economic downturn, through to the record year in 2019 generating an average of over €55m economic impact annually, Dermod’s steadfastness and vision has helped to ensure we have solid foundations underpinning the strong position which we are in today.”