Our leadership
The Irish Cancer Society is a company limited by guarantee (# 20868) and registered as a charity with the Charities Regulatory Authority (CHY5863, CRA20009502). The Society is governed by its Constitution which provides for a member-based organisation with the following goals:
- Foster, promote and advance the relief, cure, treatment, prevention, lessening and alleviation of cancer or any disease of an allied or similar nature.
- Promote research devoted to the study of the origin and causes, relief, cure, treatment, prevention, lessening and alleviation of cancer, or any disease of an allied or similar nature.
The Society has a voluntary Board of Directors which meets at least six times a year. The Directors are responsible for the governance of the organisation.
Day-to-day operational management is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, Averil Power, who is supported by the Executive Leadership Team. (“Management”) comprising Director of Fundraising & Engagement, Director of Finance and Organisational Development, Director of Services Delivery & Innovation, Director of Advocacy and External Affairs, and Director of Research.
The Board manages its work through a number of committees, consisting of Directors and external volunteers, each of which is chaired by a Director of the Board.
The Society values the benefits of having committee members of varying backgrounds, expertise and experience. Each director signs a conflict of interest form and register of interests declaration annually.
Brid Horan (Chair)
Brid has some 30 years’ experience in executive and non-executive roles in private, public and not-for-profit organisations. She retired as Deputy Chief Executive ESB in 2014. Currently Chancellor of Dublin City University, Chair of Nephin Energy Ltd, and non-executive of PM Group and Insurance Ireland. Brid previously served on the boards of IDA Ireland, FBD Holdings plc and National Pensions Reserve Fund and as inaugural Co-Chair of Balance for Better Business. Chartered Director and Fellow IOD, Actuary and Lifetime Fellow Irish Management Institute.
Professor Janice Walshe
Consultant Medical Oncologist
St Vincent’s University Hospital, Ireland.
Prof Janice Walshe is a graduate of University of Galway in Ireland in 1997. She completed her specialist training in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin and gained a Masters in Molecular Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. She completed her fellowship in the National Cancer Institute in Bethseda, Maryland where she investigated novel approaches in the treatment of HER2 positive and metastatic breast cancer.
Professor Sinead Brennan
Sinead is a Radiation Oncologist in St. Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar and in St. James Hospital, Dublin. She is Director of Research at St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network and St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research. She is Chair of the Head and Neck DSSG at Cancer Trials Ireland, and Clinical Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin. She is clinical lead of The Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group. She is chair of the HRB funded Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group.
Dr Mary Canavan
Dr Mary Canavan is Assistant Professor in Immunology in Trinity College Dublin. Her research group focuses on identifying new treatments for autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn's Disease. Mary is an Irish Cancer Society advocacy champion and PPI reviewer and has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with breast cancer when she was nine weeks pregnant with her first baby.
Maria Fleming
Maria Fleming is CEO of First Fortnight, Ireland’s mental health arts festival. Maria has over 20 years’ experience working as a general manager, producer, programmer and arts consultant with Ireland’s leading companies, including Dublin Theatre Festival, The Ark, Druid Theatre Company and Irish Modern Dance Theatre. Maria is passionate about social justice. In addition, Maria volunteers as an Advocacy Champion for the Irish Cancer Society.
Allan Kearns
Allan is a senior manager in the Central Bank of Ireland with over 20 years’ experience in economics, analytics and risk management.
He was previously Board Chair of the Asthma Society of Ireland.
Irene O'Gorman
Irene is a highly experienced Chief Marketing Officer, currently with KPMG Ireland. Prior to that she has held senior marketing roles with KPMG in the Middle East, The National College of Ireland, EY and Deloitte. She has also worked in senior marketing roles internationally with financial services and consulting firms in South Africa and Australia.
Ger Penny
Ger Penny is a qualified accountant and Chartered Director, with more than 25 years’ experience in strategic and financial management in organisations across Ireland, the UK and Asia. He is CFO of the Sisk Group and a non-executive director of Uniphar plc. He was appointed to the Society’s Board on March 5, 2020.
Alex White
Alex White SC is an experienced advocate and mediator, with a specialism in employment law. He is a former government minister and TD. Prior to commencing legal practice, he was a programme producer with RTÉ. He was appointed to the Society’s Board on March 25, 2020.
Averil Power,
Chief Executive
Averil Power has been Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society since January 2018. She has over fifteen years’ leadership, policymaking and campaigns experience, having served as CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, an elected member of Seanad Éireann and a policy adviser in several Government departments.
Averil holds a Degree in Business, including non-profit management, from Trinity College Dublin and was President of Trinity Students’ Union from 2001 to 2002. She also has a Diploma in Law from the Kings Inns.
Amy Nolan BNS MSc. FFN MRCSI,
Director of Clinical Affairs
Amy Nolan is ‘Director of Clinical Affairs’ at The Irish Cancer Society - leading their relationships with Clinicians and Healthcare Professionals and Institutional Partnerships with Hospitals & Universities. She also a member of their Executive Leadership Team, guides their clinical services, is clinical spokesperson, and leads their Research & Children, Adolescent & Young Adults (CAYA) teams and programs.
She previously held the role of ‘Head of Children, Adolescents & Young Adults’ and interim ‘Night Nursing Manager’ within the Irish Cancer Society – driving the development of bespoke services, campaigns and supports for patients and families affected by a CAYA cancer diagnosis, whilst in-tandem managing the nightly delivery of palliative care to end of life patients in their own homes. She regularly engages with the HSE, NCCP, third-level higher education institutions, and international cancer bodies in the UK, Australia & Canada.
In 2022 she was admitted as a ‘Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland’ (FFN MRCSI) in-recognition of her career in Oncology Nursing and her commitment towards innovation, standards, education and improving patient outcomes. She holds a first-class Masters in ‘Clinical leadership in Healthcare’.
Amy was previously Lead Cancer Nurse at St. James’s Hospital Dublin (SJH) and is proud of her track-record in the establishment of innovative supports, campaigns and national education programmes to benefit both patients and staff.
Corrinne Hasson,
Director of Services
Corrinne Hasson is the Irish Cancer Society’s Director of Services and has been with the Society from November 2021. Some of the services which Corrinne leads out on are our Transport Service, Night Nursing Service, Support Line, 13 Daffodil Centres, Cancer Awareness Roadshows, and our many Survivorship Services. Prior to her role in the Irish Cancer Society, Corrinne managed services in ALONE – an NGO which supports older people to age at home, and she has been working and volunteering in the NGO sector for over 15 years. Corrinne has a degree in Music Technology from Queen’s University, Belfast, and a Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy from University of Ulster.
Jennifer Owens,
Director of Finance and Corporate Services
Jennifer is an experienced finance leader with over 20 years’ experience working in compliance, finance, technology, and risk. She has worked in both private and public organisations with significant senior leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector specialising in finance and governance. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s in business, an accountancy qualification ACCA and a professional diploma in advanced management performance from UCD.
Steve Dempsey,
Director of Communications, Advocacy and Community Experience
Steve is an experienced media and technology leader with over 20 years experience in communications, public policy and digital transformation. He has worked in publishing, broadcasting, advertising and PR, with significant experience in regulatory compliance and digital product development. He holds a Masters in Computer Science from TCD and a Masters in Philosophy from UCD.
Finance Committee
- Ger Penny (Chair)
- Maria Fleming
- Irene O'Gorman
The Finance Committee membership includes skills in the area of financial control, pension, risk and investments. The Finance Committee exercises, on behalf of the Board, supervisory oversight of all aspects of the Society’s finances. It monitors financial performance, oversees management of the investment portfolio, and monitors pension arrangements, on an ongoing basis. It also reviews the annual budget for recommendation to the Board.
The Committee has a minimum of three members, two of whom must be Directors. The Finance Committee meets at least four times a year.
Audit and Risk Committee
- Allan Kearns (Chair)
- Kim McCann
- Alex White
The Audit and Risk Committee membership includes skills in the area of internal and external audit, risk management, legal expertise, and investment management.
The Audit and Risk Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities by independently reviewing the annual financial statements, overseeing the external audit, and reviewing the effectiveness of the Society’s internal controls. It also monitors the Society’s risk management, oversees regulatory and legislative compliance, and provides an assessment of risk processes and policies to the Board.
The Committee has a minimum of three members, two of whom must be Directors. The Committee meets at least two times a year.
Board Effectiveness Committee
- Brid Horan (Chair)
- Allan Kearns
- Dr Mary Canavan
- Ger Penny
- Averil Power
- Emma Browne
- Jennifer Owens
The Board Effectiveness Committee was established in late 2020, replacing the Governance and Nominating Committee. Its role is to oversee the nomination, recruitment, and on-going training, as necessary, of Directors, and support Board and sub-committee effectiveness.
The Board Effectiveness Committee’s membership consists of the Chair of the Board, the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Chair of the Finance Committee, the Chair of the Research Advisory Committee, the CEO and the Company Secretary. The Committee meets at least two times a year.
Research Advisory Committee
- Dr Mary Canavan (Chair)
- Dr Susan Gapstur
- Sir Alex Markham
- Prof John Reynolds
- Dr Ann Brady
- Professor Janice Walshe
The Research Advisory Committee membership includes national and international scientific leaders with expertise in translational, clinical and survivorship cancer research. It also includes a Public & Patient Involvement (PPI) representative.
The Research Advisory Committee reviews and evaluates the research activities and investments of the Society to ensure that they are achieving the objectives set out in the Society’s strategic plan. It also ensures that the activities of the research department are in line with the national and international cancer research landscape, in addition to emerging clinical and patient needs.
The Committee has a minimum of five members, one of whom must be a Director. The Committee meets at least two times a year.
