Kilkenny native Karen Sugrue Hennessy appointed Vice Chairperson of Tourism Ireland

The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has today announced the appointment of two new Directors to the board of Tourism Ireland: Karen Sugrue Hennessy as Director and Vice Chairperson and Paul Gallagher as Director. Each will serve a five-year term.

“On behalf of the board of Tourism Ireland, I warmly welcome our two new board members, Karen Sugrue Hennessy and Paul Gallagher," said Tourism Ireland’s Chairman Christopher Brooke.

"They bring a wealth of experience and expertise and I look forward to working with them as Tourism Ireland continues to increase the value of overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, sustainably supporting economies, communicates and the environment by inspiring visitors and strengthening strategic partnerships. I wish them well in their roles.”

Karen Sugrue Hennessy, originally from Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny is the former CEO of the Design & Craft Council of Ireland. For the past four years she has been CEO of agri-tech company Real Leaf Farm, which is leading the development of sustainable hydroponic farming in Ireland and the UK. She has a track record of over 25 years of leading organisations and delivering game-changing transformation in both the private and public sector – across food, design, sustainable agritech and finance. She has a strong commitment to sustainability and ESG and is dedicated to driving growth and value for businesses.

Karen also has experience in scaling food businesses, having spent nine years in Glanbia plc where she was responsible for acquiring Glanbia’s first nutritional businesses. Karen is a board member of the Port of Waterford (POW) and is Chair of the POW Green Committee and Audit Risk Committee. 

Previous directorships include Chair of Showcase Ireland Events Limited, Vice-President of the Bureau of European Design Associations and Board Member of Kilkenny Carlow Education Training Board. A qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director, Karen holds an MBA from UCD Smurfit School and recently completed the Business Sustainability Management programme at the University of Cambridge.