A message from our new Director, Professor Alan Ahearne

In my new role as Director of the Institute, I very much look forward to listening to, supporting and working with all of our members as we continue to build on a strong record of research excellence that informs and advances business practice and public policy. In that regard, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, John McHale, for his important and lasting contributions to the Institute. I am determined to build on the direction set by John. In particular, I am eager to develop and broaden engagement between the Institute’s scholars, policymakers and the business community. I plan to strengthen the Institute’s governance by shortly establishing an External Board. I will work diligently to deepen cooperation between Whitaker and other research institutions at the University, to our mutual benefit. I will continue to focus on increasing the Institute’s impact, brand recognition and prestige. The Whitaker Institute has a well-earned reputation as a nationally and internationally recognised research institute that generates knowledge with impact.  I am very excited to be working with Stephen Hynes, Elaine Wallace, Angela Sice, Gwen Ryan and all of our members and stakeholders to enhance this reputation.

Professor Alan Ahearne has recently taken over the role of Director of the Whitaker Institute.  Alan is also Professor of Economics in the School of Business and Economics and is a member of the Board of the Central Bank of Ireland and Chairman of the Bank’s Budget and Remuneration Committee. He is Chairman of the ESRI and Department of Finance Joint Research Programme on the Macro-economy and Taxation. He has served as adviser to the IMF, as research fellow at Bruegel, and as economic adviser to Ireland’s former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan. Prior to coming to Galway in 2005, he was Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University.