About UsFor change. For better. For all.

Denise Charlton

Chief Executive

Denise is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming lives and communities. She is presently the Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland - the nation’s leading philanthropic hub. Her professional journey has seen her work with several philanthropic organisations, including Tomar Trust, Social Change Initiative and Unbound Philanthropy. She currently serves on the board of ‘Friends of the Earth’ and ‘CUAN’ - the state's first sexual and gender-based violence statutory agency. Her exceptional track record includes her role as CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Women's Aid, where she championed vital causes. Denise also has expertise that spans a wide spectrum, from championing gender equality and combating gender-based violence to addressing the climate & housing crisis, children's, migrants', LGBTQ+ rights, as well as reproductive rights. Denise is not just a leader; she's a trailblazer. She was a founder for Marriage Equality and played a pivotal role on the advisory committee for the Together For Yes Campaign. Her influence extends to public service as a former member of the Press Council, a government appointee to the Crime Council, and a task force dedicated to ending violence against women.

Jackie Harrison

Director of Philanthropy

Jackie is passionate about philanthropy, donor care and growing the resources of the Foundation to meet our mission of equality for all in thriving communities. Jackie is a former Chief Executive of Philanthropy Ireland and previously held a number of senior roles in the Irish Business and Employers Confederation. She has been awarded an M. Litt by Trinity College for her research in relation to female philanthropists and also written several reports including “A Guide to Family and Personal Giving” and “How Entrepreneurs View Philanthropy in Ireland”.

Sally Gaynor

Chief Financial Officer

Sally Gaynor is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), having trained in KPMG early in her career. She most recently worked as Head of Finance in Drivalia Lease Ireland and prior to that was Senior Vice President of Client Accounting in Maples Fiduciary Services. Sally also holds an MSc in International Politics from Trinity College Dublin.

Jerry O’Connor

Director of Communications, Engagement and Public Affairs

A communications professional with experience at the highest levels of media, Government and civil society. Jerry is passionate about his work and dedicated to telling the story of the Foundation and community partners, as well as the motivation of our donors.

Roddy Rowan

Chair

Roddy is a business advisor, coach and mentor and Senior Partner at Genesis, the business advisory firm which he co-founded in 1995.  With a background in strategy and marketing, he has led and advised several successful start-ups through initial funding through to maturation and exit.  He has been a member of the Board of Community Foundation Ireland since February 2014 and was appointed Chair of the Board in December 2022

Noeline Blackwell

Noeline Blackwell is a human rights lawyer and campaigner. She works on children’s online safety rights with the Children’s Rights Alliance as well as on independent research and consultancy. She is a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and of the Press Council. She is an Adjunct Full Professor at the School of Law, University College Dublin. She chairs the Independent Patient Safety Council and the Child Law Project and is a director of the Open Doors Initiative. She has worked on victims' rights, domestic, sexual and gender based violence, immigration rights, children's and family rights and access to justice and has also worked as a solicitor in general practice.

Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers is the CEO of Northside Partnership. He has extensive experience of working within the community and voluntary sector in the areas of local and community development, charities governance, strategic planning, organisational development, communications, project management and IT. In leading Northside Partnership, Paul has overseen the implementation of an Advantaged Thinking practice framework that seeks to counter the narrative of disadvantage and works with people in building upon their capabilities. A native of Coolock, he previously spent 14 years working with the Dublin North-West Area Partnership in a number of senior roles including that of Local and Community Development Programme Manager. Prior to that Paul worked in the clothing industry before returning to college as a mature student.  Paul has also worked as an instructional designer in the IT sector before moving into the community and voluntary sector in 2001. An advocate of partnership and interagency collaboration, Paul is fully aware of the challenges faced by community and voluntary organisations in carrying out their social purpose having served on the governance structures of a number of organisations working to address a range of issues including health inequalities, long term unemployment, impact of criminal networks, suicide prevention and voter education....

Peter Law

Peter Law is a solicitor and a Consultant with A&L Goodbody, having been a partner in that firm from 1983 until 2020, the last seven years serving as the firm's Risk and Compliance Partner. For 15 years he was legal advisor to the Standards in Public Office Commission. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Peamount Healthcare, Newcastle, Co Dublin where he was Chairman of the Quality and Safety Committee. Peter is also a member of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board where he serves on various committees. Peter has a B.A. in Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

Faye Walsh Drouillard

Originally from Washington D.C., Faye is founder and board chair of The Giving Circles of Amsterdam and Ireland, whose aim is to engage a new generation of philanthropists. Formerly Executive Director of the Freedom Writers Foundation, she now provides strategy, management and fundraising guidance to social enterprise, non-profit and philanthropy clients. An aspiring impact-minded angel investor, she is also a board member of Philanthropy Ireland and member of the Ashoka Support Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Catherine Mullarkey

Catherine Mullarkey has been involved in property and finance for the past 18 years, prior to which she spent 15 years in banking with KBC and Anglo Irish Bank. She is currently chair of St James Hospital, Dublin's largest acute teaching hospital, and a non-executive director of Pentathlon Ireland. She is a graduate of UCD, B Comm, a qualified ACCA and holds the Diploma in Company Direction with the Institute of Directors, she recently completed a higher diploma in Psychology.

Barbara Fitzgerald

Barbara FitzGerald has a varied background of both a degree in Mechanical Engineering and she is also a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Her career has involved roles in Business Development, Corporate Finance and the aircraft leasing and financing industry. Barbara has been involved in Community Foundation Ireland since 2007 and joined the board in December 2018.

Dr Gráinne Healy

Dr Gráinne Healy has worked and volunteered in the community and voluntary sector for three decades. Founder and Chairwoman of Marriage Equality (2004) she was Co-Director of the Yes Equality campaign in 2015. Published author, trainer, and facilitator she has conducted research and developed strategic plans for many leading Irish NGOs. Gráinne was Chairwoman of the European Women’s Lobby’s Observatory on Violence against women. She is a former Chairwoman of the National Women’s Council of Ireland and is a long-standing feminist activist. She was a member of the Department of Education and Skills Student Grants Appeals Board. A graduate of UCD, she is a former secondary school teacher, journalist and public policy advisor. She completed her PhD at DCU in 2015 and founded Social Intelligence Associates which delivers leadership training to NGO leaders.

Rose Wall

Rose Wall has been the CEO of Community Law & Mediation (CLM), a pioneering organisation in the provision of community based legal and mediation services, since 2013. Founded in 1975, CLM assists almost 5,000 people annually through its legal, mediation and education services. CLM also campaigns for law reform, and for the safeguarding of rights already enshrined in law. In 2021, CLM launched the Centre for Environmental Justice, the first of its kind in Ireland. The Centre works to ensure that marginalised groups are not disproportionately impacted by climate change or other environmental harms, and that environmental measures and climate action protect and build equality and social justice. Rose is a solicitor and holds an LL.B. and LL.M. from the University of Dublin, Trinity College as well as a diploma in environmental law from the Law Society of Ireland.  She is a member of the Law Society, Human Rights & Equality Committee, a Board Director with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and a member of the International Bar Association Access to Justice Committee.

Tim Murphy

Tim Murphy has been a director of Flow Technology since 1999, a Cork based, family owned, process engineering company serving the Beverage, Food & Life Science sectors in Ireland and Europe. Previously Tim worked in brewing & engineering in the UK. In recent years Tim’s family have refocused their community support efforts with the assistance of Community Foundation Ireland. Tim studied mechanical engineering at UCD, is a chartered member of Engineers Ireland, and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Paul Morris

Paul Morris is a Tax Partner and member of PwC Private team. Paul has over 20 years’ experience working with private clients and their businesses in structuring and planning transactions and advising on a range of domestic and international tax issues. Paul worked as a tax director in KPMG for 13 years advising clients primarily in the private sector but also worked across a number of Public Private Partnership projects. Paul moved to Twomey Moran in 2014 advising clients in the private Irish business space. Paul joined PWC in 2022. Paul is an AITI Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a Chartered Accountant (FCA).