The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has welcomed the appointment of three new members to its Board by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD. The appointments follow a public recruitment process and bring the total number of board members to 12.
The new additions to the Board are:
- Gemma Barrett, a Chartered Director with 25 years' experience spanning technology, operations and governance. She has held leadership positions with Microsoft, GE and Google, is a founder of OptiTech and is Chairperson of an Approved Housing Body board.
- Brendan Foster, a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) with 41 years' experience in the professional services sector. He retired as a partner in Grant Thornton in April 2024, where he was previously Head of Advisory and Chair of the firm. He is a former President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
- Yvonne Harris, a Chartered Director with over 40 years’ experience working in commercial semi-state bodies in the regulated utilities sector. She has held senior management positions in IT and Customer Operations and recently served as Housing Programme Director with Uisce Éireann.
The appointments of Brendan Foster and Gemma Barrett are effective from 1st November 2024 to 31st October 2028, while the appointment of Yvonne Harris extends from 1st November 2024 to 31st October 2029. The new Board members join Owen Keegan who was recently appointed as Chair of the Residential Tenancies Board in October.
Speaking on the new appointments to the board, Owen Keegan said:
“I am delighted to welcome three new members to the board of the Residential Tenancies Board. Gemma Barret, Brendan Foster and Yvonne Harris bring a wealth of experience across critical areas such as technology, corporate governance, audit and customer service. I look forward to working with them over the coming years to ensure the RTB fulfils its vital role as the regulator of Ireland’s rental sector.”
Further information on the Board of the Residential Tenancies Board is available here: https://www.rtb.ie/about-rtb/governance/board-members.