Cycling Ireland, the governing body for cycling in Ireland, announced the appointment of Tamara O'Driscoll to the position of General Manager on Wednesday. Following the departure of Stuart Hallam as CEO last March, Cycling Ireland decided against selecting a replacement officer and opted to create the post of General Manager instead.
O'Driscoll has spent over six years working in the sports industry in the UK. She has knowledge in sports PR, sponsorship, development and events gained during her involvement with The English FA, Manchester United FC, BBC Sport and SportsAid. She also has many years experience working in the third sector which will prove invaluable when dealing with volunteers.
In her new role, Tamara will oversee the day to day running of the federation as well as being responsible for policy implementation, insurance issues and development. She will also act as the main point of contact for the Irish Sports Council, private sponsors and the media.
"I am very pleased to take on the role of General Manager," said O'Driscoll in a statement. "There were several key factors that attracted me to the post. I had always intended to return to Ireland and bring with me some of my experiences gained in London and Manchester over the past years putting them to good use for the benefit of Irish Sport. This seemed like the ideal opportunity.
"Cycling has a great history in Ireland, there is a real passion and interest in the sport. The Irish Sports Council has invested heavily in cycling and the results of Ciaran Power in Athens, Mark Scanlon's endeavours in the Tour and more recently the opening of the High Performance training centre in Belgium were great boosts for the sport.
"I think coming in from the outside gives me a wonderful opportunity to actually be fresh eyes and fresh ears for the sport. Working together with both the board and our wonderful band of volunteers this should prove a very exciting time for Cycling Ireland."
Miceal Concannon, Honorary President of Cycling Ireland, said, "Having worked with a CEO for the past four years, Cycling Ireland decided to return to the format of running the federation under a General Manager. This enables the candidate to concentrate on the nuts and bolts of the organisation. The office itself is the back bone of the federation and its smooth running is imperative to the future progression of Cycling Ireland. It needs a complete overhaul to become more time and cost effective, giving greater value to our members and we are confident we have found the right person for the job."
