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Marie Keating Foundation strengthens its corporate team

New CEO, chairperson and board members at cancer foundation

The Marie Keating Foundation, one of Ireland’s leading cancer charities, has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, a new Chairperson and three new board members as it strengthens its corporate team. Liz Yeates, formerly the charity’s Director of Public Affairs, is now Chief Executive Officer while Therese Rochford, Partner with Whitney Moore Solicitors, has been appointed Chairperson. Gary Keating, son of the late Marie Keating and Managing Director of GK Events and PR; Edel Creely, Group Managing Director of Trilogy Technologies and Michael O’Reilly, Group Finance Director of DDFH&B Advertising have also joined the Board. Ronan Keating remains as Patron of the Foundation and will continue to support the Foundation’s events and activities whilst promoting cancer awareness, prevention and early detection alongside the charity. For more information, please see https://mariekeating.ie//theteam.
Therese Rochford, who assumes the role of Chairperson of the Marie Keating Foundation (taking over from Michael Dwyer, CEO of Empathy Marketing & Pigsback.com) said, “Robust corporate governance has never been more critical for charities and the Marie Keating Foundation is committed to conducting itself in a transparent, ethical and accountable manner. As Chairperson, together with the Board, I will ensure that the Foundation continues to provide best-practice cancer services and awareness campaigns and those funds generously provided by corporate partners and members of the public continue to be put to the very best use. On behalf of the Board, I would also like to warmly congratulate Liz Yeates on her appointment to Chief Executive Officer. Liz has a passion and great knowledge of the charity sector and has brought great dynamism and energy to the Foundation already. We have been greatly impressed by her ability to build partnerships between the private, public and charity sectors and look forward to working with her in her new role.”
Liz Yeates, CEO, Marie Keating Foundation, said, “I am delighted to be heading up a charity that has the reach and impact of the Marie Keating Foundation. Despite being a small organisation, we reach tens of thousands of people each year with our message of cancer prevention and early detection, which is one of the most important health issues facing our society today as cancer cases are expected to double by 2040. I am looking forward to working with the Foundation’s board, our hardworking staff and our generous corporate and community partners as we seek to make a real and lasting difference to our country’s health.”
Gary Keating, who started the Marie Keating Foundation together with his family after his mother died from cancer in 1998, is also joining the Board, as his brother Gerard Keating, steps down. Gary Keating is Managing Director of GK Events and PR, an events management and PR company.
Also joining the Board of the Marie Keating Foundation is Edel Creely who is Group Managing Director of Trilogy Technologies, one of Ireland’s and the UK’s leading managed services providers. With over 25 years’ industry experience, Edel’s vision, technology leadership and organisational excellence have seen the company grow by more than 250% over the last four years.
Michael O’Reilly, Group Finance Director of DDFH&B Advertising, has also recently joined the Board. O’Reilly is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a past president of the Leinster Society. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and holds a diploma in Company Direction (Dip IoD) having recently participated in the Institute’s Chartered Director Programme at the IMI.