Finan elected new ESRI chairman

Mary Finan has been elected chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute.

Ms Finan takes over from Joe Harford, chief executive of Yamanouchi Ireland, who has been ESRI chairman since 1996.

Mr Harford, who succeeds Donal Nevin, will remain a member of the ESRI Executive and will serve as president until the next annual general meeting.

Ms Finan has been a member of the Council of the ESRI since 1996.

One of the founding partners of Wilson Hartnell Public Relations, Ms Finan is now its chairman.

She is a director of Canada Life (Ireland), the ICS Building Society, Opera Ireland, Cheshire Ireland and chairman of the Gate Theatre.

She is a member of the council of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and was the first woman president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.