PR guru takes chair of RTE Authority

Public relations guru Mary Finan was today appointed by the Government as chairperson of the RTE Authority.

Fintan Drury resigned the position last month because of a potential conflict of interest regarding the TV rights to the Ryder Cup.

Speaking after today’s weekly Cabinet meeting, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey said Ms Finan, chairman of Wilson Hartnell Public Relations, will bring a wealth of experience in business and communications to the job.

“She is a very successful business person and is involved in many worthy organisations on a voluntary basis. I would like to wish her well in her new role,” he added.

Mr Drury is chairman of Platinum One, a sports sponsorship and event management agency which represents Ryder Cup Ltd and the European Tour.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he favours the tournament being designated a free-to-air event as it would be in the public interest.

A native of Roscommon, Mary Finan was educated at UCD where she obtained a BA degree. She later completed a Marketing Management Programme in the Harvard Business School.

She is chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and a member of the council of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA).

She also holds directorships of Canada Life (Ireland), the ICS Building Society, Opera Ireland, the Gate Theatre, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Cheshire Foundation, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, the Dublin City University Educational Trust, the UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies and the Buildings of Ireland Charitable Trust.

She was the first woman president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.