The Executive Chairman of The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD), Dermod Dwyer, has announced that he is to step down from the role after 23 years of steering the project from concept, design, construction, funding, to completion in September 2010 and through its first decade. He will chair his final meeting of The CCD Board at the end of February. The process to appoint a new Chairperson is currently underway.
Mr Dwyer became the founding Chairman of The Spencer Dock Development Company in 1997, becoming Executive Chair of The CCD group of companies in 1999. He oversaw the initial development and design of the convention centre, oversaw its launch in 2010 and, since then, has put together the award winning Clann CCD teams to operate The CCD, which has become widely acknowledged as the leading premium conference centre in Europe.
Announcing his departure, Mr Dwyer said: “It has been my great personal privilege to work with the original promoters – John Ronan and Richard Barrett, with Kevin Roche as architect, and to have assembled an extraordinary team of people who tendered successfully for this Public Private Partnership project. Together, we have designed what is visually and functionally a state-owned landmark building, and then established it to become a very successful, international business in partnership with our colleagues in the Office of Public Works.”
The Chief Executive of The CCD, Stephen Meehan said: “Dermod has provided consistent leadership, values and vision for this nationally important project from when it was just an idea, to a point where the iconic image of The CCD and the adjacent Samuel Beckett Bridge have become a central fulcrum of Dublin’s cityscape and business life. From a start-up business opening in the teeth of an economic downturn, through to the record year in 2019 generating an average of over €55m economic impact annually, Dermod’s steadfastness and vision has helped to ensure we have solid foundations underpinning the strong position which we are in today.”
