Recruitment of IABA Board of Directors Chair Underway.

Boardmatch Ireland, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the IABA, has opened recruitment for a Chairperson of the Board.

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s (IABA) main role is to develop, foster and control amateur boxing in the 32 counties of Ireland. The IABA is committed to provide the environment, in which support and opportunities given to our athletes, coaches and clubs excel, and in doing so to increase participation and improve performance in Irish Boxing. The IABA operates from the National Stadium in Dublin, the only purpose-built amateur boxing stadium in the world and there are currently over 360 clubs affiliated to the association across the Island of Ireland. It is a volunteer led organisation where the hard work, dedication and significant time afforded by each member has contributed to the growing success of the sport in Ireland.

Board composition as per the Constitution is ten Directors. The Board currently has four Directors namely:

  • Thomas Geraghty (Interim Chair) 
  • Neil Gough
  • Charles Toland
  • Ted Barry

The Role

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association is seeking suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill the role of Chair of the Board. This is a voluntary role that requires a significant time commitment to carry out the assigned duties and responsibilities. It is currently anticipated that the successful candidate will have capacity to commit approximately 25 hours per month to the role. This includes the board and committee meetings’ time commitment. The term of office for the Chair will be three years.

Responsibilities of the Chairperson

The Chair will be expected to

  • Play a strategic role by communicating effectively the vision and purpose of the organisation, ensure that the Board functions well and that there is full participation at meetings
  • To plan and Chair meetings in accordance with the governing document
  • To liaise with and work closely with the CEO
  • To keep up to date on the affairs of the organisation
  • To bring impartiality and objectivity to meetings and decision making
  • To ensure that decisions made at meetings are recorded and implemented
  • To be aware of current issues that might affect the organisation
  • To advocate for and represent the organisation at external meetings and events if required
  • To work closely with external funders and partner agencies as required
  • Act in the best interests of the organisation, with honesty and good faith towards the IABA’s stakeholders
  • Attend the annual general meeting and other general meetings as required
  • Sit on a number of agreed Board sub-committees with a view to restructure committees as is deemed suitable for the organisation
  • Challenge and contribute to the development of strategy constructively
  • Analyse the performance of executive management in meeting agreed goals and objectives for the organisation
  • Ensure that they comply with all their obligations as a Director, as required by Company law

Desirable Experience, Skills and Qualities

It is desirable that applicants for the role of Chairperson of the IABA have the following:

  • Excellent leadership skills
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • Impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences
  • Ability to ensure decisions are made and followed-up on
  • Good timekeeping
  • Tact and diplomacy
  • Understanding of the roles/responsibilities of a sports governing body
  • Experience as a Non-Executive Director in the not-for profit sector. Experience as a Chair would be a distinct advantage
  • Experience of bringing a new team/board together and to share a vison would be an advantage
  • Experience at senior level within their field of expertise
  • Demonstrable alignment to the IABA values of respect, trust, inclusion, excellence, teamwork, integrity, and leadership
  • An understanding of the sport and the organisation
  • A desire to implement the highest standards of governance
  • Time to effectively carry out the role of Chair of the Board
  • A background in Finance and/or Accountancy would be an advantage 

Board Meetings

The board meets monthly and at least four of these meetings will take place in the provincial units, for example Belfast, Galway etc. Currently half of the board meetings take place online with the other half taking place in-person. 

The Chairperson will be asked to join a number of sub-committees. Sub-committee meetings are typically held on the last Thursday of every month.

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Caradh O’Donovan via email caradh@boardmatch.ie or by phone 083-4615128.

Interested candidates should apply by sending a CV and Cover Letter to caradh@boardmatch.ie or via boardmatch.ie