26th June 2026
The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke and the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth are pleased to confirm the appointment of two new Members and a Chairperson to the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA).
Following a Public Appointments Service recruitment process, Ms Gráinne Mannion and Mr Seán Cotter have been appointed as the first additional Members of the Authority. The appointments will take effect from 27 July 2026 for a five-year period.
Separately, Mr Ian Drennan, currently the sole Member of the Authority, has been appointed as Chairperson in accordance with the Companies Act 2014. Mr. Drennan’s appointment will take effect upon the joining of the new Members to the Authority and will extend for the remainder of his term of office.
Ms Gráinne Mannion is a qualified solicitor and experienced C‑Suite executive with strong expertise in Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit, as well as deep regulatory knowledge within financial services. Ms. Mannion has held senior leadership roles across large, international organisations, including BCMGlobal, AIB and Danske Bank, leading multidisciplinary teams. She also supports professional development in legal, risk and compliance through contributions to academic and professional programmes.
Mr Seán Cotter is a Chartered Accountant, a Chartered Banker, a qualified insolvency practitioner and a member of a number of insolvency and financial services professional bodies both in Ireland and internationally. He has held senior roles within Ulster Bank and KPMG's Turnaround and Restructuring unit, where he has been involved in managing a number of high-profile financial services insolvency cases. Mr. Cotter brings significant practical and technical expertise in corporate, insolvency and financial services matters, as well as experience in complex and challenging litigation gained through his career in Ireland and abroad.
Welcoming the appointments, Minister Burke said:
“I welcome these important appointments, which underline the significant role of the Corporate Enforcement Authority in the State’s corporate regulatory architecture. The expansion of the Authority will significantly enhance its capacity to respond to increasingly complex corporate wrongdoing. It is fitting that this latest development in the organisation’s evolution comes in the same year that the CEA marks the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001.
“This expansion will support the implementation of the Authority’s new Strategy Statement and deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to further build capacity to tackle white-collar crime.”
Minister Smyth said:
“I am pleased to announce the appointments of Ms Gráinne Mannion and Mr Seán Cotter as Members of the CEA, and Mr Ian Drennan as Chairperson. “Each bring significant expertise and experience that will support the Authority in delivering on its statutory mandate. The CEA plays a vital role in maintaining trust in Ireland’s corporate environment. A strong company law framework underpins business confidence, supports entrepreneurship and responsible risk-taking, and contributes to economic growth and job creation. These appointments will help ensure the CEA continues to operate effectively, enforce company law, and promote high standards of corporate behaviour.”
Mr Ian Drennan said:
“It is an honour and a privilege to have been appointed Chairperson of the CEA’s first multi-Member governing body. Company law, and the privileges it confers, is critically important in facilitating enterprise and job creation. In return for those privileges, company law demands certain standards of governance, conduct, and probity. Through its advocacy, investigative and enforcement remits, the CEA plays a vital role in promoting and protecting the public interest.
“As the organisation continues to grow in scale and public profile, an expanded Authority will support greater Member-led involvement in driving delivery, quality and impact across the full spectrum of our statutory functions, and will help us achieve our long-term ambitions as an organisation. On my own behalf, and on behalf of the Director group and all at the CEA, I extend a warm welcome to Gráinne and Seán. We look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About the Corporate Enforcement Authority
The CEA was established on 7 July 2022 under the Companies Act 2014, replacing the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE). The CEA’s functions include encouraging compliance with the Companies Act 2014; investigating suspected offences; prosecuting detected breaches summarily; referring cases to the Director of Public Prosecutions for prosecution; exercising a supervisory role over the activities of liquidators and receivers; and operating a regime of restriction and disqualification undertakings in respect of directors of insolvent companies.
The CEA has a sanctioned headcount of 92, comprising 75 civilian staff and 16 seconded members of An Garda Síochána, and a budget of €11.7 million.
About the Expansion of the Authority
Section 944F(1) of the Companies Act 2014 provides that the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) shall consist of such number of members, up to a maximum of three, as determined by the Minister. Under Section 944G(1) of the Companies Act 2014, the Minister is required to appoint a Chairperson where the Authority consists of more than one member.
In April 2025, the CEA formally requested the appointment of additional members to support its mandate. A business case was approved by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, and subsequently submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. Sanction approval was granted in August 2025 to recruit two additional members.
Following this approval, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation directed the Public Appointments Service (PAS) to conduct an open competition for the appointment of two new members. The competition was launched in November 2025 and closed on 18 December 2025.
Following a competitive process, PAS recommended two candidates deemed suitable for appointment.
On 23 June 2026, the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Niamh Smyth TD, formally appointed the two new members and the Chairperson following the signing of warrants of appointment. The appointments will take effect from 27 July 2026.
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