CEO Outlook: Creating a greener future with Imelda Hurley, Coillte

With 6000 forest properties nationwide, totalling over one million acres of land, Coillte has been a very visible presence in Ireland since its formation in 1989. But in recent months Coillte-owned forests have become a lot more familiar to a lot more people, attracting over 2.2m visitors between March and December 2020. Coillte CEO, Imelda Hurley, is proud to be providing such a vital outlet for people during difficult Covid restrictions.  

While Imelda Hurley’s love of the outdoors was one of the factors that attracted her to the position, it was the opportunity to play a central role in Ireland’s sustainability and climate action journey that she found most compelling. As the custodian of over 7% of the country’s land base, Hurley is clear about the role that Coillte must now play in enabling green energy on its estate, and is already putting projects into play to help Ireland meet its 2030 climate targets. 

In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast, Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley speaks to host Richard Curran about her vision for this ever-evolving commercial semi-state company. Having taken up the role just months before Covid-19 hit the country, Imelda’s tenure of Coillte has been an interesting journey to date, and one that is about to become even more so. They talk about:

•Coillte’s footprint in Ireland and its three high potential businesses – Forestry, Land Solutions, and Medite Smartply.
•The company’s role in generating wind energy and a major joint-venture with the ESB aiming to deliver one gigawatt of power by 2030.
•Being a female leader in an industry perceived to be predominantly led by men.
•Imelda’s time working in China and why she learned about the country and culture. 
•Her love of the outdoors and experience climbing some of the world’s highest peaks.