CEO Outlook: Transforming Ireland’s power system for future generations with Mark Foley, EirGrid

Mark Foley has had a career of two halves. After many successful years in the private sector, the dot-com collapse forced Mark to reinvent his career. There began a long and successful time in the commercial semi-state sector, including leadership positions in daa and Coillte. While at Coillte, Mark had a ‘personal epiphany’ about climate change, setting him on a path that led to his role today as CEO of EirGrid.  

In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook podcast, Mark Foley tells host Richard Curran the fascinating story of a career that began in chemical engineering and evolved to planning, managing and developing the flow of electricity across Ireland. Mark reveals what he has learned about leadership, powerful communication, and customer experience along the way, and why he believes Ireland is at a critical juncture in relation to our future energy needs and climate change commitments. They also discuss: 

·       Ireland’s unique power usage during COVID-19 and what drove it. 

·       Why Ireland’s Climate Action Plan is one of the country’s most important national commitments of the last 100 years.

·       How to avoid falling into the psychology of defeat and successfully managing risk.

·       Brexit’s potential impact on power supply.

·       Why the late Fergal Quinn is the CEO Mark has most admired.