A LIMERICK business leader has been appointed to head up the governance committee of Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software.
Aongus Hegarty, former executive of Dell Technologies, will lead the committee, taking over from Dr Sean Baker, a co-founder of IONA Technologies, who held the role since 2015.
Mr Hegarty says he is looking forward to leading the governance committee.
“I cannot understate how important software is to our society and our economy. Software underpins every aspect of our lives from healthcare to banking. We are fortunate to have such a highly-regarded centre based here in Ireland,” he said.
“Lero is a world leader in software research and, as well as making a huge contribution to society, it also has an outstanding record in providing added value to its partner companies. Along with my fellow committee members, we will harness our considerable experience to continue to support Lero’s hugely valuable academic, societal and economic contribution.”
Welcoming the announcement, University of Limerick vice president of research and Lero governance committee member, Professor Norelee Kennedy, said: “We are privileged to have Aongus appointed as governance committee chair for Lero. His corporate experience and strategic acumen will be invaluable in providing the necessary oversight to ensure Lero continues to be a centre of excellence for software.”
“I would also like to thank sincerely Dr Sean Baker for his significant contribution as outgoing Lero governance committee chair and to acknowledge the huge support he has given to Lero and UL over the years.”
The Economist Global Diversity List perviously recognised Mr Hegarty as one of its Top 10 Diversity Champions.
In 2021, the government designated him as the co-chair of the Balance for Better Business (B4BB) initiative, promoting increased representation for women on company boards. He was awarded a life fellowship from the Irish Management Institute (IMI) in 2019.
Mr Hegarty, who is also chair of the Munster Rugby Commercial Advisory Group, and a patron of the Special Olympics Ireland Council, is also a former chair of the Executive Council for the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU.
