Fáilte Ireland has appointed Caroline Bocquel as its new chief executive. Ms Bocquel, the first woman to led the State tourism agency, will step into the role in November.
Paul Kelly, who had led Fáilte Ireland for eight years, stepped down in March to take over as chief executive of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS).
Ms Bocquel, an executive with 20 years’ experience, most recently served as chief executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the State agency responsible for the development of the Irish seafood sector. She has been in that position since January 2023, having previously served as BIM’s director of corporate services.
She is the chairwoman of the audit and risk committee at the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and formerly served as the chief financial officer of aid agency, Goal Global.
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Ms Bocquel said she was honoured to be appointed to the position, describing Fáilte Ireland as “central to one of Ireland’s most vital industries”.
“Tourism supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in communities nationwide, and its sustainable growth is essential to our economic and cultural future,” the incoming chief executive said.
She outlined her aim of working to “ensure Ireland continues to offer world-class experiences while building a resilient, innovative and inclusive tourism sector”.
Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, said he was “happy” to approve Ms Bocquel’s appointment, adding that “tourism is of critical importance to the Irish economy”.
Mr Burke said Ms Bocquel “has the strategic skills, development mindset and governance experience needed to support the sustainable growth of our tourism economy into the future”.
“I am confident that Caroline and her team will work closely with the industry and my officials as we develop and support the Irish tourism sector together,” the minister said.
Ruth Andrews, chairwoman of the Fáilte Ireland, said the appointment came following “a highly competitive recruitment process”.
Before Ms Bocquel formally assumes the role in November, Paul Keeley, the director of regional development, will serve as interim chief executive.
