CDI’s Business Development Committee is inviting individuals to become part of our Business Development Committee, a subcommittee under CDI’s Board of Directors. The committee’s purpose is to bolster CDI’s Business Development Strategy development and execution, which includes supporting the expansion of CDI’s social enterprise, CDI Training and Consultancy Service.
We are actively looking for members with expertise in the following areas:
- Social enterprise
- Business development management in the corporate or non-profit sector
- Communications
If you are interested in joining, please get in touch with Jonathon Doyle jonathon@cdi.ie
Business Development Committee Responsibilities
The principal role of the Business Development Committee (BDC) is to provide guidance and assistance to CDI’s Business Development function, which includes overseeing CDI’s training and consultancy service.
Specifically, the committee:
- Offers support, direction, and focus for CDI’s business development function
- Assists in shaping the business development strategy, which involves identifying suitable targets for diversified income sources and fostering the growth of CDI’s social enterprise, CDI Training and Consultancy Service
- Shares networks and contacts to create opportunities for introducing CDI, presenting speculative proposals, or establishing service design and delivery partnerships
- May challenge proposals, tenders, or speculative service ideas
- Brings commercial expertise and values to CDI, particularly in cases where it’s necessary to develop the CDI Training and Consultancy Service
- Ensures that business development decisions align with CDI’s Strategy and are consistent with its values and ethos
- Reports to the Board on quarterly, annual, and three-year targets, as well as any emerging issues and additional information
- Offers recommendations to the Board and ultimately follows the Board’s directives. The Board may delegate decision-making to the Committee as it deems appropriate.
Frequency of Meetings
The Business Development Committee convenes quarterly.
Membership
The volunteers on our Business Development and Communications Committee are subject matter experts in a range of fields, all of which add to our capacity to innovate, replicate, and share our learning.
We value the energy and commitment that our committee members bring to CDI. Their selfless work allows us to significantly impact the communities we serve. CDI’s CEO and Business Development Manager will also attend meetings, the latter acting as Secretary to the Committee.
Jerome White
Originally from Cork, Jerome started his career at the Coca-Cola Company, progressing through senior sales and marketing roles internationally. Concluding as Commercial Director for Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, he later served as Commercial Director for Ireland at John West.
Jerome transitioned to senior public affairs and communication roles, initially with the Irish Brewers Association and then as Director of Responsible Retailing of Alcohol in Ireland. With a BA in History & Economics from UCC, he also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in General Management from IMD and recently completed an MSC in Sport Management from UCD. Jerome presently lectures at UCD and TU Dublin.
Leon Diop
Leon is a Tallaght native from Springfield. He is a mixed-race man with heritage from Senegal and Ireland. He is the founder of “Black and Irish,” an organisation tackling racism in Ireland and building representation across different areas of Irish society. He is a former student union president of Maynooth University and holds a degree in psychology.
Sean O’Neill
Sean O’Neill has worked in sales and marketing for over 15 years. Having completed a BA in Journalism as a mature student and worked as a freelance journalist, Sean has a passion for both communications and adult education. Sean currently works for Bloomsbury Publishing helping with book promotions in the Irish market. Having recently completed an MBA specialising in marketing, Sean has obtained a range of expertise involving strategic planning. A Tallaght native with three young children, Sean is keenly interested in the topics of education and learning in the community.
Tanya Hughes
Tanya Hughes is Director of Ballybeen Women’s Centre in Belfast. She has worked within the community based women’s sector for the past 30 years. Tanya also has vast experience of managing european and international projects. She has participated in numerous multi-agency/cross-sectoral strategic working groups addressing issues such as teenage pregnancy and educational underachievement. Tanya is currently Chairperson of Women’s Support Network and also a serving Board member of East Belfast Sure Start, Ballybeen Improvement Group and Inspire Business Park.
Tanya is committed to enhancing the social, economic and cultural status of women, young people and children through inclusive and anti-discriminatory practices. Tanya holds a BSC in Social Work and MSC in Health Promotion from Ulster University. She also has a Diploma in Leadership and Management from the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Philip Crosby
Ché McGann
Ché is an ESG and Sustainability professional and a Director of Clearstream Solutions, one of Ireland’s leading ESG and Sustainability service solution providers. She works with companies across a wide range of sectors to develop their corporate sustainability strategies and specialises in the area of ESG reporting. She holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from TU Dublin and an BEng in Bio-Medical Engineering from DCU.
Before transitioning into sustainability she spent over 10 years as a Manufacturing & Development Engineer working for global medical device manufacturers. She joined the CDI Business Development & Communications Committee as her own young children receive books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Peter Robbins
Peter Robbins is one of Ireland’s foremost experts in innovation and new product and service development. He was global head of innovation excellence for GlaxoSmithKline where he led many of the worldwide new product launches for Lucozade, Aquafresh, Sensodyne, Panadol, Ribena, Alli and NiQuitin. Peter’s PhD is in Innovation. His area of research is how firms organise for innovation. He is a former Head of the Department of Design Innovation in Maynooth University. He is an Innovation Advisor to the Governments development agencies and has developed and run courses and workshops in innovation for organisations in the public and private sector. He is on a number of innovation advisory boards in business and the third level sector. Peter has trained in the renowned Stanford D School and he is a graduate of London’s What-if Creativity Programme. He has published in R&D Management, the Irish Journal of Management: International Journal of Innovation Management; London Strategy Review and regularly speaks at international conferences on the subject of managing creativity and innovation.