Mission-Aligned Leadership: Appointing IDEA’s CEO

Understanding IDEA’s requirements:

The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is the national network for Global Citizenship Education in Ireland and a leading voice for the sector. The organisation aims to tackle the root causes of injustice and inequality, globally and locally to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone. 

In 2024, 2into3 were selected to partner with IDEA to recruit their first ever Chief Executive Officer. The CEO provides leadership to the Development Education sector in Ireland and represents the organisation publicly through policy work and advocacy and build meaningful relationships with stakeholders such as members, funders and government departments. The position requires excellent relationship building skills, and possess a strong sense of humility, modesty and integrity, enabling the postholder to manage diverse opinions and bring people together. 

IDEA

Our recruitment strategy

When sourcing a Chief Executive Officer for IDEA, our objective was to identify a leader who could support the team in delivering on the organisation’s mission to advance and strengthen Development Education by cultivating a collaborative and impactful network.

For this campaign, we worked closely with the Interim Executive Director and members of the Board to gain a thorough understanding of the role, alongside the organisation’s broader strategic objectives and priorities. This collaborative approach ensured our search was fully aligned with IDEA’s evolving needs and context.

Our executive search strategy combined targeted outreach to member organisations with a wider search across a diverse talent pool with the relevant expertise. At every stage, we ensured that our engagement approach authentically reflected IDEA’s values, fostering trust and alignment between potential candidates and the organisation’s mission.

Appointing a mission-aligned CEO

We were delighted to support IDEA in appointing Ruairí McKiernan in October 2024, a leader with a deep understanding of IDEA’s membership and strategy, and a longstanding commitment to global justice, human rights, equality, and sustainability.

Ruairí brings with him over 25 years’ experience working across civil society. As the founder of SpunOut, a former Presidential appointee to the Council of State, and a best-selling author, Ruairí brings a wealth of experience to this role.

Known for his person-centred and humanistic approach, Ruairí values the ability to bring together diverse perspectives, broker competing views, and ensure all voices are heard and respected. He is deeply committed to advancing the needs of IDEA’s members and championing the role of Development Education and Global Citizenship Education at both national and international levels.

We wish Ruairí and the wider team at IDEA every success in the next chapter, and we look forward to seeing the impact they continue to make within the GCE/DE space.

 

Get in Touch

At 2into3, we offer a comprehensive breadth of supports to enable your organisation to have a transformative impact. If you would like to explore how 2into3 can support you with Talent Services, contact Shannon Barrett at shannon.barrett@2into3.com.

For more information on our services, visit our webpage here.

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