New NCI President Appointed

The Governing Body of National College of Ireland (NCI) today announced the appointment of Dr. Phillip Matthews as the new college president, succeeding Dr. Paul Mooney from the end of February.

Dr. Matthews joins NCI from the UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business, where he was Director of Executive Education. A PhD Graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Dr. Matthews has a wealth of industry experience from senior management roles in the pharmaceutical and consulting industries.

Denis O’Brien, Chairman of the NCI Governing Body, welcomed his appointment by saying:

"Phillip will bring tremendous energy, determination and skill to the National College of Ireland. NCI has been a champion of inclusive access and second chance learning and Phillip will continue this tradition of providing high quality educational, professional and work related learning opportunities.

In the present economic climate, the number of people looking to upgrade and re-engineer their skills has increased substantially and Phillip will lead NCI in meeting this demand. Together with the faculty and executive team, he will ensure that NCI continues to provide a vibrant learning environment to some 5,000 full and part-time students."

A former Irish rugby captain, Dr. Matthews was a member of the Triple Crown Winning team in 1985 and still commentates for the BBC. He said:

"I am delighted and very proud to be joining National College of Ireland. I am excited at the prospect of working with everyone at the college and within its community towards furthering NCI's distinctive mission of widening participation in higher education."

Mr. O’Brien also paid tribute to Dr. Mooney, saying:

"Paul did a great job of consolidating NCI and has cemented its position in the heart of the IFSC as a provider of high quality education to all. His unflagging efforts have paid dividends and he hands over to Phillip a sound academic institution on which to build and expand. I would like to thank Paul on behalf of myself and the entire Governing Body for his considerable contribution to National College of Ireland."

Dr. Mooney is returning to a management consulting role having successfully led the organisation through a period of restructuring and strategic change.