From global brands to boardrooms: A journey of purpose, progress and governance

Irish Times

22-05-2025

'Demand excellence and reject mediocrity,' says Niamh Byrne CDir, a seasoned non-executive director, Institute of Directors (IoD) Ireland member, chartered director and global marketing leader. 'Boards should never tolerate 'good enough'. If that has become the culture, it's time to move on. Your role is to be a positive agent of change.'
It's advice grounded in a formidable global career across marketing, media and purpose-led leadership – and one increasingly focused on good governance, a shift she credits in part to her involvement with IoD Ireland.
Byrne serves as vice-chair of Hockey Ireland, advises the European Chief Marketing Officers Council and sits on the board of Converge, a digital advertising automation specialist, which she secured through IoD Ireland's Board Recruitment Service.
A global career rooted in disruption
Her global journey began in Dublin with Smurfit Kappa, before she moved to The Ideas Company, playing a key role in the high-profile market launch of Esat Digifone – Ireland's second mobile network operator. 'Esat Digifone captured almost 40 per cent of the domestic market within a year,' she recalls. 'That experience showed me how powerful disruption can be – and it lit a fire in me to pursue it across different industries.'
READ MORE
Eager to expand her horizons, Byrne relocated to Paris, where she led the development of the first online marketing strategy and booking platform for AccorHotels. Her career then took another international leap when she joined Arthur D Little in Brussels and Paris as director of worldwide marketing.
There, a new opportunity emerged: a move to Orange, the French-owned telecoms giant, where Byrne would lead media, brand partnerships and CSR initiatives at a global level. 'Orange treated technology like art and customers like royalty,' she says. 'It was an entirely different mindset – and it shaped how I think about brand experience to this day.'
Byrne's time at Orange deepened her belief that corporations could be a powerful force for good. 'Their approach to corporate responsibility was ahead of its time,' she says. 'They championed causes like literacy and showed how businesses can drive real societal impact – not just profits.'
That passion for purpose-driven work led her to Comic Relief, where as marketing director she helped deliver Red Nose Day and Sport Relief – two of the UK's largest charity fundraising campaigns.
'It was demanding but deeply rewarding,' she reflects. 'One of the most important things we did was to orchestrate and run the Make Poverty History campaign in order to mobilise the G8 to support the millennium goals. As a result, G8 nations, under pressure from the campaign and its supporters, committed to doubling aid to Africa by 2010. Although these promised weren't fully delivered upon, it taught me the power of aligning campaigning with social movements.'
Niamh Byrne CDir, a seasoned non-executive director, IoD Ireland member, chartered director and global marketing leader. Photograph: Peter Houlihan/Coalesce
Scaling new heights in Asia and beyond
A spirit of adventure soon called again. Byrne joined Digicel Group to launch mobile services across six south Pacific markets – with no licences, no teams and no established playbook. 'We built everything from scratch, including the stores, billboards and the mobile networks' she says. 'We even created an in-house ad agency because the local market couldn't meet our needs. It was intense but incredibly fulfilling – especially as we adopted our two daughters at birth in Fiji during that time.'
After five years, Byrne relocated to Singapore, drawn by Asia's digital boom. There she helped Fastacash, a social payments fintech, scale and develop successful commercial partnerships. Later, she transitioned to an AI computer vision technology company before being recruited by Citi in 2015 to lead customer experience, digital banking and marketing efforts across Asia and EMEA.
At Citi, Byrne's team won the best digital bank in Asia award and she rose to chief marketing officer, managing more than 500 marketers across 17 countries. 'Managing across diverse cultures and markets taught me that emotional intelligence is just as important as technical skills,' she notes.
Returning home and rebuilding roots
Returning to Ireland in 2019, she joined a Fintech company, and then seized the opportunity to deepen her expertise further, completing a postgraduate diploma in digital marketing followed by the Chartered Director Programme with the IoD Ireland. 'I needed to rebuild my professional network at home and fully understand Ireland's governance landscape,' she explains. 'IoD Ireland was invaluable – not just for education, but for connecting with Ireland's leadership community.'
Advice for aspiring non-executive directors
Today, Byrne channels her experience into board roles and advisory work, bringing strategic insight, digital experience, marketing expertise and a commitment to societal impact. Her approach to choosing boards is intentional. 'I always ask: Can I make a real difference here? Do my skills, passion, and values align with the organisation's mission?'
This philosophy made joining the board of Hockey Ireland an easy decision. Having played competitively at under 18 level for Leinster and later at Trinity College Dublin, Byrne understands first-hand power of sport. 'Sport teaches resilience, teamwork, leadership. Keeping young people, especially girls, actively playing sport is more important than ever.'
Byrne's advice to aspiring non-executive directors is clear and practical. First, she urges people to do their due diligence: 'Would you bet your reputation on this company?' she asks, advising thorough research into past issues, leadership culture and value alignment. She emphasises the importance of prioritising diversity, noting that 'homogeneous boards have blind spots, while diversity of gender, culture, experience and perspective leads to better decision-making.'
Boards, she says, must also balance risk and resilience, deploying resources wisely, embracing calculated risks and thinking beyond short-term wins. Emotional intelligence, in her view, is a non-executive director's superpower: 'It's about listening, influencing, and asking the right questions – even the uncomfortable ones.'
Preparation is critical too: 'Approach every board meeting as if it were your own company. Legally and ethically, it is.' Finally, she advises directors to leave their ego at the door: 'Bring your expertise, but be ready to learn. Prepare like a pro, listen like a novice.'
She also stresses the importance of joy in board work. 'If it doesn't spark joy, you're probably sitting at the wrong table,' she smiles. Ultimately, integrity remains Byrne's guiding star. 'I always ask myself: Would I stand by this decision if it landed on the front page of a newspaper? If not, it's a no.'
The power of community
Byrne credits IoD Ireland with playing a key role in her journey. 'IoD Ireland is a real career accelerator. Their courses and events keep you ahead of the curve in governance, leadership, and strategy. It's also a unique peer learning environment – full of people who've been in the trenches and know what it takes.'
Whether through formal qualifications or regular events, she believes IoD Ireland has something for every leader committed to making a positive impact. For Byrne, board service isn't about prestige or career-building. 'It's about the footprints you leave behind – not just the lines you add to your CV.'
Join Ireland's leading network of directors with the Institute of Directors Ireland. Visit
iodireland.ie