Waterways Ireland has appointed John McDonagh as its new chief executive officer following a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on Wednesday 3 February.

McDonagh will take up a four-year appointment, having previously acted as the interim CEO of Waterways Ireland since April 2019.

Commenting on his appointment and his future vision for the organisation, McDonagh said: “I am pleased to be given the opportunity to lead Waterways Ireland and to continue the journey towards a pathway to growth.

“It is important we keep looking forward and prepare for the future. I envision Waterways Ireland creating inspirational inland navigations through conservation and sustainable development for the benefit of all.

“I am enthusiastic about future developmental opportunities to build upon our natural and built assets to grow the social, economic and environmental well-being value of our navigation waterways in both Northern Ireland and Ireland.”

Waterways Ireland says that since he joined the organisation, McDonagh has concentrated on addressing the key strategic challenges of leadership and organisational capacity gaps; strengthening organisational governance, risk and controls; and focusing on the development of a strategic long-term plan.

He is positioning Waterways Ireland to be a dynamic, purposeful organisation for all users and stakeholders, the organisation says.

Prior to his appointment in Waterways Ireland, John McDonagh spent much of his career in senior roles such as retail director and country manager in Shell Ireland. More recently, he was sales and marketing director with Liberty Insurance where he was responsible for an award-winning brand launch in Ireland. Throughout his long career, he has also consulted across multiple sectors.

McDonagh is an English and History graduate from UCD and he holds a Master’s in Finance. He lives in Sligo and commutes to Waterways Ireland HQ in Enniskillen.