Not-for-Profit and Charitable Organisations

“From the very first discussion with Kieran Moynihan, Board Excellence were adding value to the Irish Hospice Foundation. Kieran went above what was expected at every stage, his effort and energy combined with Kieran’s expertise have delivered what I believe is a superb report which clearly sets out where we are doing well and where and how we can improve. I believe the process and the final report have the potential to be a significant catalyst in IHF upping its game, thereby moving the dial in improving the experience of death dying and bereavement in Ireland. We particularly appreciate the access to him as a mentor on board performance for 12 months after the report. I would wholeheartedly recommend Board Excellence to any Chair and Board looking to do an honest and thorough review and take their board to the next level.”

“We engaged Board Excellence to carry out an external evaluation of our Board and Standing Committees and a review of our governance framework documentation. This review, which happens every three years, included questionnaires and individual meetings with all of our Board members, Board Standing Committee members and Senior Leadership Team. The review was thorough and insightful with some great feedback and recommendations. We highly recommend the services of Board Excellence.”

“The Board of Directors (Council) of CPA Ireland engaged the expertise of Board Excellence to ensure that the Board members, individually and collectively, understood the characteristics of a high performing board and how to sustain high performance. The CPA Ireland Directors found Board Excellence to be experienced, engaging, knowledgeable and challenging and, very importantly, enjoyable. The collective
experience within Board Excellence ensures that Directors are presented with real world examples against which to benchmark performance. In summary, Board Excellence are excellent.”

“Cork Simon Community conducted an externally facilitated board review with Board Excellence. Board Excellence were outstanding in guiding us through the review process. The board review process shone a light on key areas where Cork Simon Community could add value. The board review process was very thorough and the board of Cork Simon Community found it to be very worthwhile and enlightening.”

“During 2021 and 2022, Board Excellence supported Cork Chamber in developing our Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and in updating our Code of Governance. The insights provide by Pat McGrath were invaluable in steering the Chamber towards a new strategic plan and a complete review of our governance arrangements. We have no hesitation in recommending Board Excellence and Pat McGrath for similar work.”

“David O’Callaghan of Board Excellence was engaged to independently evaluate the governance and board effectiveness of Core Credit Union. Our board has previously worked with David on another project earlier this year. David has an excellent deep knowledge and understanding of the Credit Union sector as well as the dynamics and intricacies of board structures. David’s role was to provide a high-level governance evaluation of the board, structures, committees, performance and the relationship with senior management and CEO. David took a hands-on approach meeting with all relevant parties and observing a range of meetings. This resulted in the composition of a comprehensive and excellent final report. We have already implemented a number of his recommendations and we would consider that David’s contribution has given us the tools to improve our overall performance as a board.”

“We selected Board Excellence to work with us on our recent external board evaluation because we wanted Independent and practical advice on how to be a more effective board. Kieran Moynihan provided us with just that! His report was extremely thorough, pulled no punches and guided us on the actions to work on that would have the most impact for our Charity Board. Kieran also supported us with feedback to our senior leadership team which was important for us as they are critical to our overall board effectiveness. We have already seen the benefits of this work and have really enjoyed working with Kieran, who has been a critical friend to us, as well as advisor and coach!”

“British Canoeing is an organisation that is serious about good governance and striving to ensure that we operate as effectively as possible. In our search for best practice, we selected and worked with Board Excellence to help us on our journey. They were outstanding in their work for us. Their expertise was exceptional, but it was the manner in which they worked with us that I appreciated enormously. They were frank, well informed, had access to benchmark data and were knowledgeable about and sensitive to the context in which NGBs and member organisations work. We did not want a simple test of compliance or measurement against others. We wanted advice and guidance on how to get better. They presented sound advice, well thought through options and an offer to work with us on an implementation plan. They have served us exceedingly well.”

“The Governance and Culture Review for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries touched on a wide range of issues from process through to behaviours. Board Excellence carried out a very thorough diligence with a full range of stakeholders and, despite the complexity of the picture, quickly identified the key issues. Where they needed to dig deeper, they did so quickly and sympathetically leaving virtually all interviewees feeling that their input had mattered. The conclusions were clear and are already being put into practice. Though it is still early days the signs are encouraging that Board Excellence have given us a platform and a roadmap from which to build.”

“Board Excellence supported me on our recent Annual Board Chair and Trustee evaluations. I want to put on record my gratitude and appreciation of Kieran’s contribution to our appraisals. It resulted in a more comprehensive and focused set of goals for each Board Member. His input also provided an independent assessment of Lewisham Homes Appraisal of the Board based on his knowledge and experience of working with a wide variety of Boards outside of our sector. Having reviewed the testimonials on Board Excellence’s website I was confident that any analysis that Kieran made would be honest and uncompromising. Therefore the comments he made about Lewisham Homes’ Board were highly valued by me and provided some assurance that Lewisham Homes’ Board is one which is positive, competent and made up of independent thinkers who are focused on the best outcomes for its stakeholders.”

“Following an extensive trawl of the Board Evaluation consultancy market, we engaged Board Excellence to complete our governance evaluation. Kieran’s easy manner and responsiveness greatly assisted with engagement and made the process an enjoyable one. The final report was thorough and detailed and a step-up from previous exercises we have completed. It has provided us with a set of practical suggestions and aspirational goals to incorporate into our governance framework and practices. We very much welcome the additional 12 months of support from Kieran and expect to keep him busy!”

“The Board of Directors (Council) of CPA Ireland engaged the expertise of Board Excellence to ensure that the Board members, individually and collectively, understood the characteristics of a high performing board and how to sustain high performance. The CPA Ireland Directors found Board Excellence to be experienced, engaging, knowledgeable and challenging and, very importantly, enjoyable. The collective
experience within Board Excellence ensures that Directors are presented with real world examples against which to benchmark performance. In summary, Board Excellence are excellent.”