The people who serve on the Board of Directors and Board Oversight Committee of Core Credit Union are unpaid volunteers, that are elected by their fellow Members at the Credit Unions Annual General Meeting.
Unlike other kinds of financial institutions, Core Credit Union is Member owned. Every Member of Core Credit Union gets to vote on who will represent them on the Board of Directors (Board) and every Member of the Credit Union has one vote. Serving as a Board Member is a valuable and fulfilling experience, furthering the longstanding Credit Union philosophy of people helping people. The Board meets monthly and guides the Credit Union through strategic planning and setting of policy.
The current Board of Directors of Core Credit Union are:
Directors
Chairperson – Ian McDonald
Ian McDonald has been a Chartered Accountant for over 30 years and currently works as Chief Financial Officer for a small number of technology companies. He has also been a volunteer Board member of several organisations over the past 20 years. He is a long standing member of Core Credit Union and joined the Board in 2022. He was elected Chair of the Board in January 2025 and sits on the Investment Committee. He was proud to be a member of the Steering Group that managed the merger with Greystones & District Credit Union in 2025.
Vice-Chairperson – Matt McConnell
Matt McConnell is a qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience across the financial services industry and utility sector. A graduate of UCD and ACCA certified, Matt currently is Head of Operational Technology and AI Implementation at Uisce Éireann, Ireland’s State Water utility, and brings a wealth of experience in the areas of large-scale transformation, investment planning, revenue control, payment services, stakeholder, and credit control management. Living in Leopardstown with his young family, Matt is involved in and chair of the Juvenile committee in his local soccer club.
Secretary – Siobhán Harding
Siobhán Harding brings extensive experience in IT and consulting to the board, drawing on a long career built in Ireland and abroad. A long-time advocate for credit unions in both Ireland and the USA, she combines technical insight with a strong commitment to community finance. Siobhán currently serves as Board Secretary, Secretary of the Remuneration Committee, and is an active contributor to the Local Members’ Forum
Director – Eva Kane
Eva has been on the Board of Directors since 2022, is Chair of the Nominations Committee and sits on the Risk, Compliance & Audit Committee. She is a Qualified Financial Advisor full time and participates in other voluntary work within the community in her spare time. She is an active facilitator for anti-violence programs across Irish prisons with AVP. She has a degree in Entrepreneurship and Management from IADT, and an MSc in International Business from Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
Director – Alan Guerins
Alan has been on the Board of Core for eight years; he and his family are all active long-time members of the Credit Union. He has extensive experience in the Advertising/Marketing industry holding various senior positions. Alan has a very strong business and social acumen and is involved in various local community projects. In Core Credit Union he held the position as Chairperson and has served on all committees.
Director – Pat McAuliffe
Pat McAuliffe joined the Board in 2023, having served on the Board Oversight Committee since 2020. Pat brings with him many years’ experiences of the Credit Union movement. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Foxrock and District Credit Union and was serving as Chair on that Board during the transfer of engagement between Foxrock and District Credit Union and Core Credit Union. Working closely with Core Credit Union during that time he came to appreciate and value the ethos of Core Credit Union and as a result agreed to join the Board Oversight Committee and subsequently the Board. Married with two daughters, Pat lives in Cabinteely and is a keen Leinster Rugby supporter.
Director – Edel Woods
Edel was co-opted onto the Board of Directors last year and sits on the Risk Compliance and Audit Committee. A seasoned Leader with over 20 years’ experience in Commercial Leadership roles and over a decade at Director level, within the Pharmaceutical, Nutrition and Food Safety Businesses, starting with an educational background in Science and Marketing. Edel is a long-standing member of Core Credit Union and has a variety of volunteering experiences across a range of charitable organisations and is delighted to be able to contribute to our local community through Core Credit Union.
Director – Anthony Casey
Anthony is a retired teacher and former Deputy Principal of St. Augustine’s Special School in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Throughout his career, he was committed to supporting students with special educational needs and helping them reach their full potential. He served on the Board of Greystones and District Credit Union for six years, where he was a member of the Credit Committee and acted as Board Secretary. He was also part of the Steering Committee that led our Credit Union through negotiation with other Credit Unions and successfully helped oversee out merger process with Core Credit Union.
Director – Reinielde Verbruggen
Reinielde is a lifelong member of Kilcoole Credit Union, her father Walter Verbruggen was a founding member of the Greystones and District Credit Union, she is a firm believer of the importance of a credit union in the community. She went to school in Greystones and did a Bachelor of Business Studies in DCU. She went to London in 1990 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO Binder Hamlyn in 1994. She has worked in various companies since returning to Ireland in 1994. She joined the Board Oversight Committee (BOC) in Greystones Credit Union in 2023 and served on the BOC until the amalgamation with Core and then joined the Board of Directors in Core.
Director – Maeve O’Hanlon
Maeve joined the Board of Greystones and District Credit Union in 2023 and has also served on their Credit Committee from 2022. As a banking professional, she has over 20 years’ experience of lending and customer service in Business and Corporate Banking. A graduate of UCD and the Institute to Taxation, Maeve currently works with Down Syndrome Ireland as a bookkeeper.
Director – John Kenna
John has been a member of Greystones and District Credit Union since the early 1970s. He was first elected to the board of GDCU in 2011. He has served as director since then until our merger with Core Credit Union in 2025. During his term of office, he has been a member of several committees including Credit, Finance and Investment, Credit Control, Audit and Risk, Nominations which also covered Remuneration. He has also been Chairperson of the board for the last three years up until our merger and was part of our steering committee which engaged in the negotiations for the merger. In his working life he was a printer. His education is Leaving cert, BA and MA (UCD). He also completed the Credit Union Governance course (CUG) which was provided by Carmel Motherway and the Credit Union Development Association (CUDA).
Board Oversight Committee
Oversight Committee – Stephen Forsyth
Stephen Forsyth has been a member of the Board Oversight Committee since 2022. An accountant, Stephen has been working as a financial controller for several years and has a great interest in the ethos of the Credit Union. As a Board Oversight Director, he has attended Board meetings throughout the year as the Oversight representative and is looking forward to continuing as part of this committee.
Oversight Committee – Mark Dooley
Mark was co-opted to the Board Oversight Committee in April 2024, bringing with him nearly 20 years of in-depth expertise in the hedge fund industry, having held key roles in valuations and management at leading firms. He has successfully completed the Chartered Director Program at the Institute of Directors, Ireland, and holds a Master of Arts in Economics from University College Cork. Mark has been a credit union member since an early age and is interested in seeing their development and increased profile within local communities.
Oversight Committee Chairperson – Joe Devine
Joe has many years’ experiences in the Credit Union movement. Former Chairperson of the Board and Board Oversight Committee in Greystones and District Credit Union. Manager of Greystones Credit Union from 1992 – 1998 and Manager of Shankill Ballybrack Credit Union from 1998- 2012. He has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and Higher Diploma in Credit Union Studies from UCC. Joe is also a trustee of Greystones Rugby Club and President from 2005 – 2006.
