AIB chief executive Colin Hunt has been appointed as the new president of business group Ibec, taking over from Meta Ireland head Anne O’Leary.
Mr Hunt, who will serve as president for the coming year, was elected by Ibec’s national council, the lobby group said on Thursday ahead of it annual president’s dinner.
He said he would work with government, industry, communities and Ibec members over the year to develop the necessary ideas, policies and partnerships to drive meaningful progress.
“Despite the current global economic uncertainty, Ireland stands on the threshold of great opportunity. Yet we also face significant challenges that must be addressed head on. While the country is growing economically, demographically, technologically and globally, the infrastructure required to support our growth, potential and aspirations is not keeping pace,” Mr Hunt said.
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“This generation must consider how we can create a lasting impact in addressing these issues. The decisions we make today will reverberate for decades to come, shaping the Ireland that our children and grandchildren will inherit. It is time to deliver bold and sustainable solutions and to summon the same spirit of innovation, character and determination that has carried us through previous adversity.”
Mr Hunt, who joined AIB in 2016, was appointed as chief executive of the bank in March 2019. Prior to that, he worked as AIB’s managing director of wholesale, institutional and corporate banking. Before joining AIB, he worked as managing director at Macquarie Capital, leading the development of its business in Ireland, and served as special policy adviser at the departments of transport and finance. He has also held roles with Goodbody Stockbrokers, Bank of Ireland Group Treasury and NatWest.
“Colin’s extensive experience and leadership across financial services, economics and public policy will be a tremendous asset to Ibec’s work this year,” said Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy.
“Working with Ibec and our board, I know Colin will bring enormous leadership qualities to key priorities for business and wider society. These include addressing the growing deficit in national infrastructure, meeting the skills needs required to embrace current technological challenges, and ensuring progress remains firmly rooted in an unwavering commitment to sustainability.”
Addressing the Ibec dinner on Thursday evening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government will focus when framing next month’s budget on using “resources to enhance the productive capacity of the economy and improve vital services”.
The Government has already outlined that Budget 2026 will include additional spending of €7.9 billion – an increase of 7.3 per cent annually, well above the Government’s 5 per cent spending rule – and tax cuts amounting to €1.5 billion.
He told business leaders that his administration is working to identify the barriers to infrastructure delivery and how it can act quickly to find solutions.
“In the coming weeks we will set out more actions of reform. We are engaging with industry on this – I am determined to have reforms that are grounded in practical, real-world knowledge and experience,” he said.
