Minister Hackett announces appointment of Vivienne Jupp as new Chairperson designate of Coillte
- Published on: 14 March 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has announced today that she has appointed Ms Vivienne Jupp as the new Chairperson designate of Coillte to succeed the outgoing Chairperson, Ms Bernie Gray.
Minister Hackett said:
“Vivienne brings with her a wealth of extensive experience, both as a chairperson and a board member of organisations of a similar scale to Coillte. Coillte must continue to be a key actor in the delivery of national climate and biodiversity policy over the coming decades, and I believe that Vivienne’s experience will be a real asset in Coillte’s role as caretaker and manager of our national forest estate of 440,000 hectares. Since the foundation of the company in 1988, Coillte’s mandate has evolved significantly over the years, and it is now not only the nation’s largest producer of wood, but also the largest provider of outdoor recreation space in Ireland and undertakes nature rehabilitation projects at scale.”
Commenting on her appointment, Vivienne Jupp said:
“I am delighted to be appointed as Chairperson designate of Coillte. Coillte plays a very important role in delivering the multiple benefits of forestry, not just in the commercial sphere but also in relation to climate, biodiversity and recreation. I appreciate the very significant contribution that Bernie Gray has made to Coillte in her time as Chairperson, and I envisage continuing her work driving Coillte to further success in the future.”
Imelda Hurley, CEO of Coillte, said:
“I would like to congratulate Vivienne Jupp on her appointment as Chair-designate of Coillte. Vivienne’s experience and support will be invaluable as we work to implement the objectives of our ambitious forestry strategic vision, which will play a key role in helping Ireland achieve its climate action targets. I very much look forward to working with Vivienne, and on behalf of everyone in the organisation, wish her every success in this important role. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Chair, Bernie Gray, for her immense contribution to Coillte over the last five years and on behalf of everyone in Coillte, wish her every success for the future.”
Minister Hackett also paid tribute to the outgoing Chairperson:
“I would like to thank Bernie Grey for the dedication and commitment that she gave to the role of Chairperson of Coillte over the last five years. Bernie has shown exceptional leadership and has been a key contributor to the success of the organisation. I wish Bernie the very best for the future.”
Notes
About the Chairperson designate, Ms. Vivienne Jupp
Ms. Vivienne Jupp was a global senior executive in Accenture, a large global management consultancy firm, for 12 years.
Ms. Jupp has significant board level experience in organisations of a similar scale to Coillte, including as the Chairperson of the CIE Group. She is also the current Chairperson of Premier Lotteries Ireland.
Ms. Jupp is a B.Comm., Master of Business Studies and a member of the Emeritus Board of Michael Smurfit Graduate School.
The position of Chairperson of Coillte is for a period of five years (with possibility for extension) and the appointment has been made following a competitive process managed by the State Boards service of the Public Appointments Service (PAS).
Prior to formal confirmation in the post, there is a requirement (under Standing Orders of Dail Eireann and the Code of Governance of State Bodies) by which the Joint Committee for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has the power to require the Chairperson designate of a body or agency under the aegis of this department, to attend before the Select Committee to discuss his or her strategic priorities for the role.