Minister Calleary announces appointment of incoming Chair of the Pensions Authority

The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has today announced Fiona Tierney as incoming Chair of the Pensions Authority for a five-year term.

Ms. Tierney will take over from Dr David Begg who has been Chair since January 2016.

Ms. Tierney brings extensive strategic and corporate governance expertise to the role. She is an experienced and professionally qualified Chair and non-executive director, with multi-sectoral board experience from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has significant experience of oversight, remediation and compliance in regulated industries.

Commenting on the appointment, Minister Calleary said:

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Fiona Tierney as Chair of the Pensions Authority. Fiona brings wide-ranging public sector, business and governance experience to the role combined with a strong background in change management and strategy development. Fiona’s breath of experience will prove invaluable as the Pensions Authority and the pensions sector adapts to a changing landscape driven by the continued consolidation of the market, enhanced supervision and a greater focus on coverage and adequacy in occupational pension schemes on foot of the roll-out of MyFutureFund.”

"I wish Fiona every success in her role. I am confident she will be able to build on the pension reforms delivered in recent years to ensure that the vision of the Authority is delivered by having a pensions system where retirement savings are secure, well-managed, cost-efficient and easily understood, and which encourages pensions savings.”

The Minister thanked David Begg, the outgoing Chair:

"I would like to sincerely thank the outgoing Chair David Begg for his excellent work and considerable achievements during his tenure. This included guiding the Authority through significant change from the challenges associated with the funding of Defined Benefit schemes post the economic crisis, to the implementation of a new supervisory approach under IORP II and the resulting significant consolidation of occupational pension schemes and the development of Master Trusts – all of which have served to enhance the pensions environment in Ireland to the benefit of pension scheme members. I wish him every success in future endeavours.”

Notes:

Fiona Tierney Biography

Fiona Tierney holds a Central Bank approved PCF2B position as a non-executive director on the Board of Wells Fargo Bank International UC, where she is a member of the Risk Committee and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee. She also serves as a member of the Council of the Institute of Directors in Ireland, and as a non-executive director of Digital Manufacturing Ireland. She is a member of the Audit Committee of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs & Migration.

From December 2019 to November 2025 Fiona Tierney was a member of the Top Level Appointments Committee, and was appointed by Government as a founding member of Balance for Better Business from July 2018 to December 2023.

She held a non-executive position from July 2018 for six years in Eircom Holdings (Ireland) Ltd.

From 2019 to 2022, she was Chair of the Audit Committee of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. In the past she served as an independent non-executive Director and interim Chair of the Board of Pieta, and as a Board member in the Irish Management Institute and in Trócaire.

She completed an interim assignment as Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Ireland in 2019.

Ms Tierney served as CEO of the Public Appointments Service and an ex-officio member of the Board from 2012 to 2018. Prior to that she worked in HR consulting (Hay Group, Dalriada) and served as Head of Performance and Reward at Aer Lingus, where she served as a Trustee of the Superannuation Scheme.

She had a long and successful career in eircom from 1988 to 2005, where her final executive role was as CEO of the Wholesale (regulated) business.

Ms. Tierney holds the following qualifications:

• BA (Mod) in Economics and Political Science, Trinity College, Dublin
• Masters Degree in Public Administration, University College Dublin
• Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors (2017)
• Certified Bank Director of the Institute of Banking (2021)
• Certificate in Responsible and Sustainable Finance, IOB (2023)