Press release
Two new management board members appointed to the Office of Public Works
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is pleased to announce two significant appointments to its Board of Management.
Conor Sreenan has been appointed as the new State Principal Architect, while Kathryn Whyte joins as Head of Organisation Capability and Corporate Services (Assistant Secretary).
Mr Sreenan and Ms Whyte will bring a wealth of high-level experience in both the public and private sectors to their new roles in the OPW.
Mr Sreenan joins the OPW from the Grangegorman Development Agency where he was a director since 2018, with specific responsibility for strategy and design.
Prior to his role in the Grangegorman Development Agency, Mr Sreenan worked for almost 20 years in the private sector. He has collaborated with MV Cullinan Architects, O'Donnell + Tuomey, and latterly for Heneghan Peng Architects, from 2004-2017.
Since 2009, Mr Sreenan has taught/ contributed to education within the design studios of various schools of architecture in the Republic of Ireland/ Northern Ireland. He has served as a jury member on a variety of architectural awards/ competitions, nationally and internationally.
He is a member of the Irish Government Construction Contracts Committee and a Board member of the Irish Architectural Archive.
Ms Whyte comes to the OPW from Enterprise Ireland, where she held the position of Chief People Officer and Head of Corporate Services from 2022, with responsibility for 50 offices globally.
Prior to her time with Enterprise Ireland, Ms Whyte was Head of People and Culture in the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) since 2017, where she led cultural change, including certification as a Great Place to Work. She joined the OGP from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, where she worked in HR Change management and HR Strategy roles from 2013. With extensive experience in Organisation Development and Transformation, Ms Whyte also has significant private sector experience, with 14 years in J.P. Morgan, in a variety of senior roles.
A certified Mediator and Leadership Coach, she is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and serves on their National Executive. Since November 2023 she has served as an external member of the Trinity College Board sub-committee on People and Culture.
Commenting on the appointments, OPW Chairman John Conlon said:
"I am delighted to welcome two such high-calibre individuals to the Office of Public Works.
"The OPW management board and I extend warm wishes to Kathryn and Conor, and look forward to working with them in their new roles.
"Their expertise, leadership and vision will be invaluable as we continue to drive excellence in the OPW.
"Both Conor and Kathryn bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the OPW, and their appointments reflect the commitment to excellence and innovation within the organisation.”