• Hailing from Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, Conroy brings more than 20 years commercial and corporate experience to the role having worked with a range of global multinationals
• Conroy will take up his position as chief executive of Mayo GAA from June this year

Mayo GAA is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruairí Conroy as the county’s first chief executive.

A native of Tuar Mhic Éadaigh in the Gaeltacht area of Mayo, Ruairí’s appointment as CEO of Mayo GAA was ratified by delegates at a County Board meeting on Tuesday evening. He will officially take up the position from the start of June this year.

As CEO, Ruairí will oversee the commercial growth, sponsorship, and strategic planning within Mayo GAA, while also providing professional support to the clubs, volunteers, players, and stakeholders across the county.

He will report directly to the Executive of Mayo County Board and will implement a new strategy to grow and expand the commercial opportunities for Mayo GAA going forward, including overseeing the development of Mayo’s planned Centre of Excellence in Bohola.

Experience

Ruairí’s appointment comes after a rigorous selection process managed by recruitment firm Collins McNicholas, and he brings considerable commercial and corporate experience to the role having spent more than 20 years working with a range of global multinationals.

A graduate of University of Limerick and TU Dublin, where he studied IT and Telecommunications, and Strategic Management, Ruairí started out his career working in the Irish media, where he held sales positions for radio stations 98FM and Spin 1038. From there, he joined Google, the US tech giant, and spent five years in commercial sales management positions. During this time, he also completed the Google business leadership programme at Duke University.

After departing Google in 2013, Ruairí joined another tech company called AdRoll, where he became Director of Sales for EMEA and oversaw the company’s “land & expand” strategy to go from 2 employees to 100 within three years. In 2015, he returned to living in his hometown in Mayo and the following year he oversaw a similar expansion operation as Managing Director of EMEA for SiteMinder, a multinational tech company which grew from 2 staff in Ireland to 140 employees in Galway.

Ruairí subsequently joined Diligent, a US software company, where he has progressed to becoming the company’s Vice President of Global Sales Development and Site Leader. In this role, he has led a global commercial organisation generating more than $300 million of pipeline annually.

Diligent is the leading GRC software provider, empowering over 1 million users to centralise governance, risk, and compliance into a single source of truth for faster, more informed decision-making.

Ruairí also brings considerable corporate sponsorship experience to the role of CEO of Mayo GAA. He has led Diligent’s partnerships with Galway United Senior Women’s Team, The Galway International Arts Festival & various integrated charity activities.

Alongside his corporate career, Ruairí also serves as a part-time lecturer in University of Galway, where he delivers Digital Sales Management modules for around 100 Masters students each year.

A lifelong Tuar Mhic Éadaigh Gaelic football player from under 10s to the senior ranks, Ruairí has returned to underage coaching at his local club. He is also an active committee member in the club, helping to organise the 2017 Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta as well as helping to coach Dublin-based players during their successful 2010 Intermediate campaign.

Speaking on his appointment, new Mayo GAA chief executive, Ruairí Conroy said:

“As a native of Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, it is an incredibly proud moment for me and my family that I have been appointed as the new chief executive of Mayo GAA. From the moment I take up this position in June, similarly to the men and women who wear the green and red jersey each season, I will do my upmost to help the future prosperity of Mayo GAA and improve the sustainability of our clubs.  

“I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a career so far that has allowed me to work with some of the biggest companies in the world across a range of sectors, and I will now bring all of that corporate and commercial experience to bear in my new role as CEO of Mayo GAA.

“The demands being placed on volunteers within the GAA is ever increasing and my primary focus will be to provide professional support and advice to club officials, players and stakeholders across the county. Alongside this, I look forward to implementing a strategic growth plan for Mayo GAA to ensure the county has the resources it needs to ensure its teams are given every opportunity to succeed on the pitch.

Seamus Tuohy, chairperson of Mayo GAA, said:

“I’m delighted to announce that Ruairí Conroy will become the first ever chief executive of Mayo GAA. He brings incredible commercial and corporate experience to the role, and I’ve no doubt he will play a key role in the future growth and success of Mayo GAA.

“Ruairí’s appointment comes at a critical time for Mayo GAA. His extensive experience will be a vital resource and support to all our volunteers across the county, while he will also play a leading role in delivering Mayo GAA’s planned Centre of Excellence in Bohola.

“On behalf of Mayo County Board, I want to wish him the very best of luck in the new role.”

Ag labhairt dó faoina cheapachán, dúirt Ruairí Conroy:

Mar dhuine de phobal Thuar Mhic Éadaigh, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach dom tacú lenár gclubanna agus lenár n-imreoirí ar fud an chontae. Tá croílár an CLG bunaithe ar obair dheonach agus ar spiorad an phobail, agus tá sé mar sprioc agam na luachanna sin a neartú agus a chur chun cinn sna blianta amach romhainn.