Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland has officially announced the appointment of Ray Harman as the new Chair of the Board of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland as well as the appointment of new Board Member, Catherine Magee.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D, who also announced that Désirée Finnegan, who was first appointed in 2019, will extend her term as Chief Executive of the agency for five years.
Harman has worked as a songwriter and award-winning composer for film, TV, animation and theatre for over 20 years and is a board member of IMRO and a former director and founder member of the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland.
Now, he succeeds Chair Susan Bergin, who stepped down from the position earlier this year, and will serve as Chair of the Board until the end of his term.
Magee is a TV drama and film producer based in Ireland and has worked on projects such as ‘Normal People’, ‘Conversations With Friends’ and ‘Small Things Like These’.
“I want to sincerely thank Susan Bergin for her hard work and the enormous contribution she has made to the Irish film industry over the past three years, both as a member and Chairperson of the Board of Screen Ireland” Minister Martin said in a statement (h/t IGTN). “The Irish film industry continues to go from strength to strength and this is no small part due to the incredible work of Screen Ireland. I would like to welcome Catherine Magee to the Board of Screen Ireland and congratulate her on appointment. Catherine will bring a wealth of experience to the role. Today, I am also appointing existing Board member, Ray Harman as the new Chairperson of the Board. Ray brings extensive experience to the role and I wish him well as he undertakes his new duties. I am particularly pleased to announce that CEO Désirée Finnegan will remain with Screen Ireland and will continue to play a leading role in the success of the Irish film industry. Désirée has worked tirelessly to develop Ireland’s audiovisual industry in its entirety, whilst bringing a special focus on the recognition and support for artists and creatives who are the cornerstone of our screen industry. I wish all well on their appointments and express my gratitude for their commitment to the Irish film industry.”
Harman issued the following statement:
“On behalf of the Screen Ireland Board, we’re delighted that Désirée will extend her term as Chief Executive of Screen Ireland. The recent critical and cultural success experienced by the Irish screen industry has been remarkable. Under Désirée Finnegan’s leadership and creative direction, Screen Ireland has shown strategic vision and a deep commitment to filmmakers and creative artists. The Board of Screen Ireland looks forward to working with Désirée to continue this ambitious vision for our industry.”
