Team size: About 90

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in Ireland over the next five-ten years?

I think the trend of the remit of general counsel to manage non-legal areas will continue. In our industry of large global peer competitors, most of general counsel are responsible for non-legal departments as well as the legal function. I think the main driver for this is that genera;l counsel are usually problem solvers and good line managers.

In my role as chief administrative officer and general counsel, not only am I responsible for the legal function; I also have responsibility for quality assurance, client contracts services, real estate and procurement (from a support department perspective) and also our data business – Symphony Health (from an operational perspective).

How much influence do you, as a general counsel, have on the diversity and inclusion policies of your organisation? 

I am a member of ICON’s executive team with overall responsibility for ESG. With D&I being a key part of the ESG – I am very involved in our overall D&I policies and approach, and I partner closely with our HR team who run our D&I program. ICON’s D&I focus includes getting diverse patients to participate in clinical trials to help these patients achieve better outcomes and quality of life.