▪ Kevin Bakhurst – Director-General
▪ Adrian Lynch – Deputy Director-General and Director Audiences, Channels, Marketing
▪ Daniel Coady – Director Legal Affairs
▪ Deirdre McCarthy – Director News and Current Affairs
▪ Eimear Cusack – Director Human Resources
▪ Gavin Deans – Director Commercial
▪ Mari Hurley – Chief Financial Officer
▪ Patricia Monahan – Director of Audio
▪ Richard Waghorn – Chief Technology Officer and Director Operations
▪ Steve Carson – Director of Video
▪ Vivienne Flood – Head of Public Affairs
Kevin Bakhurst
Director-General
Kevin Bakhurst officially commenced the role of Director-General of RTÉ on Monday 10th July 2023. Kevin Bakhurst was previously Managing Director of News & Current Affairs at RTÉ and Deputy Director-General from September 2012 – October 2016. He was also a member of the RTÉ Executive throughout this period and served as acting Director-General for a six-month period. Prior to re-joining RTÉ,
Kevin Bakhurst was Group Director, Broadcasting and Online at Ofcom where he was a member of the Ofcom Board. Kevin’s responsibilities included setting Broadcast Strategy and Policy for UK broadcasting regulation, creating and implementing the framework for regulating the BBC, enforcing and developing editorial standards for UK broadcasters and leading work on the future of UK Public Service Broadcasting which has led directly to new government legislation. He has led Ofcom’s work on the UK’s new Online Safety Policy and built a team of around 350 to deliver it, including a new data and technology team, and in the process shaping the overall transformation of Ofcom to take on the new duties. Between 2006 and 2012, Kevin Bakhurst held a range of senior editorial positions at the BBC, including Controller, BBC News Channel and Deputy Head, BBC Newsroom from 2005. He was also a member of the BBC’s London 2012 Olympics Steering Committee
Adrian Lynch
Deputy Director-General and Director Audiences, Channels, Marketing
Adrian Lynch was previously Channel Controller for RTÉ One and RTÉ2 and in that capacity, launched ambitious new schedules for the services. Adrian has been with RTÉ since the end of 2014 and is formerly. Managing Director of one of Ireland’s most successful independent television production companies, Animo Television. As Channel Controller of RTÉ One and RTÉ2, Adrian has delivered a range of landmark public service programming across all genres, with marked successes around Dancing with the Stars, RTÉ 1916, and award-winning documentaries such as My Homeless Family.
Deirdre McCarthy
Managing Director, RTÉ News and Current Affairs
Deirdre McCarthy was appointed Managing Director, RTÉ News & Current Affairs in December 2022 following a public competition. Deirdre is the first women appointed to this position. Deirdre has been Managing Editor of Regions and Radio News programmes as well as politics and business coverage, where she shaped and expanded the organisation’s political and regional news coverage and strategy, particularly enhancing digital output.
She steered the growth of the flagship radio news programmes (Morning Ireland, News at One and This Week) and strengthened and delivered excellence in broadcasting in all three award winning programmes. Before this, Deirdre was RTÉ’s Political Coverage Editor at Leinster House, leading the reporting of political news stories as well as overseeing the live broadcasting of national events such as General Elections, election debates, Referenda including Marriage Equality and Abortion and Commemoration events such as Battle of the Somme Centenary. From 2008-2012 Deirdre was the editor of RTÉ’s dedicated political programme, The Week in Politics and Leaders’ Questions programmes during a time of huge political and economic upheaval.
Eimear Cusack
Director of Human Resources
Eimear joined RTÉ in April 2017. Eimear brought with her a broad range of experience at senior levels across a range of organisations and, having led many transformation projects, brings significant experience in the area of Human Resources. Most recently Eimear has worked as UK and Ireland Head of Human Resources with Ericsson.
Richard Waghorn
Director of Operations and Technology
Richard joined RTÉ as Chief Technology Officer in February 2012. During 2013, he was appointed as a director of RTÉ Transmission Network DAC. Richard holds a MBA from Henley Management College and is a graduate of the University of Leeds. Between 2009 and 2011, Richard was Chief Technology Officer at the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Before that, he was Controller of Distribution at the BBC leading the implementation of digital switchover. At the BBC, he worked in a number of areas including strategy, online, interactive TV, distribution and radio production. Richard was a board director of Freesat, and project manager for the 2002 launch of Freeview in the UK. Richard took over leadership of RTÉ’s operations division in 2019, as part of the restructure of the organisation.
Vivienne Flood
Head of Public Affairs
As RTÉ’s Head of Public Affairs Vivienne works in support of strategy development, stakeholder engagement, policy and regulatory issues and corporate social responsibility. Previous roles within the organisation include Communications Manager for the national Saorview Digital Switchover in 2012 and Corporate Communications Manager. She has recently qualified with an MSc in Management Practice from the Irish Management Institute, and has completed certification in business and climate change at the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership.
She is a member of the Purpose Disruptors Irish chapter, exploring ways in which the marketing and communications industry can positively influence action on the climate crisis. She is also a Steering Group member of the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal which has raised over €21 million to date for children’s charities across Ireland.
Daniel Coady
Director of Legal Affairs
Daniel joined RTÉ in 2018, fulfilling a number of legal roles before being appointed Director of Legal Affairs in January 2024. He also served as RTÉ’s Data Protection Officer for 3 years.
He has extensive experience in media, privacy and data protection law. Prior to joining RTÉ he worked for 12 years at a leading boutique media law firm where he advised and represented a broad range of local, national and international media clients. He has tutored graduate students in the Law Society of Ireland. Professional Practice Course and lectured on various aspects of media law in the Law Society of Ireland. He has served as a voluntary director of RTÉ Credit Union and is a graduate of UCD where he studied law.
Gavin Deans
Commercial Director
Gavin was formerly Managing Director of Media Central, Ireland’s largest media sales house, where he led and implemented commercial strategy across Media Central’s portfolio of radio stations, digital, events and sports businesses. As a champion of client solutions, Gavin delivered a range of media firsts for key clients, including Heineken, Vodafone, Coca Cola and PWC. Formerly a Sales Director at Communicorp (98fm, Spin 1038), Gavin has extensive previous experience in print and digital media. As part of RTÉ’s permanent leadership team, Gavin leads the development of a new commercial strategy for RTÉ, optimising revenues for reinvestment in public service media through an evolution of RTÉ’s revenue streams, markets, and strategic partnerships.
Mari Hurley
Chief Financial Officer
Mari took up the role of Chief Financial Officer at RTÉ in August 2024. Mari’s previous CFO roles include AA Ireland, Premier Lotteries Ireland (operator of the National Lottery) -both regulated entities, Hostelworld Group plc and Sherry FitzGerald Group.
Mari was CFO of Hostelworld when it listed on the UK and Irish stock exchanges in 2015. Mari is a graduate of University College Cork and has completed the executive management program at Harvard Business School. Mari also has non-executive board experience in two of Ireland’s leading semi-state entities. Currently a Non-Executive Director of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), Mari was also a non-executive director at Ervia until August 2021. Mari has served both bodies as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and Chair of the Credit and Remuneration Committees.
Patricia Monahan
Director of Audio
Patricia Monahan joined RTÉ’s Leadership Team as Director of Audio in September 2024, following a public competition.
The Director of Audio, along with the Director of Video, are pivotal positions in the reshaping and transformation of RTÉ. As we embark on an ambitious new audio strategy, Patricia has responsibility for the development and editorial management of RTÉ’s audio and digital-audio services, including the programming of RTE’s four FM radio stations– RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ lyric fm – alongside RTÉ’s digital, online, and podcasting services.
Patricia was previously Managing Editor at Newstalk, where she lead content across all the station’s platforms, and was responsible for devising, developing and implementing the station’s content strategy. She was also a member of the Bauer Media Audio Ireland Senior Leadership Team.
Steve Carson
Director of Video
Steve Carson joined RTÉs Leadership Team as Director of Video in September 2024, following a public competition.
The Director of Video, along with the Director of Audio, are pivotal positions in the reshaping and transformation of RTÉ. Steve’s exceptional experience and track record of creativity, with the BBC in Northern Ireland and Scotland and formerly with RTÉ, positions him to deliver real success across all genres. In particular, As Director of Video, Steve is responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive editorial strategy across all of RTÉ’s television stations and RTÉ Player.
Steve was previously Director of BBC Scotland, where he led all the BBC’s TV, Radio and Online teams across Scotland. BBC Scotland produces content in English and Gaelic on a range of television, radio and digital platforms, working in partnership with the wider Scottish creative sector, and across 13 bases in Scotland. Formerly the Director of Programmes for RTÉ Television, Steve moved to BBC Northern Ireland as Head of Productions, and then to BBC Scotland.