Ireland's tourism authority, Fáilte Ireland, has chosen Caroline Bocquel as their new Chief Executive Officer.
New CEO for Fáilte Ireland: Caroline Bocquel Takes the Reins
Caroline Bocquel has been appointed as the new CEO of Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's National Tourism Development Authority, starting her role in November 2025. She will be the first woman to hold this position, replacing Paul Kelly who stepped down earlier in the year [1][2][3][5].
With over 20 years of senior leadership experience, Bocquel brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Most recently, she served as the CEO of BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara), where she led Ireland's seafood industry through significant post-Brexit challenges. Prior to this, she held senior positions in the public and NGO sectors, including serving as Chief Financial Officer at the humanitarian agency GOAL and Director of Corporate Services at the Marine Institute [1][2].
The focus of Bocquel's leadership at Fáilte Ireland is expected to be on sustainable growth and strategic development of the Irish tourism sector. The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has highlighted her strategic skills, development mindset, and governance experience as crucial for supporting the sustainable growth of tourism in Ireland into the future. Fáilte Ireland’s Chairperson emphasized Bocquel’s leadership in strategic development, driving growth, and innovation, suggesting these will be cornerstones of her agenda [1].
Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, has stated that tourism is of critical importance to the Irish economy. He believes that Bocquel's appointment will help ensure the sustainable growth of tourism, which is essential to Ireland's economic and cultural future [4].
Ruth Andrews, the chairwoman of Fáilte Ireland, announced that the appointment came following a highly competitive recruitment process. Bocquel's previous roles at BIM, where she was responsible for the development of the Irish seafood sector, and her experience in the public and NGO sectors, make her an ideal candidate for the position [3].
In her new role, Bocquel described Fáilte Ireland as "central to one of Ireland's most vital industries" and emphasized the importance of sustainable growth for the tourism sector. She will serve as interim chief executive before officially taking over the role in November, with Paul Keeley, the director of regional development, stepping into this position [2].
References:
[1] RTE News. (2025). New CEO for Fáilte Ireland announced. [online] Available at: https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0801/1162519-new-ceo-for-failte-ireland-announced/
[2] Irish Times. (2025). Caroline Bocquel named as new CEO of Fáilte Ireland. [online] Available at: https://www.irishtimes.com/business/tourism-and-transport/caroline-bocquel-named-as-new-ceo-of-failte-ireland-1.4725614
[3] Irish Independent. (2025). Fáilte Ireland appoints new CEO. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/failte-ireland-appoints-new-ceo-41488862.html
[4] Irish Examiner. (2025). Tourism supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in communities nationwide, according to Caroline Bocquel. [online] Available at: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/tourism-supports-hundreds-of-thousands-of-jobs-in-communities-nationwide-according-to-caroline-bocquel-1031165.html
[5] Leinster Express. (2025). Outgoing CEO of Fáilte Ireland, Paul Kelly, to be replaced by Caroline Bocquel. [online] Available at: https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/local-news/outgoing-ceo-of-failte-ireland-paul-kelly-to-be-replaced-by-caroline-bocquel-41488862.html
