Appointment of new Chief Executive announced

​​Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Padraig Walsh as Chief Executive of QQI with effect from 11 January 2021. His appointment is made following an open and competitive recruitment process. Dr. Walsh has extensive experience in the regulation of the tertiary education sector including prior experience as Chief Executive of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

Having studied Chemical Engineering at University College Dublin and Missouri University of Science and Technology (USA), he subsequently lectured in Bioprocess Engineering in Dublin City University (DCU) from 1984 to 2001.  He was appointed as the first DCU Director of Quality in 2001 and served in that position until 2005 when he became Chief Executive of the Irish Universities Quality Board, one of the agencies that subsequently amalgamated to form QQI in 2012. Additionally, he served as President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) from 2013 to 2017 and has also served on the governance bodies of quality assurance bodies in Scotland and Switzerland.

Commenting on the appointment, the Chairperson of QQI, Ms. Joanne Harmon said “I am delighted to see Dr. Walsh return as CEO to QQI. I have no doubt that QQI will continue to benefit from his extensive experience across the education sector at this critical time and for the period ahead to ensure quality remains at the heart of tertiary education provision. On behalf of the Authority I wish Padraig every success, and we look forward to working closely with him.”