Sarah is a qualified solicitor and holds an International Masters in Sports Law and Management. Having worked in general practice for 10 years she joined the FAI in 2005 as the first in-house lawyer in an NGB and worked there until she set up her own sports consultancy in 2015.
Professionally she works with NGB’s providing advice, support and guidance in governance and strategic projects. She also runs Women’s Leadership Courses and Directors Training Courses.
She previously Chaired the Federation of Irish Sport and was also a director for a number of years. She is a former member of the UEFA Hattrick committee, Women’s Sport International and a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She is currently on the HR committee of Gymnastics Ireland and also on the European Olympic Legal Committee.
As the current Honorary General Secretary of the OFI and Chair of the Governance Committee she has actively overhauled its constitution and good governance practices. Having served eight years in that voluntary role she is eligible for one last term. As the Honorary General Secretary role is being removed from the Constitution, she is now seeking election as Vice President.
| Skill Set | Detail |
|---|---|
| Financial | Good understanding of general finances |
| Legal | Qualified solicitor since 2000 |
| Risk / Compliance | Good understanding of risk and compliance from a governance perspective |
| Sports Administration | Worked at a high level as a sports lawyer and administrator since 2005 |
| Governance | Currently working as a sports governance specialist and current Chair of the OFI Governance Committee |
| Information Technology | Good understanding from a governance perspective of IT policies |
| High Performance Sport | Good understanding from an OFI and Sport Ireland perspective of the system |
| Commercial / Marketing | Commercial contracts and negotiations legal experience |
| Human Resources | HR legal experience |