CLONLARA’s Jimmy Browne has been appointed Chief Operations Officer at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
As part of a major reconfiguration of its executive functions, TUS has created two new senior leadership positions, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Academic Officer.
Jimmy had been Vice President of Campus Services and Capital Development at TUS prior to becoming Chief Operations Officer. He has over 25 years’ management experience across a variety of areas such as governance, financial management, commercial operations and infrastructure development within the Higher Education sector. He has also played a central role in the expansion of TUS facilities across the Midlands and Midwest campuses.
A former selector with the Clare senior hurlers, Jimmy was part of the management team headed up by Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor which claimed a historic three-in-a-row All-Ireland and Munster U21 titles from 2012 to 2014. He has also managed the Broadford senior hurlers, the TUS Fitzgibbon Cup side and led Monaleen to win the Limerick IHC. He is currently in charge of Galway club, Ahascragh Fohenagh.
TUS maintain a strong relationship with Clare GAA in sponsoring the senior and intermediate club championships.
Professor Raphaela Kane has been appointed TUS’ first Chief Academic Officer. She will be making the move to TUS this September from Liverpool John Moores University, where she held the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science. Professor Kane is an internationally recognised academic leader with a distinguished career in healthcare and higher education. She has held senior executive roles across both sectors in the UK and Ireland. Professor Kane drives innovation in education, research, industry collaboration, and community engagement.
Commenting on the appointments, Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS, stated, “The creation of these roles marks a significant milestone in the development of TUS. Both positions will be central in shaping the future direction of the university, ensuring that we are well placed to meet the needs of our students, staff, and the wider region we serve. As a young university, we have already achieved a great deal, and these appointments will further enhance our ability to build a vibrant, innovative, and impactful institution”.
Josephine Feehily, Chair of the TUS Governing Body, also welcomed the appointments, “These new senior leadership roles greatly strengthen the governance and leadership of TUS. They bring the expertise and vision required to drive the university’s next phase of growth and to realise its ambition as a catalyst for innovation, opportunity, and regional development”.
The reconfiguration of TUS’s executive leadership structure followed an independent review of governance and executive functions.
