The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Clare Duignan, the former managing director of RTÉ Radio, to its board of directors.
Ms Duignan, who has extensive board experience across private, public and not-for-profit sectors, will act as a non-executive external director on IMRO’s board.
She said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of IMRO at this exciting time. The Irish music industry accounts for over 13,000 jobs and contributes more than €700 million annually to the economy. It’s a crucial sector for Ireland, both economically and culturally.”
Ms Duignan worked in key leadership roles at RTÉ for over 20 years, including Head of Independent Productions, Director of Programmes TV, and Managing Director Radio and Performing Groups.
She is currently a board member with Fáilte Ireland, The Irish Times DAC, The Chester Beatty Library, Business to Arts, and The Institute of Banking. She has previously served on the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, The Dublin International Film Festival, and The Arts Council, and she chaired the Advisory Board of ShinAwil Film and Television.
Ms Duignan said: “I hope to use my experience in broadcasting and film, the arts and business to support IMRO in delivering the best possible opportunities for songwriters, composers and music publishers in this digital age, including ensuring the speedy and effective enactment of the EU Copyright Directive so that members are properly remunerated and can reach their full potential at home, in Europe and across the globe.”
Eleanor McEvoy, chair of IMRO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Clare Duignan to the board. Her extensive experience across the public and private sectors, and her passion for the arts and culture, make her a huge asset to IMRO. We look forward to working with Clare and the rest of our board to ensure that music is protected and promoted and that our members, the best songwriters, producers, publishers and performers, are treated fairly. This appointment comes at an important time for IMRO as the vital EU Copyright Directive is due to be transposed into Irish law next year. This directive will modernise copyright legislation and protect songwriters, artists, and creators by ensuring they are paid fairly for their hard and important work.”
IMRO is governed by a Board of Directors comprising 15 non-executive directors. Seven of the directors are writer members and five are publisher members, all of whom are directly elected by the membership. In addition, there are three external directors on the Board. External directors are not members of IMRO and they are appointed by the Board on the basis of the particular expertise and skills they can bring to the workings of the Board.
