John Kelly is Corporate Secretary to ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, providing governance and legal support to the Governing Authority and Executive Committee. His responsibilities include legal affairs, compliance, risk management, and oversight of the University’s visual arts collections.
John’s career spans healthcare leadership and legal practice. He held senior operational roles in hospital management, community services, and Human Resources across the Midland, Mid-Western, and North-Eastern Health Boards before qualifying as a solicitor.
During his time with the Health Service Executive, John served as Head of Corporate Affairs, reporting directly to the CEO during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, he was centrally involved in corporate governance, internal communications, and strategic coordination at a time of unprecedented challenge for the health system.
He has also worked with ByrneWallace, one of Ireland’s leading commercial law firms, advising on Employment Law, Public and Administrative Law, and Healthcare Law. John has acted as a trusted advisor to government departments and major public and private sector organisations on complex governance and regulatory matters.
He has lectured on the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma in Healthcare Law and tutored on Employment Law as part of its Professional Practice Course for trainee solicitors. John has also been a regular speaker at national seminars on public sector governance and employment law and has delivered tailored corporate training to diverse organisations.
Within the HSE, John contributed to the creation of the Health Services Leadership Academy, an initiative designed to build leadership capability across the health system. The Academy now offers an MSc in Healthcare Leadership and professional diploma programmes.
John’s academic and professional qualifications include:
BSc (Trinity College Dublin)
LL.B (Nottingham Trent University)
Solicitor (Law Society of Ireland)
Mediator (Mediators’ Institute of Ireland)
Certificate in Healthcare Law (Law Society of Ireland)
Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law (King’s Inns)
Advanced Diploma in Employment Law (King’s Inns)