Greencoat Renewables has appointed Bernard Byrne as chair designate, with the former banking executive set to succeed Ronan Murphy following the company’s annual general meeting in May 2026, the company said.
Murphy will retire as chair and non-executive director on 7 May 2026 after serving on the board since Greencoat Renewables’ 2017 IPO.
Byrne joined the board in May 2025 as a non-executive director and chair of the management engagement committee. His appointment as chair designate followed a selection process led by the nomination committee, according to the company.
Byrne previously held senior finance and commercial roles, including CEO of Davy and CEO of AIB Group plc. He has also held leadership posts at ESB, IWP International plc and ESB International, and currently serves as chair of Cairn Homes plc.
Murphy said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chair of Greencoat Renewables since the Company’s IPO in 2017. I am immensely proud of what the Board and management team have achieved since then, in building one of Europe’s leading renewable energy infrastructure companies.”
He added: “I am also delighted that Bernard will become my successor. Since joining the Board, he has contributed immensely to our strategic analysis and direction, and I am confident he will provide decisive leadership as Greencoat continues to grow and deliver value for shareholders, notwithstanding the current challenging marketplace.”
Byrne said the appointment was significant at a time of continued expansion for the company. “It is a privilege to be appointed Chair of Greencoat Renewables. It has been exciting to play a role as Director at one of Europe’s leading listed renewables companies since joining in May,” he said. “Together with what is a proven and experienced team at Greencoat, I am confident in our ability to continue to capitalise on the opportunity to support the greening of Europe’s power generation and deliver value for shareholders.”
He added: “On behalf of the Board and entire Greencoat team, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Rónán for his exceptional leadership over the past nine years and I look forward to working closely with him through the transition period.”
