Goal appoints new manager to regain trust of donors

The next 12 months will be "critical" for Goal, the troubled charity's chairwoman said yesterday.

Anne O'Leary, speaking as new general manager Celine Fitzgerald was appointed, said the focus would be to "regain and consolidate" the trust of donors as it continued its work overseas.

Ms Fitzgerald, a consultant and non-executive director on the boards of the VHI and Ervia, has been appointed as general manager for a fixed one-year term.

Described as an expert in change management, she will oversee a period of transition within the organisation over the next year.

Ms Fitzgerald has held management roles at Eircell, Vodafone and outsourcing business, Rigney Dolphin, where she acted as chief executive officer from 2007 to 2012.

She joins Goal from her own consulting business, Integro Consulting, where she served as managing director for the past four years.

Disadvantaged

She is also a former director of organisational development at Trócaire, and a former board member of Nurture Africa – a charity providing health services in Uganda – as well as a non-executive board member at An Cosán, a not-for-profit organisation providing education services within disadvantaged communities.

Her appointment comes less than a week after it emerged former Fianna Fáil minister Barry Andrews was stepping down as chief executive as the charity reeled from a US investigation into Goal's multimillion-euro Syria operation.

Mr Andrews had informed the board of his decision in August.

Inquiry

Earlier this year, the US government’s foreign aid arm, USAID, told Goal and a number of other agencies to halt certain procurement with American funds pending the outcome of its inquiry into alleged bribery and bid-rigging involving suppliers on the Turkey-Syria border.

Mr Andrews said he was stepping down after concluding that Goal needed “a fresh start in terms of leadership”.

Ms Fitzgerald will formally begin her role on November 1st.

“It is critical that we sort out the issues facing Goal during my one-year tenure, and ensure that the people on the front line, whether in head office or in the field, can get back to doing what they do best,” she said.