Declan Kelleher has been appointed the new Chair of the EPC’s governing board. A distinguished diplomat and Irish Permanent Representative to the European Union between 2013 and 2020, Mr Kelleher has had a long career in Ireland’s diplomatic service. He has served in Washington, DC and the UN Security Council and as Ambassador in Beijing and to the EU’s Political Security Committee.
Mr Kelleher, who has been a Senior Advisor to the EPC, replaces David O’Sullivan following Mr O’Sullivan’s appointment as EU Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions. Mr O’Sullivan remains a member of the EPC governing board.
Commenting on the appointment, Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive of the EPC, said:
“We are delighted to have Declan as Chair of the Governing Board and that David has agreed to remain on the board notwithstanding the demands of his new crucially important position. I would like to thank David for his service as Chair at a time of particularly severe challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
We look forward to continuing to work with them both as the EPC contributes to the vital debates about the next phase of European integration in light of EUrope's triple challenge, the permacrisis, structural transformations (sustainability, technology and demography) and the watershed of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”