Business And Leadership, Ireland's Business News Service

When we started to research this project back in April, one sceptic suggested to me that it might be difficult to find 50 women business leaders in Ireland. I'm happy to report that, far from it, we were forced to leave as many names on the cutting-room floor as are included here.

As an ever-growing number of women in Ireland join the ranks of the decision-makers and influencers, here we have attempted to bring together 50 of the best of these. It is important to emphasise that this is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are necessarily prominent absences. No matter how we cut back our list, it continuously seemed necessary to leave out women of influence and stature in business on this island. So apologies in advance to those not featured on these pages! We could have filled a Top 100 with the greatest of ease.

For the purpose of this supplement, we brought together a nominating panel who, through their roles and organisations, regularly come into contact with Ireland's leading business figures. We asked that their focus be on heavy-hitting business leaders and influencers in corporate Ireland, with a strong track record. So, absent here are our many prominent politicians and public sector leaders and many high-profile young entrepreneurs, formidable as they may be. These will be for another day.

We were keen to include those women who today sit on major corporate boards and who have earned that distinction through a track record in management and entrepreneurship. While the majority of women who feature here are CEOs, board chairs and board directors of private and publicly listed companies, given the rising emphasis on corporate responsibility in business, we have also endeavoured to include some of those women who influence key areas of corporate responsibility and governance. By the nature of their roles, they are having a significant influence on the business world in Ireland today.

Interesting to note also that, far from the outdated stereotype of 'tough' women who have opted for work over family and quality of life, within these pages feature dedicated mothers, wives, partners, keen sportswomen and lovers of the arts. Many of these women would have blushed at the idea of being included here. Most rightly see themselves as 'people' in business, rather than women in business. We still felt it was a worthwhile exercise to put the spotlight on these business leaders, many of whom sometimes pass under the PR and media radar.

Thanks to the nominating panel who contributed their time and to all those women leaders who shared their thoughts with us. Feedback is most welcome, if you want to tell us about whom we've left out, or if we've left you out. It will all help towards the compilation of the next Top 50 - or 100!

Ann O'Dea
Editor, 50 Top Business Women
e: aodea@whitespace.ie

Nominating panel
Many thanks to our nominating panel who took the time to put forward their lists of women leaders and decision-makers in Ireland for the compilation of this publication:
Linda R Brown, Director, Institute of Directors, NI
Patricia Callan, Director, Small Firms Association
Mary Lambkin, UCD, Council member, Marketing Institute of Ireland
Natalie McGuinness, Director, Alumni Relations, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
Ann O'Dea, Editor, Irish Director magazine
Rosemary Wilson, The Boardroom Centre