Press Release: Returning leader brings 16 years of ICS institutional knowledge, and a fresh strategic mandate as Ireland’s IT profession navigates the age of AI.
Dublin, 8th April 2026 — The Irish Computer Society (ICS), Ireland’s national body for ICT professionals, today announces the appointment of Tom O’Sullivan FICS as Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment marks a significant moment for ICS as it enters the final year before its 60th anniversary — and comes at a time when the need for professional standards, trusted frameworks, and a strong community for Ireland’s technology and data professionals has never been more acute.
Institutional Memory, Fresh Mandate
O’Sullivan is a technology professional by background, with experience spanning software and systems, IT management, and consulting, giving him a practitioner’s understanding of what ICS members navigate day-to-day. He previously served as Deputy CEO at ICS Skills — the then-secretariat of the Irish Computer Society — from 2004 to 2020, a period during which ICS membership grew significantly, a substantial training and certification business was established, and the conference portfolio became a cornerstone of Ireland’s technology calendar.
He subsequently held senior roles across the professional body, EdTech, and sustainability sectors before returning to ICS — bringing with him a broader perspective on how membership organisations can remain genuinely relevant to the professionals they serve.
The appointment of a directly employed CEO — the first in over twenty years — marks a significant milestone for the Society. It reflects the ICS Council’s deliberate commitment to ongoing development and expansion as ICS approaches its 60th anniversary and navigates the profound changes that AI is bringing to every profession.
“I am proud to return to ICS at such a pivotal moment. This is both a professional appointment and a personal mission. In this age of AI, the need for trusted human and professional relationships has never been greater. I look forward to engaging with our members, corporate partners, and the wider technology community in the weeks and months ahead, as together we shape the strategy for ICS’s seventh decade.“
— Tom O’Sullivan FICS, CEO, Irish Computer Society
Leading Ireland’s IT Profession Through the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every sector of the Irish economy, creating urgent demand for new skills and raising profound questions about professional standards, ethics, and accountability. ICS, as Ireland’s chartered body for IT professionals, is uniquely positioned to provide the trusted framework within which those questions can be answered.
ICS’s position is clear: trusted professional relationships — built on verified competence, shared ethics, and peer accountability — become more important, not less, as AI automates more of the work once done by humans alone. ICS exists precisely to maintain and raise those standards, and to ensure Ireland’s technology community has the frameworks and community it needs to navigate what comes next.
“In a world where AI can produce a plausible answer to almost any question, the value of a trusted professional — someone accountable, qualified, and committed to ongoing development — has never been greater. ICS is the home of that trust for Ireland’s technology community.”
The ICS Council Looks Ahead
ICS President Paula Carney-Hoffler, speaking on behalf of the ICS Council, said:
“The ICS Board is delighted to welcome Tom back to ICS in this pivotal role. His track record of growing our membership, his deep understanding of our community, and his genuine commitment to the technology profession make him the ideal leader as we prepare for our 60th anniversary. We are at a defining moment for the technology and privacy professions in Ireland — and I look forward to working with Tom to ensure ICS is at the centre of that conversation.”
— Paula Carney-Hoffler, President, Irish Computer Society
Serving a Diverse and Specialist Community
ICS serves technology professionals and leaders across a wide range of specialisms and career stages through a network of Specialist Groups that provide a focused professional community, continuous development, and peer connections. These include:
- SAIN (Strategic AI Network) — ICS’s dedicated professional community for the responsible, ethical, and effective use of artificial intelligence; supporting members in AI professional development, knowledge-sharing, and contributing to national and EU AI policy discussions
- HISI (Health Informatics Society of Ireland) — bridging technology and healthcare professionals, supporting the growing community of health informatics practitioners across Ireland
- ADPO (Association of Data Protection Officers) — supporting DPOs and privacy professionals navigating Ireland’s data protection landscape
- Fellows Guild — Ireland’s most senior and distinguished technology professionals, recognised for outstanding contribution to the profession
- IASA Ireland (IT Architects) — a community of enterprise and solution architects shaping how technology is designed and deployed across Irish organisations
- itSMF Ireland (IT Service Management Forum) — the professional community for IT service management practitioners across Ireland
- And additional Specialist Groups spanning emerging technology disciplines and professional development themes
ICS’s Specialist Groups represent some of the most active and expert voices within the membership, and will play a central role in shaping the Society’s direction in the months ahead.
Investing in the Next Generation
ICS’s commitment to Ireland’s technology future extends well beyond its professional membership community. Through the BEACONS initiative — Bebras for Engagement and Advancement of Computational Reasoning Skills — ICS is leading a national programme to bring computational thinking education to primary and secondary school students across Ireland, with a particular focus on DEIS schools and regions that have historically had lower access to STEM engagement.
BEACONS is supported by a substantial award from Research Ireland’s Discover Programme and is delivered in partnership with the University of Limerick, with academic support from Maynooth University. The programme aims to grow national participation in the Bebras computational thinking competition from approximately 12,500 students to more than 20,000 by 2027 — through teacher training, co-created classroom resources, regional finals, and a national rollout that will reach at least half of all primary schools in Ireland.
ICS also provides certification, promotion, and judging for the National Scratch Competition — one of Ireland’s leading platforms for young digital creators, in operation since 2010 — and hosts the annual All-Ireland Bebras National Finals at Maynooth University each spring.
Driving this agenda within ICS is the Youth in Technology (YIT) Specialist Group — a dedicated community focused on inspiring and supporting the next generation of technology professionals. ICS’s conviction is that the pipeline of talent entering the profession is as important to Ireland’s technology future as the development of those already within it.
Looking Ahead to the 60th Anniversary
Founded in 1967, ICS will mark its 60th anniversary in 2027 — a milestone the Society is treating as a focal point for strategic renewal: an opportunity to reaffirm its purpose, celebrate the contribution of Ireland’s technology profession, and launch bold initiatives that will carry ICS into its seventh decade.
In the near term, ICS will conduct a structured listening programme with members, corporate partners, academic institutions, and Government stakeholders to inform its strategic plan. Formal engagement opportunities will be announced through ICS channels in the coming weeks.