Our annual thought leadership breakfast panel (previously the CEO Forum) moderated by journalist Dearbhail McDonald, convenes leaders from the corporate and cultural sectors in Ireland to share their insights and approaches to cross-cutting strategic issues.

The 2023 Business to Arts Leadership Forum, in association with PwC Ireland, will take place on 9th Nov, 7.30-9.30am on the topic of Transformation.

Exclusive to Business to Arts members, the theme of this not-to-be-missed networking breakfast and panel discussion is 'Innovation Meets Creativity: Driving Change Together'.

What does it take to succeed in challenging times? To turn threats into opportunities? To lead with purpose and passion? 

Discover how some of Ireland's most innovative corporate and cultural organisations have developed transformative visions, engaged stakeholders, and unlocked the full potential of their organisations to future-proof, grow, and drive societal change.

Join a dynamic room of leaders across the business and arts landscape to gain valuable insights into navigating complex challenges, embracing risk, and fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration that drives sustainable change.

Tom Donnellan, CEO, Bord na Móna

From Brown to Green’ - one of Ireland’s greatest transformation stories, hear how Tom led Bord na Móna from the brink of failure as a fossil fuel company to a hugely successful climate solutions company.

Annie Fletcher, Director, IMMA

IMMA reimagines 'the museum' as an open and participatory space that connects people to contemporary life through art.

David Lee, Chief Technological Officer and Technology Practice Lead, PWC Ireland

Learn from David’s 30+ years advising companies on navigating challenges through transformation.

Dr. Orla MacDonagh, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, TUD

Orla is playing a key leadership role at the forefront of higher education transformation and will share what it takes to lead a large and diverse institution through immense organisational and structural change.

Please note this is a private event open to all Business to Arts Members. Please check your inbox for an email with your invitation and make sure to RSVP immediately to avoid disappointment!

Non-Members: If you wish to attend but are not yet a Business to Arts member contact membership@businesstoarts.ie immediately.

Previous themes:

• 2022 ‘Reimagining the City for a Hybrid Workforce’
• 2021 ‘Sustainability in Focus’
• 2020 ‘Resilience & Stabilisation’
• 2019 ‘Empowering the Consumer through Digital Technology'

Panelists have included David McRedmond, CEO, An Post, Virginia Teehan, Director, Heritage Council, Liam Kavanagh, former Managing Editor, Irish Times, Tania Banotti, Director, Creative Ireland, Muirne Laffan, former Chief Digital Officer, RTÉ, Maureen Kennelly, Director, Arts Council, and Cathal Marley, former  CEO, Ervia.

We brought our members on an exclusive tour of both the PhotoIreland Festival and Ireland Glass Biennale at Dublin Castle.

We were first treated to a tour of the Biennale led by Karen Donnellan, one of the four judges for the show, who shared their insights on the selection process and why this medium is so compelling.

Then PhotoIreland's Director Ángel Luis González took our members through three different exhibitions, which delved into the complexities of the African diaspora through a thought-provoking collection of contemporary photographs.

The largest of the three exhibits, "I See the Face of Things to Come," was curated exclusively for PhotoIreland Festival. This groundbreaking project brought together nearly 100 women and non-binary artists from the African diaspora who passionately engage with photography as a powerful tool for self-expression, activism, and reclamation.

We teamed up with the Irish Architecture Foundation to highlight architecture as an art form at their critically acclaimed Housing Unlocked exhibition, and used the opportunity to run a strategy consultation workshop to design our own future!

We kicked off the evening with a drinks and canapé reception followed by a round-table consultation session, before the main event of a highlights tour of the exhibition with IAF Director Nathalie Weadick and one of Ireland's foremost architects, Valerie Mulvin, of McCullough Mulvin. 

We hosted our first Cork event for our Munster-based members with a reception in the stunning surroundings of the Sculpture Gallery at the Crawford Art Gallery, followed by Cork International Film Festival’s Opening Gala film ‘Aisha’, directed by Frank Berry, starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor, a truly moving film that struck a chord with our attendees.

We invited members with an interest in traditional music and film to an exclusive night with leading Irish actor Brendan Gleeson of live music, discussion, and exclusive clips from Brendan’s new film in post-production ‘When the Music Stops’ - a love letter to Hughes’ Pub in Dublin 7, a former haven of the trad music scene.

We heard from Brendan, ITMA Director Liam O’Connor, fiddle player and filmmaker Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, and concertina player/dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann about the legacy of Hughes’ and why this film was so important. Guests were then treated to an intimate gig followed by drinks and canapés. 

Our annual CEO Forum and Business Breakfast returned in person at PwC’s Spencer Dock in 2022. The topic ‘Reimagining the City with a Hybrid Workforce’ resonated deeply with both sides of our membership, with corporates keen to learn more about strategies to entice staff back into the office, and art organisations striving to encourage venue attendance. The desire to collaborate on designing strategies for the city to thrive was the key takeaway from the morning, with corporate and cultural leaders deep in conversation as the event ended.

A lively panel discussion included Niall Gaffney, Chief Executive of IPUT, Willie White, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dublin Theatre Festival, Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich, and Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation. The panel was moderated by journalist and broadcaster Dearbhail McDonald. 

Collaborating with our Patrons Linesight and CBRE, we hosted a bespoke event for the property and construction industries with an exclusive reception, talk, and guided highlights tour of the RHA’s 192nd annual Summer Exhibition from our Curatorial Projects Manager Rachel Assaf, and we heard from artist Fuchsia MacAree about her illustration work to large-scale placemaking projects such as data centers and national schools. 

For our first in-person member’s event of 2022 we organised a first-look artist-led tour of the new Dean Arts Studios and exhibition from its first residents, artists Leah Hewson, Salvatore of Lucan, Brian Teeling, and Ruth Medjber.

Our members were welcomed to a reception in the newly refurbished gallery space and heard from our new CEO Louise O’Reilly, as well as Press Up CEO Ben Barclay, about the importance of contributing to Dublin’s cultural ecosystem with much-needed studio space.