Co Tyrone native takes on 'challenging role at a pivotal time' as manager at Irish Venture Capital Association

A County Tyrone woman has been appointed manager of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA), the representative organisation for venture capital and private equity firms across the island of Ireland.

Aideen McClenaghan, originally from Omagh, takes up the role following the retirement of Ciara Burrowes, who steps down after more than 20 years with the association.

She brings more than 15 years’ experience in senior executive roles across the technology, media and financial services sectors. Most recently, she was HR mergers and acquisitions manager with global media group Dentsu. Prior to that, she served as UK and Ireland HR manager for Salesforce consultancy Pexlify and has also held senior roles with GroupM and RTÉ.

Aideen is a graduate of St Mary’s University College Belfast, where she earned a BA (Hons) in Liberal Arts in 2006. Her appointment comes at a significant time for the venture capital and private equity sector in Ireland, as investment activity continues to play a central role in supporting innovation and economic growth.

The Irish Venture Capital Association marked its 40th anniversary last year and acts as the voice of the venture capital and private equity industry, representing firms that invest in high-growth Irish companies. Venture capital funding into Irish technology SMEs exceeded €1 billion last year, highlighting the sector’s importance to the wider economy.

Welcoming the appointment, Sarah-Jane Larkin, director general of the Irish Venture Capital Association, said Aideen brings the experience needed to guide the organisation through a critical period.

“We are really pleased to have appointed Aideen, who has the capacity to take on this challenging role at a pivotal time for venture capital and SME investment in Ireland,” she said.

Sarah-Jane also paid tribute to outgoing manager Ciara Burrowes, acknowledging her long-standing contribution to the association.

“Ciara has been a mainstay of the organisation and made a major contribution to its development as the voice of the sector over the last 20 years,” she continued.

Delighted Aideen added: "Recent geo political events have emphasised the need for us to be less dependent on overseas investors and become more self reliant in building our own indigenous tech sector across the island."

Research continues to underline the importance of venture capital-backed companies to the Irish economy. An independent Dublin City University report found that VC-backed Irish firms create more jobs, export more and invest more heavily in research and development than other SMEs.

Venture capital investment also plays a key role in leveraging state funding through agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, with public funding under the Seed and Venture Capital Programme geared up by almost 16 times through private investment.