Harry Hermon, together with the Board of Irish Sailing, has announced that he will retire as CEO of Irish Sailing at the end of December 2022.
Harry started working with Irish Sailing in 1999 and became CEO in 2006. During his tenure he has overseen four Olympic Games and the historic silver medal won in Rio in 2016 which changed the face of sailing in Ireland. He led the organisation through the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recovery, and most recently the Covid pandemic.
During his time as CEO, membership of Irish Sailing clubs grew by 50%. He was instrumental in introducing a number of programmes highly respected by Sport Ireland including Irish Sailing’s Inclusion programme along with Women on the Water which are now key participation initiatives, and overseeing Irish Sailing’s training programme which introduces thousands of newcomers to sailing, windsurfing and powerboating. He presided over some big changes in the sporting landscape including the issuing of the International Certificate of Competence and Commercial Endorsements for passenger boat drivers on behalf of the Department of Transport, the introduction of the Safeguarding and Garda vetting programmes, GDPR legislation, and ensured that Irish Sailing are the front runners in governance in Irish sport.
Dr. Una May, CEO of Sport Ireland commented “As one of the longest serving CEOs in Irish sport, Harry has been a solid ambassador for Irish Sailing, and we are very sorry to see him go”.
John Twomey, President of Irish Sailing said: “Harry’s tenure at Irish Sailing has seen the organisation grow in number and strengthen in reputation. The wealth of his knowledge will be a huge loss to both Irish Sailing and the sailing community as a whole, and his contribution to our sports has been enormous. On behalf of the Board of Irish Sailing, I would like to thank Harry for all his work with Irish Sailing. He will be missed, and we wish him well in the future”.
Harry Hermon commenting on his retirement said: “It has been an honour and privilege to work with Irish Sailing over the past 23 years. It has been so rewarding to work with such an enthusiastic and committed group of people on the staff, who are passionate about the sport and totally committed to helping our clubs grow and develop. I am very proud of all the things we have achieved together over the years. Some of those highlights include Annalise’s silver medal at the Rio Games; the reputation Irish Sailing has built in the sporting community as professional, trustworthy, and fiscally prudent; our internationally recognised training programmes and sought-after instructors, our successful Inclusion and Diversity Programmes; the international racing events we host and the fact that Ireland punches way above our weight in terms of our size and budget at all levels on the international stage.
I would like to thank the Board and all the staff of Irish Sailing. With COVID-19 behind us and the organisation on a stable footing, I believe it is the right time to retire from Irish Sailing and spend more time with my family at home and overseas. I wish everyone involved in the organisation the very best in the future”.
Irish Sailing will begin a recruitment process soon for a new CEO. Further details will be announced on the Irish Sailing website.
