Mayo-based business leader Maureen Walsh has been appointed President of Ibec, one of the country’s leading business and employer representative groups.

Ms Walsh is Managing Director of DeCare, the specialist dental and vision insurance provider based in Mayo and Dublin.

She was recently elected President by Ibec’s National Council and will serve a one-year term.

Ibec represents thousands of businesses across Ireland and is one of the country’s most influential lobbying organisations on economic and business policy.

As their President, Ms Walsh will act as one of Ireland’s leading business representatives, advocating on issues affecting employers and enterprise.

She succeeds AIB Chief Executive Officer, Dr Colin Hunt, in the role.

Speaking about her appointment, Ms Walsh said it was “a privilege to lead Ibec and represent Irish business at a time of considerable change for our economy”.

“Operating from the west of Ireland, I know that the Irish economic success story is not one just confined to our major cities but one that touches towns and villages throughout the country,” she said.

“When it comes to regional development, we must keep Ireland’s momentum up through expanding our infrastructure – from housing and energy to transport and digital connectivity – all of which will be key to enabling our continued growth.”

Ms Walsh’s father, Michael, was born and raised in Claremorris and played football for Mayo before emigrating to the United States.

He later became CEO of DeCare Dental in Minnesota, a large private dental insurance and administration company serving over seven million members.

Ms Walsh and her family made several trips to Ireland over the years. She would later spend a semester at University College Galway (now University of Galway) as part of a study abroad programme while she attended Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

After graduating, she stayed in Boston, where she worked at O’Grady Peyton International (OGP), an Irish-owned international healthcare staffing company.

After OGP successfully recruited software engineers for a Y2K project, her father decided to establish a claims service operation for DeCare Dental in Ireland.

He sent his daughter to Claremorris on a two-year assignment to establish the company’s Irish operations in 1999.

Ms Walsh ultimately settled in Claremorris, where she lives with her husband, Jarlath, and 17-year-old daughter.

Today, DeCare Dental employs over 120 people across Mayo and Dublin.

Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said that her “remarkable track record as an entrepreneur and business leader, alongside her deep commitment to regional enterprise and development, gives her an exceptional perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing Irish businesses today”.

Ms Walsh has previously served as a member of the Governing Body of GMIT (now Atlantic Technological University) and sat on the Local Enterprise Evaluations and Appeals Committee.

She is also a former Chairperson of the Mayo Cancer Support Association.

“Having recruited our first 18 staff in Claremorris in 1999, many of whom are still with us today, I have seen first-hand how regional Ireland can serve as a world-class base for global service, innovation, and growth,” she said.