The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has appointed Paul O’Toole as CEO following the resignation of Dr Graham Love from the role in August. O’Toole is expected to take on the position from the end of this month.
In a statement released today, the HEA announced that O’Toole was appointed to the position on an interim basis for one year. HEA Chairperson Michael Horgan said he was “delighted and grateful” to O’Toole for accepting the role, noting that his “knowledge of the education and training sectors will be of great value”.
O’Toole, the current CEO of further education and training agency SOLAS, is to implement the HEA’s new 2018-2022 strategy. He is also set to lead the HEA’s involvement in introducing new technological universities, the first of which is to launch in January 2019 as Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin).
Former HEA CEO Dr Graham Love resigned in August amid claims that the HEA was being “micromanaged” by the Department of Education. His resignation came after less than two years in the role, following his appointment early in 2017.
Dr Love said that during his time in the HEA, he “endeavoured to make strategic development a core element of HEA activities”. The HEA has statutory responsibility for governing and regulating the higher education system, including higher education institutions.
