Sharon Donnery

UCD Alumni Award in Social Sciences

BA 1993, MA 1994

Sharon is the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland with responsibility for leading its financial stability; economics and statistics and financial operations directorates. She joined the Central Bank in 1996 as an economist in the monetary policy division and was acting Governor in 2019.

Sharon was appointed Deputy Governor, Central Banking on 1 March 2016. She is an ex officio member of the Central Bank Commission and the Governor's Alternate on the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB). Sharon is responsible for leading the financial stability; economics and statistics and financial operations directorates of the Central Bank. She is also the Chair of the ECB Budget Committee (BuCom) having been appointed by the ECB Governing Council in December 2016.

Sharon was Acting Governor from 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019. She was previously a member of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) and Alternate Member of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). She has chaired a number of European Committees including being Chair of the ECB High Level Group on Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), Chair of the European Banking Authority's (EBA) Consumer Protection Group and Vice-Chair of the EBA Standing Committee on Consumer Protection and Financial Innovation.

Sharon joined the Central Bank in 1996 as an Economist in the Monetary Policy Division and has held a range of senior positions as head of division. From February 2013 to August 2014, she held the statutory position of Registrar of Credit Unions and from April 2014 to May 2016 was Director of Credit Institutions. Prior to joining the Central Bank, Sharon lectured in economics at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.

Sharon holds a B.A. in Economics and Politics and a M.A. in Economics from University College Dublin and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. In 2019, she was admitted to the Institute of Directors in London as a Chartered Director.  In 2020, she was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Economics in Trinity College Dublin.