Bank Governance: Keeping pace with stakeholder expectations

Dr. Margaret Cullen

Margaret is a specialist in the areas of corporate and investment fund governance. Margaret holds a PhD in governance from University College Dublin. Her doctoral research explored the role and effectiveness of boards of directors in investment fund governance.

She is a published behavioural researcher with particular interest in board effectiveness, processes, dynamics and decision-making, board and corporate culture, stewardship and corporate social responsibility. Prior to completing her doctoral research, Margaret worked for 12 years in the financial services industry. She has held senior positions at ABN AMRO International Financial Services Company, the Central Bank, JP Morgan Bank Ireland plc and RBC Dexia Investor Services Ireland Limited where she gained significant experience in the areas of treasury management, investment fund regulation, compliance and risk management. Following completion of her doctoral research Margaret joined IOB as Director of Executive Education.

She designed and ran the IOBs Certified Bank Director (CBD) and Certified Investment Fund Director (CIFD) Programmes from 2012. Margaret was the founding CEO and Academic Director of the Certified Investment Fund Director Institute (CIFDI), a specialist institute of IOB which focuses on raising professional standards in investment fund governance through its CIFD Programme. Margaret taught investment fund governance on the programme for eight years up to April 2020.

Margaret has been an assistant professor at the UCD Smurfit Business School for 13 years lecturing on the Professional Diploma in Corporate Governance in the areas of executive remuneration and behavioural aspects of boards and, since 2018, on the MSc in Strategic Management Accounting in Corporate Governance and Business Ethics.

Margaret serves as a non-executive director on the boards of several financial services organisations. She has extensive board and board committee experience. She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Fund Boards Council in the UK

Fiona Gallagher

CEO of Wells Fargo International Bank UC (WFBI)

Fiona Gallagher is CEO of Wells Fargo International Bank UC (WFBI). WFBI provides support and services to Wells Fargo’s clients in all European Union and European Economic Area countries. WFBI is the only Wells Fargo bank entity outside of the U.S. and is a critical part of Wells Fargo’s European and international operations. Fiona joined WFBI in October 2019.

In January 2021, Fiona was appointed as the first female Chair of the Federation of International Banks, which is part of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland. In April 2022 Fiona was appointed as Deputy President of the Institute of Bankers.

Prior to Wells Fargo, she was Deutsche Bank’s Head of Securities Services and Chief Country Officer for Deutsche Bank Ireland. At Deutsche, Fiona was responsible for the strategy and operations of the bank’s Global Securities Services division across 30 markets, as well as the 650 person operations, data and technology site in Ireland.

Fiona joined Deutsche Bank in 2004 and held a number of leadership roles including Head of EMEA Coverage for GTB focused on priority financial institutions, Global Head of Relationship Management and Global Head of Private Placements for Capital Markets and Treasury Solutions covering both corporate and financial clients. She served on the Transaction Banking Executive Committee for Deutsche Bank, as well as the Euroclear and Clearstream Client Advisory Boards. Previously Fiona worked in Debt Capital Markets for both Merrill Lynch and Barclays Capital in New York and London.

Fiona graduated from University College Dublin (Ireland) in 1996 with a Bachelor of Civil Law, and in 1998 earned a postgraduate qualification in Business Studies with First Class Honours from the Business School at University College Dublin. In 2022, she completed a diploma in Sustainable Finance, also from University College Dublin. Fiona sits on several industry boards including Financial Services