IOB 2030 - A Sustainable Future

An ambitious mindset

I am excited to introduce IOB’s new strategic plan IOB 2030 – A Sustainable Future.  Our strategy is born from an ambitious mindset. It sets out our blueprint for the remainder of this decade in anticipating and responding to our corporate and individual members’ needs in a fast-changing financial services industry.

As a centre of excellence for provision of financial services education, IOB is ideally placed to support the sector’s ongoing transformation in Ireland and globally.

Change, opportunity and challenge

The Irish financial services industry is experiencing extraordinary change. Transformative technology, evolving customer preferences, regulation and supporting the transition to a green economy are all major forces of change for the sector. In addition, structural changes have redrawn the retail banking landscape in Ireland, following the exit of Ulster Bank Ireland and KBC Ireland.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the world of work is also fundamentally changing with hybrid working here to stay. Ireland’s workforce has transitioned to hybrid working at a greater rate than any other in the EU, with 25% of Ireland’s workers now working from home most of the time.

Change brings both opportunity and challenge. For individuals working in financial services, the importance of upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning has never been greater to sustain and develop careers in the context of the changing needs of financial services organisations and changing business models. 

This strategy is our comprehensive response to these needs, opportunities and challenges. Stakeholder engagement

Our strategy is the result of deep stakeholder engagement with IOB’s corporate and individual members, staff, council members along with other industry leaders and external stakeholders.  I would like to thank everyone for their input and participation in this work.

125 years

2023 is a special landmark year as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of IOB’s foundation. We are proud of IOB’s rich heritage, growing from just over 700 members in its first year to become Ireland’s leading educator in financial services and largest professional membership body with over 33,200 members. 

As we begin the next chapter for IOB and this great professional community, we look forward to delivering IOB 2030 and to fulfilling our mission and purpose to educate, enable, and empower a community of professionals to achieve their full potential in delivering financial services to the highest standards with better outcomes for their customers, clients and for society.

Fiona Gallagher

President 2023-2024

Read more about IOB 2030 - A Sustainable Future