SIRO Joins The 30% Club to Drive Gender Balance in Leadership

SIRO has become the latest organisation to join the 30% Club, reinforcing its commitment to advancing gender balance in leadership. As a leading Irish wholesale fibre broadband network provider, SIRO is now part of a global campaign driven by Board Chairs and CEOs who share a common goal: achieving greater gender diversity at senior levels and across organisations to deliver stronger business outcomes.

Formed 10 years ago as a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, SIRO was the first company to roll out a full fibre network in Ireland. Today, SIRO has grown to become the second-largest fibre broadband network in the country, reaching almost 700,000 premises across 145 towns and cities in every county. SIRO continues to expand its network, adding thousands of new premises each month and works with more than 20 retail partners, including Virgin Media, Vodafone, Sky and Digiweb, to deliver high-speed connectivity to homes and businesses nationwide.

SIRO’s membership of the 30% Club demonstrates its strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The company has a proven track record of promoting gender diversity in a traditionally male-dominated telecoms industry. Today, 57% of SIRO’s senior leadership team is female, with both a female Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The company was also one of the first in Ireland to sign up to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles. Internally, SIRO champions gender diversity through its Women and Allies employee resource group and runs programmes such as mentoring, coaching and return-to-work initiatives targeting women and minority groups.

By joining the 30% Club, SIRO becomes part of a powerful community of business leaders, policymakers, investors and educators united in advancing gender balance at all levels. Membership opens the door to a wealth of resources, including leadership development programmes, sectoral working groups, research, networking events, mentoring opportunities, board ready programmes and senior women in leadership programmes.

John Keaney, CEO of SIRO, commented: “Joining the 30% Club marks a significant milestone in SIRO’s ongoing commitment to building an inclusive and forward-thinking organisation. Diversity isn’t just a value for us; it’s a driver of creativity and resilience in a rapidly evolving telecoms sector. At SIRO, we’re proud of the progress so far but we recognise that real change is ongoing and we’re eager to work with the 30% Club to keep pushing boundaries.”

Elizabeth Sheehan, Country Executive at the 30% Club, added: “I’m thrilled to have SIRO join the 30% Club community. SIRO’s leadership in Ireland’s digital transformation gives it a unique platform to influence positive change, both within its business and across the telecoms industry. By partnering with SIRO, we can amplify efforts to advance gender balance and create opportunities for women to thrive in leadership roles.”

 

Further benefits of the 30% Club membership include enhanced employee engagement, consumer trust and access to cross-company mentoring, scholarships and industry-specific networking events.

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