Board of Directors
Mr. Ciaran Murray
Mr. Ciaran Murray graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin in 1982. Mr. Murray subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC. Following qualification, Mr. Murray gained extensive global experience working as an executive in the fast moving consumer goods and technology sectors in Ireland, Italy, the UK and the US.
Mr. Murray has been the Chair of ICON plc since March 2017. Mr. Murray served as Chief Executive Officer from October 2011 until March 2017 and was Chief Financial Officer from joining ICON plc in 2005 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2011.
During his time with ICON plc, Mr. Murray was recognized for his leadership of ICON and the CRO industry. Mr. Murray served as Chairman of the Association of Clinical Research Organisations (ACRO) which represents the CRO industry globally. In addition, Mr. Murray was named as a leader in CRO Innovation by PharmaVOICE100, a listing of the most influential people in the bio pharma industry.
University College Dublin awarded Mr. Murray an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 2013 for his support of third level research and innovation in Ireland. In 2018, the Royal Dublin Society awarded Mr. Murray the RDS Gold Medal for Enterprise for making an exceptional impact on Irish industry and commerce. Mr. Murray is also a member of the advisory Board of UCD Smurfit Business School.
Mr. Barry Balfe
Mr. Barry Balfe was appointed Chief Executive Officer of ICON plc in October 2025 and appointed to the Board of ICON plc in September 2025.
Prior to his role as CEO he served as Chief Operating Officer from January 2025, having previously served as President of ICON Pharma Development Solutions. Mr. Balfe has been with ICON for over 20 years and has held a number of leadership roles across both full service and functional solutions at ICON where he has successfully grown business and has developed and led a number of new strategic partnerships with some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Earlier roles have included EVP, Global Business Development. As part of the FSP leadership team, Mr. Balfe served as Senior Vice-President, Global Program Management where he oversaw operational design, planning & delivery within the resourcing & FSP businesses. Mr. Balfe began his career at ICON in Business Development in 2003, later leading the US FSP business and subsequently European FSP operations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Dublin City University and Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Toulouse, and has completed postgraduate studies in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.
Rónán Murphy
Mr. Rónán Murphy has served as a non-executive director of ICON plc since October 2016. He was appointed as Lead Independent Director in January 2019.
Mr. Murphy is the former Senior Partner of PwC Ireland. He was elected Senior Partner in 2007 and was re-elected for a further four year term in 2011. Following completion of the maximum two terms, Mr. Murphy retired from the firm in 2015. Mr. Murphy was also a member of the PwC EMEA Leadership Board for a five year period from 2010 to 2015. Mr. Murphy joined PwC in 1980 and was admitted to the Partnership in 1992.
Mr. Murphy is presently Chair of Greencoat Renewables PLC. Mr. Murphy previously served as a council member of the ESRI, as Chair of Business in the Community Ireland and as a Non-Executive Director of Davy Stockbrokers. He is also a founding Board Member of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Murphy completed a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters in Business Studies at University College Dublin before qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1982.
Dr. John Climax
Dr. John Climax, one of the ICON's co-founders, served as Chairman of the Board of ICON plc from November 2002 to December 2009 and as Chief Executive Officer from June 1990 to October 2002. From January 2010 he has held a position as a non-executive director. Dr. Climax has over 30 years of experience in the clinical research industry.
Dr. Climax received his primary degree in pharmacy in 1977 from the University of Singapore, his masters in applied pharmacology in 1979 from the University of Wales and his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the National University of Ireland in 1982. He has authored a significant number of papers and presentations, and holds adjunct professorship at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and an honorary professorship at the National University of Singapore. He is currently Executive Chairman of DS Biopharma and CEO of Afimmune, both of which are private companies.
Dr. Steve Cutler
Dr. Steve Cutler was previously Chief Executive Officer of ICON plc from March 2017, retiring on 1 October 2025, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer from January 2014. Dr. Cutler served as Group President of Clinical Research Services since November 2011 until his appointment as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Cutler was appointed to the Board of ICON plc in November 2015.
Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Cutler held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Kendle, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to Kendle, Dr. Cutler spent 14 years with Quintiles where he served as Senior Vice President, Global Project Management; Senior Vice President, Clinical, Medical and Regulatory; Senior Vice President, Project Management - Europe; and Vice President, Oncology - Europe, as well as regional leadership positions in South Africa and Australia. Prior to joining Quintiles, Dr. Cutler held positions with Sandoz in Australia and Europe.
Dr. Cutler holds a B.Sc. and a Ph.D from the University of Sydney and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Birmingham (UK).
Eugene McCague
Mr. Eugene McCague was appointed as a non-executive director of ICON plc in October 2017.
Mr. McCague was a corporate partner of Arthur Cox, one of Ireland’s premier law firms, from 1988 until June 2017. During his time with Arthur Cox, Mr. McCague served as both managing partner and chairman of Arthur Cox and also advised a wide range of public and private companies on mainstream corporate work, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and corporate governance. In addition to his distinguished legal career, Mr. McCague also has extensive board experience with commercial, government and educational organisations.
Mr. McCague currently serves on the board of the Irish branch of AON Insurance and he also serves as chairman of Ibec, Ireland’s leading business representative association. Mr. McCague’s previous board roles include the Health Service Executive, the Irish state body which administers public health service in Ireland, chairman of the governing body of the Dublin Institute of Technology, chairman of the Dublin Institute of Technology Foundation and chairman of the governing authority of University College Dublin and director of Fly Leasing Limited. Mr. McCague was also president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce in 2006.
Mr. McCague holds a Bachelor of Civil Law degree and a diploma in European Law from University College Dublin.
Julie O’Neill
Ms. Julie O’Neill has served as a non-executive director of ICON plc since July 2019.
Ms. O’Neill was formerly Executive Vice President, Global Operations of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she was responsible for global manufacturing operations and expanding and improving supply chain and quality operations in the US, Europe, and Asia. Before joining Alexion, Ms. O’Neill was Vice President of Operations and General Manager for Ireland at Gilead Sciences and earlier in her career, Ms. O'Neill held leadership positions in operations, manufacturing and quality functions at Burnil Pharmacies and Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals.
Ms. O’Neill serves as a Board Member of DBV Technologies, Hookipa Pharma Inc., ILC Dover, Achilles Therapeutics plc and Advancion (formerly Angus Chemical Company). She is also on the board of Ireland’s National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training.
Ms. O’Neill holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Trinity College Dublin, a Masters of Business Administration from University College Dublin and is a Chartered Director of The Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Dr. Linda Grais
Dr. Linda Grais has served as a non-executive director of ICON plc since July 2021 having previously served as a member of the PRA Health Sciences board from October 2015 to July 2021. Dr. Grais served as a member of the board of directors of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. from January 2008 through December 2017 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. from June 2012 to December 2017. Prior to her employment by Ocera, Dr. Grais served as a managing member at InterWest Partners, a venture capital firm from May 2005 until February 2011. From July 1998 to July 2003, Dr. Grais was a founder and executive vice president of SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc., a drug discovery company focusing on new treatments for cancer. Prior to that, she was a corporate attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she practiced in such areas as venture financings, public offerings and strategic partnerships.
Before practicing law, Dr. Grais worked as an assistant clinical professor of Internal Medicine and Critical Care at the University of California, San Francisco. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Zosana Pharma Company and Arca Biopharma, Inc. and sits on the compensation and audit committees of Arca Biopharma, Inc. and the audit committee of Corvus Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Grais received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.D. from Yale Medical School and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Anne Whitaker
Ms. Anne Whitaker was appointed as a non-executive director of ICON plc in July 2024.
Ms. Whitaker is an experienced healthcare executive, advisor and director. Ms. Whitaker currently serves as managing partner of Anne Whitaker Group, LLC, a board and private equity advisory firm and as an Operating Partner of NewVale Capital, a Private Equity firm. Ms. Whitaker was previously CEO and Chair of Aerami Therapeutics, CEO and Director of Novoclem Therapeutics and earlier in her career, Ms. Whitaker held senior executive leadership positions at Bausch Health, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, and multiple CEO roles for private and public development-stage companies.
Ms. Whitaker serves as the Chair of QurAlis and as a non-executive director of Telix Pharmaceuticals, Trinity Life Sciences, Byrn Pharma, Bespak, and is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Alabama. She previously served on the boards of Curio Digital Therapeutics, Ergomed plc, UDG Healthcare, Cree, Mallinckrodt, KNOW Bio, Novoclem Therapeutics, Vectura Group, Synta Pharmaceuticals and Nykode Therapeutics.
Ms. Whitaker holds a BSc in Chemistry and Business from the University of North Alabama.
Mr. Diarmaid Cunningham
Mr. Diarmaid Cunningham is Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Company Secretary.
Mr. Cunningham joined the Company as General Counsel in November 2009. From 2009 until 2013, Mr. Cunningham was based in the Company’s global headquarters in Dublin. In 2013, Mr. Cunningham was seconded to the Company’s US headquarters in Pennsylvania and that secondment ended in 2018 when Mr. Cunningham returned to Dublin.
In July 2016, Mr. Cunningham’s role expanded to include Chief Administrative Officer in addition to General Counsel which added responsibility for the Company’s Quality Assurance, Client Contracts Services, Facilities and Procurement groups in addition to his responsibility for the Company’s Legal group. In 2023, Symphony Health (ICON’s data business) moved to report to Mr. Cunningham and was also added to his group.
Mr. Cunningham graduated with a Bachelor of Business and Legal Studies from University College Dublin in 1997, qualified as a lawyer in 2001 and completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University in California in 2015. Mr. Cunningham served as Secretary to the Board of the Association of Clinical Research Organisations (ACRO) in 2013, 2014, 2020 and 2021. ACRO represents the CRO industry globally to key stakeholders including pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, regulators, legislators and patient groups.
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Cunningham spent 10 years with A&L Goodbody, one of Ireland's premier corporate law firms.
In January 2021, Mr. Cunningham was appointed as a non-executive director of the Irish charity The Jack & Jill Foundation.