CURRICULUM VITAE: ÉANNA JOHNSON

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

Éanna Johnson attended primary school in India at Presentation Convent School, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu State, and in Australia at St.Vincent’s (Marist Brothers), Westmead, Sydney. Secondary schooling was at in Ireland at St. Mary’s College (Marist Fathers), Dundalk, Co.Louth. 

Éanna’s third level education was at University College Dublin (National University of Ireland), from which he graduated in 1960 with Bachelor of Engineering, BE, and in 1969 with a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering, MIE. Éanna is currently undertaking a PhD in theology at St Patrick’s College, Pontifical University, Maynooth, with a research project in primary school catechesis. 

His professional qualifications are Chartered Engineer, CEng, and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland, F.IEI.

SUMMARY OF CAREER EXPERIENCE

On graduation in engineering from University College Dublin, Éanna worked for two years as a volunteer with the Catholic missions in Nigeria for Bishop Joseph Whelan CSSp of Owerri Diocese; Éanna managed the bishop’s printing works and weekly Catholic newspaper, ‘The Leader’, and also taught science in a Holy Ghost Fathers’ secondary school. On returning to Ireland Éanna joined the Irish Sugar Company / Erin Foods in Tuam and Mallow. He then moved for three years to the academic staff of the School of Engineering, University College Dublin.

Éanna Johnson entered the management consultancy profession in 1969 with KPMG Stokes Kennedy Crowley Management Consultants, becoming Director in charge of Operations and Human Resource Consultancy. He joined Touche Ross [later Deloitte & Touche] in 1979, becoming joint partner-in-charge of the firm’s management consultancy practice. (KPMG and Deloitte are two of the top professional firms in accountancy and management consultancy, worldwide and in Ireland).

Eanna’s broad consultancy experience has covered the education sector, strategy studies, organisation restructuring, human resources, operations and technology management. He has worked in Ireland, Western & Eastern Europe, the USA, and India. His participation in professional life included serving as a Council member & Divisional Chairman in the Institution of Engineers of Ireland, and Council member & President of the Irish Association of Management Consulting Organisations.

In 1996 Éanna took up a position in University College Dublin as Director of the Masters in Industrial Engineering programme. He is now retired from UCD, and has also retired from private practice as a management consultant, to focus on researching Irish primary school catechesis for a PhD at Maynooth. 

EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION & TRAINING

As an Education Professional:

Éanna Johnson has several years experience as an education professional in the second and third level sectors.

Éanna was a secondary school teacher in Nigeria, at St Teresa’s College, Nsukka. He taught science for the school leaving public examination, which was up to international standard, being certified and marked in the UK. He found this task both enjoyable and challenging; the pupils were highly motivated and ambitious for academic achievement, but most lacked scientific background knowledge from their home situations. 

Éanna joined the academic staff in University College Dublin (UCD) from 1966-69. He was appointed to a newly created post in the Faculty of Engineering, with the task of developing under-graduate lectures and a post-graduate research programme in food process technology. 

Éanna returned to UCD in 1996 as Director of the Master of Industrial Engineering Programme. The MIE is a two-year taught masters degree programme in the management of industry, catering for engineering and science graduates with an average of five years post-qualification experience. The Director’s responsibilities include marketing/promotion of the programme, assessment of applicants, management of input from about fifteen lecturers across a range of disciplines, programme administration, delivering some of the courses, and ensuring that the MIE Degree compares favourably with best international practice. 

Éanna also served as Director of the UCD Centre of AMT-Ireland, a government funded ‘Programme in Advanced Technology’, delivering advanced manufacturing technology solutions to Irish industry, and supporting research in UCD at masters, doctorate, and post-doctorate levels. 

Éanna has also lectured on management topics at the Irish Management Institute, the Institute for Public Administration, and University College Galway.

As a Consultant in Education & Training

During his 30 year as a professional management consultant, Éanna has carried out many assignments in the field of education and training, in Ireland and overseas, including the following

•  Evaluation for the EU Commission and the Department of Enterprise of £0.7bn EU funded expenditure in education / training programmes for Irish industry 1989-93. 
• Strategic development studies of the Faculty of Science in UCD, and the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry in University College Cork.
• Assessment for the Government’s Office for Science & Technology of the capacity of the Irish universities to provide additional applied research for Irish industry.
• Reorganisation Study of the Department of Education, (including detailed organisation and staffing plans for then-proposed Regional Education Boards).
• Study for FAS - the national industrial training agency - assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of education / training programmes for sectors, which provided half the employment in Irish manufacturing industry. The project included extensive studies of best comparative practice in Europe and USA.
• Training of top managers in Russia (EU funded programme) and training of management consultants in India (German Government Technical Assistance programme).
• Comprehensive study of human resources, education and training in the Irish precision toolmaking industry for IDA / FAS / Enterprise Ireland; project included study visits to relevant centers of excellence in Europe and USA.
• Initially for the Department of Justice an assessment of education and training at all levels in the Garda Siochana, from recruit to Commissioner, with reference to best practice observed in visits to other European police forces. Later a study for the Department of the Taoiseach, which showed that recommendations had been implemented with substantial improvements in Garda education and training.
• Reorganisation of University College Cork Dental Teaching Hospital.
• For the Department of Health a comprehensive review of the National Rehabilitation Board, including its substantial support services for education/training of persons with disabilities. 
• Reorganisation study for the Teachers Union of Ireland.
• Strategic planning study for the Daughters of Charity of St.Vincent de Paul, which included their significant involvement in education.
• For IDA-Ireland (internationally recognized as one of the most successful industry promotion agencies) study visits to high-tech service companies in USA and Europe that were planning to establish operations in Ireland, in order to assess and evaluate the companies’ training programmes.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION / CATECHETICS

Éanna has always had a strong commitment to his Catholic Christian faith; he has sought to live his faith in practice and to deepen his knowledge and understanding. 

When he graduated from university in 1960 Éanna sought an opportunity to work as a lay volunteer for a Catholic mission somewhere in the world. Through a contact with Fr Mike Doheny CSSp he went to serve with Bishop Joseph Whelan in Owerri, Nigeria. Éanna first worked with the Diocesan Education Secretariat using his engineering skills in design of seven new secondary schools. Éanna then became manager of the diocesan printing works and weekly newspaper – ‘The Leader’, circulation 40,000. When Bishop Whelan raised the option that the Nigerian Marist Brothers might take responsibility for the printing works, Éanna was happy to respond, training the brothers in technical and management aspects, and handing over the running of the press to them. He then completed his two-year volunteer term teaching science for an academic year at a Holy Ghost secondary school, St.Teresa’s College, Nsukka.

After returning to Ireland and getting married, putting faith into practice has mainly involved the essential role of the laity in the evangelisation of culture - seeking personal holiness, living one’s work and family life in love and truth, being a Christian witness in the ‘public square’. He has also sought involvement in additional service, after giving first priority to family and employment:

• marriage counsellor with Accord (Catholic Marriage Advisory Council), including remedial counseling, NFP, pre-marriage courses and talks in schools.
• participation in Catholic lay associations (St.Vincent de Paul Society, Legion of Mary, Equipes Notre Dame), 
• service in various parish ministries, 
• leadership role in Catholic charismatic renewal prayer group, & founding member and senior leader in a charismatic covenant lay community, 
• responsibility for a successful Bible study / catechetics programme for 7-17 year-olds, including summer camps, and building of Christian personal relationships.
• religious education and retreats for children, adolescents, and adults.
• fifteen years’ service for Third World relief & development, including founding member and Chairman of CONCERN, Council member and Chairman of APSO (the state-sponsored Agency for Personal Service Overseas). 

In order to deepen his knowledge and understanding of the faith Éanna has undertaken extensive personal study and attendance at appropriate courses and seminars. This private theological study, along with his masters degree in another discipline, was accepted by St Patrick’s College Maynooth as fulfilling the entry requirements for the Doctoral Degree of PhD in Theology. 

PROGRAMME ANALYSIS & STRATEGY FORMULATION 

As a professional management consultant Éanna carried out many assignments involving in-depth analysis and evaluation, followed by formulation of strategies to achieve beneficial change; in some cases the assignments included assistance to clients in implementation of the changes recommended. Several of the assignments listed above in the educational field involved programme analysis and strategy formulation; additional examples include the following:

• Acted as consultant to the Secretary and Senior Management team of the Department of Foreign Affairs, in preparation of the Department’s 3-5 year strategic plan, in response to the Taoiseach’s ‘Strategic Management Initiative’.
• Development of a new organisation strategy for the Electricity Supply Board, with recommendations for an improved structure, roles and relationships. The recommendations were fully accepted and implemented by the ESB Board, leading to substantial cost savings, with greater effectiveness and accountability.
• Market and Financial Feasibility Study on behalf of the Department of Education for a proposed new sports centre, comprising a 12,000 seat indoor arena and an Olympic standard 50 metre swimming pool and diving complex. 
• An initial strategy study was carried out for the Department of Energy for an integrated National Natural Gas Industry in public ownership. Subsequently Éanna provided consultancy advice to Bord Gais Eireann on the implementation of new structures. 
• Strategy study for the Revenue Commissioners on the computerisation of customs documentation, covering hardware and software plans, organisation, staff redeployment and implementation plan.
• Evaluation for the Department of Enterprise & EU Commission of the £125 m. Science and Technology Programme for Industry 1989 to 1993. Recommendations led to significant changes over the life of the programme and shaping of a new policy for the Operational Programme 1994 -1999.
• Éanna participated in two strategic restructuring studies of the National Railways of Lithuania and Uzbekistan funded by the European Commission, taking responsibility for the institutional development / organization aspects.
• New staff and organisational structure for Independent Radio & Television Commission, which is responsible for regulation and development of the independent broadcasting sector.
• Directed a comprehensive socio-economic strategy study the South West Regional Development Organisation, comprising Cork County, Cork City and Kerry County, leading to preparation of a ten year development plan and forecasts for all economic sectors in the region.
• Strategy study for the Department of the Environment on the computerisation of vehicle registration and driver testing, with particular emphasis on the strategic balance between centralisation at the national vehicle registration computer centre in Shannon and decentralisation to local authorities.
• Feasibility study for the Department of Finance on the establishment of a national lottery, which involved detailed study of the world’s leading national lotteries in Europe, North America, and Australia. Preparation of detailed recommendations and implementation plan, which were subsequently fully implemented. 
• Strategy study for the Department of Communications on the introduction of local independent radio in Ireland. 
  

OTHER CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE

Éanna has extensive consultancy experience in other fields, including organisation restructuring, human resources, operations and technology management. The following are examples of work carried out in these areas:

• Conduct of some thirty-five organization reviews in the public, private, and voluntary sectors, ranging from small enterprises (under 10 employees) to large (over 20,000 employees). Examples include: An Post Head Office, Musgrave, National Standards Authority of Ireland, Civil & Public Services Union, Private Consultants Clinic, St Petersburg Electricity Authority (Russia), Dublin Zoo, Hanson Ltd, ESB, FBD Insurance, Lisney and Son, Irish Travel Agents Association.
• Éanna has had responsibility for several hundred executive selection assignments on behalf of clients; some assignments he has carried out personally, others were handled by human resources specialists under Éanna’s direction. Positions filled have ranged from Chief Executive to Middle Management in all disciplines.
• In the field of operations and technology management Éanna has carried out assignments for over sixty clients to improve operations in both manufacturing and service industries, with particular emphasis on productivity improvement and cost reduction, the design and implementation of better methods, the application of work measurement to set standards, the design and implementation of new systems, implementation or rehabilitation of bonus incentive schemes, total quality, environmental management audits, plant layout, and optimization of use of technology.
  

Éanna Johnson, February 2005

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