Martin Luther King Jr said that “the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in the moment of comfort, but where they stand at times of challenge…” 

The winner of this year’s Excellence in Leadership, Caoimhe de Barra, CEO of Trocaire, has without doubt proven her leadership qualities. Like all leaders, the rules of the past had to be thrown aside to react to the unprecedented effects of Covid-19 and how it affected the strategic plan, the fundraising campaigns, the staff management and safety while protecting the voice, the identity and the recipients of the organisation of charity. 

Caoimhe showed immense talent, perseverance, energy, motivation, and empathy in steering the Trocaire through the storm that was the Coronavirus pandemic. At no time during the last year was the voice and humanity of the people the charity servers lost. Indeed, their voice became larger, the cause more powerful and the vision of those working in and for Trocaire became clearer and more engaged.