Respond, a leading Approved Housing Body and service provider, has announced the appointment of Aoife Watters as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ms Watters, who will officially take up the role in April 2025, is set to become the organisation’s third CEO and the first female CEO in its 40 plus-year history. The Board has taken care to ensure a smooth and orderly transition, working with the current CEO and the Executive Management Team.

Currently serving as CEO of Dublin Cemeteries Trust, Ms Watters brings a wealth of experience from both the commercial and charity sectors. She has served as a Board Director and Chair with another Approved Housing Body, also chairing its Finance and Audit Board Subcommittee and she was Director of Finance and Corporate Services for a large cross-border housing and homelessness charity.

Aoife Watters has built a distinguished career, leading transformative change and driving organisational effectiveness in both the commercial and charity sectors with expertise in governance, strategic leadership, and financial stewardship. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity, achieving gender balance on boards and driving initiatives that support inclusive and high-performing teams. Aoife is poised to continue Respond’s legacy of growth and impact.

Respond is Ireland’s largest construction-led Approved Housing body and services provider. The organisation has over 40 years of expertise in delivering homes and working to build communities around those homes. With over 18,000 social and cost rental tenants nationwide, Respond has a tenant satisfaction rate of 89%. Recognising the importance of community, Respond also provides 17 Early Learning and School Age Care services, 3 Daycare Services for Older People, and 6 Family Homeless Services and Family Support Services.

Speaking about her appointment, Aoife Watters said: “I am honoured to join Respond and to have the opportunity to lead this exceptional organisation. Respond’s values and guiding principles are very much aligned with my own. I have long admired Respond’s reputation for delivering high quality homes and embedding them in communities where people can build their lives. Its strong track record of growth, innovation and supporting communities has had a lasting impact around Ireland. Building on this foundation, and the important and wide reaching transformational work of my predecessor Declan Dunne, I am looking forward to working with the Board, team, and stakeholders to ensure a smooth leadership transition, driving the organisation’s next chapter of growth. Together, we will continue Respond’s vital work, delivering homes, supporting communities and making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

Outgoing CEO, Declan Dunne, shared his thoughts on the transition: “It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Respond for the past nine years. Working together with the skilled and expert teams, we have achieved so much, growing the organisation to support over 18,000 tenants and delivering high quality homes and services across the country. I am delighted to welcome Aoife Watters as my successor. I am confident that her leadership and drive will guide Respond to even greater success, ensuring the organisation continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”

Respond Chair, Noel Kelly, welcomed the appointment, saying: “We are delighted to welcome Aoife as CEO. Her leadership and vision will help Respond continue to do what we do best, deliver homes and services to those who need them most. As we transition to this new phase of leadership, we are confident that Aoife’s expertise and experience will ensure both continuity and new opportunities for growth. On behalf of the board, I would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to outgoing CEO Declan Dunne, whose leadership has transformed Respond over the past nine years.”

Under Declan Dunne’s leadership, Respond has grown to support over 18,000 tenants, with 8,611 properties owned or managed as of December 2024. Throughout 2024, Respond had over 4,000 homes in construction around the country. The organisation also provides community services: 17 Early Learning and School Age Care Services, 3 Daycare Services for Older People, 6 Family Homeless Services and Family Support Services.

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