IJA Annual General Meeting 2025 | Review
The 35th Annual General Meeting for the Ireland Japan Association took place on Tuesday, 25th March 2025. Meeting was held as a hybrid event with members attending in person and remotely via Zoom platform.
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Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Chairperson of the Ireland Japan Association (IJA), opened the meeting by expressing her heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of former IJA Chair Michael Darcy on his passing. She highlighted Michael’s pivotal role in the Association, acknowledging his dedication, passion, and leadership in strengthening ties between Ireland and Japan. His invaluable contributions helped shape the IJA into what it is today, and his unwavering commitment to the community will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude. While his presence will be greatly missed, his legacy will continue to inspire.
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Chairperson’s Report
Catherine Grennell-Whyte introduced attendees to the Chairperson’s Report for 2024, which outlined the Association’s key activities, achievements, and challenges over the past year.
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Over the past 12 months, the Ireland Japan Association has continued to expand its community, hosting 23 events across cultural, business, and networking sectors. These included language courses, business forums, and cultural workshops, reflecting the growing interest in Irish-Japanese relations. Membership has also seen growth, with six new corporate members and seven new individual members joining in 2024.
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The Chairperson expressed deep appreciation to the Council Members, volunteers, corporate partners, and sponsors for their dedication and support. Special thanks were extended to the Embassy of Japan in Ireland, former Ambassador Maruyama, and a warm welcome was given to Ambassador Shimada and his wife as he begins his tenure in Ireland.
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The Chairperson concluded by thanking IJA members for their continued support and engagement, emphasizing the Association’s commitment to strengthening ties between Ireland and Japan in the years ahead.
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Financial Statements 2024
Summary of the IJA Financial Statements for 2024 was presented with the AGM participants by Vice Chairperson Tsugumi Yamamoto, membership subscription fees were discussed and approved for 2025/2026 and the new IJA Council members were announced.
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Council Elections 2025
Catherine Grennell-Whyte informed that for the 2025 elections, the IJA received a sufficient number of nominations to meet the constitutional requirements for Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, allowing both positions to be filled without requiring a vote. For the Ordinary Council seats, 13 nominations were received – six corporate and seven individual members. The elections were conducted via the online voting platform ElectionBody from Tuesday, March 11, to Tuesday, March 18, 2024. The results were reviewed and certified by an independent assessor, IJA Auditor Stephen Power.
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The Chairperson extended sincere gratitude to all outgoing council members for their dedication, participation, and teamwork during their tenure. As per the IJA Constitution, members must step down after three years of service. The following council members were thanked for their contributions: Tsugumi Yamamoto, Vice-Chairperson, Hiro Ino, Individual Member, Jonathan Kelly, Individual Member.
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Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson and Neil Cowhey, IJA Vice Chairperson
The newly elected IJA Council for 2025:
Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson
- Catherine Grennell-Whyte, ATTS/Finnair (Chairperson)
- Neil Cowhey, Dillon Eustace (Vice Chairperson)
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Corporate Members:
- Atsushi Kadota, ElectroRoute
- Darina Slattery, Oomi Travel
- David Tyrrell, NTT Data
- Graham Ryan, Yamamori
- Peter Vambeck, Fitzwilliam Capital
- Yuka Nagano, Clerkin Lynch
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Individual Members:
- Azumi Uchitani, IJA Individual Member
- Eddie Hughes, IJA Individual Member
- Maria Mardiki, IJA Individual Member
- Paula Kelly, IJA Individual Member
- Raymond Hegarty, IJA Individual Member
- Verity Swan, IJA Individual Member
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Not on Council but invited to attend meetings:
- Keiko Nakata, Embassy of Japan (Honorary Member)
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