CERL Chair

The role of the Chair is set out in the Companies Act 2014, Ireland, and consists in chairing the meetings of the Members and the Board (Articles of Association, 38 et seq.).

The Chair is responsible for guiding and monitoring policy, finance, management and organisation, and the promotion of CERL. The Chair liaises closely with the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Executive Manager and with the various Committees of the Consortium.

The term of office of a Chair is three years. A Chair can be re-elected once. The Chair is an honorary post; travel and office expenses can be claimed from CERL.The next election of the CERL Chair is expected in 2026 and will be announced here.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the decision-making body of CERL, as a company under Irish law (cf. Articles of Association, 67 sqq.). It rules on matters concerning the administration of CERL and oversees CERL staff (currently: Secretary, Executive Manager and Outreach and Communication Manager).

The term of office of a Director is three years. A Director can be re-elected once. The costs for attending the meetings (twice a year) are borne by the Director’s Institution. Directors’ meetings should be attended in person. The possibility of attending remotely is also accepted. Absence from three consecutive meetings will determine the auto-resignation from office.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is a representative body delegated by Members and directly supports the Executive Manager and the Secretariat. It plans and structures ongoing activities, the network of databases and the work of the Data Conversion Group (DCG) and other projects. It also prepares policy proposals for the Board of Directors and reports for the Annual General Meeting.

The term of office of an Executive Committee member is three years. Members can be re-confirmed by the Annual General Meeting. The costs for attending the meetings (twice a year) are borne by the EC member’s Institution. In principle, EC members should attend in person, though remote attendance can be arranged.