Cricket Ireland on Thursday announced Sarah Keane as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) designate and is set to take over the top position in March 2026. The appointment marks a pivotal landmark in Irish and world cricket, as Keane is set to become the first female CEO of an International Cricket Council (ICC) full member nation.

Keane will step down from her role of chief executive from Swim Ireland after 21 years.

Keane joins from Swim Ireland, where she has served as CEO since 2004, overseeing one of the most transformative eras in Irish sport. Under her 21-year leadership, Swim Ireland saw record participation numbers, landmark infrastructure investments, and Ireland’s best-ever Olympic showing at Paris 2024. She also led the creation of Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy, backed by the government.

A former international water polo player and national-level swimmer, she brings a deep understanding of high-performance sport from both administrative and athletic perspectives.

Keane's influence extends across Irish and international sport. As President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland since 2017, she steered the organisation through the post-Rio 2016 crisis and revitalised it to deliver Ireland's best Summer Olympics performance in 2024. 

Her extensive international network includes Board membership of World Aquatics and European Aquatics, Chair of the European Aquatics DEI Commission, and previous roles on IOC and ANOC Commissions. In 2022, she was appointed to the European Olympic Committee Organising Committee for the European Games 2023.​

Keane is a qualified solicitor with strong credentials in corporate management and governance. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of the Central Bank of Ireland.

Speaking on her appointment Keane told Cricket Ireland:

“I am incredibly excited and deeply honoured to become the new CEO of Cricket Ireland and the first female CEO of an ICC Full Member nation. Cricket is a truly global sport, and Ireland now stands on the threshold of tremendous opportunity – from the Olympic opportunity with the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Olympics, the accelerated development of the women’s game, and the potential of bringing different communities together, to Ireland hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2030. 

“I’m particularly keen to explore further avenues for commercial growth to ensure sustainable investment, and I look forward to supporting the ambitious plans for the development of the National Cricket Centre on the National Sports Campus and the upgrades to vital cricket infrastructure at Malahide, Stormont and others. I am committed to working collaboratively and tirelessly with the Board, staff, players, and the entire cricketing community to deliver on those opportunities for Irish Cricket and all involved.“

Speaking on the appointment of Keane, the Chair of Cricket Ireland Brian MacNeice said:

“I am thrilled that Sarah is coming on board as our new CEO. Sarah brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected leaders in sport nationally and internationally. Her track record speaks for itself. Cricket Ireland is getting a world-class sports administrator and more importantly an individual of the upmost integrity, character and high-performance mindset. Throughout her career she has been an inspirational trailblazer and I am very proud that she will become the first female CEO of a Full Member nation. 

“This is an exciting time for Irish Cricket and Sarah’s appointment will help galvanise and reinvigorate cricket in Ireland. I have been hugely impressed with her grasp of the cricketing landscape at home and on the international stage as well as her vision and passion for what lies ahead. I am confident we have a leader that will maximise our potential as a cricketing nation as we move into the next phase of our journey. I look forward to working with Sarah to ensure we do just that.”