Lionheart Wins 2026 Irish Enterprise Award

Recognition for our Board Governance & Evaluation Consultancy. It's always gratifying to be recognised, though what really matters is the work.

We're pleased to reflect that Lionheart has been named Best Board Governance & Evaluation Consultancy in the 2026 Irish Enterprise Awards.

It's a recognition we're genuinely grateful for. Not because awards matter more than outcomes—they don't. But because it reflects something we take seriously: the belief that board evaluation should be honest, practical, and grounded in what actually works in Irish boardrooms, not in what governance theory says should work.

Why This Matters

There's a lot of governance advice out there. Much of it is well-intentioned. Some of it is useful. But there's a particular kind of thinking that can get lost: the view that board evaluation isn't about ticking boxes or producing a polished report. It's about helping a Chair and a board understand, clearly and candidly, whether they're functioning effectively.

That means asking uncomfortable questions. It means being direct about what's working and what isn't. It means recognising that boards in 2026 are dealing with complexity and pace that would have seemed unimaginable ten years ago—and that the old frameworks don't always fit.

Good board evaluation doesn't make boards feel better. It makes them work better. Sometimes those are the same thing. Often they're not.

Over the past few years, we've worked with boards across state bodies, regulated entities, charities, and private companies. What we've seen consistently is this: the boards that are genuinely struggling aren't the ones lacking knowledge or intention. They're the ones that don't have a clear-eyed view of how they're actually functioning.

They know something feels off. But they can't name it. Or they name it partially. Or they know but don't know how to fix it.

That's where good evaluation comes in. Not as a report that gets filed and forgotten. But as a catalyst for honest conversation about grip, coherence, and accountability.

What We've Learned

This award recognises work with boards that have been willing to sit with difficult truths and then do something about them. Chairs who've asked the hard questions. External members who've pushed back where they needed to. Secretariats and governance professionals who've taken the time to build the infrastructure that makes good governance possible.

A few patterns have become clear to us:

• Boards struggling with coherence are usually drowning in detail. Not because they're doing too much work. Because they haven't made clear decisions about what matters most and how decisions across different domains hang together.

• Boards struggling with trust often haven't created the space for genuine dissent. Challenge gets mistaken for disloyalty. That kills effectiveness quickly.

• Boards struggling with pace tend to confuse speed with decisiveness. Fast decisions aren't good decisions. Good decisions require time, clarity, and real expertise. The boards that move fastest are often the ones that are clearest about what they don't know and bring in the expertise they need.

• Boards that work well have one thing in common: they know what they're trying to do, and they assess themselves honestly against that standard.

The Work Ahead

This award matters because it reflects something broader: there's growing recognition that board governance isn't a compliance exercise. It's a strategic capability. And like any strategic capability, it needs to be built deliberately, assessed honestly, and continuously improved.

We're living through a period of real complexity for Irish boards—rapid regulatory change, technological disruption, geopolitical volatility, societal expectations that keep shifting. Board evaluation in this environment can't be generic. It has to be grounded in the actual context boards are operating in.

"Good governance is no longer about looking back. It's about being future-fit, fast-moving, and absolutely accountable."

Patrick Downes, Managing Partner

That's the work we're doing. And that's what this award reflects—the belief that when boards take evaluation seriously, it changes how they function.

2026 Irish Enterprise Awards

Category: Best Board Governance & Evaluation Consultancy

Awarded: March 2026

The Irish Enterprise Awards recognise excellence and innovation across Irish business and professional services.