Ms Hilary Coates

Hilary is recently retired as Head of Health Sector with Bank of Ireland where she was responsible for developing and overseeing the Bank’s strategy for lending to the sector. She has over 30 years senior clinical and executive national and international experience in the health and regulatory sectors and 10 years in the financial services sector. In these roles she had a particular focus on risk, quality and patient safety.

She originally worked as a Healthcare Assistant in Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross before qualifying as a nurse from St Vincent’s University Hospital and working in a variety of clinical and executive roles including Director of Nursing. Hilary has an MBA from Smurfit Business School and post graduate qualifications in Healthcare Management, Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Executive Coaching. Recent roles include Head of Health Sector at Bank of Ireland, Head of Healthcare Regulation in HIQA, Patient Safety Advisor to the World Health Organization and Academic Programme Director in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Currently a Board Member at St James’s Hospital where she chairs the Board’s Quality, Safety and Risk Committee, she was previously Chairperson and Board Member of the Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare and Board Member of the European Society for Quality in Healthcare.