First Female CEO: Ciara McCormack on Breaking Barriers in Irish Football

This episode of Don't Forget Your Tickets is a special one. It’s a deeply personal and honest conversation that explores both the triumphs and tribulations of a remarkable career in football on and off the pitch. For the first time on our podcast, we're joined by an ex-professional player with an international career, Ciara McCormack.

Ciara, a former Republic of Ireland international, takes us on her unique journey from the pitch to the boardroom, where she became the first female CEO and co-owner of a men's and women's club in the League of Ireland, Treaty United FC. She shares the raw, unfiltered story of what it’s like to transition from player to club leader, offering a rare look behind the curtain of professionalising a club.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Player to CEO: Ciara discusses the transferable skills from her top-flight playing career that prepared her for the challenges of club leadership.
• A New Frontier: Hear about her experience as a pioneering female CEO in a male-dominated environment and the progress being made for women in Irish football.
• The One Club Model: Ciara explains why she championed equal resources and respect for both the men’s and women’s teams, and the backlash she faced for it.
• Volunteers vs. Professionalism: For the first time on the show, we tackle the dilemma of managing dedicated volunteers while striving to implement professional standards for match day operations and club management.
• The Fan Backlash: Ciara speaks candidly about facing a fan protest, the mental toll of online abuse, and the importance of humanising leaders in sport.

Tune in for an inspiring and eye-opening account of resilience, leadership, and the passionate pursuit of building a football club from the ground up.