Nicholas Basden and Risteard Sheridan appointed to the Board of the Abbey Theatre

Catherine Martin – Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media – has appointed two new members to the Board of Ireland's national theatre.

24 February 2023: The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, has today announced two new appointments to the Board of the Abbey Theatre;

  • Mr. Nicholas Basden
  • Mr. Risteard Sheridan

The two appointees will each serve a four-year term.

Commenting on the appointments, Minister Martin, said:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to the Board of the Abbey Theatre, each bringing a wealth of specialist knowledge and experience. I am very grateful to both appointees for offering their skills and expertise. I wish both well during their term.”

Dr. Frances Ruane, Chair of the Abbey Theatre said

“I am delighted to welcome Nicholas and Risteard to the board of the Abbey Theatre – both bring a wealth of experience and I greatly look forward to working with them over the years to come. The Abbey Theatre is at a really exciting juncture as it progresses the development of a new national theatre infrastructure and the creation of a new strategy for the future of Ireland’s national theatre. Nicholas’s and Risteard’s insights across culture, diversity, business and finance will be invaluable to these processes. We are grateful to Minister Martin for her support of the theatre and to her department officials for conducting the process leading to these appointments, which completes the recruitment process of a full board of 11 members.” 

 

Nicholas Basden

Nicholas Basden – photo by Robert Leslie

Nick co-founded and owns Flat Brew Limited, the maker of award-winning coffee spreads. Prior to founding Flat Brew, Nick launched a number of entrepreneurial ventures in the retail and restaurant sectors, having previously worked in sales at JP Morgan; retail strategy at Monitor Company; and, business development at Starbucks Coffee International earlier in his career. Nick has worked with leading theatre and cultural institutions in the UK on issues related to strategic positioning and audience development, with a particular focus on engaging minority audiences. He serves as a trustee at Kiln Theatre, Sadlers Wells, and is an investor in West End theatrical productions. Nick is also actively engaged in the education sector where he serves as a trustee for Westside School and Alternative Provision Challenge Trust, both organisations dedicated to meeting the educational needs of excluded students. Nick is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

Risteard Sheridan

Risteard Sheridan

Risteard was appointed Company Secretary of AerCap in May 2020 and Chief Compliance Officer in 2019. He joined AerCap in April 2017 as Head of Internal Audit. Risteard is also currently senior independent director and chair of the audit committee of daa plc. Prior to joining AerCap, he gained extensive experience advising companies on governance, financial reporting and control/process matters while working with the professional services firms KPMG and EY. Risteard holds a degree in Business and Legal Studies and a Masters in Accounting from University College Dublin and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.