St John of God Hospitaller Services Group (SJOG HSG) has announced the appointment of Jerry Dempsey as Group Chief Executive Officer.
It coincides with changes to board membership arrangements, in line with ongoing governance reforms at the charity.
For over a decade, the Hospitaller Order of St John of God, or the Order, has been preparing for a time where Brothers of the Order would no longer lead the mission.
This has been due to advancing age and declining vocations.
In 2012, the process led to the establishment of the canonical body, Saint John of God Hospitaller Ministries.
Saint John of God Hospitaller Services Group (HSG) was incorporated in 2015 as the civil entity which would carry forward the purpose and mission of Saint John of God Hospitaller Ministries.
Since its incorporation, lay people have been welcomed onto the boards of HSG, its subsidiary and related entities, and now hold the vast majority of board positions.
In that time, the Brothers of the Order reduced their representation on the boards and some of the boards are comprised entirely of lay people.
The Order has welcomed the appointment of Mr Dempsey as CEO of HSG and wished him well in his new role.
In a statement, it said that while the Brothers of the Order would no longer be involved in leadership, "they will be available to contribute in any way needed where possible".
The religious order of Saint John of God had its origin in Granada, Spain, during the second half of the 16th century as a continuation of the charitable activity of Saint John of God.
Throughout its history, the hospitaller order has focused on meeting the demands and emerging needs of the people and the times.
The Order arrived in Ireland in 1877 when brothers from the French Province established communities and services at Stillorgan in Dublin.
Over the following years, the Order developed a number of new services in the fields of disability and mental health at locations such as counties Kildare, Louth and Kerry.
Currently, there are almost 4,000 people working within the overall Saint John of God Group in Ireland, which provides various health, educational and social care services.
The next phase of the transition process will see the remaining Irish and UK brothers stepping down from boards and transitioning off all remaining entity boards by the end of this year.
This, according to SJOG, will mark "a pivotal moment in the organisation's evolution, entrusting leadership and governance fully in the hands of committed lay people".
