Leadership and Governance
GOAL USA's Board is committed to maintaining a high standard of corporate governance and is collectively responsible for ensuring delivery of GOAL's mission, setting its strategic direction and upholding its vision, mission, and core values.
GOAL USA's Board meets regularly to ensure GOAL continues to operate at the highest level of effectiveness.
A message from our Chairperson
I am truly honored to serve as Chairperson of the Board of GOAL USA. The organization’s mission has never been more vital, and the support of the US – government, corporations, foundations, and generous individuals – is more essential than ever. I am proud to lead this dynamic board as we seek to match the commitment and effectiveness of our US and global teams.
The coronavirus pandemic and a series of profound crises, most recently widespread food shortages compounded by war in Ukraine, are creating a challenging new normal for humanitarian and development agencies like ours. They are serving as a test for GOAL’s teams on the ground, and we are all proud of their perseverance and impact. The organization’s nimble strength and its defining rapid-response mindset allow it to withstand the unanticipated: working from home, travel bans, logistical disruptions, and the necessary delays to some important objectives.
No matter the obstacle, we must remain true to our mission: to support the most vulnerable among us around the world who want for the most basic rights and the most basic and essential things that we take for granted. Urgent needs unmet before the pandemic and food crisis are now exacerbated. All the while, climate change and conflict continue to ravage the most vulnerable disproportionately. Our mission will need to be renewed and redoubled. Thank you to all who are joining the effort.
Ronan Ryan
Board Members
The Board, all of whom are non-executive directors, is collectively responsible for leading and directing GOAL USA's activities.
Ronan Ryan
Board Chairperson
Ronan Ryan was appointed Chair of GOAL USA’s Board of Directors in 2022.
He is founder and President of IEX Group, Inc., a Stock Exchange that uses proprietary technology to protect investors and provide better trading outcomes for both sides of the trade. Mr. Ryan is widely recognized as a leading expert and innovator in electronic equities trading network and infrastructure technology, leveraging more than two decades of experience to build a platform whose mission is to institutionalize trust and fairness in the market.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Ryan immigrated to the United States in 1990 when he was 16, soon enrolling at Fairfield University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in International Studies. While there, he met his wife, Kara; they have two children: Emma and Jack. In his free time, he enjoys fishing and working on projects around his home in New Jersey.
Alison Cowzer
Board Member
Alison Cowzer is GOAL's Vice Chairperson, co-founder of East Coast Bakehouse, and Managing Director of The Company of Food.
As an investor and Dragon on RTE’s Dragon’s Den series, she has made investments in a number of start-up enterprises. Alison is also a director of Women for Election and The Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Davis Fleming
Board Member
Ireland native Davis Fleming is founder and CEO of Samscreen, Inc., a leading US manufacturer of screens, crusher parts, and various sieve-like products, integral to companies in the mining, aggregate, recycling and other material processing industries.
Davis moved to the United States in the early 1990s to structure North American distribution channels for an Irish company he was working for at the time, subsequently joining a steel company in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he uncovered a need for high quality piano wire screen in the marketplace.
In 1995, he and his brother Fintan launched Samscreen in upstate New York, expanding and diversifying product offerings in the successive years, ultimately establishing the company as a market leader.
In recent years, Davis has been instrumental in helping generate support for GOAL in the US.
Tony Chambers
Board Member
Tony is Executive Vice President, Head of Theatrical Distribution at The Walt Disney Company.
As Head of Theatrical Distribution, Tony is responsible for leading and integrating all global distribution activities of The Walt Disney Company across theatrical and home entertainment, including US and International theatrical distribution of all films produced and released by Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studio, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures.
Tony is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is a post-graduate of University College Dublin, Ireland.
Edward J.T. Kenney
Edward J.T. Kenney is an accomplished changemaker whose impact spans a 50-year career in public service and philanthropy. His diverse legacy includes tens of millions of dollars raised in support of an array of local and global charities, promotion of corporate good citizenship, and achievements in federal law enforcement.
For 25 years, he served as Executive Vice President of External Affairs at Mutual of America under legendary CEO Tom Moran. Together, they parlayed the company’s massive growth into broad support of charities across the globe and helped lead US private sector support of peace in Northern Ireland.
Prior to that, he served for 25 years in the FBI, participating in some of the most significant counterintelligence cases of the cold-war era, leading training operations, and forging relationships with the corporate community.
He has served in numerous boards, including St. Patrick’s Home for the Aged and Infirm, the Healthcare Chaplaincy, and Concern Worldwide US, and is a major supporter of many others.
Conor Twomey
New York-based Conor Twomey is Managing Director for the Americas at data analytics firm, First Derivatives (FD). He began his career as a software engineer with FD, working around the world building bespoke trading and risk systems, before moving into business development, operations and leadership positions.
He was shortlisted by GradIreland as Graduate of the Year in Ireland 2011, appeared in Sunday Independent’s ‘30-under-30 who will shape the future of Ireland’, represented Ireland at the World Economic Forum for under 30s, was a recipient of the Irish Echo's ‘40-under-40' award in New York and was recently nominated for the inaugural ‘Spirit of Brian Conlon’ leadership award. He has been published in the Journal of Physics and is an avid runner in his spare time.
Paul O’Hara
Paul O’Hara is senior vice president of Marketing, Mutual of America Financial Group and has been with the Company for 35 years. He oversees a team that provides a variety of support services for the company’s sales operations.
Having worked his entire career with Mutual was an easy choice given the Company’s significant footprint in the non-profit sector and its dedication and sense of social responsibility to making a difference in society. That spirt afforded the opportunity for Paul to travel to Haiti on a humanitarian mission in 1999 and has had a lasting impact on the vital work NGOs provide and his support of their work and other charities.
He has traveled extensively in Ireland and has had wide exposure to the Irish community and affairs passionately embraced by the Company over many years which included behind the scenes work of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy’s key role in the Good Friday Agreement.
Paul is a third-generation Irish American. His paternal grandmother hails from Limerick, and his wife, Mary, from County Offaly. They reside on Long Island with their daughters, Lauren and Jane.
