Departure of RTE’s chief financial officer ‘a big loss’ – Media Minister

The resignation of Mari Hurley as RTE’s chief financial officer is a “big loss”, the Media Minister has said.

RTE confirmed that Ms Hurley would leave the role in the spring, completing a tenure of 18 months at the broadcaster.

Ms Hurley was appointed chief financial officer in the summer of 2024 after RTE was hit by a number of financial scandals which resulted in the resignation of Dee Forbes as director general and the departure of its highest paid presenter Ryan Tubridy.

She was previously the chief financial officer for AA Ireland, Lotto operator Premier Lotteries Ireland, Hostelworld Group plc and Sherry FitzGerald Group.

Minister for the Arts and Media Patrick O’Donovan credited Ms Hurley for unearthing financial issues at the broadcaster.

“I’m very disappointed to hear that Mari Hurley is leaving because she did a really, really good job, and I know she did a fantastic job against the backdrop of quite a difficult financial position within the company,” he said on RTE Radio.

“She was asked by my department, for instance, to – on foot of the Arts Council – to go through the organisation accounts.

“And it was on the foot of her work that we learned, for instance, with regard to the issue of the art at RTE, the top up payments to widows and previous other financial issues that I was able to bring to the Government.”

Ms Hurley is to move to property giant Irish Residential Properties REIT, it was reported on Friday.

Mr O’Donovan said he wanted to wish her well and said people leave leadership roles in public companies for various reasons.

He said that she had “unearthed” issues that others hadn’t and “she will be a big loss” as a result.

“I know Mari Hurley has made – in a very short period of time – a very big mark with regard to financial transparency,” he said.

“There was stuff lurking around out there for donkey’s years that she unearthed and she brought to the government’s attention.”

In a statement Ms Hurley wished her colleagues success as they “continue the significant transformation programme under way at RTE”.

“RTE continues to perform a vital role for Irish audiences as a public service media organisation,” she said.

“The extensive work we have done during my time in RTE has been an important part of the delivery of greater governance across the organisation.”

RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst paid tribute to her contribution at “a challenging time” for the broadcaster and said her work had helped put it “back on a financially sustainable path”.

“Mari has been meticulous in dealing with legacy issues as we put a robust governance framework in place for the future and we are grateful to her for that,” he said.

“I would like to offer Mari my very best wishes for her new role.”