THE board of the National Women's Council will meet tomorrow to discuss finding a new chief executive, following a fruitless round of interviews for the post before Christmas.
The council's chairwoman, Ms Noirin Byrne, who is also acting as interim chief executive, said yesterday the board had interviewed seven of 34 applicants for the job - which has an annual salary of over £35,000.
However, none of the candidates "had a track record of managing an organisation the size of the council at a time of considerable change", she said.
The council has 152 affiliate groups - double the number 10 years ago - with a total membership of over 300,000 women. It has a staff of 10.
Ms Byrne said candidates had tended to see the council mainly as a lobbying body. "We need to find the kind of person who sees it as a normal business organisation like any other business organisation," implementing internal organisational change and providing a wide range of information, funding advice, training, support, representative and lobbying services to its member groups.
She said the 10 member board would probably have to decide either to readvertise the job or try to "head hunt" a suitable woman currently in another post.