Catherine Day

Catherine Day was Secretary-General of the European Commission for 10 years between 2005 and 2015. She was the second Irish person to hold that post. Catherine Day was born in Dublin in 1954 and educated at Mount Anville convent-school. She has a BA in Economics and an MA in International Trade and Economic Integration from University College Dublin. She joined the European Commission in 1979, having worked in the Investment Bank of Ireland in 1974 and at the Confederation of Irish Industry. In 1982 she joined the cabinet of Commissioner Richard Burke and then worked with Competition Commissioner, Peter Sutherland, following which she served as deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Leon Brittan, who was responsible for Competition policy and later for External Economic Affairs and Trade Policy. Ms Day next became Director in the Directorate General for External Relations where she was deeply involved in the enlargement of the EU. In 2002 she was appointed deputy Director General in External Relations, headed by Commissioner Chris Patten, dealing with the Balkans, Russia and the CIS. In 2002, she was promoted to Director General of the Directorate General for the Environment. She crowned her stellar career by assuming the post of Secretary General of the European Commission in November 2005, a post which she held for 10 years between 2005 and 2015. She retired in 2015 having served under two European Commission Presidents, José Manuel Barroso and Jean Claude Juncker. She currently acts as special adviser to Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker. Catherine was appointed to the Board in November 2016.