The Irish ProShare Association (IPSA) will host the annual Jack FitzPatrick Lecture 2026 on March 12 at EY’s offices in Cork.
The event will bring together business leaders and advisers to examine the growing role of employee ownership in business succession, with a particular focus on regional economies.
This year’s lecture, entitled Employee Ownership for Business Succession, will be delivered by keynote speaker Oliver Browne, Lecturer in Accounting at Cork University Business School, University College Cork.
Mr Browne will present his research exploring how employee ownership can provide an alternative pathway for company founders planning succession – moving beyond traditional exits such as trade sales, private equity buyouts or closure.
Drawing on case studies from Scotland, the research examines why founders choose employee ownership, how transitions are implemented, and how they are experienced by employees and managers.
Mr Browne said: “We find that employee ownership is often motivated by a desire to preserve organisational culture, retain skilled jobs, and keep decision-making embedded in the local economy.
Speaker: Oliver Browne
“Importantly, employee ownership does not mark the end of entrepreneurship for a business. Rather, it redistributes entrepreneurial responsibility from individual founders to employees, who take on new roles in governance, strategy and long-term stewardship of the firm. This benefits regional economies through job retention and improved econmic resilience.”
The Jack FitzPatrick Lecture 2026 is the second IPSA event to be held in Cork in the past 12 months. IPSA Chair Marie Flynn said: “Business succession is one of the most pressing challenges facing Irish SMEs over the next decade. This year’s Jack FitzPatrick Lecture provides an opportunity to explore practical alternatives that keep businesses rooted in their communities. Employee ownership is increasingly recognised not just as a succession mechanism, but as a model that can sustain enterprise, protect jobs, preserve culture, and support long-term local economic resilience.”
The Jack FitzPatrick Lecture is an annual event organised by IPSA to promote awareness and understanding of employee share ownership and participation. The 2026 event is free for IPSA members and can be booked using the link provided to each company’s IPSA liaison. Places are limited and early booking is recommended.
About the speaker
Oliver Browne is a Lecturer in Accounting at Cork University Business School, University College Cork. His research focuses on employee ownership, corporate governance, regulatory governance and supervisory practice.
He previously held the 2025 Patrick J. McGovern Fellowship at Rutgers University, New Jersey, studying agency costs in employee-owned firms. More recently, he has examined the motivations and challenges associated with employee ownership models in the UK. His work has been published in outlets including the British Journal of Management, JASIST and the International Review of Applied Economics.
