Prof. Ciarán Ó Catháin is the Chief Executive Officer at Bahrain Polytechnic. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology and holds a Doctorate in Management from the University of Ulster. He is a visiting professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing. He also holds honorary professorships at both Beijing Union University and Beijing Information Science and Technology University.

Prof. Ó Catháin has spent his career in numerous leadership roles across academia, tourism, and sport at a local, national, and regional level. He was notably the former President of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), where he presided over the instrumental development of the institute over the past 21 years. During his tenure as President, he transformed AIT from a fledgling RTC to Ireland’s leading institute of technology which now welcomes students from 84 nations worldwide. Additionally, he is former Chairman of the Technological Higher Education Association, former President of Athletics Irelands and former member of the executive board of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

Committed to the value of regional development, Prof. Ó Catháin has championed the Midlands’ commercial, social and cultural development. He was Midlands Gateway Ambassador in 2012 and served as President of the Midlands Gateway Chamber for the towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar in 2008-2009.