The Journey Forward - Shared Island Leadership Forum

The fourth and final Shared Island Leadership Forum took place on 23 January 2026 at the Salesforce Tower in Dublin, marking the conclusion of this inaugural programme. A big thank you to Salesforce for the use of their very impressive community space.

The final session focused on Impact, AI Ethics and Human‑Centric Leadership, bringing together leaders from across Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore how judgement, trust and human connection can be sustained in an increasingly automated, data‑driven world. 

Throughout the day, presentations, workshops and panel discussions invited delegates to look beyond tools and frameworks and reflect instead on the leadership choices that shape what organisations and their stakeholders value and measure in practice. Leadership as a human responsibility, requiring ethical judgement, empathy and courage alongside data, systems and metrics, was a core theme.

The programme also created space to reflect on AI and emerging technologies, not as technical challenges but as leadership and governance questions. 

As the programme concluded, delegates shared their reflections on the value of cross‑border connection, trust and peer learning.  Much of the feedback throughout the programme centred on the valuable relationships formed and on the platform this programme has built for future and more strategic collaboration. 

We have commissioned an Impact & Evaluation report to submit to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who funded this programme. Delegates and organisers alike expressed a strong need for this pioneering initiative, which has already created a vibrant network of sector leaders across the island, to continue and expand in the future.  

On behalf of Cii and CO3, we'd like to thank the delegates, speakers, panellists and the teams from both partner organisations for their meaningful contributions which made the programme such a success. 

Charities Institute Shared Island Session 4 photo album on Flickr