Dr Aidan Harney, Strategy Manager of Culture & OD at ESB, joins the judging panel for the HR Leadership & Management Awards 2026, bringing 25 years of expertise in organisational development, leadership psychology, and culture transformation at enterprise scale.

Holding a PhD in Leadership Psychology in Complexity and extensive coaching credentials, he brings research-informed perspective on how leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, develop capability, and create meaning within complex organisational contexts aligned to strategic purpose.

At ESB, Aidan shapes strategy around Culture, OD, and Future Capabilities, directing organisational development toward delivering a net carbon neutral, robust, and sustainable electrical system in Ireland by 2040. This role demands sophisticated integration of culture transformation, capability development, and strategic workforce planning aligned to long-term organisational purpose—a complexity reflective of contemporary HR leadership challenges.

His career spans Intel Corporation in multiple senior roles across Leadership Development, OD, Culture Change, and Strategic Workforce Planning at Irish, European, and Enterprise levels. This experience positions him to evaluate HR initiatives grounded in large-scale organisational realities, where culture and capability must translate to business performance and strategic execution.

His academic credentials include a PhD in Leadership Psychology in Complexity from Munster Technological University, exploring what distinguishes exceptional leaders in uncertain, fast-moving contexts. Combined with Master's in Business Studies from DCU and Higher Diploma in OD from CIPD, this education grounds him in both research rigour and applied OD practice.

Previously, Aidan served as Director of Continuing Professional Development at Engineers Ireland, managing employer accreditation programmes validating quality systems and processes for talent and organisational development. Over 20 years of mentoring and coaching, with EMCC accreditation as Individual Coach & Mentor and Team Coach Practitioner, reflects commitment to capability development across organisational levels.

As an awards judge, Aidan evaluates submissions through the lens of complexity leadership, meaning-making, and strategic OD capability. His assessment focuses on initiatives demonstrating authentic culture transformation, integration of learning and capability development, and alignment between people strategy and organisational purpose.

His involvement strengthens the judging panel's evaluation of entries across culture, leadership development, capability building, and organisational excellence categories, where sense-making within complexity represents a critical differentiator for sustainable organisational performance.

Organisations preparing for the ceremony should ensure their HR and culture initiatives demonstrate authentic transformation, capability development grounded in purpose, and leadership that enables teams to navigate complexity. Dr Aidan Harney's presence on the judging panel signals the awards' commitment to recognising culture and OD excellence that supports strategic purpose and sustainable organisational performance.

Visit the official HR Leadership & Management Awards website to view award categories and the shortlist to explore finalists by category. Subscribe to the newsletter for ceremony updates, finalist spotlights, and exclusive event coverage.