Tom Arnold (economist)

Tom Arnold is an Irish economist who was Chief Executive Officer of Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian relief and development organisation, until 28th February 2013, when he became Chair of the Convention of the Irish Constitution.

Arnold is a graduate in agricultural economics from University College Dublin and has masters degrees in business administration and strategic management from the Catholic University of Louvain and Trinity College Dublin respectively.

Arnold worked with the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food, as Chief Economist (1988 to 1993) and as Assistant Secretary General (1993 to 2001). He was responsible for finance, audit and accounts, and led a major programme involving the certification of the department as an EU Paying Agency, responsible for accounting of €2 billion annually.

During this time he was also:

• Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Committee of Agriculture from 1993 to 1998
• Chair of the Working Group on Agricultural Policies and Markets from 1990 to 1993
• Chair of EuronAid, a network of European NGOs involved in distributing food aid, from 1992 to 1996
• Chair of the Irish Council of the European Movement from 1991 to 1993

Arnold was appointed CEO of Concern Worldwide in October 2001.

His other engagements have included:

• Chair, Irish Times Trust, 2012, Governor, 2008 and member of Irish Times Board 2010.
• Member of Lead Group of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, April 2012.
• Board Member of Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice (MRFCJ), 2010.
• Member of External Advisory Board of UCD's Institute of Food and Health, 2011.
• Member of the Consortium Board of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, 2010
• Member of Irish government’s Commission on Taxation from 2008 to 2009
• Member of Advisory Board for the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund from 2006 to 2009
• Member of Irish government’s Hunger Task Force from 2007 to 2008
• Member of UN Millennium Project’s Hunger Task Force from 2003 to 2005
• Member of the International Food Policy Research Institute’s 2020 Advisory Council since 2006
• Chair of European Food Security Group, a network of European NGOs, from 2005 to 2010
• Vice-chair of Trans Atlantic Food Aid Dialogue, an alliance of European, US and Canadian NGOs, 2006 to 2010

In October 2012 the Taoiseach (head of government or prime minister of Ireland) and Tanáiste (the second-most senior officer in the Government of Ireland) announced the appointment of Tom Arnold as Chairperson of the Convention on the Irish Constitution.

Tom Arnold was one of a handful of distinguished Irish people to receive honorary doctorates from the National University of Ireland in 2009. He has also received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from University College Dublin.

In 2011 he received the International Ellis Island Medal of Honor in respect for his many humanitarian activities. Only one international Medal is awarded each year.