Professor Olive McCarthy, BComm, MSc, PhD, joined the Department of Food Business and Development and the Centre for Co-operative Studies at Cork University Business School, University College Cork in 1996. She teaches and conducts research on co-operative businesses of all types and is particularly well-known for her research work with credit unions and her interests in financial inclusion more generally, including moneylending and the importance of access to and acceptance of cash. She has published widely and the outputs of this research have had a direct and demonstrable impact on changing legislation, influencing government policy and supporting credit union governance and practice. She is a regular contributor to national and international media interviews, blogs and podcasts and won the UCC Research Communicator Award 2023, a Cork University Business School (CUBS) Research Impact Award in 2021 and 2024 and a CUBS Research Excellence Award in 2024. Across her career she has been PI, co-PI or team member on national and international funded research projects and seed finance to a total value of €6 million. Olive was appointed to the statutory Credit Union Advisory Committee (CUAC) by the Minister for Finance, in September 2018, having previously served on the CUAC from 2005 to 2009, and was reappointed for a further 3 year term in September 2021 and a further 1 year term in December 2024. She was also appointed to the CIRIEC International Scientific Commission in 2018 and to the Research Advisory Board of the Swoboda Research Centre in 2017. She is deputy editor (for Ireland) of the Journal of Co-operative Studies and holds positions on the editorial boards of several other academic journals. Olive is keenly interested in inclusive learning and teaching and has extensive experience in innovative new programme development. She has won several awards for teaching excellence and has been highly successful in securing industry funded full scholarships to support postgraduate students on the MSc in Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives.

Key words: Credit unions; Co-operatives; Micro-credit; Financial inclusion;