Dr Olive McCarthy

Biography

Olive McCarthy is a professor in the Department of Food Business and Development and a senior researcher with the Centre for Co-operative Studies at UCC. She graduated with a BComm in 1994, an MSc in 1996 and a PhD in 2005. Although she teaches and conducts research on co-operative businesses of all types, she is best 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 UCC Research Communicator of the Year 2023 and a CUBS Research Impact Award in 2024. 

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 2 further terms from 2021 to 2025. 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. She has secured in the region of €6 million in funding across research projects and seed finance. 

Olive is keenly interested in inclusive learning and teaching and has extensive experience in leading 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. She holds a PG Cert and a PG Dip in Teaching and Learning and chairs the university’s Academic Council Learning and Teaching Committee. She won the College of Business and Law Leadership Award in 2024. She is the academic co-director of the MSc in Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-operatives which was awarded Best Masters 2024 by The Education Awards.