The RCSI announces the election of Professor John Hyland as the 170th President of the College. Professor Hyland takes up office following the College's biennial Council Elections. He replaces outgoing President, Mr Declan J. Magee. Mr Kenneth Mealy, a Consultant General Surgeon with a special interest in gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, based at Wexford General Hospital, has been appointed as the new Vice-President.

A native of Dublin, Professor Hyland is a graduate of University College Dublin. He trained in surgery in Ireland and at the University of Liverpool in the UK and Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, USA. He became a Fellow of RCSI in 1976 and was awarded MCh by thesis in 1979. He was appointed as a Lecturer in Surgery at RCSI in 1981 and subsequently took up post as Consultant General/Colorectal Surgeon at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin in 1982.

A Professor of Clinical Surgery at UCD, Professor Hyland has been a Member of the Council of RCSI since 2002. His clinical interests are broad with a sub-speciality interest in coloproctology. His laboratory and clinical research interests are focussed on inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. He has chaired numerous major committees of the organisation, spanning governance of surgical practice and training, as well as the broader College remit, including the Finance Committee, Audit Committee, College Committee, and BST and HST Committees.

Professor Hyland has a longstanding involvement in undergraduate and postgraduate education and training and is Chair of RCSI's Court of Examiners and was a past Examiner for both FRCSI and Intercollegiate Fellowship in General Surgery. He is a member of the RCSI College Board, RCSI Medical and Health Sciences Board, Irish Surgical Postgraduate Training Committee, RCSI Surgical Affairs Committee and Postgraduate Surgery and Faculties Board. 

He is Past-President of the Irish Society of Gastroenterology, Past-President of Irish Surgical Travellers and Past-President of the Irish Association of Coloproctology. His previous international roles have included President and Chair of International Tripartite Colorectal; President of the Association of Coloproctology Great Britain and Ireland; Member of the Specialist Advisory Committee on General Surgery, Representative on UEMS; Member of the European Board of Surgery and he is currently a Member of the European Society of Coloproctology.

Speaking on his appointment, Professor Hyland said: "I am greatly honoured to be elected President of RCSI, and I look forward to leading the College over the next two years. During these challenging times for our health system, RCSI will play a central role as we position the College as a key driver in the delivery of a truly patient-centred service, as it continues to work with the HSE and Department of Health. The successful development of RCSI's new Health Outcomes Research Centre and refocussing of the Institute of Leadership will be pivotal in achieving this goal."

"My term in office will see the completion of RCSI's €80 million teaching facility on York Street, which reinforces RCSI's commitment to being at the forefront of educating healthcare professionals as it has done since 1784, by providing state-of-the-art training facilities for our students and postgraduate trainees."

"I will continue the work, already begun, of active engagement with our surgical Fellows and Members, both here and overseas, to build a strong, inclusive and relevant College," Professor Hyland concluded.

The 2016-2018 Council comprises the following members:

• President: Professor John Hyland
• Vice-President: Mr Kenneth Mealy

Council (in order of year of Fellowship):

• Professor W Arthur Tanner
• Mr Declan J. Magee
• Professor Patrick Broe
• Mr Parnell Keeling
• Mr Kevin O'Malley
• Mr James Geraghty
• Mr Paul Burke
• Mr Joseph O'Beirne
• Professor Patrick Ronan O'Connell
• Mr Michael E. O'Sullivan
• Mr David Quinlan
• Professor Kevin Conlon
• Mr David Moore
• Professor K. Simon Cross
• Professor Laura Viani
• Professor Michael Kerin
• Ms Camilla Carroll
• Ms Bridget Egan
• Ms Deborah McNamara