From the beginning, she has been responsible for the design, development, and
co-ordination of The Blue MBA. On behalf of CBS, she has a fundamental role in
building global relationships and networks within the maritime industry. She
also promotes research identifying challenges and future issues for the
maritime industry as a whole.  She is a member of many international
boards and committees.  Based on her extensive international network and
experience, she has been entrusted with major roles in varied maritime-related
activities and speaks at leading maritime events.  

From 2004 to 2010 Irene was Director of the Doctor of Business Administration programme. She is involved in several maritime-related research undertakings and research-based conferences where she draws on expertise from her wide maritime connections, both in terms of academic and industry input. 

Since 2013 she has been an evaluator for the Association of MBAs (AMBA), which is described as representing “the highest standard of achievement in postgraduate
business education.” In 2014 joined the Board of Advisors for the Panama
Maritime. From 2017 to 2022 she was a member of an EU expert group for the
motorways of the seas. She is also the Director for the Blue Board Leadership
Programme which was established in 2022.  She is a Member of the Executive
Offshore Wind MBA Programme at the Gdynia Maritime University, and a member of
the MBA Industry Advisory Board for the School of Management in the Faculty of
Management, Law, and Social Sciences at the University of Bradford (UK).  She achieved No. 1 place for the top 100 women in the shipping industry for two consecutive years:
2020 and 2021.