The Irish Management Institute (IMI) has appointed the managing director of Microsoft Ireland, Joe Macri, and the managing director of Hewlett Packard (HP) Ireland, Martin Murphy, to its board.

Seán Gorman, secretary general at the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, Danuta Gray, chief executive of O2 Ireland, and AIB chief executive Eugene Sheehy have been appointed to the institute council's, the IMI announced yesterday.

IMI chairman Chris Horn said the institute was proud to have a board and council that included top-level executives from a range of sectors. Dr Horn said the IMI would rely on the guidance of its board and council to improve the world ranking of its Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree at Trinity.

As Microsoft Ireland managing director, Mr Macri is responsible for the corporation's business in the Republic and Northern Ireland. He is chairman of the Small Business Forum and a board member of the Health Service Executive.