After attaining her Bachelor of Commerce (International) degree from University College Dublin, Clare went on to work at Unilever and Boston Consulting Group before spending 10 years at eBay, latterly as VP UK / Greater Europe.

She was appointed CEO of Trainline in June 2014 and has since led a period of rapid growth and expansion across Europe and into Asia.  Trainline now partners with more than 200 train and coach companies, helping customers around world travel in and across 45 countries all in one simple app.  She has also led increased focus in mobile and AI innovation, strengthening Trainline’s data science team and investing in app features to make travel as easy and friction free as possible. 

Clare was ranked amongst ‘Europe’s Top 40 under 40’ leaders in 2012, and in 2018 she was highlighted as one of 50 inspiring women in tech shaping the future.   She is an active mentor in the tech and small business space, and a regular speaker in schools promoting the study of STEM subjects, especially amongst girls.

Clare is married and lives in London with her husband and 3 children.

Padraic Ward is Head of Commercial Operations for Roche Pharma Europe.  Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Founded in 1896, and based in Basel, Switzerland, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society.

Padraic joined the then Coras Tráchtála (CTT) / Irish Export Board as a Graduate Trainee following graduation from UCD in 1986.  After a short stint in the Paris office, he moved to London to join Omega Partners, a strategy consultancy focusing on projects in industrial and distribution sectors, primarily in Europe, North America and Asia.

In 1994, Padraic joined the R&D unit of Glaxo, working on the launches of new medicines for infectious diseases, particularly HIV and viral hepatitis, first in London and then at the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.  He then spent 6 years as Commercial Strategy Director in GlaxoWellcome’s Latin America Regional Office in Rio de Janeiro.

Padraic joined Roche in 2004, initially to run the hospital medicines unit in Portugal, and then as Head of the Oncology team at Roche Italy. Between 2011 and 2015, Padraic was based in San Francisco, initially leading a team bringing a new medicine for breast cancer through the final stages of its R&D programme and regulatory approval worldwide, and then as VP of Global Product Strategy for Breast Cancer, before moving to Paris as General Manager of Roche France.  He has been leading the Roche pharma operations across Europe since the summer of 2017.

Padraic was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin in 1986 and an MBA from INSEAD in 1993.

Rory Byrne is Chief Executive Officer of Total Produce Plc. Listed on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges, Total Produce is one of the world’s largest and most accomplished fresh produce providers and Europe’s market leader. Operating out of 23 countries while serving many more, Total Produce‘s global infrastructure of over 120 facilities extends across Europe, India and North America. Growing, sourcing, importing, packaging, marketing and distributing over 300 lines of fresh produce, Total Produce’s turnover is over €3.5bn with the group employing over 5,500 people.

Rory joined PWC in 1980 before moving to KPMG in 1984 to participate in their international development program and spent two years in the United States and two more as a manager in their Dublin office. In 1988 he joined Fyffes plc. Rory has since garnered extensive experience across the global fresh produce industry, having held a number of senior positions within Fyffes including Finance Director of the Group’s UK business and Managing Director of its Spanish operations. In 2002 he was appointed Managing Director of the Fyffes Plc General Produce division before assuming the position of Executive Director in 2006.

With the formation of Total Produce plc on demerger from Fyffes in January 2007, Rory was appointed the group’s Chief Executive Officer. Over the subsequent ten years the group has doubled its size to become one of the world’s largest fresh produce company’s extending its geographic reach into India, Brazil and North America With a demonstrable track record in successful acquisition led expansion, Rory’s managerial philosophy is predicated on the conviction that, in bringing together the collective resources and core competencies of diverse companies worldwide, the global consumer can best be served- with empowered local management delivering the best of both worlds; the resources of a global multi-national alongside the local experience of on-the ground experts in key markets globally.

Rory was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin in 1980 and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. In 2001 he was appointed Honorary Consul General for Ireland for the regions of Castellon, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia in Spain.

Ciaran Murray is Chief Executive Officer of ICON plc, a global leader in clinical research and one of Ireland’s most successful indigenous companies. Founded and headquartered in Dublin in 1990, ICON employs 12,000 people worldwide in 40 countries and counts all of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies amongst its customers. The company is listed on the NASDAQ market and has a market capitalisation of circa $4.3B.

Ciaran is an executive with 30 years of leadership experience forged from a career spent operating in global markets in high-growth entrepreneurial companies and blue-chip multi-nationals, including PwC, Kraft Foods, Novell Inc., Northern Foods and Codec Systems.

Ciaran joined ICON as Chief Financial Officer in 2005 and served in that capacity until his appointment as Chief Executive in 2011. Since becoming CEO, Ciaran has led ICON to record levels of growth and has helped forge ICON’s reputation as an industry innovator and expert in transforming pharma R&D through strategic partnerships and alliances.

Ciaran has also played a leadership role in advocating for safe, ethical, high-quality clinical research through his 2014 Chairmanship of the Association of Clinical Research Organisations (ACRO).  ACRO represents the CRO industry globally to key stakeholders including pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, regulators, legislators and patient groups. In 2014 Ciaran was named a leader in CRO Innovation by PharmaVOICE100, a global listing of the most influential people in the biopharma industry.

Ciaran holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from UCD in 2013 for his support of third level research and innovation in Ireland.

Breege is currently Board Member & Group Director, Business Development & New Markets at Penneys / Primark. During her 35 year career, Breege has been directly involved in the transformation of the business from a small Irish retailer to an international fashion brand with annual sales of £4.95 billion – enjoying No. 1 volume market share in Ireland, UK, Spain and Portugal.

Starting out, Breege began her career overseas, undertaking Hotel Management training in Switzerland and Germany, following an appointment with the Great Southern Hotel Group.

Through her career Breege has always placed a premium on education, having undertaken a B.Comm in UCD and several short courses, including at Cornell University and Harvard Business School.

Breege joined Penneys / Primark in 1979 as a HR executive, tasked with building the company’s HR department. In 1988, Breege was appointed to the Primark Board and is also a Trustee of the Primark Better Lives Foundation.  In her role as Board member, Breege assisted in the Primark impressive growth trajectory, taking the company from 17 stores to 287, across 9 markets. Firmly established throughout Europe, Primark has more ambitious plans, setting its sights on the US market in which Breege is now instrumental in leading Primark’s entry into this market.

Outside of her work at Primark, Breege has a busy schedule, which includes having held government appointed positions on the board of a number of state companies including An Post, Aer Rianta and also as Chairman of Shannon College of Hotel Management.  She was a member of the Board of Governors of NUI in Maynooth, its Foundation, has been on the Advisory Council at DCU, served on UCD’s Presidents Committee, as well as the Disputes Resolution Committee and the HR Strategy Group. Breege is currently a Non-Executive Director at C&C Group plc and also Chair of the Labour Relations Commission.

Most recently, Breege was honoured with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year Awards ceremony and received the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Business Award in 2011

Aidan Brady has worked for Citi for 30 years and has served as the Citi Country Officer for Citi in Ireland for over 20 years and is Citi’s longest serving Country Head.

He has overseen the growth of the Ireland franchise from a branch office to a regional product, operations and client services centre, a centre of excellence for technology development and engineering and a regional bank headquarters. Citi now employs 2,500 people.

He is also Chief Executive Officer of the Irish regulated bank, Citibank Europe plc. It is one of Citi’s major legal vehicles in the EMEA region with branches in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Bulgaria with over 4,500 employees.

Between 2007 and 2013 Aidan was responsible for Citi’s Transaction Services product business, firstly in Western Europe and then EMEA, which spans over 55 countries.

Aidan began his career with Citi in 1985 in Corporate Finance, was Country Treasurer and Corporate Bank Head before being appointed Citi Country Officer in 1992. He was instrumental in the creation of the first R&D centre for a financial services company in Ireland – the Citi Innovation Lab - which has now been replicated in other Citi locations around the world.

Prior to joining Citi, Aidan began his career in financial services with ICC Bank. He trained with KPMG and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980. He graduated from University College Dublin with a BComm in 1975.

Aidan is a former President of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland.  He was also the founding Chairman of the Federation of International Banks in Ireland and served on the Government’s Innovation Task Force.

In his spare time, Aidan enjoys golfing, football and motorcycling. He is married to Liz and they have 2 children. 

Alan T. Ennis has served as Revlon’s President and Chief Executive Officer since April 2009 and has been a Director on the Company’s Board since March 2009. Mr. Ennis has focused on realizing the company’s vision of Glamour, Excitement and Innovation through High-quality Products at Affordable Prices and achieving the strategic goal of profitably growing the business through i) building Revlon’s strong brands; ii) developing Revlon’s organizational capability; iii) driving Revlon to act globally; iv) improving operating profit and cash flow; and v) improving Revlon’s capital structure. With annual net sales of $1.4 billion globally and 4,800 employees, Revlon, under his leadership, has generated top line growth, sustained highly competitive operating profit margins and delivered positive cash flow.

Prior to becoming President and CEO, Mr. Ennis served as President, Revlon International since May 2008 and as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2006. Named a “Top 40 financial executive under 40” by Treasury & Risk’s Management in 2008, Mr. Ennis executed two successful equity offerings strengthening the company’s capital structure and two organizational restructuring programs, resulting in permanent cost savings of $55 million. Prior to these roles, he served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Ennis joined Revlon in March 2005 as Senior Vice President, Internal Audit.

Prior to joining Revlon, Mr. Ennis held several senior positions with Ingersoll-Rand Company, a $10 billion leading global innovator and solutions provider. Mr. Ennis began his career in 1991 with Arthur Andersen in Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Ennis is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland; has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University College, Dublin, Ireland; and has a Master of Business Administration Degree from NYU Stern.

Mr. Ennis is on the Board of Directors of the Ireland - U.S. Council, which was founded in 1963 by Irish and US business leaders with the purpose of building business links between the US and Ireland. Mr. Ennis was 2011 Recipient of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Leadership Award.

In his spare time, Alan enjoys running, golf, and swimming. He resides in New Jersey with his wife Michelle and three young children.

Niall FitzGerald was, until the end of May 2011, the Deputy Chairman of Thomson Reuters, following the creation of the new company in April 2008. Prior to this he was the Chairman of Reuters from October 2004, having spent over thirty years with Unilever in a variety of commercial and financial jobs in several countries.

Niall joined the Boards of Unilever PLC and Unilever NV in 1987 and served respectively as Finance Director, Foods Director and Detergents Director until his appointment as Chairman and CEO in 1996, in which he continued until retiring in September 2004. During his Unilever career, he worked and lived in Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, the USA and the UK.

Niall joined the Board of Reuters as a non-executive director in 2003 and became Chairman in 2004. In April 2008 he became Deputy co-Chairman of the newly formed Thomson Reuters. In November 2008 he was appointed Chairman of Hakluyt & Co. Ltd and was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the British Museum in 2006. He is also a Trustee of the Leverhulme Trust. He is a Senior Advisor to Allen & Co.

Previous roles include Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum (1999-2011); Chairman of: The Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) (2005-2010), The Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust (UK) (2004-2008); The International Business Council of the World Economic Forum (2006-08); The Conference Board (2003-2005). Co-Chairman of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) (2004-2005). Non-executive director of: Merck (2000-2003); Ericsson (2000-2002); Bank of Ireland (1990-1999); Prudential Corporation (1992-1999). President of the Advertising Association (2000-2005). Member of: the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University; President of South Africa’s International Investment Advisory Council; International Advisory Board of the Council on Foreign Relations; Kok Commission on the Lisbon Agenda; Accounting Standards Review Committee; International Policy Council for Agriculture and Trade. Chairman of the CBI Europe Committee.

Niall was awarded an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire in 2002, and holds a number of Honorary Doctorates from American, British and Irish universities.

Niall is a graduate of University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Senator Feargal Quinn has had a career in both business and public service. He is the founder of Superquinn supermarket chain, of which he remains non-executive president after his family sold out their interest in August 2005. He became the chairman of the Interim Board for Posts and served as chairman of its successor An Post (the Irish postal administration) until 1989 - he also served on several other public authorities and boards. From 1993 to 1998, he chaired the steering committee which oversaw the development of the Leaving Certificate Applied version. He currently chairs the IBEC-sponsored business committee on better regulation, Sensible Rules. In 2006 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor in Marketing at National University of Ireland, Galway.

He is a former President of EuroCommerce the Brussel-based organisation which represents the retail, wholesale and international trade sectors in Europe. Its membership includes over 100 commerce federations in 27 European countries, European and national associations representing specific branches of commerce and many companies. Also he serves on the board of directors of CIES – the Food Business Forum based in Paris as well as the American-based Food Marketing Institute.

Quinn was first elected as a senator in 1993 from the National University of Ireland constituency and was re-elected in 1997, 2002 and 2007. He is a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, the Joint Committee on Finance and Public Service and is an Oireachtas member of the National Economic and Social Forum.

A founding Director and shareholder of the Company, Aidan Heavey has played a key role in the development of Tullow from its formation in 1985, to its current international status as a leading independent oil and gas exploration and production group.

A BComm graduate and Chartered Accountant, he previously held roles in the airline and engineering sectors in Ireland. Aidan is a director of Traidlinks, an Irish-based charity established to develop and promote enterprise and diminish poverty in the developing world, particularly Africa.

Philip Berber graduated from University College Dublin with a BComm in 1979.

Philip then relocated to London where he held positions in the marketing departments of Ford, Avon Cosmetics and Bausch & Lomb. In 1988, Philip founded Financia, his first start-up which was bought in 1991 by Frontier Financial. In 1993, he joined GK Capital and then left to form his own company in 1995 called CyBerCorp, an electronic brokerage group. In March 2000, CyBerCorp sold for $488 million to the Charles Schwab organization. The sale allowed Philip to develop his plans for a new model of philanthropy and international aid. He and his wife Donna currently operate their own family foundation called A Glimmer of Hope. In Ethiopia, A Glimmer of Hope provides Humanitarian Aid and Microcredit initiatives.

Since 2001, A Glimmer of Hope has funded more than 3,000 projects and positively impacted the lives of more than 1.5 million people with its efforts in the areas of water & sanitation, education, health care, enterprise and agriculture.

Philip is also a very generous supporter of his alma mater and as he was a major donor to the UCD Quinn School of Business, the Berber Atrium is named in his honour. He also funds the Berber Family Chair of Entrepreneurship at UCD School of Business.

Tara McCarthy is the Chief Executive of Bord Bia and brings with her over 20 years' experience in the wider food industry. She was previously Chief Executive for Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland's seafood development agency. She has operated in overseas markets such as Germany, France and Belgium for over 10 years. Tara holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with an MBS in Marketing from Smurfit Business School, and is an affiliate of IMD Business School, Switzerland.

Tara succeeded in delivering a number of instrumental initiatives for the Irish Food Industry under the 'Pathways for Growth' programme, working in entrepreneurship and talent development. She was previously Director of the Food and Beverages Division in Bord Bia, and has led a team of senior executives on the development of the seafood, dairy, prepared foods, alcohol and small business sectors.

Tara was awarded Fellowship of the Marketing Institute of Ireland in September 2018.

Michael started his successful entrepreneurial journey surrounded by family who ran their own businesses. While attending Monaghan CBS, Michael achieved exemplary academic results, culminating in a scholarship to attend UCD, graduating with a BComm in 1974.  Michael subsequently received the Stokes Kennedy & Crowley scholarship to complete the UCD Smurfit MBS in 1975.

Michael honed his business acumen for building successful premium brands in the financial industry while working at PWC, ICC and Citibank. At Citibank Michael pioneered the introduction of commercial paper and interest rate swaps in Ireland. In 1987, Michael co-founded Gandon Securities, the first institution to get a licence to operate from the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Dublin.  

In 2000, with Michael as CEO, Gandon was acquired by Investec plc, an international specialist bank on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchange, marking the beginning of Investec’s presence in Ireland. In 2012, as CEO of Investec Ireland, Michael led the successful acquisition of NCB, a leading wealth management firm and stockbroker, and has been the driving force of the group’s continued expansion and success. Michael also served as a non-executive director of the Irish Stock Exchange.

Michael has two Ulster medals in Athletics and a deep passion for sports.  He has had the privilege of supporting a number of notable Irish sports professionals, such as Paul McGinley, Johnny Sexton, Stephanie Meadow and Monaghan GAA as business entrepreneurial brand ambassadors. Michael with his wife Marian Cassidy from Clones, have four grown up children, David, Gavin, Conor and Aisling, who are also graduates of UCD.

Stephen Kavanagh was appointed Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Aer Lingus on 1st March 2015. Mr Kavanagh joined Aer Lingus and undertook a variety of roles in operational and commercial departments culminating in his appointment as a member of the executive in 2006. As Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen led the re-positioning of the airline’s network strategy, which transformed Aer Lingus’s transatlantic business, significantly expanded the network reach and underpinned the growth in profitability that Aer Lingus has enjoyed over the last six years.

Stephen’s leadership of Aer Lingus within IAG continues to focus on bringing consistent and affordable product to market that is driven by the voice of its guests.

Stephen is a graduate of University College Dublin. He was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1990 and subsequently completed a post graduate degree in Business Studies receiving a Master of Business Studies degree in 1991.

Stephen lives in Dublin with his partner Clodagh and their two sons.

Julie knew from an early age that she wanted to work in the pharmaceuticals industry. She spent countless hours in the pharmacy of a family friend as a child, curious to learn about the business and fascinated by all elements of the apothecary including the distinctive scent of the shop. Since then, Julie has acquired a tremendous track record in global pharmaceuticals and is passionate about her patient-focused work. Julie is Executive Vice President, Global Operations for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, leading technical, quality, manufacturing and supply chain activities since 2014.

A native of Ireland, Julie earned a B.Sc. (Pharmacy) degree from Trinity College and an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Julie was then recognised as a Chartered Director by the Institute of Directors, the UK’s leading business network, after meeting its high professional threshold and completing a course of study prescribed by the organisation.

Having started her career in 1990, Julie defined her expertise in the areas of operations, plant management and quality assurance while working for Helsinn Birex Pharmaceutical Limited and Burnil Pharmacies Limited before joining Gilead Sciences in 1997. During her 17-year tenure at Gilead, Julie served as General Manager & Senior Plant Director; General Manager & Vice President Operations; and Senior Vice President, Global Operations & General Manager, Ireland.

Outside of her corporate work, Julie holds various national leadership positions. She is currently Chairwoman and Member of the Board of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), having served in this capacity since 2013. Julie is the former President of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC); she was the first female to hold this position, the first pharmaceutical executive, and one of the youngest persons to be elected.

Julie is also a Board Member of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), the American Chamber of Commerce of Ireland, and Crann, the Trinity College-based Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices. Julie has also taken time to serve on the governing body of University College Cork and the Research Institute Board of the School's Conway Institute. She was also the former Chairperson of PharmaChemical Ireland, the nation's pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturer's industry organisation.

Most recently, Julie was recognised and honoured by the Irish Independent as the 16th most influential and powerful women in business in 2014.

Gordon has had a distinguished career in the global Food, Commodities and Beverage (Wine & Spirits) industries, with extensive global business experience, gained in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Southern Africa. He has lived in Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Australia and the USA, speaks three languages (English, French & German) and has spent his career in complex, multi-cultural environments. Gordon has extensive experience of building businesses and relationships in over 30 countries in all regions of the world.

Gordon currently serves as Managing Director, Bunge Food & Ingredients since July 2011 and is a Member of the Executive Committee and an Officer of Bunge Ltd – a NYSE listed global Agrifood company, with revenues of US$64 billion.

Bunge Food & Ingredients (one of three global businesses within Bunge) has revenues of US$11 billion, 12,000 associates and operations in over 27 countries throughout North & South America, Europe & Asia,. Gordon leads the global performance and strategic development of the Food & Ingredients business. Since 2013, he has also led the global Operational Excellence program for Bunge Ltd overall.

Gordon has extensive executive public company experience in Europe, Australasia and North America (Pernod Ricard, Fosters Group, Goodman Fielder & Bunge Ltd), having served in Executive Director and CEO roles.

From 2003 to 2009, Gordon was CEO Goodman Fielder Bakery Group, Australasia’s largest bakery largest business. In December 2005, Gordon co-led the IPO of Goodman Fielder Ltd on the Australian Stock Exchange to become Australasia’s largest listed Food Company.

Prior to emigrating to Australia in 1999, Gordon was Regional Director for the Americas & Asia Pacific Regions at Pernod Ricard Irish Distillers, where he successfully led the development of Jameson Irish Whiskey in those markets.

Gordon established Morningside Partners in 2009 in Australia as an M&A Advisory office focused on PE supported management buy-ins, working in conjunction with global and Australasian PE funds.

He currently serves as a Member of the Supervisory Board of Zaklady Tluszcowe Kruszwica, a leading Oilseeds processor in Poland which is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Bunge Ltd is a strategic shareholder in this company.

Gordon serves as a Director on the North American Advisory Board of the Smurfit Graduate School of Business University College Dublin, Ireland.

From 2005 – 2009, Gordon served on the Board of Directors of Foodbank New South Wales. During that period, Gordon mentored management through the establishment of a daily fresh supply chain that transformed Foodbank Australia’s national reach and effectiveness in under-privileged communities throughout Australia. As Chair of the Risk Committee, he oversaw the development of robust risk management policies and processes.

Gordon is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and is also a Member of the National Association of Company Directors (USA)

Education

Gordon holds an MBA from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin; a B.A (Hons) in Languages and Psychology and Higher Diploma in Education from University College Cork; and has completed the Advanced Management Programme and the AVIRA CEO Programme at INSEAD. He has also attended the Agribusiness Program at Harvard Business School.

Awards

In October 2013, Gordon was named Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin, Honoree of the Year 2014.

In November 2013, Gordon was nominated in the Irish America Magazine Business Top 100

In 2007, he was the recipient of the annual Foodbank Australia Innovation Award for his efforts in assisting Foodbank Australia to develop more effective distribution systems to better service under-privileged communities across Australia.

Gordon resides in New York City, with his wife, Rachel Murray, and their two younger children and holds Irish and Australian citizenship. He has a deep passion for football (soccer) and is a lifelong supporter of Celtic Football Club.

Siobhán Talbot was appointed as Glanbia Group Managing Director in November 2013. During her 22 career with the Group Siobhán has been directly involved in many of the significant developments within the business and in particular in the strategic transformation of the Group to a leading global performance nutrition and ingredients business over the last decade.

Siobhán Talbot graduated from University College Dublin with a BComm in 1984 and Diploma in Professional Accounting in 1985. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Prior to joining Glanbia, she worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin and Sydney, Australia.

Siobhan was appointed as Glanbia Group Managing Director in November 2013- having been announced as Group Managing Director Designate in May 2013.

Siobhan joined Waterford Foods as an Accountant in 1992. (Waterford Foods subsequently merged with Avonmore Foods in 1997 to form Glanbia). She was appointed to the Glanbia Group Operating Executive in 2000 and was appointed Group Finance Director and to the Board of Glanbia in 2009 where her role encompassed responsibility for Group strategic planning until the end of 2012.

Siobhan is married to Billy and they have two teenage children – Thomas and Alice. When she isn't acting as chauffer to her busy children, who are both involved in sports, she likes to spend time reading and gardening at the family home in South Kilkenny.

Founder of the not-for-profit organisation Kanchi and its pioneering social franchise The Ability Awards, serial social entrepreneur Caroline Casey is driving societal change aimed at nothing less than a complete reframing of disability. Central to her and Kanchi’s approach is the idea that as a powerful, all-pervasive influence in society, business can lead this change – and lead it well. And where business succeeds, Caroline believes, the rest of society will naturally follow. It’s just a question of harnessing and channelling that influence in the right way.

How Kanchi Began
For Caroline, ‘the right way’ meant leaving her position as a management consultant with Accenture in 2000, trekking 1,000 km across India on an elephant (she may be the only white woman who is also a mahout) and founding Kanchi, which she named after that elephant. She had a clear vision for the organisation: to create an inclusive world for people with disabilities by engaging the business and media worlds on their own terms and using language and methodologies they could understand and adopt easily. Kanchi’s work is helping to shift the focus from what people with disabilities cannot do, to what they can do – as customers, clients, colleagues and employees. As Caroline says, “society needs to move from models of charity, deficit and dependency to a market-driven approach based on ability, value and contribution.” And she knows what she is talking about; Caroline is visually impaired to the degree she is registered legally blind, but has never seen or experienced it as a limitation. Her work with Kanchi has brought her international recognition for her innovative, people-centred approach to changing mindsets and behaviours around disability, and she is in demand at home and abroad for her motivational public speaking and, in Ireland, as a board member for government, business and not-for-profit organisations.

What Kanchi does
The spirit of inclusiveness and determination so evident in Caroline also drives Kanchi, which designs innovative products and initiatives centred around the Disability Business Case: the idea that organisations that are ‘disability confident’ – that place disability at the heart of their diversity agenda – add clear value to their employees, business and customers and, in subtle but powerful ways, to the communities around those organisations: business and society become more inclusive. This idea has placed Kanchi at the head of a global business movement that is driving change at all levels of the business world. Core to its success is a multi-stakeholder approach designed to engage the kind of top-level leadership that is so critical for long-term change. To attract and motivate businesses at this level, Caroline devised The Ability Awards to build awareness of the Disability Business Case and formally recognise the efforts of organisations striving to demonstrate best practice in this developing area. The Awards have created a standard, the Kanchi Standard, that is capable of being replicated across the business community. Their huge success in Ireland means that they are now being rolled out internationally, initially – and to huge acclaim – in Spain, with Kanchi’s partner, the communications giant Telefonica.

Public speaking
Caroline’s success and vision have seen her win many accolades. She was the first Irish person to be appointed a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. She is also an Ashoka Fellow and an Eisenhower Fellow, and holds an honorary doctorate from National University Ireland. Currently she sits on the board of a number of media and charity organisations in Ireland. She is also co-founder of British conservation charity Elephant Family, which promotes habitat conservation for the Asian elephant.

Caroline’s energy and enthusiasm have made her a sought-after public speaker. She has become a well-known figure in the Irish media world and has also travelled the globe to speak on her leadership work at prestigious events and forums including the Global Competitiveness Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative, Davos and the TED Talks. She also speaks at corporate events around the world on areas such as leadership, management, motivational and social entrepreneurship. Her humour, passion and humanity mean she is always worth hearing.

Colm Lyon is the founder and CEO of Realex Payments (www.realexpayments.com). Since starting Realex Payments in 2000, Colm has led the business to its current position as a one of Europe’s largest and most successful online payments business. Realex Payments processes payments for businesses selling online – among its 5,000 clients are some of the world’s leading international brands – Virgin Atlantic, AA, Vodafone, Motor Tax, Aer Lingus, notonthehighstreet.com, Paddy Power. Its clients are located across 30 countries. The business has over 100 staff in three offices (Dublin, London and Paris), turns over €9m euro per annum and processes in excess of €12bn in payments annually.

In 2009, Colm started a new payments business – carapay (www.carapay.com), with an ambition to be a new and major payment businesses in the clearing systems. The company is one of the first to be awarded a licence under the Payment Service Directive (PSD) and it plans is to make consumer and business payment accounts accessible, mobile, more secure and less expensive.

Colm has worked in financial services related businesses for over twenty five years, starting with fourteen years in the banking sector. He is a regular speaker at payments and internet industry events across Europe and frequently commentates for press as a payments and internet industry expert and visionary about the future of money.

Colm is passionate about business, start-ups and in particular internet businesses. In 2009 he founded the “Internet Growth Alliance”, a business led initiative to support the international growth ambitions of Irish Internet businesses. This led to the creation of the highly acclaimed Enterprise Ireland iGAP development.

Over the past decade, Colm has received numerous accolades acknowledging his contribution to the internet industry including;

December 2011 – awarded the Software Industry Person of the Year award at a gala ceremony and dinner, hosted by the Irish Software Association
In November 2011 - awarded the ‘Business Person of the month’ accolade from Business & Finance Magazine for his work with Realex Payments and a recent announcement to create an additional 50 jobs;
In September 2011 - received the prestigious Ruban d’Honneur in round two of the European Business Awards which promote excellence, best practice and innovation in the European business community. Represented Ireland at the finals in Barcelona.
In 2009 – acclaimed as the “Internet Hero” at the Eircom Golden Spiders Awards for his contribution to the Irish Internet Industry.
In 2007 - Colm was awarded lifetime membership to the Irish Internet Association in recognition of his contribution as Chairman of the association for four years;

In 2005 Colm was acclaimed and awarded for his leadership and entrepreneurial spirit when he was finalist of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Award.

Colm is a graduate of University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Management Science Degree. Over the past few years he has spent further time in Harvard and Stanford Business School with the Leadership 4 Growth programme.

Patrick Kennedy, aged 41, is Chief Executive of Paddy Power plc. He joined Paddy Power in an executive capacity in September 2005 and became Chief Executive on 1 January 2006. Patrick was already a Board member, having been appointed as a non-executive director in March 2004. He was previously Chief Financial Officer of Greencore Group plc, and prior to that was Group Development Director, with responsibility for group development and M&A. Before joining Greencore Patrick worked with KPMG Corporate Finance in Ireland and the Netherlands and as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company Management Consultants in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands. He is also a non-executive director of Elan Corporation plc and Bank of Ireland Group.

Michael started his ‘entrepreneurial’ life when he established Jacob Fruitfield, one of Ireland’s leading privately owned food businesses, after spending nearly 20 years as a senior manager in a number of multinational food companies in Ireland and the UK. He graduated with a B.Comm and Masters in Business Studies from UCD and is a fellow of the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

As well as being Chairman and majority shareholder of the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, Michael is also a Non-Exec Director of the Consumer Foods Board of Bord Bia, a Non-Exec Director of Traidlinks (an NGO set up by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs working in Sub Saharan Africa), Chairman of the board of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and Chairman of the Soul of Haiti Foundation.

Gina Quin graduated from UCD with an MBA in 1988 having graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1980. Gina started her career with Lansdowne Market Research as a qualitative researcher working closely with marketing professionals in the fmcg sector.

She then moved to the Irish Trade Board where she worked with a variety of companies on export market development in Europe and USA. Having completed her MBA, Gina joined the Rehab Group in 1989, working in marketing and sales management before taking on the role of CEO of Gandon Enterprises, the Commercial division of the Group.

In 2000 Gina was appointed CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the leading business organisation for companies in the greater Dublin area. With a brief to influence key decision makers and to connect businesses, Gina works closely with Government and business leaders, in addition to having strong international connections.

Gina has served on a number of boards including the Dublin Docklands Authority, Bord Bia, ICCL and has a strong commitment to volunteerism, including mentoring of current UCD MBA students

Tony Garry graduated from University College Dublin with an MBS degree in 1977 having graduated with a BComm in 1975.

Tony began his career in the Department of Labour in 1968 and moved to the Central Bank of Ireland in 1969. In 1975 he left the Public Service and moved to the private sector taking up a senior management role with Allied Irish Investment Bank. He became an Associate Director in 1976 and in 1979 he left AIB to join Davy.

In his earlier years in Davy, Tony worked on the Bond desk and was largely instrumental in sourcing European buyers of Irish Government Bonds at a time when the Irish government faced a significant challenge in funding its deficit. He was appointed Chief Executive in 1993 and led the team which completed the Management buyout from Bank of Ireland in October 2006.

Tony has maintained strong links with UCD and Smurfit School and is a past president of UCD Smurfit School Alumni Association. Davy runs a graduate recruitment programme every year and, in recent years, the majority of graduates recruited have been from Smurfit School. Tony is a non-executive director of Veris plc and the Irish Stock Exchange.

Liam FitzGerald graduated from University College Dublin with a BComm in 1986 and an MBS in 1987.

Liam started his career in the Jefferson Smurfit Group plc graduate programme. After a number of years in various divisions of the Smurfit Group, he spent a brief time in the advertising industry.

He joined United Drug in 1993 and had responsibility for the Contract Distribution Outsourcing (CDO) business before being appointed to the Board in 1996. In that year, Liam also took responsibility for expansion of the Company’s CDO business into the UK market. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the strategic decisions to move into the Contract Sales Outsourcing (CSO) business, both in Ireland and the UK, and to develop the Medical & Scientific (M&S) business division internationally.

In addition to his responsibilities in United Drug, Liam is a former chairman of The Marketing Society in Ireland. He is currently chairing a government initiated Forum to promote the development of trading and investment in developing countries.

Liam is a non-executive director of C&C plc and has been CEO of United drug plc since 2000.

Following a brief spell as a senior manager with the ACC, he was appointed Marketing Manager for Baileys Irish Cream in 1980. In 1987 he was appointed CEO and developed Baileys as one of the worlds top spirit brands.

He joined Baileys parent Grand Metropolitan plc as Vice-President for Europe in 1995 and was subsequently appointed President Grand Metropolitan with responsibility for its Asia-Pacific operations, a position he held from 1997-1998.

In 1998 he returned to Ireland and was appointed CEO of Glanbia plc, a position he held for three years until his retirement in 2001.

He is currently Chairman of Greencore Group plc, McInerney Holdings plc, The President’s Award Gaisce and the Pavilion Theatre and he is a non-executive director of Anglo Irish Bank plc. He also served as the first Chairman of An Board Bia.

Patrick Haren is a graduate of Queen's University, Belfast (BSc and PhD) and of University College, Dublin (MBA). He started his career as aresearch fellow of CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research in Geneva.

He joined ESB in 1978, where he worked for 14 years, holding various postsin engineering, strategic planning and new business development, including board level responsibilities for engineering consultancy in the US and UK markets and for international financial services. While with ESB, he established an international profile in the electricity industry as an active member of CIGRE in Paris.

Patrick Haren joined Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) as Chief Executivein 1992 and took the company through privatisation. He became Group Chief Executive, Viridian Group PLC, as part of the restructuring of NIE which he led in 1998. He has steered the development of Viridian Group'sstrategy for becoming an all-island energy player and has strongly advocated creating an open and competitive electricity market throughout Ireland.Viridian has taken a leading position in the deregulated and competitive electricity supply sectors North and South.

He is a member of the Board of Invest Northern Ireland, the economic development agency for Northern Ireland, and was until recently a director of the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund for victims of violence. Patrick has also served as chairman of the Northern Ireland Growth Challenge, and of the Northern Ireland Quality Centre, which he led through a successful merger to form the new Centre for Competitiveness in Northern Ireland.

Richard Keatinge started his career as a financial journalist with Reuters, the news agency based in Fleet Street. He returned to Ireland in 1971 and joined The Irish Times, of which he was business editor from 1975 to 1978. During this time he took the part-time MBA in UCD and was awarded the Sir Charles Harvey Award.

In 1978 he joined the Investment Bank of Ireland andspent the next 12 years in various roles in Bank of Ireland including Head of Strategic Planning, culminating with therole of Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland Britain. He was a member of the Court of the Bank from 1987 to 1990.

He resigned from the Bank in 1990 and thereafter was Executive Chairman of NCB Stockbrokers and an Executive Director of Hardwicke Limited.

In 1993 he re-joined Bank of Ireland as Managing Directorof IBI Corporate Finance, a post he occupied for sevenyears prior to his retirement in 2003.

He is now Chairman of Heiton Group plc, a non-executive director of NTR plc, BWG Group Ltd., P.J. Carroll & Co.Ltd. and a number of other companies.