Anna-Marie is Head of Fintech, Financial Services and Cybersecurity at Enterprise Ireland, where she leads national initiatives to accelerate innovation, scaling and global competitiveness across these strategically important sectors. Previous roles include Head of Entrepreneurship and HPSU Operations, and Head of Retail, Consumer and Online, building deep expertise in supporting high growth Irish enterprises from early stage through to international expansion. Prior to joining Enterprise Ireland, Anna Marie spent more than a decade in industry, gaining extensive commercial and technical experience across multiple sectors, with a particular focus on ICT. Her career includes roles with both Irish startups and leading global multinationals such as Ericsson, Dell and Smurfit, providing her with a strong understanding of the challenges faced by technology driven businesses. Anna Marie is an active contributor to Ireland’s research, innovation and standards ecosystem. She serves on the Governance Committees of IPIC, the Irish Photonic Integration Centre, and LERO, the Research Ireland Centre for Software. She is also a board member of Cyber Ireland and a participant on the NSAI IoT and Digital Twin Committee. Deeply committed to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, Anna Marie regularly judges the Technology category at the Young Scientist competition and serves on the Council of Gaisce – The President’s Award. A native of Monaghan, she holds a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, an MBS in Management Information Systems from UCD Smurfit, and an MSc in Business Practice from UCC.

Joyce O’Connor is the Founding President of the National College of Ireland and has held several non-executive roles in the private, public and voluntary sectors. She is a Global Eisenhower Fellow and a professional coach and mentor to CEOs and other leaders. Joyce is Co-Founder and Chair of Block W, a female lead not for profit organisation whose mission is to create awareness of and increase access to emerging technologies for women and girls. Joyce is Chair of Digital Group IIEA, a board member of St Patricks University Hospitality and Chair of the Research Ethics Committee, St Patricks University Hospital. She was President of the National College of Ireland from 1990 to 2007 where she secured a strategic positioning for the National College of Ireland (NCI) within Ireland’s educational system, restructured its finances, built alliances and support networks as well as expanding core programmes.

An experienced Construction Industry professional, Joanne joined the CIF in 2022. With in excess of 15 years’ industry knowledge, Joanne holds qualifications in HR, leadership, health and safety and HSQE auditing. Having worked as a HR Manager for a large construction and engineering company spanning Ireland and the UK, her skills include policy development and implementation, employee and industrial relations, organisational change, craft and professional apprenticeship training, and CPD. Joanne brings her expertise, experience and knowledge to our members servicing the Cork, South East, Mid West and Kerry branches. She is responsible for providing advice and support to the CIF members within the Southern Region, maximising engagement with stakeholders and ensuring member interests are represented on regional committees, state agencies and local authorities.

Dr Marion Boland is Head of Research Policy at Research Ireland, Ireland’s new competitive research and innovation funding agency, established following the amalgamation of Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. Marion’s team manages a diverse portfolio of research policy and governance related areas, including Open Research, Data management, and SFI’s participation in the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment. Marion’s team has recently led on the development of Research Ireland’s External Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy (2023-2028), which sets out the agency’s vision towards attaining an inclusive research and innovation system. Marion also co-chairs the external Climate Action Working Group and was part of a team that developed the Agency’s Strategy in this regard. As such, Marion represents Research Ireland at various national and international fora on related policy matters. Marion holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Cancer Research/University of London and was a career scientist prior to joining Research Ireland (SFI), having held positions at the University of Alberta (Canada), Trinity College Dublin and the University of Cambridge before being appointed Lecturer in Molecular Oncology in 2001 at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast.

Dr Úna May is the Chief Executive Officer of Sport Ireland. Sport Ireland is the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. This includes participation in sport, anti-doping, ethics, coaching and the development of the Sport Ireland Campus. Úna was appointed CEO in January 2022, and has worked with Sport Ireland (previously the Irish Sports Council) since 1998. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Úna was Director of Participation and Ethics. She also held the role of Director of Anti-Doping, leading the creation of a world class, globally recognised Anti-Doping Programme. Úna has a PhD in Exercise Physiology (1996) and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science (1991) from John Moores University, Liverpool and has represented Ireland in both orienteering and mountain running. Una is passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives and communities. She also represents Sport Ireland on the Sports Leadership Group which was established to drive the implementation of the Government’s National Sports Policy. Úna is part of the implementation Group for Ireland’s National Physical Activity Plan, which aims to increase physical activity levels across the whole population.

Jennifer Cox is a seasoned cybersecurity professional and Solutions Consulting Leader, currently serving as Director for Ireland at Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS). An award-winning mentor and coach, Jennifer is widely recognised for her expertise in technical leadership and her commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the tech sector. With a proven track record in building high-performing teams and supporting emerging talent, she is dedicated to fostering a more secure and inclusive digital future.

Colin has significant experience of selling and making technology markets across all of EMEA. He is an expert in building and leading multi-national, culturally attuned sales teams deployed across EMEA. He has experience of selling into the Health, Life Sciences, Education, Government, Enterprise, Telco, Financial Services and SME verticals. He is a trained and experienced spokesperson and influencer to and for the industry to the media, government and industry bodies. He is as comfortable asking for an order to hit a sale, as he is in presenting to an audience of hundreds at industry events. Colin is Accelerating Digital Health with Santegic’s Partners and Customers. Colin is a board member of Women in Technology and Science (WITS).

Sinead co-founded RED C Research in 2003 prior to which she was a director in Lansdowne Market Research. An award winning researcher, Sinead incorporates the latest techniques and statistical analysis to provide the greatest level of insight and clarity on each project. A graduate of the College of Marketing and Design, Sinead is a member of the Marketing Institute and is a regular guest lecturer at The Smurfit Business School and has guest lectured at DIT.owne Market Research. An award winning researcher, Sinead incorporates the latest techniques and statistical analysis to provide the greatest level of insight and clarity on each project. A graduate of the College of Marketing and Design, Sinead is a member of the Marketing Institute and is a regular guest lecturer at The Smurfit Business School and has guest lectured at DIT.

Elizabeth Sheehan the 30% Club Country Executive. She is an experienced non-executive director, business consultant, and leadership coach with a strong track record of fostering positive workplace cultures and enhancing business performance through gender-balanced leadership. She has held senior marketing and sustainability positions at Suntory, PepsiCo, Mars, Irish Distillers and C&C in Ireland as well as in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Netherlands. Elizabeth also currently holds board positions at Bus Éireann and the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. Elizabeth has also played an active role in advancing sustainability within the advertising and marketing industry as co-founder and chair of AdNetZero Ireland, an initiative aimed at reducing emissions across the communications sector.

Judith Moffett holds a B.Sc. in Biology from NUI Maynooth, a MSc in Science Communication from DCU and a Diploma in Effective Management from NCI. Her academic background, combined with her professional experience, gives her a unique and well-rounded perspective on both the scientific and business aspects of talent solutions. Currently serving as a Business Development Director within Cpl, Judith is also the Sales Lead for the Lifesciences, Manufacturing, and Light Industrial sectors across the Group. In this role, she is responsible for driving strategic growth, developing client partnerships, and delivering tailored staffing solutions across highly regulated and technically complex industries. Prior to her current position, Judith worked as an Operational Director at Cpl, where she successfully led multi-disciplinary recruitment teams across Lifesciences, MedTech, Engineering, Energy, Renewables, and Construction. With two decades of experience in the MedTech and Lifesciences staffing industry, she brings deep sectoral knowledge, commercial insight, and a strong track record of leadership in building high-performing teams and long-term client relationships.

Sheila Porter is the founder and CEO of SciFest, an innovative, all-inclusive programme of STEM fairs which take place at local, regional and national levels. As a science teacher Sheila recognised the importance of STEM fair participation in encouraging in all students a love of the STEM subjects and in generating a spirit of inquiry, innovation and entrepreneurship. Her vision was of a national STEM fair programme that would be inclusive, accessible, free to enter and open to all second-level students. She launched the SciFest programme in the Institute of Technology Tallaght, now TU Dublin, in 2006 and took it nationwide in 2008. From the one fair in IT Tallaght the SciFest programme has expanded to well over 100 fairs and more than 12,000 students participating annually. Since 2006 over 100,000 students have participated in one or more levels of the programme, approximately 60% of whom are female. Each year the overall winners at the SciFest National Final go on to represent Ireland in international competitions with great success. For her work in promoting STEM in second-level schools Sheila has been awarded an Intel Ireland Educator of Excellence Award on three separate occasions, a British Council Science Travel Award, the ISTA PharmaChemical Ireland Science Educator of the Year Award and, in 2023, the Women in STEM Mentor of the Year Award.

Maria Souza is Head of Human Experiences and Innovation at the Future of Work Institute, where she leads the design of employee attraction, engagement and retention strategies that strengthen organisational culture and support sustainable business performance. With over 18 years’ experience across Psychology, Learning and Development, Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding, she brings a commercially grounded and deeply human approach to organisational transformation. Helping companies bridge the gap between brand promise and people experience. As President of the Professional Women’s Network (PWN Dublin), Maria is committed to advancing gender balanced leadership, inclusive workplaces, and equal access to career progression opportunities. She focuses on building strong communities, partnerships, and programmes for both women and men that support women to grow, lead, and influence across industries. With a young daughter at home, her drive is deeply personal. She is focused on helping create workplaces that are an exciting and fulfilling place for the next genera

Niamh joined the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) as a Commissioner in June 2026. She previously held the position of Online Safety Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán where she oversaw the Policy, Research & Strategy Division, and was responsible for the development of the Online Safety Code. Niamh has extensive experience in designing, enforcing and managing compliance with regulatory obligations at both an Irish and EU level. Her expertise spans electronic communications and postal regulation, cybersecurity, digital regulation, competition, consumer and data protection. Niamh has brought criminal prosecutions for regulatory breaches, as well as civil enforcement compliance proceedings. She has in-depth litigation experience of appeals and judicial reviews. Niamh qualified as a solicitor in 1998. She has previously worked as a senior legal advisor with ComReg. She has also held a number of senior legal and regulatory roles including Chief Legal and Regulatory officer at National Lottery, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Three Ireland, regulatory lawyer with An Post and worked in law firms in Brussels and Dublin. She studied law and German at UCC and has a master’s in law from Universität Passau, Germany. She has co-authored books on European law and Irish regulatory law.

Andrea Dermody has over twenty years’ experience working across the Global Financial Services marketplace. With experience in Talent Management, Learning & Development and Diversity & Inclusion, most recently Andrea led inclusion and diversity for State Street in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with responsibility for fourteen European locations, 12,000 employees and 50+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). She is now managing director of her own consulting practice, Dermody, working with clients across healthcare, technology, engineering, financial services, aviation and semi-state environments. Andrea holds a BA in History and Economics and a PgD in Business Studies from UCD and a MSc in Human Resource Development from Sheffield Hallam University. She has also completed a course in Black Studies with the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies. She is a qualified executive coach and a chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Andrea specialises in helping organisations to build inclusive cultures that embrace multiple points of view to drive business success. As deputy chair of the financial services sub-committee of the 30% Club in Ireland from 2019 to 2022, Andrea led their pivotal research project, “Making the Change Count”, working to drive gender diversity and she was also a founding member of the steering committee for OUTstanding in Ireland at its inception in 2017, driving LGBT+ inclusion across the marketplace. She is an adjunct lecturer in Dublin City University and Programme Director for Balance for Better Balance.