Dr Marco Alfano

Dr. Marco Alfano is a Senior Researcher at IVI and lead of the IVI Digital Health & Wellbeing research cluster. He is also a visiting scientist at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and is affiliated with Lero, the Research Ireland Centre for Software. He is currently working on responsible use of AI in health and wellbeing by facilitating person/patient empowerment and seamless communication within the digital health ecosystem (http://cohealth.ivi.ie/). His research interests include Responsible AI, Digital Health Transformation, Patient Empowerment, Human-machine communication, Data analytics, Semantic Web, Smart cities, Cybersecurity, and Open Data/Big Data. He has authored more than sixty peer reviewed articles for journals, books, and conferences. He has participated in several European projects and has received grants from international bodies, such as the European Union (under the FP7 and H2020 framework programs), and national bodies, such as Research Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and the National Research Council of Italy.

Senadin Alisic

Senadin is a senior strategy advisor, enterprise architect, and industrial PhD candidate specialising in digital transformation, data-driven operating models, and cybersecurity. He has extensive experience supporting executive leadership teams in designing and implementing digital transformation initiatives.

He has led the development of data strategies and data mesh–based architectures, enabling decentralised ownership and scalable data products across business units and has played a key role in driving large-scale transformation programs for leading organisations such as Assa Abloy, Ericsson, SKF, Volvo, Saab, and IKEA. His experience spans smart city development, industrial digitalisation, and ecosystem-driven innovation, including initiatives such as transforming the Port of Gothenburg into an autonomous and sustainable smart port and leading cross-industry collaborations in mining, manufacturing, and urban development.

In addition to his consulting and leadership experience, Senadin has held senior management roles with full P&L responsibility, built high-performing teams, and successfully driven international expansion initiatives. He is also an active keynote speaker and collaborates across industry, academia, and the public sector to advance digital ecosystems and data-driven innovation.

Christopher Bastin

Andrea Biancini

Dr Mihai Bilauca

Dr. Bilauca is the most senior adviser to the Minister on ICT and Digital Transformation. Mihai is responsible for driving the government’s digitization agenda for DHLGH with in collaboration with local authorities and agencies under the DHLGH’s remit.

Mihai worked in various roles in ICT Management for UPC Romania and for Limerick City & County Council in various roles, heading the Digital Strategy, ICT, Change Management, Customer Services, Urban Innovation and EU Programmes departments.

In his spare time Mihai continues his academic research in smart cities, mathematical programming, optimization modelling methods and publishes in ACM and other leading computing science journals and conferences. Mihai received a Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from University of Limerick, Ireland and a software engineering degree from “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, Romania.

Natasha Browne

Natasha is a Climate Sustainability Technologist at Teagasc, working on AgNav, a digital sustainability platform for Irish farmers. She collaborates closely with the other AgNav partners the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) and Bord Bia, as well as Teagasc researchers and advisors, to support the platform’s development and impact. Natasha also represents AgNav in the CEADS (Common European Agricultural Data Space) project and is part of the AgNav Data Governance Group, contributing to best practice in data governance and data management. Previously, she managed several EU Horizon 2020 projects for Teagasc and completed a PhD on lameness and pain management in dairy cows.

Dr. Ruth Buckley

Ruth Buckley is CIO of Cork city council and Chair of the LGI-ISAC (local government Ireland Information Sharing Analysis Group). She has a BSc in Computer Science from UCC, an MBA from Henley Management College and is currently progressing her PDEng with UL in the area of cyber situational awareness for ISACs.

Ruth has over 30 years working in the ICT sector in both the private and public service sectors and has program managed major digital transformation projects including the Cork city boundary extension, major ERP projects and the migration to on-line public services which is on-going. In 2015, she co-founded the iWish Stem company which actively encourages the uptake of STEM subjects to young transition year girls through collaborations with industry practitioners and third level institutions. Ruth has received several industry and academic awards including the 2017 Alumni award from UCC, the IT leaders award 2020 from it@cork and the 2023 award from Maynooth IVI (Innovation and Value Institute) for Digital Transformation for her work on ISACs in Ireland.

Dr. Gültekin Cakir

Dr Gültekin Cakir is a lecturer and academic programme coordinator at the Faculty of Business, Technological University Dublin, and a member of the Strategy & Leadership Group in the School of Management, People and Organisations. He holds a PhD in Business and Management from Maynooth University and a Master’s degree in General Management from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund, Germany. He teaches modules on undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels in Strategy and Digital Innovation & Emerging Technologies. Before joining TU Dublin, Gültekin was a Research Fellow at the Innovation Value Institute, Maynooth, where he worked with companies, start-ups, other institutes and collaborators on diverse research projects centred around digital innovation and organisational digital maturity. Gültekin is a member of the Digital Retail Research Cluster at IVI and was a recipient of the EU Horizon Europe Marie Curie Skłodowska scholarship award within “PERFORM”, a European training project focusing on the digital transformation of the retailing industry, where he was also chair of the ESR Committee.

Dr. Tim Calahan

Audrey Comiskey

Audrey Comiskey is part of Gas Networks Ireland’s leadership team and is the officer with responsibility for Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Access to Environmental compliance and operations for the organisation. She has over 15 years’ experience in energy-based semi state organisations and currently leads on a number of national and public body industry forums. She started her career in the public sector, moving into private practice and specialising in large scale multi commercial and residential developments, before moving into the energy sector. She has overseen the legal governance and compliance, strategic planning compliance and large scale stakeholder management obligations on a number of significant regional, national and European Infrastructure projects, including EU-designated Projects of Common Interest and Joint-Jurisdictional projects. She is passionate about industry innovation, operational governance and stakeholder transparency, and is also a passionate advocate for environmental change. Gas Networks Ireland are committed to decarbonising the gas network and increasing integration with the electricity system to enable Ireland to achieve net zero in the most cost-effective and least disruptive way, while enhancing energy security and diversity.

Nollag Conneely

Nollag is a strategic leader with experience in the private and public sectors in multiple industries and international organisations. Nollag has developed, delivered, and implemented Governance, Risk and Compliance programs with Healthcare, Insurance, Fintech, and Education organisations in the US, Europe and the Middle East. He is a retired Lt Col who has also lead Military risk and security programs in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. Nollag is a Lecturer and Course Coordinator for the Data Governance Syllabus at the European Security and Defence College, and a speaker at the United Nations General Assembly Health Symposium. He is a contributor to NATO’s PfP Cybersecurity and Hybrid Curricula. He holds a MSc in Cybersecurity Management, a MA in Ledership and Management and a MSc in HR, and is also Prince2 Project. Management qualified.

Dr Emer Coveney

Dr Emer Coveney is the National Programme Manager for Age Friendly Ireland, a local government shared service that works across all 31 local authorities to prepare society for population ageing under the World Health Organisation framework for developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities. Emer manages a network of 35 local programme managers who are working to develop inclusive services and accessible buildings and public spaces that support the inclusion and participation of older people. Emer manages AFI’s Research Unit which is operated in partnership with Maynooth University. Its aim is to generate new research relevant to demographic ageing and provide an evidence base to inform service planning and delivery.  She manages the consultation function for the shared service, engaging in co-design processes with Older People’s Councils to ensure that older people’s voices feed into national policy. Emer holds a PhD and Masters degree from Trinity College Dublin, and a Certificate in Healthy Ageing from the World Health Organisation, among other qualifications.  Her previous experience includes diverse roles in community development, social inclusion, research and public service administration.

Dr Declan Deasy

Dr Declan Deasy is an independent Digital Transformation & Data Strategy Advisor. He spent over 30 years as a public servant in the European Commission, during which time he worked on the development of statistical and surveillance systems, information system architectures, methodologies and interoperability frameworks, and managed the central computing facilities of the EU Commission. As director, he led the definition of the Commission’s overall strategy on information systems, including the development of corporate information systems supporting administrative and policy processes.

Since retiring from the European Commission as Director for Information Systems and Interoperability Solutions, he has advised numerous international public bodies and governments on national digital strategies, public sector digital transformation, national data ecosystems and data-driven development.

Declan has a first class honours degree in Engineering and a PhD in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin where he was a research assistant and lecturer in Computer Science.

Owen Derby

Owen is a Principal UX Designer at Workday, leading the design of standardised and scalable Human-AI interaction frameworks for the AI Experiences team. Specialising in AI Agent design and agent orchestration, his work focuses on establishing enterprise-level UX guidelines and early-stage product concepts. Owen is dedicated to responsible AI design that aligns with human cognition and builds user trust. By developing practical tools and platform frameworks, he empowers product teams to deliver meaningful Human-AI interaction across Workday’s full software suite.

Joep de Reuver

Joep de Reuver is a process mining consultant with a strong background in process improvement within the health care sector. He has worked extensively with hospitals and health insurance companies to identify operational bottlenecks, optimize patient pathways, and train professionals in applying LEAN methodologies to drive sustainable performance improvements. At Rabobank, Joep plays a key role in translating complex business challenges into actionable insights using process mining, enabling teams across the organization to uncover inefficiencies and enhance their processes. He works within the Process Intelligence Centre of Enablement, which supports all process mining initiatives throughout the bank—from early ideation to full-scale implementation—ensuring data-driven transformation and long-term impact.

Prof. Brian Donnellan

Professor Brian Donnellan is Professor of Management Information Systems at Maynooth University.

Previous senior management positions in Maynooth University include  Vice President of Engagement and Innovation, Vice President and Dean of International Affairs and Academic Director of the Innovation Value Institute. He is active researcher in four Science Foundation Ireland research centres.

A native of County Clare, he graduated from University of Limerick with a B. Engineering in Electronic Engineering, an MBA and PhD (Computer Science and Information Systems). Prior to becoming an academic, Brian spent 19 years working in the IT industry, where he was responsible for Computer-Aided-Engineering for New Product Development.

Prof. Monica Dragoicea

Professor Monica Dragoicea is a Full Professor in Systems Engineering at Politehnica University of Bucharest, leading research in digital service design, mobile robotics, and computational intelligence. She founded the Smart Cities and Robotics iLab and coordinates programs in Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. With over 25 years of experience, her research focuses on AI, data-driven service design, and responsible AI.

Marc Einstein

Marc Einstein has over 20 years of telecommunications and media industry research expertise, which includes engaging with executive teams within the ICT industry to design, manage and enable Digital Transformation goals and roadmaps. His coverage areas include a wide range of technologies with a specific focus on IT and telecommunications, and his domain expertise spans the entire ICT ecosystem including AR/VR/MR, cloud services, 5G/6G networks, gaming, fintech and AI.

Marc started his career in the USA covering telecommunications and IT markets in Latin America. He later pivoted to Asia where he led APAC ICT research teams covering the industry from Hong Kong and later Singapore. In 2010 he relocated to Japan where he spent time conducting overseas expansion analysis for the largest mobile social game company in the country and now focused on emabling DX both in Japan and overseas. He currently serves as a startup advisor to the city of Kyoto.

An experienced speaker and presenter, he has spoken at major technology conferences around the world in addition to being featured in both print and broadcast media outlets such as CNN, CNBC, BBC Global, Al Jazeera Television and Channel News Asia. He is the co-author of the recently published book “Tech Native Company – 7 Strategies for Surviving in the Digital Age.”

Prof. Paul Ellwood

Paul Ellwood is the Director of the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at Maynooth University. His research interests encompass both management education and technology innovation management. His early education was in the natural sciences, with the first 20 years of his career spent in industry. This included director-level positions in operations and business development. 

Ben Evans

Ben Evans is a Manager within PwC UK’s Aerial Intelligence and Innovation team, specialising in the application of drone and geospatial technologies to solve complex business and operational challenges. With nearly ten years’ experience at PwC, he has worked across assurance, digital transformation and emerging technology teams, helping organisations explore how technology can deliver safer, more efficient and data-driven outcomes. Ben has supported the use of drone and spatial data solutions across a number of industries, with particular expertise on the use of drones in Audit to drive a more robust stock count approach. 

Alongside his client work, Ben is actively involved in thought leadership and industry engagement around the future of drones and other aerial technologies. He regularly represents PwC at industry events and collaborates across multidisciplinary industry groups to explore how emerging technologies can be adopted to drive positive societal change.

Dr Donal Fitzpatrick

Dr. Donal Fitzpatrick is the Senior Advisor for the European Accessibility Act (EAA with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) at the National Disability Authority (NDA). Dr. Fitzpatrick leads on  the NDA’s activities in respect of the European Accessibility Act, including work on the revision of standard EN 301549, as well  as NDA’s contribution to other key initiatives at a national and European level. Dr. Fitzpatrick also engages in activities across the broader field of Universal Design for ICT products and services. He has a particular focus on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the lives of persons with disabilities.

Prior to joining the NDA, Dr. Fitzpatrick was a member of the Faculty at the School of Computing at Dublin City University. Here, he conducted research in the domain of multimodal usability and accessibility, with a particular focus on designing solutions to make complex data accessible for blind people. He is the recipient of multiple national and international research grants, including a Fulbright Fellowship where he investigated the accessibility of cartographic data for blind people. He has widely published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and was an Invited Expert on various accessibility-related working groups at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Her Excellency Ambassador Fiona-Jayne Formosa

H.E Fiona-Jayne Formosa is the current Ambassador of Malta to Ireland, having assumed the role in March 2025.

She graduated from the University of Malta with a Bachelors (Honours) degree in International Relations in 1996 and subsequently joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September of that year. Her first assignment was as a Second Secretary within the Multilateral Affairs Department. Three years later she read for a Masters’ degree in Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies at the University of Malta, and upon completion, moved on her first posting to the Embassy of Malta in Athens in 2000.

Upon her return to Malta in 2003, Ms Formosa took on different assignments at the Ministry in the Bilateral Relations, Global Issues and European Affairs Departments. Her next posting came in 2008 when she was ppointed as Malta’s Consul General in Toronto, Canada, a role she continued to occupy until 2011.From 2012 to 2024, Ms Formosa was promoted to different roles including Director European Affairs, International Development and European Institutions (2012-2014), Permanent Secretary (2014-2020) and Director-General Political, External Relations and European Affairs/Political Director (2020-2024). Her first Ambassadorial assignment was to Turkey as a non-resident Ambassador from 2014 to 2017.

Ms Formosa studied Italian, French and German and has a basic knowledge of Greek. She is married with two children

Her Excellency Ambassador Laryska Garasko

Dr Bruno Giesteira

He is Director of the Design Department and Director of the Doctoral Programme in Design at the University of Porto, where he coordinates advanced research and doctoral training in design. He also contributes to postgraduate programmes in Interaction Design, Games, and Design Technologies for Health.

His work explores how design knowledge can support the development of meaningful interactions with emerging technologies through Embodied Design approaches. He has extensive experience coordinating research teams in human–computer interaction and is a partner at 4humanz company – Human-Centred Design in Global Health – Digital Health; Wellbeing & Sustainability.

He is a researcher at ID+, within the Health + Design group. He participates in several international academic and professional networks, including the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (Europe Chapter) and the European University Alliance for Global Health (EUGLOH).

Kevin Gildea

‘Highly original and explosively funny’ –  The Sunday Times
He’s one of the most daring and committed comedians at work right now. Brave, unafraid and compelling…..and very, very funny.’  – Tommy Tiernan
‘Comedy on another level.’  – The Irish Times

Kevin has gigged all over Britain and Ireland and the rest of the known world – from Singapore to Sligo. He’s headlined gigs in Johannesburg and Cape Town and regularly plays all the major comedy festivals in Ireland – The Electric Picnic, ATN, The Paddy Power Comedy Festival in the Iveagh Gardens, The Galway Comedy Festival, Kilkenomics and more. He is a regular at The Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival.

Kevin has written and performed for film and television, including Father Ted and Irish Pictoral Weekly; written plays and short fiction, as well as reviewing for the Irish Times; and regularly interviews authors, actors and comedians (and once, Kermit the Frog). He also occasionally runs Kevin Gildea’s Brilliant Pop Up Bookshop in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.

Dr Karen Griffin

Karen Griffin is Enterprise Lead at MaynoothWorks, Maynooth University, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on innovation, commercialisation, and university–industry engagement. With over a decade of experience in research commercialisation, strategic partnerships, and innovation development, she works at the interface of academia and industry to support research translation, enterprise collaboration, and entrepreneurial growth.

Ben Hallinan

Ben Hallinan is VP Digital Enablement Commercial at Kerry Group, one of Ireland’s largest companies with over 23,000 people in its manufacturing, sales and technical centres worldwide. Specialising in using AI and data-driven design, Ben helps global commercial teams find insights faster, unlock hidden expertise, and drive customer-focused growth. With over 27 years’ experience across enterprise systems and digital transformation, he builds future ready digital capabilities that turn organisational knowledge into commercial advantage.

Dr Michael Hanley

Michael Hanley leads educational innovation initiatives, curriculum development, and strategic academic programmes at IVI. He is recognised for integrating research-based frameworks and data-informed processes into institutional practice. He is a specialist in digital and AI transformation in complex public and private sector organisations, with a track record of aligning organisational strategy with national and regional policy.

As well as his experience in higher education, he has worked previously as as Director of Online Learning at Cúram Software (an IBM Company), and Digital Media Manager at the Educational Multimedia Group. He is Course Director for the “Leading Digital Transformation in Organisations” micro-credential at Maynooth University and co-creator and lecturer on the MSc in Healthcare Transformation at the University of Limerick. He has directed multiple large-scale academic and industry collaborative projects, such as Grad2Work, the Tech Industry Alliance Sustainable Software Development Toolkit, and the DIGIFABS EU project.

Michael is a member of the Maynooth University Social Science Institute (MUSSI), serves on the Steering Board of the Irish Local Government Cybersecurity CORE programme (LG-CORE), and a Irish Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Steering Group member. He is also a Fellow of the Learning & Development Institute. He has contributed to national and international academic and professional conferences, including addresses at the Maynooth University DEARS Symposium and workshop facilitation at the IVI Summit, and has been published in the International Journal for Digital Society and other journals.

Michael holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Maynooth University, and an MSc (Hons) in Education Technology from the National College of Ireland.

Research Interests:

• · Digital transformation in higher education
• · Academic–industry partnership and innovation
• · Organisational capability and change management
• · Post-digital education futures
• · Data-informed leadership, strategy, and governance in complex organisations
• · Sustainable digital & AI skills in professional education
• · Human capital policy development
• · Flexible pathways to education for adults

Dr Rafiqul Haque

Dr. Rafiqul Haque is a research fellow at the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics at the University of Galway. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Limerick. He brings over 12 years of experience spanning academia and the IT industry, with expertise in data spaces, artificial intelligence, data management, and data governance. He currently co-leads the Data Space Centre Support Centre (DSSC), a European Union-funded project focused on the development and scaling of data spaces. His research explores data interoperability and value creation, with particular emphasis on how data spaces can be used to train and fine-tune generative AI models for developing high quality applications. His career includes four years in IT industry as a technical lead, designing AI-driven solutions for government, banks and telecommunication companies. He has held research roles at several European institutions including SAP Research, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Telecom St-Étienne, Tilburg University, and University College Cork. Dr. Haque has published in conferences and journals, contributing to the advancement of AI, data spaces , and digital innovation.

Greg Heaslip

Greg Heaslip is the founder of Westmar Consulting, an Irish AI training and transformation consultancy focused on helping organisations move from AI experimentation to measurable business impact. He specialises in practical AI capability building for non-technical teams, leadership groups, and operational functions.

An Adjunct Teaching Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, Greg delivers AI education focused on real-world organisational adoption, workflow redesign, governance, and responsible implementation. His approach combines strategic leadership training with practical workforce capability development, helping organisations bridge what he describes as the “AI Readiness Chasm” — the gap between AI tool adoption and genuine operational value. With more than 30 years of experience across business transformation, SaaS, manufacturing, and operational improvement, Greg brings a systems-thinking approach to AI adoption. His work focuses on leadership fluency, workflow redesign, internal AI champions programs, and building sustainable AI capability across organisations.

Greg is known for delivering clear, practical, and evidence-based AI training that helps organisations improve productivity, reduce friction, and adopt AI responsibly without the hype.

Geraldine Heavey

Geraldine Heavey is the Executive Director of the Enterprise Services Business Unit at ESB Group (the Electricity Supply Board). Enterprise Services is a centre of excellence, delivering a broad range of essential business processes and services that are critical to both day-to-day operations and the successful delivery of ESB’s strategic objectives.

In her role, Geraldine manages key professional service areas such as Procurement, Insurance, and IT, with a strong focus on strategic alignment and value creation. She also oversees the delivery of business-critical services that drive operational efficiency and effectiveness across the organisation, including People and Finance Operations. In addition, she leads ESB’s digital transformation agenda, harnessing the power of technology and data to modernise and future-proof the business. Before taking on her current role, Geraldine held a variety of finance and managerial positions within ESB. She is a qualified accountant and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Dublin City University (DCU).

Saara Heinola

Saara Heinola has served as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Dublin since 2022. In this role, she supports the Ambassador in the strategic planning and management of the Embassy’s work, covering the full spectrum of political, economic and administrative responsibilities.

Prior to Dublin, Heinola served as Deputy Head of Mission at Finland’s Representative Office in Ramallah. Before these postings, Heinola held different roles at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki. These included responsibility for Finland’s relations with Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste, and responsibilities in the Human Rights Policy Unit on refugee and migration policy, and the protection of human rights defenders.

Earlier in her career, Heinola worked with the EU and foreign diplomatic missions. As a Politicial Officer at the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, she reported on political developments, human rights and GSP+ processes, and supported EU development cooperation programmes. At the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki and the EU Delegation in Bangkok, she worked on political and economic analysis, media monitoring, Schengen cooperation, and engagement with local authorities and civil society. She has also worked in the private sector as a Finnish Market Specialist at Facebook’s Global Operations team in Dublin, focusing on user safety, policy development, and data analysis.

Heinola holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Jyväskylä and a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Maastricht University.

Rory Hopkins

Rory Hopkins is the Head of Information Systems at Kildare County Council, where he leads the strategic delivery of ICT services with a strong focus on digital innovation and transformation. Based in Áras Chill Dara, he is responsible for technology governance, cybersecurity, and the adoption of modern digital tools that support efficient internal operations and high‑quality public services. He works closely with senior management and external partners to drive innovation, resilience, and continuous improvement across the organisation.

Anirudh Hothur Ramamohan

Anirudh Hothur is a Senior Product Designer at Dynatrace, where he leads design initiatives across Notebooks and platform applications within complex enterprise ecosystems. His work focuses on transforming platform complexity into coherent, scalable, and human-centered experiences through systems thinking, shared UX governance, telemetry-informed design, and cross-functional collaboration.

Over the past 15+ years, Anirudh has worked across observability, cloud operations, enterprise SaaS, healthcare systems, and multi-cloud platforms, contributing to products used by global teams across Europe, Africa, and India. He is particularly interested in the evolving relationship between humans, AI, and operational systems – and how emerging technologies are reshaping workflows, decision-making, and collaboration across disciplines.

Dr Rehan Iftikhar

Dr Rehan Iftikhar is an Assistant Professor at DCU Business School, Ireland. He holds an MSc in Engineering Management from the University of Exeter, UK, and a PhD in Business and Management from Maynooth University, Ireland.

His research focuses on digital transformation, emerging and disruptive technologies, digital marketing, and digital retail. He actively engages in interdisciplinary collaborations, contributing to research at the intersection of technology and end-user experiences.

His work has been published in leading journals and conferences, including the Journal of Global Information Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Leisure Studies, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of General Management, and the European Conference on Information Systems.

Dr Caroline Kiarie

Dr. Caroline Kiarie is an Assistant Professor at Aga Khan University’s Graduate School for Media and Communication with over two decades of experience in academia and industry. Her work spans corporate communication, public relations, human communication, and strategic use of AI in communication practice and research. Her research interests include AI in public relations, employee motivation, online collaborative learning, and digital conversations on platforms such as X.

Oksana Kostiuk

Prof. Ashish Kumar Jha

Ashish Kumar Jha is a Professor in Business Analytics at Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin. He is the Director of Trinity Centre for Digital Business and Analytics and a funded investigator at ADAPT- Research Ireland. Ashish is the area chair of operations and analytics area and the founding director of M.Sc. Business Analytics. His research interests are in the field of AI and firm-user interaction on digital platforms. He is an associate editor for EJIS and I&M and has published in top journals of the field including JAIS, JMIS, I&M, DSS among others.

Margaret Laffan

Margaret Laffan leads Intel’s Cloud GTM function, where she drives strategy and execution across sales, marketing, product, and customer success to help transform the cloud and AI landscape. She has 20 years of experience in the tech industry, with expertise across AI and SaaS companies, spanning sales, partnerships, and marketing. Margaret’s focus is on revenue growth, budget optimization, and leading AI-enabled digital transformation initiatives, with particular focus in emerging areas such as agentic AI and AI agents for workplace productivity.

Glen Lally

Glen Lally is a Silicon Valley technology executive who has spent his career at the center of the world’s most influential tech organizations, including Everpure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, SAP, Cisco and Ericsson. He specializes at the intersection of AI, digital transformation and high-velocity enablement, helping global companies scale new capabilities across their organization.

At AWS, Glen was instrumental in architecting the GTM enablement strategy for a global sales organization of 44,000 professionals. A pioneer in AI-augmented enablement, he focuses on integrating generative AI directly into the sales motion – allowing massive organizations to pivot and deploy strategic shifts at cloud-native speed.

A veteran of the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, Glen bridges the gap between legacy enterprise structures and hyper-scale agility. He is currently focused on the next frontier of organizational growth: leveraging AI to automate GTM funnels and empower global sales forces to operate with unprecedented technical depth and efficiency.

Dr Helena Lim

Dr Helena Lim  is a higher education leader with 25 years’ experience spanning institutional research, teaching excellence, quality enhancement, and commercial partnership. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA). Currently Educational Excellence Lead at Queen Mary University of London, where she advises on institutional transformation and teaching excellence, and Academic Lead at evasys, supporting 60+ UK and Irish universities on student feedback strategy and institutional enhancement.

Earlier in her career, Helena served as Assistant Director at the Higher Education Academy where she shaped national policy on learning and teaching in Wales and Northern Ireland. She also founded the UK and Ireland Higher Education Institutional Research (HEIR) Network in 2009, growing it from inception to 500+ members before successfully transitioning its leadership. An established thought leader with publications across Wonkhe, HEPI, and peer-reviewed books, Helena has delivered keynotes and strategic workshops internationally. She brings to the GoGreenNext Advisory Board a career built on evidence-led change, cross-sector partnership, and a sustained commitment to equitable and sustainable futures.

Professor Eeva Leinonen

Professor Eeva Leinonen joined Maynooth University as President in October 2021, after five years of service as Vice Chancellor and President at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

Professor Leinonen was born and raised in Finland, where she completed her schooling. She and her two brothers were the first in their family to attend university. Her own experience has cemented her belief in the role of education as a social equaliser, with the power to transform for the better the lives of individuals, families and whole communities.

As part of her education in Finland Professor Leinonen spent a year as an exchange student in Michigan, USA, prior to entering university in England, where she studied linguistics and psychology. She obtained a BSc (Hons) in Linguistics and Psychology (First Class) from Aston University, UK; MPhil in Text Linguistics from Exeter University, UK: PhD in Clinical Linguistics from De Montfort University, UK; Docent (Higher Doctorate) from her hometown university, University of Oulu, Finland; and DSc (Honoris Causa) from Aston University, UK.

Professor Leinonen’s academic research focuses on pragmatic language processing deficits in children and young adults with autistic spectrum disorders. She collaborates with colleagues in Finland and Italy, including recent work on cross-cultural comparison of pragmatic development in typically developing children in these two cultural contexts. She also speaks and writes about higher education topics, including institutional leadership, curriculum and technology enhanced learning.

Professor Leinonen has extensive experience in higher education in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and internationally. Prior to joining Maynooth University, she spent over eight years in Australia, where she first held the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) at the University of Wollongong and then Vice Chancellor of Murdoch University.

Guilherme Luz

Guilherme Luz is a Process Mining Expert at SAP, where he works within the Corporate BPM team to leverage Signavio for optimizing SAP’s own internal processes. His path to process mining began during his previous role as a Procurement Specialist, where he discovered the transformative power of the technology, which he recognized as a game-changer for daily operations. This experience inspired him to transition into the field, leading him to contribute to the Celonis rollout at Nestlé before bringing his expertise to SAP.

Dr Tadhg E. MacIntyre

Tadhg E. Maclntyre PhD is an Associate Professor in Environmental Psychology at the Innovation Value Institute, Maynooth University where he has a leading role in three EU funded Horizon projects. Tadhg is also a funded investigator with Research Ireland Insight Centre for Data Analytics and has been a Visiting Professor at the Technical University of Munich (2019-2020) and Inland University of Applied Sciences (Norway) from 2022-2025. Tadhg graduated from UCD with a  PhD in psychology in 2007 focused on cognitive aspects of human movement. More recently his research has been focused on nature-based solutions and interventions for urban health. Tadhg currently coordinates the Horizon Europe GoGreen Next project (2024-2028)focused on urban health and climate change (€6 million). He recently led the Horizon 2020 project GoGreen Routes (2020-2024) which received €10.5 million  (2020-2024) directly from the EU. Since June 2025, he is a work package lead of Horizon Europe project Green Talent (2025-2029) where his work is concerned with developing a learning ecosystem for innovators in climate change and sustainability. He also is a reviewer for EU funding calls (e.g. ERC, EU Horizon proposals, and MSCA), in addition to national funding in the US, Norway, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Canada and the UK (e.g. Leverhulme Awards).

Kamil Mahajan

Kamil Mahajan is the CEO of Advice Bytes and founder of Sector8 AI, with over 15 years of global experience in cybersecurity, risk, and IT leadership roles at Meta, Quantcast, and Maynooth University. He advises organisations on AI security, compliance, and responsible innovation, drawing from both hands-on delivery and ongoing PhD research in AI security for SMEs at ATU Galway. A regular speaker at ISACA, Cyber Ireland, and public sector events, Kamil also delivers AI security masterclasses across Ireland’s innovation network. He holds an MSc in Digital Investigation & Forensic Computing, is CISM certified, and an ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and Implementer.

Prof. Craig Mahoney

Professor Craig Mahoney currently works in London with The Education Group London (TEG) on a range of projects including launching an Ed Tech startup designed to make learning English language simple.  He has been a twice-serving university President, at the University of the West of Scotland from 2013 – 2021 and the University of Law during 2022.  Previously he was CEO at the Higher Education Academy, a UK national agency overseeing the enhancement of pedagogy and the delivery of modern learning, teaching and assessment in universities.A dynamic public advocate of higher education, Craig is a research-active academic with a strong interest in topics covering differentiated student-centred learning, research informed teaching, e-learning; widespread use of open educational resources, teaching excellence and global engagement.  He is a passionate supporter of equality, diversity and inclusion and has developed many programmes, initiatives and change plans to remove discrimination and enable fairness by allowing every student and member of staff to be their true selves.

As a chartered psychologist, Professor Mahoney has been an internationally recognised performance psychologist for more than 30 years and is chairperson of the Advisory Board for GoGreen Next.

Craig is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. He has been a Board member on the UK Quality Assurance Agency, a Board member for Glasgow City of Sciences, a Trustee on the Carnegie Trust for Universities of Scotland, Convener of Universities Scotland Climate Emergency and Efficiency Committee, a Board member for SportScotland, Chair of British Universities and Colleges Sport and a Board member of Converge Challenge.  He is currently Chair of Brooklands FE College Board in London and an adviser to several commercial bodies.

Mary Mangru

The founding president of the first instance of the Data Management Association (DAMA) Ireland, Mary has over 25 years of experience in IT from programmer to analyst to Data Management.  Now a self-confessed ‘Data Nerd’, Mary has worked with all levels in organisations to help them understand the opportunity and value of their data. This extensive experience is gained across Ireland, the UK, and the US in both public and private sector.

Dr Carla Mateus

Carla Mateus PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Geography Department at Maynooth  University. Her research interests mainly focus on climate science, namely climate change, extreme weather events and impacts, historical climatology and environmental history. A member of the ICARUS institute she is also interested in climate action, climate adaptation and climate mitigation topics. Passionate about teaching, outreach, public engagement and science communication Carla has contributed to RTÉ Brainstorm features and disseminated research to the public at science communication events (e.g. Pint of Science Ireland; Soapbox Science Dublin). Awarded a Public Engagement Grant from the European Geosciences Union to carry out the project ‘Prison talks: bringing climate change conversations into the Irish prisons’, Carla has also been awarded a Teaching and Learning Fellowship from the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Maynooth University. A native of Portugal she is  am interested in Portuguese current affairs and strengthening collaborations between Portugal and Ireland.

Joe McCann

Details to follow soon

Dr Elaine McCarthy

Dr Elaine McCarthy is Head of Research Policy, Data and Compliance in Maynooth University Research Development Office. She is also co-founder and co-chair of Higher Education Institutes for Research Security (HEIRS), a community of practice network of research security professionals from across Irish HEIs. 

Dr Ciara McCormack

Dr Ciara McCormack is an Assistant Professor in Exercise Science and Health at Maynooth University and a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Her research focuses on the role of exercise and health in the primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. She is passionate about designing, delivering, and evaluating patient‑centred, technology‑enabled interventions that use physical activity to improve long‑term health outcomes and healthcare delivery.

Ciara is currently embedded in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, where she is leading a national programme to transform pulmonary hypertension (PH) research and rehabilitation services in Ireland. She is the lead researcher on an SFI CONNECT collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, delivered through the Innovation Value Institute (IVI), focused on digitising pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) pathways. This work explores how digital technologies can be integrated into routine clinical care to enhance patient monitoring, engagement, and access to exercise‑based rehabilitation.

Her research spans hospital, home, and community settings, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to examine how lifestyle and physical activity interventions—supported by digital tools—can influence disease progression, symptom management, and healthcare utilisation. She is particularly interested in developing scalable, technology‑enabled models of care for adults aged 40+ and for people living with chronic disease, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, equity, and long‑term behaviour change.

She is currently a funded investigator within the GoGreenNext EU Project and Co‑Chair of its Gender and Inclusion (GID) Committee, where she provides leadership to ensure the project is inclusive in its design, implementation, and reporting, with a strong focus on engaging vulnerable populations and promoting equitable access to physical activity for all.

Beyond her academic and clinical roles, Ciara is committed to public engagement and health advocacy. She works closely with the HSE on Ireland’s Physical Activity Guidelines and contributes to national efforts to integrate rehabilitation and physical activity into chronic disease management pathways. She also represents Ireland on the global Exercise is Medicine Emerging Leadership Programme, supporting the implementation of physical activity as a standard component of clinical care.

Her work has been recognised through awards from organisations including the American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, and DCU Invent. Ciara regularly contributes to national health campaigns, appears on RTÉ Radio 1 as an expert on physical activity and health, and provides consultancy to healthcare, community, and corporate organisations seeking to implement evidence‑based, digitally supported lifestyle and physical activity programmes.

Martin McCormack

Martin McCormack is Chief Executive Officer of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland and Chair of the National Learning Analytics Expert Advisory Group. He operates at the intersection of health system reform, digital strategy and corporate governance. Martin serves as a non-executive director on the HSE Board Strategy and Reform Committee and on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Royal Irish Academy, and has advised the Department of Health, the HSE, the Medical Council of Ireland, and the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry.

A former Chief Information Officer at Beaumont Hospital, he brings deep operational experience in implementing digital systems within complex clinical environments. His work now focuses on the execution of data and digital strategy at system level, particularly the governance, legitimacy and stakeholder alignment required to scale innovation in healthcare.

Martin collaborates internationally with government, academic, and healthcare partners to advance patient safety, workforce planning, and data-informed decision-making.

He is a Chartered Director, a Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland and the Irish Computer Society, and an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin. His doctoral research examines strategic renewal and execution in multistakeholder health systems.

Brian McGeough

Brian has been in the tech sector for over 30 years. Prior to joining Creditsafe, he worked with Intel, Activision and Amazon Web Services. In his role as CIO at Creditsafe, Brian runs all technology across the business including internal IT Business Apps, Security and Customer Product development. The Technology organisation consists of approximately 450 highly technical engineers, mainly across Ireland, the UK and Hyderabad in India.

Brian was involved in the development of IVI’s ITCMF.

His current focus in on AI integration across the business, all about doing things responsibly at scale, hardening the governance model and security practices. Other priorities include targeted efficiencies for key business-driven workflows and processes, mostly around data transformation, admin functions, and sales enablement.

Louise McKeever

Louise McKeever is Government Chief Information Officer at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. With extensive experience in helping implement large-scale transformational change and having cultivated over 25 years of experience working across ICT, Louise has an in-dept understanding of business leadership and change management. As Government CIO, Louise provides strategic leadership and stewardship of the Governments digital agenda with a specific focus on the digital transformation of public services. Louise is the strategic advisor to Government on the digital government agenda and plays a leadership role in digital service delivery and innovation initiatives working in collaboration with and providing advice to Departments and agencies across the Irish Civil and Public Service.

In addition to leading on the development and implementation of a number of key strategies such as the national digital and AI strategy, Connecting Government 2030, the Public Service data strategy and the Digital Public Services Plan 2025-2030, as well as Better Public Services as Government CIO, Louise also provides input and support in relation to the digital agenda to Ministers as well as other areas of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and other Departments.

Louise has a degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Business Administration, Information Technology, from University College Dublin (UCD). In 2023, Louise completed a Professional Diploma in Executive Coaching in the Irish Management Institute, awarded, and accredited by University College Cork (UCC).

Phill Miller

Phillip Miller is CEO of Skillwell, a pioneer in immersive and adaptive simulations for higher education and corporate learning. A 20+ year edtech leader, he previously led Open LMS, overseeing three acquisitions that created the world’s largest Moodle provider. He’s also advised early-stage learning tech companies on product strategy, fundraising, and go-to-market growth.

Prof. Rosemary Monahan

Rosemary Monahan is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and an affiliate of the Hamilton Institute at Maynooth University. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science from UCD, a PhD from DCU and is the Maynooth University institutional lead for ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology.

As a founding member of the Principles of Programming Research Group she specialises in the static and dynamic analysis of software. She has expertise in the modelling, analysis and verification of software, working with international academics and industry to develop and employ techniques increasing the dependability of software systems (such as those in the medical, automotive, and aerospace domains).

Professor Monahan is co-founder of the international VerifyThis competition series, bringing together both academic and industrial users of tools which guarantee the correctness and reliability of software systems. She is a Principal Investigator (PI) under the Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme, working on verification and visualisation of AI based-systems (MAIVV, 2021-2025), and a Funded Investigator (FI) working on VERIFAI: Traceability and Verification of Natural LAnguage Requirements in ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology.

Recent projects include research funded by Enterprise Ireland and H2020 ESCEL JU programme to improve workflows and tools for verification and validation of software systems (VALU3S, 2020-2023). She is passionate about providing solid mathematical foundations for software systems and in next-generation verification technologies applied to AI-based software. “Arís: Analogical Reasoning for reuse of Implementation & Specification” is a recent project concerning applying models of analogical reasoning to the domain of reliable software development and re-use.

Professor Monahan has been PI on two SFI Discover projects (InSPECT 2019-2022; CoCoA 2021-2023) producing educational resources that teach the science of problem-solving through computational thinking and she is currently a funded collaborator on CoCoA23 (2023 – 2025) improving scientific problem solving skills through co-creation, collaboration and active learning. She is a named supervisor in the SFI Centre for Research Training in Foundations of Data Science and the SFI Centre for Research Training in Advanced Networks for Sustainable Societies, and supervises PhD students funded by the Irish Research Council.

As the Director of the Erasmus Mundus MSc in Dependable Software Systems (2012-2018), she has secured and managed €2.5 million in EU funding, providing foundations for the subsequent DEPEND Erasmus Mundus programme. Recent collaborators include UTRC, Ireland; Microsoft Research, USA; Amazon Web Services, USA; and INRIA, France; with research funded via the Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and Horizon 2020.

Prof. Rachel Msetfi

Prof. Rachel Msetfi is a higher education leader and an experimental psychologist. She joined Maynooth University in 2023 as Vice President for Research and Innovation, where she oversees research and development, technology transfer, graduate research, and strategy implementation. Her leadership includes chairing key committees such as the Research, Ethics, and Risk Management Committees, contributing to the university’s vision and governance.

Rachel’s research lies in the interdisciplinary space, integrating experimental psychology with applied fields, especially focusing on mental health and wellbeing. She has an international track record of peer-reviewed publications and research partnerships, combining psychology, computational science, and machine learning to understand psychopathology, particularly depression.

Previously, Rachel held leadership roles at the University of Limerick, where as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, she lead strategic initiatives, expanded research capacity, and championed flexible, inclusive education. Under her leadership, the faculty received recognition for gender equality and achieved significant growth in student and research outputs.

Rachel remains passionate about advancing research, education, and innovation while fostering an inclusive environment where colleagues and students alike can thrive.

Dr. Matthew Mullarkey

Matthew T. Mullarkey is the Director of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program for the USF Muma College of Business and an Instructor in the School of Information Systems and Management (SISM). Mullarkey received a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems from the University of South Florida, an MBA from the University of South Carolina, an MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, and a BS in Engineering from the United States Military Academy (West Point).

Mullarkey’s areas of research interest include design science research and action research in the evaluation and creation of information systems, smart cities, IoT, healthcare, social networking, and data science. Mullarkey teaches using case based discussions that engage Doctoral, MBA and MIS undergraduates in complex business decisions that typically involve a technology component. His case study based capstone courses emphasize critical thinking, business analysis, and the impact of information technology and systems on real‐world, business decision‐making. Mullarkey is the Editor‐in‐Chief of the USF Muma Case Review and an editor and reviewer for a number of academic journals.

Mullarkey is a 2019-2020 recipient of the Fulbright Scholar Award, 2018 recipient of the USF Faculty Externship Award, 2017 recipient of the USF Muma College of Business Outstanding Faculty Community Engagement Award, and 2015-2016 ISDS Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award. Mullarkey was named a 2019-2021 Extraordinary Research Scientist at North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Dr Maria Murphy

Bronwyn Murrell

Dr Daniel Murrell

Daragh O Brien

Daragh is the Founder and Managing Director of Castlebridge. He has been a pioneer in the field of information management for over two decades, and has worked with a number of professional bodies in the sector, including IAIDQ/IQ International and DAMA International.

In 2008 Daragh was recognised as a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society for his contributions in the fields of Data Quality and Data Governance. In 2019 he was recognised by the All-Ireland Business Foundation as a Thought Leader in Governance, Strategy, and Ethics for Information. In 2022, the Innovation Value Institute in NUI Maynooth recognised him for his contributions to Innovation in Data Governance over almost a quarter of a century. He is also a contributing member to the Leaders’ Data Group, an independent think-tank of industry professionals working to develop better practices in data management and data literacy from a practical, pragmatic, and technology independent perspective.

Prior to founding Castlebridge, Daragh worked for over a decade for a leading Irish telecommunications company in roles as diverse as Call Centre operations, Single View of Customer Programme management, and Regulatory Compliance and Governance. He a regular presenter and trainer at conferences worldwide and is much sought-after by Irish media for his expertise in data law, regulatory affairs and information ethics.

Apart from his consulting and education work, Daragh is a faculty member at the Law Society of Ireland, lecturer in the Sutherland School of Law in UCD, a guest lecturer in the Smurfit Graduate School of Business in UCD, and a contributing research partner to the Adapt Centre in Trinity College Dublin. He is an active contributor to the Innovation Value Institute’s IT-CMF framework, and is a member of the Strategic Advisory Council to the School of Business in NUI Maynooth.

Michael O’Dwyer

Details to follow soon

Annie O’Shea

Biography to follow

Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan

Dr Siobhán O’Sullivan is a senior policy analyst in the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). She was the lead author of the 2026 NESC report ‘Artificial Intelligence in Service of Society: Navigating our Way Forward’. She is a Member of the Co-production Working Group, of the Irish Health Information & Quality Authority which is currently drafting National Guidance for the Responsible and Safe use of Artificial Intelligence in Health and Social Care Services. She also serves as the AI rapporteur to the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health, at the Council of Europe.

From 2011-2022, she was the Chief Bioethics Officer at the Department of Health in Ireland where she provided advice on policy and legislative instruments on bioethics related issues. Dr O’Sullivan was the Director of the Irish Council for Bioethics from 2002-2010 which published a number of influential reports and recommendations for the healthcare and scientific sectors. She was vice-chair of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, an independent body advising the President of the European Commission in connection with Community legislation or policies until 2022.

She has played a key role in shaping bioethical discourse nationally and internationally, contributing to policy, legislation, and education on complex issues at the intersection of science, rights, and society. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm in 1998 and holds a Master’s in healthcare Ethics and law and a Master’s in human Rights Law.

Dr Tiago Carneiro Peixoto

Further details to be confirmed soon

Dr Zohreh Pourzolfaghar

Zohreh Pourzolfaghar is Assistant Professor for the School of Business in Maynooth University. She is a members of Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software. Zohreh formerly has been Research Fellow at Innovation Value Institute (IVI), Maynooth University’s digital transformation research centre. She is a senior research member of the Business Informatics Group. She is the theme lead in a project investigating the application of Enterprise Architecture in Smart Cities, funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). She has been Principle Investigator for an Industry Fellowship Programme, funded by SFI. Zohreh presented her work at international conferences and has published research in Journals and Conference Proceedings. Zohreh is also leading research within the Cost Action CA16222 (WISE-ACT), a European-wide network.  She has been thematic lead in a successful European Marie Curie PERFORM project. She is a member of the supervisory board of the EU project PERFORM, that focuses on Digital Retail. She has been awarded the SFI industry fellowship (2018) working with industry on topics related to Smart Cities and Building Information Management. She is the Co-PI for submitted H202 Techland proposal. Zohreh received her Ph.D. in Project Management in design process of building projects. Zohreh has years of experience working with project-oriented construction companies to improve organisatioanal productivity and their work processes.

Stephen Redmond

Alistair Russell

Alistair is CEO of the management consultancy, Laing Russell. Laing Russell was established in 2018 as Alistair concluded the sale of his previous organisation, CIO Connect. Alistair and his colleagues work with organisations to develop their digital capability. At CIO Connect, Alistair was SVP, Advisory Services for over 15 years, leading the business and their work with Chief Information Officers and teams across Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. Laing Russell’s clients span all sectors.

Prior to CIO Connect, Alistair was Director for Executive Education at Durham University Business School. Alistair was with PA Consulting Group for 12 years. At PA, alongside practice leadership, he led consulting projects focused on organisational, systems and cultural change. Alistair qualified as a chartered engineer and started his career with ICI, holding a number of project and engineering management positions.

Alistair is business mentor to the CEO and Founder of a manufacturing sector tech. start-up, Business Growth Mentor to the CEO of a regional professional services firm, mentor to charity leaders through the Cranfield Trust and leadership mentor to students through the Durham Leadership Academy.

Prof. Rossano Schifanella

Prof. Rossano Schifanella is a researcher in computer science at the University of Turin and a researcher at ISI Foundation, where he is a member of the Data Science for Social Impact and Sustainability group. His research is highly impactful with a h-index of 34 and  embraces the creative energy of a range of disciplines across machine learning, urban science, computational social science, complex systems, and data visualization. He leverages data-driven approaches to model the behavior of (groups of) individuals and their interactions in space and time, aiming at understanding the interplay between online and offline social behavior. He is passionate about understanding the dynamics of complex phenomena in modern cities and building interactive web interfaces to explore urban spaces and access human knowledge through geography. Rossano is also a work-package lead in the GoGreen Routes Horison 2020 project and is an advisor on the IVI-led GoGreen Next Horizon Europe project, both of which focus on urban health.

Ken Sheehan

Ken Sheehan served as a Communications and Information Services (CIS) officer for 21 years in the Defence Forces, and deployed on five peace support operations in Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East with different UN, EU and NATO missions. He held a number of different senior appointments, including Officer Commanding of 1 Brigade CIS during the operation to support the HSE following the May 2021 cyber attack. Since retiring from the Army in 2023, he has worked in the cyber security and resilience sector. 

Lorraine Smyth

Lorraine is a senior digital leader within the Irish health service, with more than 23 years’ experience across the HSE spanning Procurement, National HR, and Digital Transformation. She is recognised for her leadership in health technology and currently works in partnership with multiple National Clinical Programmes to redesign care pathways, embedding digital solutions and eHealth enablers to improve patient outcomes and service delivery.

A passionate advocate for innovation in healthcare, Lorraine co-founded the HSE Digital Academy and the HSE Digital Transformation Team alongside Professor Martin Curley. Throughout her career, she has led and delivered a number of nationally significant digital initiatives, including the Covid Patient Monitoring App, which also formed the basis of her MSc research at the University of Limerick and was awarded Best Student Project at the Irish Healthcare Awards 2021.

Lorraine’s contribution to digital healthcare innovation has been widely recognised through multiple national awards, including Women in IT Digital Transformation Leader of the Year and Innovator of the Year (2021), the Women in STEM Award for Health Technology (2023), and Businesswoman of the Year (STEM), Professional Network Ireland Wexford (2023).

She is deeply committed to patient-centred healthcare and believes strongly in harnessing technology to deliver meaningful, sustainable improvements in health and care services.

Dr Marta Soprana

Dr Marta Soprana is a researcher and consultant with over 15 years of experience in international trade and technology policy. She has collaborated with international organizations – including the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and various UN agencies – national governments and private companies, helping them navigate the complexities of global markets and new technological frontiers. Currently she is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Lucerne, Fellow at the Information Society Law Center/University of Milan and Technology and International Affairs Project Associate at LSE IDEAS. Focusing on the intersection of law, international political economy and innovation, her research agenda explores the regulation of AI in an interconnected world and how it can shape the future of international trade. She holds a PhD in Legal Studies from Bocconi University, a Master in International law and Economics (MILE) from the World Trade Institute (WTI)/University of Bern, and a MA in International Relations and Diplomatic studies from the University of Bologna.

Dr. Christoph F. Strnadl

Dr. Christoph F. Strnadl is CTO and a Secretary General of the Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud AISBL, an international Brussels-based organization defining and implementing standards to enable federated and trusted data and digital service ecosystems.

Educated as a research scientist in Theoretical Physics he has been working as strategy consultant and business manager at Atos for 10 years. He then joined Software AG in 2005 where he held various technical leadership positions in central and eastern Europe, and at the global level, finally as Deputy CTO, playing a key role in global technology strategy development, cross-product innovation, and thought leadership. There Christoph contributed to large-scale, high-impact initiatives, including Gaia-X, Mobility Data Space (MDS), and various IoT and data space projects. Before joining the Gaia-X AISBL in 2024, he led the efforts of the IOTA Foundation, a Berlin blockchain/DLT association, of defining and implementing a technology adoption department.

An Austrian citizen, he holds a summa cum laude Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Technical University of Vienna and a post-graduate certificate in management science from the University of Huddersfield, UK. He is a recognized public speaker with over 300 appearances and co-author of or contributor to several books on the cloud-to-edge (C2E) continuum and its monetarization, data and service platform concepts and implementations, business process management, and IT law.

Sanjay Singh

Sanjay Singh is a Corporate Data Analyst with Dublin City Council, where he also serves as the Council’s Open Data Liaison Officer within the Data & Analytics Unit. His work supports Dublin City Council’s wider Digital Transformation agenda, particularly the goal of getting better with data by improving how information is governed, shared, and used across the organisation.

In his role, Sanjay works closely with service teams to publish high‑quality open datasets and to strengthen data standards, transparency, and reuse. He supports colleagues in making better use of data for evidence‑based decision‑making, while ensuring alignment with national and EU open data legislation and good data governance practices. His work contributes to making city data more accessible, reliable, and meaningful for both internal users and the wider public.

Sanjay collaborates regularly with researchers, universities, and civic‑tech partners, including ongoing engagement with Maynooth University, to explore practical applications of open data in areas such as public services, urban research, and local policy development. Through this work, he supports Dublin City Council’s ambition to build a stronger data culture and to use data as a strategic asset in delivering better outcomes for the city and its communities.

Nigel Thuku

Nigel Thuku is a data scientist and data protection compliance specialist at Aga Khan University’s Data Innovations Office, whose mission is to shorten the path from data to insight and inspire bold new discoveries that drive progress. His work centers on responsible data use, privacy-preserving technologies, and collaborative data-sharing approaches that enable innovation while strengthening trust and data sovereignty.

Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke

Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke holds the Chair of Public Sector and Business Informatics at The Open Government Institute (TOGI) at Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen. His current research focuses on e-government, open government, open data, open social innovation, smart government (Internet of Things and Internet of Services in the public sector; Administration 4.0, Smart City), real-time government, and artificial intelligence in the public sector. At the same time, he represents the interests of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. (German Informatics Society) within the framework of the German activities for the Open Government Partnership.

Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke studied business informatics at the University of Mannheim. He then completed his doctorate and habilitation at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer. After receiving his doctorate, he worked at the Research Institute for Public Administration in Speyer and at the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne. From 2007 to 2016, Prof. von Lucke was a senior researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) in Berlin. As founding director, he headed the Deutsche Telekom Institute for Connected Cities (TICC) at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen from 2009 to 2013. As holder of the Chair of Public Sector and Business Informatics, he was also active in the T-City Friedrichshafen smart city project. Today, he is Director of The Open Government Institute (TOGI) at Zeppelin University. His current research focuses on e-government, open government, open data, open social innovation, smart government (Internet of Things and Internet of Services in the public sector; Administration 4.0), real-time government and artificial intelligence in the public sector. At the same time, he represents the interests of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. (German Informatics Society) in the context of the German activities on the Open Government Partnership.

Helmut Vossman

Helmut Vossman is an IT specialist, partner and Managing Director of agmadata GmbH, responsible for in-house development and distribution of an ERP solution for industrial food production. He is the International Data Spaces Association Ambassador for the Farm & Food community. He also has a Masters degree in animal husbandry.

Dr Gráinne Walshe

Dr Gráinne Walshe leads on Principal Investigator-led and International programmes, and the cultivation of international partnerships, for the Researcher Development Directorate within Research Ireland. She has a great interest in interdisciplinary research, having worked across science, social sciences and literature. She is former Director of the Science Learning Centre at the University of Limerick, where she led the University’s teaching and learning services for science and engineering students, with research interests in increasing the uptake of physics and improving gender balance in physics. She has been a committee member of the Institute of Physics Ireland national committee, the Institute of Physics Higher Education Group committee, the EU GENERA network, and a member of the Executive Board of the European Science Education Research Association. She is currently Ireland’s National Delegate for Horizon Europe’s Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society.

Dr Raymond Wu

Raymond J. Wu is Executive Vice Secretary-General of the International Core Academy of Sciences and Humanities (CORE Academy) and Founding Secretary-General of the International Eurasian Laboratory. His work spans contemporary Chinese and world history, economic and financial history, and interdisciplinary research across the humanities and social sciences. His broader work explores AI for science, the future of knowledge, academic governance, learned societies, international scientific cooperation, and science diplomacy.

At CORE Academy, Raymond contributes to academic affairs, fellowship development, international partnerships, institutional communications, and the development of collaborative scientific and scholarly platforms across Asia, Eurasia, and the wider international community. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Royal Anthropological Institute.

Raymond is also a contributor to Professor Piero Formica’s forthcoming book The Horizon of AI, in which his chapter examines generative AI as an emerging infrastructure of knowledge and considers the role of academies, universities, and learned societies in sustaining standards, judgment, plurality, memory, and public trust.

Dr Fred Kitchens

Dr Fred Kitchens is an associate professor at Ball State University. He holds a doctorate from the University of Mississippi in management information systems with a specialization in computational intelligence. He has extensive experience working in the insurance industry, including agency operations, casualty underwriting, and brokering at Lloyd’s of London, in London, England. Although his computer experience dates to the late 1970s, it was during his time as a casualty underwriter that he became interested in the application of technology to the underwriting process. Much of Kitchens’ research has involved the application of artificial intelligence to underwriting and claims analysis.

Kitchens’ recent interests involve cluster computing. As director of the Ball State Cluster Computing Research Project, his interests are in business applications and curriculum development. He sees great potential for cluster computing in business and believes a principal component of that vision is in educating tomorrow’s technology professionals today. Additional research areas include artificial neural networks, knowledge management, communications, and social preceptions of technology.

Dr Alberto Jovane

Dr. Alberto Jovane is a Digi+ MSCA Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin and the ADAPT Centre. He holds a PhD in [field] and has experience in [brief area, e.g. multimodal behaviour analysis, motion capture, and human-computer interaction]. His current research explores human social interaction through synchronized recordings of body motion, facial expression, voice, and gaze.

He has a background in computer science and experience working with multimodal data, motion capture, and interactive technologies. His previous work has focused on the analysis and representation of human movement and behaviour.

Dr Israa Amro

Dr. Israa Amro is a DIGI+ MSCA Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at TU Dublin whose work bridges satellite remote sensing and drone-based analytics for monitoring forests and agricultural landscapes. She focuses on enhancing Sentinel-2 imagery to produce clearer, more informative maps and develops models that identify early signs of vegetation stress. Her drone research translates high-resolution imagery into practical measurements and damage assessments, including post-storm impacts and crop health indicators. Across projects, she emphasizes scalable methods and user-friendly outputs that support timely decisions for foresters, land managers, and farmers. Dr. Amro brings 19+ years of academic experience, previously serving as an Assistant Professor at Al-Quds Open University. She holds a PhD in Multimedia Systems from the University of Granada, an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Granada, and an MSc in Computer Information Systems and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Jordan.

Dr Elif Calik

Dr. Elif Calik is a DIGI+ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Computer Science, University of Galway, and the ADAPT Research Centre. Her work bridges blockchain technology, healthcare data governance, ethics, and trustworthy digital systems, with a particular focus on critical healthcare processes. Her ongoing project explores the application of blockchain technology to tissue and organ transportation, aiming to support secure, transparent, auditable, and ethically accountable digital infrastructures.

She develops approaches that integrate ethical principles into blockchain-based system design, including privacy, fairness, accountability, and trustworthiness. Through her research, she seeks to contribute to safer and more responsible digital health solutions for sensitive, multi-stakeholder healthcare environments.

Dr. Calik received her PhD in Computer Engineering from Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Türkiye, in 2022, and obtained the DIGI+ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2024. She is affiliated with the University of Galway’s Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation, the ADAPT Centre’s Health Working Group, and the Transparent Digital Governance Group. She is also the Communications Officer of the Research Staff Network.

Dr Jorge Balmaceda Hoyos

Jorge is an international lawyer and a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Galway School of Law. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Pontifical Catholic University, Chile, a Master of Laws from Nottingham Trent University, U.K., and a Ph.D. in Law from University Paris 1, France. Currently, under the supervision of Dr. Rónán Kennedy, he is conducting specialized research on AI in Law, creating a benchmark of tests to determine their strengths and weaknesses in facilitating early dispute resolution and drafting judicial decisions. He is a member of the Chilean Bar, ADIPRI (Chilean Association of International Private Law), and Association Henri Capitant des Amis de la Culture Juridique Française, France.

Jorge’s current project is titled ‘Artificial intelligence and conflict resolution: the new Solomon?’ Access to justice is often slow and expensive, leaving many people unable to afford it. Judicial decisions are time-consuming and can lead to excessive delays. This research project aims to promote inclusive and responsible growth, enhance the quality of judicial decisions, and make justice more efficient and accessible to everyone. It involves analysing the most popular legal AI tools currently available, creating a benchmark of tests to determine their strengths and weaknesses in facilitating early dispute resolution and drafting judicial decisions.

Dr Bayan Khosravi

Dr. Bayan Khosravi is Digi+ Senior MSCA Research Fellow at Technological University Dublin and the ADAPT Centre. Her current research project focuses on Responsible AI in healthcare. She holds a PhD and a master’s degree in Information Systems from Allameh Tabataba’i University and Tarbiat Modares University, respectively. Her research sits at the intersection of social studies of technology and critical digital policy, with a focus on social justice. Bayan has over 15 years of experience managing national research projects on digital inclusion, digital platforms, and the social consequences of digital transformation. She is affiliated with TU Dublin’s Digital Futures Research Hub, the ADAPT Centre’s Health Working Group, and the Transparent Digital Governance Group.

Dr. Peter Jean-Paul

Peter Jean-Paul has worked as a project specialist leading several key national projects within the government of Saint Lucia including: “Establishing a Data Driven Policy Development Unit within the Ministry of Physical Development and Urban Renewal” and “Enhancing Saint Lucia’s strategic frameworks to access Climate Finance”.  He has also worked with international organizations like the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC). He has a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics (Trinidad and Tobago), a Masters in International Human Resource Development (Taiwan) and a PhD in Electrical Engineering (New Zealand). He has won several international scholarships and awards including an international Commonwealth Scholarship to do his PHD and a research award for placing first in the 3 Minute Thesis competition in New Zealand.  Peter Jean Paul has strongly affirmed that digital transformation backed by a strong human resource is key to meeting some of the intractable sustainable issues of our time. Passionate about innovative practical research Peter has dedicate his academic and professional career to realizing the aims of the sustainable development goals. When he is not researching he is volunteering with Red Cross and Salvation Army to improve the welfare of the less fortunate.

Dr Mehran Kianvand

Dr Sara Ben Lashihar

Murali Krishna

Krishna is a Product & Design Leader with 17 years of experience across banking, fintech, crypto, web3, developer tools and enterprise AI. He has led product and design at scale across consumer trading platforms serving over 20 million users; B2B payments infrastructure processing hundreds of millions in transactions; and AI-native financial workflows for CFOs and enterprise decision-makers. Currently based in Dublin, Krishna works at the intersection of human trust and AI capability, solving for complex and boring workflows, building products for users in high-stakes environments where getting it wrong is not an option. Beyond product, Krishna is a speaker, angel investor, and mentor to early-stage founders. He has built creative communities, conducted over 50 workshops, and actively teaches at the intersection of design, art, and Vedanta (Consciousness and Non-duality).

Dr Matt Kennedy

Biography to follow soon