About our Speakers
Alan Irwin
Vice President of International Products & Solutions for Global Payments
Alan Irwin is the Vice President of International Products & Solutions for Global Payments, a fortune 500 payment technology company, and co-founder of Calcutta Connect, an NGO whose commitment is to deliver access to education for underprivileged communities in West Bengal, India. He’s spent the last 12 years working across many areas within the fintech industry and has a genuine passion for all things technology, payments and development education.
Alan is based in Dublin, Ireland and leads product management teams internationally who are responsible for delivering some of the biggest innovations in payment technology for many of the largest multinational merchants; examples incl. GP TOM – Europe’s leading SoftPOS solution and GP Ecommerce – one of the world’s most successful Ecommerce gateways.
Alan is a Maynooth alumni who considers his years and memories spent here as some of his best ever. He attributes much of his success to the learnings and experiences he gained thanks to the University. He relishes the rare opportunity to have an afternoon walk around the grounds of the campus with his wife (whom he met while studying here) and their beloved dog Bear.
Trudi Brook
Senior Manager, ROI CTO Service Enablement BT Ireland
A passionate, practical, and people-focused IT leader, Trudi has over 25 years’ experiencein the tech industry.
Following a degree in mechanical engineering from UCD, she developed
project management skills and experience through the consulting world of Deloitte and then as part of the telecoms world with BT Ireland (www.BTIreland.com) delivering many successful technology solutions for customers to a time, cost and quality agenda. Managing teams of project managers for BT came next, where she had responsibility for multiple customer portfolios as well as hiring, leading and developing talented PM professionals. More recently she has been applying her skills within the Technology office of BT where she leads the Service Enablement team and owns the strategy, budget, communications and governance on behalf of the CTO. She is a founding member and driving force behind the BT Ireland Inspiring Women in Business network and externally is part of the leadership
team of Connecting Women in Technology (www.CWiT.ie)
Dr. Tim Calahan, MS, MBA, MDA
Chief Technology Officer at Michigan Medicine and the Chief Executive Officer at EHC Consulting
Dr. Tim Calahan is a seasoned executive and clinical technology leader specializing in cloud transformation and hosting Epic in the cloud.
With a foundation in engineering, two master’s degrees, and a doctorate, Dr. Calahan combines technical expertise with strategic vision to drive innovation. He has over 30 years of professional experience, including 25 years in healthcare and 15 years in management consulting. Currently, he serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Michigan Medicine and the Chief Executive Officer at EHC Consulting, where he leads initiatives to optimize healthcare IT and advance digital transformation through public cloud solutions.
Paul Delahunty
Chief Information Security Officer at Stryve
Paul Delahunty is Chief Information Security Officer at Stryve, a leading Irish multi-cloud and cybersecurity company and ICTTF Cyber Security Company of the Year 2022.
As CIO and IT Leaders Security Leader of the Year 2023 and 2024, and Tech Excellence CIO of the Year 2024, Paul has established himself as one of the top Information Security experts in the country.
A certified CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and DORA Certified Compliance Specialist (ICTTF) with over twelve years of experience in information security, Paul started his career as an engineer with Ericsson before venturing into the start-up world as Operations Director with moQom. More recently, he worked as an Information Security and Audit Manager for Hostelworld, before joining the rapidly expanding team at Stryve. Paul is CIO and IT Leaders Security Leader of the Year 2023 and 2024, and is the Tech Excellence Awards CIO of the Year 2024.
As a founding member of the Southeast Cyber Ireland committee, Paul shares his knowledge helping to build a cybersecurity community across the country which links with Cyber Ireland’s national activities. He is also an active ICTTF (International Cyber Threat Task Force) member.
Paul is a popular keynote speaker at national and international cybersecurity conferences and events, including IDEAM’s “Smart Industrial Control Systems”, AtlanTec, Tech Connect, Kyte Consulting’s “The Evolution of Cloud” and Maynooth University’s “Innovation Value Institute” Summit 2024. He is a regular contributor to the national conversation on cybersecurity in print media, radio and television.
Kammil Mahajan
Managing Director of Advice Bytes
Kammil Mahajan is a cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, and thought leader with over a decade of experience leading and transforming information security and IT operations. As Managing Director of Advice Bytes, he bridges cybersecurity and AI security, empowering organizations to tackle evolving digital threats. He has worked with global giants like Facebook, Google, and Maynooth University and is currently pursuing a PhD in AI Security at ATU. A certified CISM and ISO 27001 professional, Kammil also lectures on cybersecurity, sharing his expertise with the next generation of professionals. His expertise and experience make him a trusted speaker on AI security, compliance, and building resilient businesses.
Jane Corr
CIÉ Group IT&T Head of Cyber Security
Jane is a recognised Information Security & IT leader who has a track record of building successful teams. She is known for her ‘Can Do’ attitude while always keeping the customer in mind. With over 30 years’ experience in a variety of IT infrastructure roles, Jane moved into Information Security ten years ago. She has held Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Cybersecurity roles in both private and public sector. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity College Dublin and has attained CISSP, CRISC and CISM security certifications.
Mark Kirwan
CEO and co-founder of Positive Carbon
Mark Kirwan is the CEO and co-founder of Positive Carbon, a trailblazing sustainability company that combines AI and data-driven solutions to tackle the global challenge of food waste. With a proven track record of driving innovation in sustainability, Mark has guided Positive Carbon to become a leader in helping businesses reduce food waste, save costs, and meet ambitious sustainability goals.
Under Mark’s leadership, Positive Carbon has achieved partnerships with high-profile organizations such as Gather & Gather, The Merrion Hotel, and KPMG, achieving waste reductions of over 30%. The company’s cutting-edge technology and results-driven approach have earned it recognition as a Top 100 Start-ups in Ireland and finalist at the All-Ireland Sustainability Awards and Business and finance award 2024 for innovation of the year.
Mark is a sought-after voice in sustainability and technology, offering unique insights into how AI and data can accelerate change. His engaging storytelling and practical expertise make him a powerful advocate for using innovative technology to solve complex environmental challenges.
At the IVI Summit, Mark will inspire audiences by sharing actionable strategies and a forward-thinking vision for a sustainable, data-driven future—demonstrating what’s possible when technology meets responsibility.
Dr. Adegboyega Ojo
GovTech Cluster Lead
Adegboyega Ojo is Full Professor at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Canada. Prof. Ojo is also Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence. His research is primarily in the area of digital government. He studies how digital and data technologies can be used to support innovation in government institutions and address societal challenges. Prof. Ojo is keen on understanding the conditions and technical design requirements for the beneficial and ethical use of data-driven innovation, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence-based solutions in different public service and policy contexts.Before joining Carleton University, he was a faculty at Maynooth University School of Business and earlier a Senior Research Fellow & Head of the E-Government Unit at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics, University of Galway, Republic of Ireland. He also worked at the Centre for Electronic Governance, United Nations University in Macao SAR, China, where he supported governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in developing digital government strategies. Adegboyega is Associate Editor of the Government Information Quarterly Journal (Elsevier), Digital Government: Research and Practice journal (ACM) and also the Information Polity Journal (IOS Press). He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Joan Mulvihil
Digitalisation Lead, Siemens Ireland
Joan Mulvihill is a Digitalization and Creativity Evangelist for Siemens who spends her days turning chaos into creativity. On meeting her you immediately sense that this is a woman who has found her purpose and she is pursuing it relentlessly.
When she’s not busy revolutionizing industries by helping organizations embrace digitalisation, Joan is on quest to rehumanise organisations. Admittedly, embracing technology and rehumanising organisations sound like strange bedfellows but when you hear this futurist speak it all starts to make sense. As a keynote speaker, this “artist-leader” knows the qualities of light and dark, the values of colour and tone are not just descriptors for art but for life. She spends her days asking tough questions of herself and of industry. She is arresting in her honesty and in her own words is “a practitioner of extreme vulnerability”.
She is an artist who paints commentary on how technology, society, and human creativity collide in the most unexpected, delightful and sometimes dark ways. This new series of work, “The Perspectives of a Woman in Tech – Sometimes She’s Angry” is far removed from any corporate slide-deck on digitalisation you’ve seen. This is digitalisation unplugged. This is the start of humanity rewired.
Dr. Sabarathinam Chockalingam
Senior Researcher in Cyber Security at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Norway
Dr. Sabarathinam Chockalingam is a Senior Researcher in Cyber Security at the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Norway. Saba has a PhD within Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security from the Delft University of Technology and Master of Science in Cyber Security and Management from the University of Warwick.
He has managed and worked in national and international research projects related to Cyber Security like CPSEC, RECYCIN, and SecuRoPS. Currently, he is leading the activity on Distinguishing Attacks and Faults to Support Effective Response in the international OECD Halden Human Technology Organisation (HTO) project.
Finally, he also served as an Organization and Program Committee member in various international conferences and workshops in addition to being a reviewer and (guest) editor for high-quality journals in the field of his expertise like the International Journal of Information Security, and Computer Standards and Interfaces.
Sander Frank, MA
Research associate and doctoral student at “The Open Government Institute” of Zeppelin University
Sander Frank conducts research and works as a research associate and doctoral student at “The Open Government Institute” of Zeppelin University, focusing primarily on the implications and potentials of the intersection between digitalization and sustainability in politics and public administration within the context of the “Twin Transition.”
Additionally, he is involved in the institute’s core research areas and supports the institute’s director, Prof. Dr. Jörn von Lucke. Since 2019, he has been a member of the municipal council of the city of Friedrichshafen and served as a member of the Advisory Board for Sustainable Development of the Baden-Württemberg State Government from 2017 to 2021.
Dr. Claudia Roessing
Postdoctoral researcher at VISION project
Claudia Roessing has completed her PhD at Maynooth University, where she investigated the variations of data lifecycles based on data requirements in the Smart City scenario. She has years of experience in the software development industry with a background in Business Analysis and Consulting and Computer Science. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the VISION project, which is financed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and focuses on reducing the use of virgin materials in the Irish building sector.
Dr. Nicola Mountford
Associate Professor in Management, and PhD Director at Maynooth University’s School of Business
Dr Nicola Mountford is Associate Professor and Director of the PhD programme at the School of Business, Maynooth University. Dr Mountford’s research focuses on the organisation of healthcare, in particular government roles and patient voice in decision-making processes. She has published in journals such as Organisation Studies, International Journal of Management Reviews, Journal of Business Research, Studies in Higher Education, and co-authored two (of eight) papers for a special theme issue of Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) on connected health technologies. Dr Mountford was the only academic from the discipline of business to contribute to this special issue. She has led work packages in two European projects – CHAMELEONS which designed interdisciplinarity and intersectorality into the PhD experience for Connected Health; and OPENING DOORS which developed an online open science and open innovation module. These EU projects showcase Dr Mountford’s additional research focus on redesigning doctoral education to facilitate digital health technology design and uptake. In 2016 she held a Fulbright TechImpact scholarship, funded by Enterprise Ireland in the area of Digital Health. She is currently working with colleagues in Maynooth University Biology on a Future Innovator Challenge Award, funded by Science Foundation Ireland, that seeks to reduce neonatal mortality due to sepsis in Uganda.
Dr. Gültekin Cakir
Lecturer and Researcher in Strategic Management – TU Dublin
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.
Denise Manton
Executive Officer of Empower
Denise Manton has 20+ years of multi-disciplinary experience with a focus on innovation driven technology and digital transformation initiatives both in industry and in academic research environments, operating at various levels from software engineering to senior management. In her role as Executive Officer of Empower, she will drive the long-term strategic planning of the research programme and lead engagement and collaboration with diverse stakeholder groups, building a community of practice to overcome the global challenges in the area of data governance. Denise is also responsible for ensuring the key objectives are met and growth of the programme achieved.
Prof. Jan Vom Brocke
Director, Institute for Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein
Professor Jan vom Brocke the Hilti Endowed Chair for Business Process Management, Director of the Institute for Information Systems at the University of Liechtenstein and Co-Founder of DIGITIZE.EU – an innovative platform to inspire and implement ambitious digitalization initiatives across Europe.
Jan`s research has been published in many of the Financial Times Top 50 journals, such as Management Science, Management Information Systems Quarterly, Journal of Management Information Systems and MIT Sloan Management Review, and a recent Stanford study ranks Jan vom Brocke among the Top 0.5% of the world’s most cited scientists across all disciplines. He is the author and editor of 44 books, many of them considered best sellers in management and digitalization, such as the book Business Process Management Cases – Digital Innovation and Business Transformation in Practice, which has been downloaded more than 5 million times on the Springer Nature database.
Jan has acquired over €40 million in research funding and the projects of his team have been featured in popular newspapers around the word, including the Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail, and Telegraph. Jan has received over 20 international awards and has been named a Fellow of the World Association for Information Systems. Jan is an invited speaker and trusted advisor to many companies – big and small – as well as governmental institutions across Europe.
Daragh O'Brien
Founder and Managing Director of Castlebridge
Daragh O Brien is founder and managing director of Castlebridge, one of Ireland’s leading consultancies working in data strategy, data governance, and data protection. Since founding Castlebridge in 2009, Daragh and his team have worked with organisations of all sizes across a variety of sectors, including start-ups, SMEs, Non-Profits, Government bodies, EU institutions and other International Organisations.
Daragh is a co-author of Ethical Data and Information Management: Concepts, Tools, and Methods, published by Kogan Page, lectures in UCD School of Law and the Law Society of Ireland on Data Governance and Data Protection, and in the Smurfit Graduate School of Business on Data Ethics. He is also a member of the Innovation Value Institute in NUI Maynooth. He is a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society and a Fellow of Information Privacy from the IAPP.
Dervla McCabe
Development Adviser in Enterprise Ireland
Dervla McCabe works closely with an exciting portfolio of Food & Drink HPSUs (High Potential Start Ups) and supports them to harness valuable opportunities and provides access to a expansive network of industry personal and investors. Dervla works with companies across varying development stages, from pre-Seed, Seed to Scale, supporting the companies at all stages through a mixture of grant and equity products. Dervla leads out on the Food Works programme, a dedicated 10-month investment accelerator programme for food & beverage companies.
Cornel Klien
Research Program Manager at Siemens Foundational Technologies in Munich
Cornel Klein leads the corporate research program at Siemens Foundation Technologies on the validation and engineering of intelligent and autonomous systems and manages large collaborative research projects. In this role, he is closely connected with external partners in the Siemens research and innovation ecosystem, including funding agencies, universities, startups, and industrial R&I initiatives.
He has extensive expertise in communications, cyber-physical and embedded systems, software and systems engineering, as well as in application domains such as automotive, mobility, and smart cities/buildings. Cornel has also served as project manager and co-author of several foresight studies, including The Software Car, which explores the impact of digital transformation on the automotive industry, and Embodied Intelligence: Driving the Digital Transformation 2.0“
Cornel holds a Master’s and a PhD in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich.
Dr Annalisa Setti
Senior Lecturer and cognitive scientist at University College Cork, Ireland
From the School of Applied Psychology at University College Cork, Dr Annalisa Setti is concerned with maximizing the co-benefits of nature and environmental interactions for different groups including those with sensory sensitivity and the elders. She collaborates regularly with Cork City Council and Cork Healthy Cities on topics related to nature-based solutions, climate change and resilience. An advocate of the UCC Green Campus she advices on topics related to the role of nature contact in students’ well-being and sustainably lifestyle. In this session, she will guide participants through exploring possible futures, challenging assumptions, and expanding their capacity to drive change in a psychologically informed way, and highlight the potential for bias to influence our perspectives.
Terri Morrissey
Director at This Is…
Terri Morrissey is a consultant with the firm ‘This-is’, an organisational psychologist, and former CEO of PSI. In 2020, her book ‘Uncertainty Rules? Making uncertainty work for you‘ was published and Terri has played a major role in developing psychological approaches to climate change and sustainability with the APA, the Global Psychology Alliance and with An Taisce. Most recently, Terri was the innovation manager for the EU funded project GoGreen Routes, and is a member of the advisory board of GoGreen Next.
Professor Craig Mahoney
Education Leader, Strategist and Performance Psychologist currently working with The Education Group (TEG) in London
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.
Professor Mahoney 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.
Alan Scarry
Researcher PHD Student at University of Limerick
Alan Scarry MSc is a researcher with the GoGreen Next project. He is currently awaiting his PhD viva voce examination.
His research focused on sustainability and food science and he currently leads the Academy Cluster within the GoGreen Next project.
He originally completed a BA in NUIG focusing on Classical History and Sociology; within this, he developed an interest in why we eat what we eat and examined patterns of human behaviour over time to explore how diet patterns evolved in our current society. Following this, he completed an MSc in Food, Nutrition and Health in UCD. His focus was on the composition of foods, the possible diets one could consume to achieve optimum health, and the impact of food regulations. He is currently a PhD candidate for GoGreen Routes, researching the environmental impact of diet using novel dietary technology.
Registered Associate Nutritionist with AFN member number 26946. Registered with The Nutrition Society, member number 67384. Affliate member of British Dietetics Assiociation :the Sustainable Diets Specialist Group member number 23311.
Dr. Elaine Gallagher
Behavioural Science Consultant and Environmental Psychologist
Together with Tadhg and Annalisa,Dr Elaine Gallagheris co-editor of the forthcoming Springer/Palgrave text entitled ‘The Individual and Climate Change: A Psychological Approach to Action.’ Elaine studied for her undergraduate degree in psychology at Maynooth University, pursued a MSc. in Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey and graduated from Bath University with a PhD. Formerly a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Limerick, Elaine is a consultant in sustainability working with industry in Ireland and the UK.
Dr Tadhg MacIntyre
Assistant Professor in Environmental Psychology at Maynooth University.
Dr Tadhg MacIntyre is based at the Innovation Value Institute at Maynooth University where he leads two EU funded projects on urban health. GoGreen Routes which is at final reporting stage is a 52 month project on urban health which included Limerick among it’s target cities. At Maynooth University he leads the Masters of Science program in Environmental Psychology.
Azra Aryania
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Innovation Value Institute
Simon Hanratty
CIO of Irish Life Group
Roshmita Kanungoe
Project Manager at Innovation Value Institute
Roshmita Kanungoe is a Project Manager working with Innovation Value Institute (IVI) in Maynooth University, Ireland since 2021. Her expertise lies in leveraging technology and research to deliver impactful results. Roshmita has experience in managing capacity building, industrial and public sector projects nationally and in EU, with a focus on digital transformation. Prior to her current role, Roshmita worked as a developer, delivering SaaS products for the FMCG industry.
Samarth Santosh
Technical Consultant at IVI
Prof. Markus Helfert
Director at Innovation Value Institute
Paul Heynen
Operations Manager at IVI
Paul has been working with IVI as operations manager since its formation in 2006. Paul is responsible for the non-research business operations functions in IVI including community, member and partner engement, financial administration, liaison with central university administrative functions, and on-going management and development of IVI-specific IT systems and platforms. Prior to joining IVI, Paul worked in the semiconductor industry for 11 years in various engineering and management roles, most recently as a product manager for an advanced process control software and analytics start-up.
Margaret Dineen BSc, HDip, ACMA CGMA
Founder & Director Revolutionary Food Business Solutions Ltd
Margaret Dineen is a dynamic leader in the food industry, uniquely positioned to address the digital transformation challenges facing Europe’s food and beverage sector. With deep expertise in global supply chain management, procurement, manufacturing and commercial strategy, she helps companies modernise outdated systems and integrate advanced technologies like automation, AI, and IoT to boost efficiency, traceability, and compliance.
Her strong finance and analytics background enables organisations to harness data for smarter decision-making and improved performance. Recognising the sector’s digital skills gap, Margaret is committed to upskilling teams through targeted training and leadership development, ensuring companies can fully leverage new digital tools.
Margaret also drives sustainability and regulatory compliance by guiding businesses in deploying tech-enabled solutions for waste reduction, food safety, and transparent sourcing. Her forward-thinking approach empowers food and beverage companies to build resilient, innovative, and consumer-focused operations in today’s digital landscape.
Lishia Teh
Head of Technical Development at RialtoLabs
Lishia is an experienced data scientist with a passion for driving innovation in the agrifood industry. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Göttingen in Germany.
In her previous role, Lishia served as a geneticist at a leading vegetable seed company in the Netherlands, specializing in advanced data analysis and scientific reporting. Among her key accomplishments was the development of an application that streamlined genetic mapping and reporting workflows to enable a rapid decision-making process for breeders.
Now, as Head of Technical Development at RialtoLabs, Lishia is responsible for the development of Robin Food Pro. Leveraging AI analytics, the platform simplifies the process of planning, capturing and reporting of food industry R&D activities by replacing manual workflows with scalable, user-centric technology. In addition to numerous economic benefits, Robin Food Pro empowers R&D teams to accelerate product development, advance sustainability goals, and respond to consumer preferences with agility
Prof. Joseph Coughlan
Professor of Accounting and Head of the School of Business at Maynooth University
Joseph is the Professor of Accounting and Head of the School of Business at Maynooth University. His previous academic appointment was as Head of School at Dublin Institute of Technology and he has held visiting appointments at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and at the Financial University of the Government of the Russian Federation in Moscow. He received his PhD from Warwick Business School. He also holds BComm (Accounting) and a Masters in Management Science from UCD and has been placed nationally and internationally in the final examinations of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He was also awarded an Honorary Professor award from the Dublin Institute of Technology. His academic interests lie in how organisations build and sustain relationships, management control systems, sustainability and the business of luxury. He has graduated 17 PhD students and examined PhDs at institutions in Ireland and the UK.
Kevin Francis Riley
Vice President, INFORMS Chicago Chapter | Executive MBA Candidate, Kellogg School of Management
Kevin Riley is an operations leader and data strategist with 20+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams and driving strategic outcomes in complex environments. With a background in military aviation and operations research, he brings deep expertise in organizational leadership, interagency collaboration, and data-informed decision-making.
Kevin currently serves as Vice President of the INFORMS Chicago Chapter and is pursuing an Executive MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He holds advanced degrees in Operations Research and Strategic Studies, and is certified in Operations Data Science and Statistical Machine Learning.
As he transitions to the civilian sector, Kevin focuses on roles at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and operations, where disciplined execution meets business innovation.
Dr. Beibei Flynn
Founder and CEO of Leapifai
Dr. Beibei Flynn is the founder and CEO of Leapifai, an AI-enabled technology platform delivering real-time, reliable tax advisory guidance and streamlining tax research for accountants and SMBs alike. She holds a PhD in AI from Maynooth University and is a Chartered Tax Advisor with the Irish Tax Institute.
She has 20 years of experience in large-scale AI system research, development, and deployment across academia, finance, and the tech industry. She pioneered three machine learning projects on tax compliance with Revenue while working at Accenture and gained international experience in London while working at EY.
Colleen Fitzgerald
IT Director at Aramark
Colleen Fitzgerald is a dynamic IT Director with a wealth of experience in the hospitality and facilities sector. Leading transformative technology initiatives at Aramark, Colleen is passionate about harnessing the power of AI and data to revolutionize operations and create unforgettable experiences. With a people-first approach, she is dedicated to using technology responsibly to unlock human potential and drive meaningful business success. Colleen is a staunch advocate for data privacy and security, believing that ethical practices are key to balancing business goals with societal benefits. Through her leadership, Colleen inspires organizations to embrace collaboration and innovation, striving for a win-win scenario that transforms business practices and customer experiences for the betterment of both business and the planet.
Peter Jean Paul
Project specialist at IVI
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.
Gwynne Morley
General Manager at IQVIA Ireland
Gwynne is the former Director of Heart & Vascular, Diabetes & Emergency Department at the Mater Private Hospital and former Managing Director at Uniphar Retail Services division. She has extensive experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, from the manufacturer to the patient. Previously she worked for United Drug Group (UDG) Healthcare for 13 years where she was a member of the Senior Executive team. During her tenure with UDG, she held several senior roles namely in pre-wholesale, consumer, homecare and quality. Before joining UDG, she held management positions within the Crowley Retail Pharmacy Chain and held a multifunctional role within the medical department of Zeneca Pharma, Ireland. Gwynne is a pharmacy graduate of Trinity College, Dublin.
Peter Clifford
Head of Strategy at Research Ireland
Peter Clifford leads on organisational strategy development, strategic progress monitoring, and engagement with national strategies;
data management, curation, and analytics informing KPIs, metrics, and reporting; and
good practice and strategic insights.
His work is underpinned by deep stakeholder engagement, adopting design thinking principles.
Previously, Peter held a series of positions at SFI, overseeing various funding programmes and managing large-scale awards such as the ADAPT, Lero, and Insight Research Centres. Peter joined SFI in 2008.
Prior to joining SFI, Peter researched telecommunications networks and applied mathematics in academia. His PhD in Mathematics is from MIT.
Clare Thornley
Principal Consultant and CEO at Clarity Research
An independent researcher with extensive experience of supporting policy and practice development through engaged research and stakeholder consultation. An academic background in Philosophy and Information Retrieval with library , voluntary sector, research and policy experience. Recent projects include the evaluation of library projects to combat social exclusion for the Irish Local Government Management Agency and working as an expert on the EU delegation funded project to develop a Digital Competence Framework for Botswana.
Dr Marco Alfano
Person-Driven, Health & Wellbeing Cluster Lead
Dr. Marco Alfano is a Senior Researcher at the Innovation Value Institute (IVI), Maynooth University, and leader of the IVI Person-Driven, Health & Wellbeing research cluster. He is also affiliated with Lero, the SFI Research Centre for Software, and receives SFI funding for his research. He is currently working on responsible use of AI in health and well-being by facilitating person/patient empowerment and seamless communication within the healthcare system (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 fifty 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 Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and the National Research Council of Italy.
Kathryn Cormican
Professor of Systems Engineering and Director of the Enterprise Research Centre at University of Galway
Kathryn Cormican is a Professor of Systems Engineering and Director of the Enterprise Research Centre at University of Galway, where she drives innovation at the intersection of people, process and technology. A leading figure in digital service innovation, Kathryn partners with industry to design smart, user-centred systems that drive real-world impact.
She leads a multidisciplinary research team leads several EU-funded projects aimed at transforming how organisations develop and deliver digital services.
Highly regarded internationally, Kathryn has received multiple best paper awards including from the European Academy of Management in 2023 and is a regular keynote speaker at major conferences. Her research has been widely published in high-impact journals and is known for its relevance to industry challenges.
Kathryn also directs an award-winning MSc programme tailored to meet the evolving skills needs of the high-tech sector. She has been recognised with the University President’s Award for Teaching Excellence and was named Female Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year in 2022 by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities.
Olena Derzhuk
Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at Maynooth University
Olena Derzhuk is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science at Maynooth University, Ireland. Her research interests include IT in Economics, Smart and Sustainable Cities, Data Governance, Education.
Dr. Joe Timoney
Executive Vice Dean of the Maynooth International Engineering College
Dr. Joe Timoney studied Electronic Engineering and completed his PhD in adaptive signal processing. He joined the Dept. of Computer Science at Maynooth University in 1999. He was Head of Department 2018-2023. He is now the Executive Vice Dean of the Maynooth International Engineering College, a partnership between Maynooth University and Fuzhou University in China. His research interests are based in the area of audio signal processing, with a focus on musical software systems. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society. He has also been involved in the publication of textbooks on Software Testing. He has engaged in many commercialisation activities and led a project on audio watermarking. Alongside his academic work, he also is a keen DIY electronics enthusiast and has built a number of synthesizers and drum machines, having participated in the Dublin Maker Fair for many years.
Prof. Rachel Msetfi
Vice President Research and Innovation at Maynooth University
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.
Grace Hayes
Executive Vice President of Technology at Mastercard
Grace Hayes is the Executive Vice President, Technology at Mastercard. In her role, she leads the Market-Facing Regional Technology teams, who are focused on ensuring the seamless execution of regulations and fulfilling technology reporting obligations, fostering compliance and optimizing regulatory procedures to reduce complexity and improve operational efficiency. The team supports the strategic objectives of both Mastercard’s Technology business unit and it’s stakeholders, by delivering in-market regulatory execution for TECH. Collaborating with key business stakeholders, the team ensures compliance with all relevant regulations and standards, acting as trusted advisors to both internal and external partners across our markets. Grace has broad experience across her tenure with Mastercard and has a distinguished track record leading cross-functional programs and teams, executing frameworks to identify, prioritize, structure, and solve complex business problems and deliver strategic recommendations. In her previous roles with the company she led global teams, including Head of European Product Delivery and leadership in the Commercial and Real Time Payments businesses. Prior to joining Mastercard, Grace worked in MBNA, Bank of America for 12 years, where she held several management roles across Customer Service and Operations, Program and Delivery Management. Grace holds a degree in Business & Strategy, a Masters in Business and Science (specializing in organisational behaviour). Grace is currently working towards a Chartered Directorship and has completed studies in Technology Leadership & Big Data and AI Social Ethics.
Dr Zohreh Pourzolfaghar
Digital Construction Cluster Lead
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.
Zoe Ryan
Streaming Coordinator, RTÉ Sport
Having graduated top of her class with a 1.1 BA in Communication Studies from DCU, Zoe went on to complete an MA in Radio & Television Broadcast Production at IADT to expand her skills and knowledge in the broadcast industry. She started out her broadcasting career in radio as a Reporter with her local station, Midlands 103, then joined their newsroom team upon completing her undergraduate degree. In between college courses, she worked with them as a Newsreader, Researcher and Assistant Producer on their main morning current affairs talk show Midlands Today. After working part-time with RTÉ throughout her master’s year, she was offered a full-time position with the national broadcaster upon completing her thesis. She currently works as a Streaming Coordinator with them, overseeing the output of content across the GAAGO and URC TV online streaming platforms. She says live streaming is an especially exciting sector to work in, namely due to the volume of live content they can deliver at a given time. “With traditional, linear broadcasting, you can only put one event out on a certain TV channel at a time but with online streaming, in theory, we can put out an infinite amount of live events simultaneously, something the linear broadcasters just don’t have the capacity to do.”
Outside of that, in 2021, Zoe founded the psoriasis awareness platform Itching To Tell You. She wanted to utilise the resources available to her through her profession to create an easily accessible resource to help those living with the condition, which she herself has, better treat, manage and live with it. Her advocacy work has led to her involvement in campaigns such as IPHA’s Innovate For Life, on-air and on-screen appearances including Today with Claire Byrne and Ireland AM, her speaking at events like UCC’s DermDay Conference and writing articles for a host of national and international publications.
Dr. Mouzhi Ge
Professor at Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany
Dr. Mouzhi Ge is a Professor for data analytics at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Germany. He was previously an Associate Professor at the Masaryk University in Czech Republic, where he obtained his Habilitation. He received his Ph.D. from Dublin City University in Ireland. His research is mainly focused on Big Data Analytics, Intelligent Healthcare Systems, Internet of Things and Health-aware Recommender Systems. Within those research areas he has published more than 100 research papers. Over the last 10 years, his works have been published in a variety of journals such as Future Generation Computer Systems, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, International Journal of Cooperative Information Systems, IEEE Access, Wireless Personal Communications, International Journal of Semantic Computing, Internet of Things Journal, Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks, Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies, Computing Journal, Wireless Networks, Journal of Computer Information Systems, IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, Multimedia Tools and Applications, etc. Meanwhile, he has also organized a number of international conferences such as IEEE International Symposium on Multimedia, and served as a program committee member in various conferences such as ACM UMAP, ACM RecSys, ACM SAC, ECIS, ICDE, ISD, ADBIS etc.
Rebecca Doolin
Vice-President External Affairs at Maynooth University
Rebecca Doolin is the Vice-President External Affairs at Maynooth University. She leads the oversight and development of the University’s external engagement strategy; directs its high-level advocacy initiatives with governments, business representative bodies and other major stakeholders; and leads the communications, marketing and alumni functions, as well as the philanthropic work of the Maynooth University Foundation. She is a member of the University Executive, MU’s senior management team.
Prior to arriving at Maynooth in 2014, Rebecca was Associate Vice President at a Boston-based public affairs consultancy, where she provided public affairs, government relations, crisis communications and fundraising services to a range of non-profit, corporate, and education clients. She co-wrote two federal Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants for the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey, which resulted in $50 million and $45 million for the states, respectively, to expand access to early childhood education.
Rebecca worked on a number of political campaigns in the US. She served as Press Secretary to US Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) in Washington, DC from 2003 to 2006, and as Communications Director for the Maine Democratic Party during President Obama’s successful election campaign in 2008. She also worked as Manager of Public Affairs at The Queen’s Health Systems, the largest hospital system in Hawai’i. She began her career as a journalist, covering environmental issues and the legal/lobbying industry in Washington, DC.
Rebecca earned her B.A. magna cum laude in American Studies from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. She also studied education policy and access to higher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she earned an Ed.M. in 2003.
Shane Ó Seasnáin
Program Director for AI at TU Eindhoven
Shane Ó Seasnáin is Program Director for AI at TU Eindhoven, board member of the Big Data Value Association, and part of the ASML–TU/e core scientific team. He leads the AIMM ICAI Lab, coordinates Industry 5.0 for the European Supply Chain Forum, and founded the Digital Twin Lab, working at the forefront of industrial AI while helping shape European research agendas and applied AI strategy.
Emer Doyle
Head of the Health Information Policy Unit, Department of Health, Irish Government
Emer is the Head of the Health Information Policy Unit which leads on the regulation of health information including related policy and strategy. Prior to this role, she worked in a number of other Government departments and agencies including the Department of Education, the Office of the Ombudsman and in the Strategic Transformation Office in An Garda Síochána.
Mark Kirwan
CEO and co-founder of Positive Carbon
Mark Kirwan is the CEO and co-founder of Positive Carbon, a trailblazing sustainability company that combines AI and data-driven solutions to tackle the global challenge of food waste. With a proven track record of driving innovation in sustainability, Mark has guided Positive Carbon to become a leader in helping businesses reduce food waste, save costs, and meet ambitious sustainability goals.
Under Mark’s leadership, Positive Carbon has achieved partnerships with high-profile organizations such as Gather & Gather, The Merrion Hotel, and KPMG, achieving waste reductions of over 30%. The company’s cutting-edge technology and results-driven approach have earned it recognition as a Top 100 Start-ups in Ireland and finalist at the All-Ireland Sustainability Awards and Business and finance award 2024 for innovation of the year.
Mark is a sought-after voice in sustainability and technology, offering unique insights into how AI and data can accelerate change. His engaging storytelling and practical expertise make him a powerful advocate for using innovative technology to solve complex environmental challenges.
At the IVI Summit, Mark will inspire audiences by sharing actionable strategies and a forward-thinking vision for a sustainable, data-driven future—demonstrating what’s possible when technology meets responsibility.
Emmanuel Adeleke
Leads AI & Data Team at Deloitte Ireland
Emmanuel (Manny) Adeleke is a Partner leading the Artificial Intelligence & Data (AI & Data) team in Deloitte Ireland. Manny is highly experienced in the end-to-end delivery of insights-led change and AI transformation programmes. He is responsible for leading, scaling, and delivering Deloitte’s world-class AI & Data offerings and services to drive business and societal impact for clients. He leads a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of high-performing professionals, and is also the country lead for GenAI in Ireland. He also sits on Deloitte’s North South Europe GenAI leadership team helping to shape and deliver Deloitte’s service transformation and market activation strategies across Europe. He has led and continues to lead some of the most high-profile data and AI programmes for some of the world and Ireland’s leading organisations. He is a trusted advisor to c-suite clients and senior management from the inception of strategic intent to the implementation. Emmanuel is very passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity having sponsored and led a number of initiatives both in the workplace and wider society.
