Gillian Keating
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner RDJ Law Firm
Gillian Keating
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner RDJ Law Firm
Gillian leads Ronan Daly Jermyn Corporate department. She is a highly regarded deal lawyer known for her work in the healthcare and technology markets.
Gillian is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Law at University College Cork (UCC) and in 2017 received an Alumni Achievement Award from UCC for her work with I Wish.
Gillian is a co-founder of the multi-award winning I WISH
Gillian is passionate about empowering the next generation of female leaders and innovators and ensuring our society enables these young women to participate fully in the economy of the future.
Gillian has held and continues to hold non-executive board and audit committee positions in the private and public sector.
Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland
Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland
Mary Robinson served as the seventh president of Ireland from December 1990 to September 1997, becoming the first woman to hold this office. She also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002, a Senator for the University of Dublin from 1969 to 1989 and as a local councillor o Dublin Corporation from 1979 to 1983. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister and campaigner. She defeated the Fianna Fail party’ s and Fine Gael party’s in the 1990 presidential election becoming the first Independent candidate nominated by the Labour Party, the Workers Party and Independent Senators.
She is widely regarded as a transformative figure for Ireland, and for the Irish presidency, revitalising and liberalising a previously conservative, low-profile political office. She resigned the presidency two months ahead of the end of her term of office to take up her post in the United Nations. During her UN tenure she visited Tibet Tibet (1998), the first High Commissioner to do so; she criticised Ireland's immigrant policy; and criticised the use of capital punishment in the United States. She extended her intended single four-year term as High Commissioner by a year to preside over the World Conference against Racism 2001 in Durban, South Africa; the conference proved controversial. Under continuing pressure from the United States, Robinson resigned her post in September 2002.
After leaving the United Nations in 2002, Robinson formed Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative,[4] which came to a planned end at the end of 2010. Its core activities were 1) fostering equitable trade and decent work, 2) promoting the right to health and more humane migration policies, and 3) working to strengthen women's leadership and encourage corporate social responsibility. The organisation also supported capacity building and good governance in developing countries. She returned to live in Ireland at the end of 2010, and has set up The Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice,[5] which aims to be 'a centre for thought leadership, education and advocacy on the struggle to secure global justice for those many victims of climate change who are usually forgotten – the poor, the disempowered and the marginalised across the world.'
Robinson was the founding Chair of the Institute for Human Rights and Business[6] from 2009-2012, a human rights think tank focused on the adverse impacts of companies on people, and continues to serve as its Patron. She served as Chancellor of the University of Dublin from 1998 until 2019. She also visits other colleges and universities where she lectures on human rights. She sits on the board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organisation which supports good governance and great leadership in Africa, and is a member of the Foundation's Ibrahim Prize Committee. She is also a B Team Leader, alongside Richard Branson, Jochen Zeitz and a group of leaders from business and civil society as part of The B Team.[7] She is an Extraordinary Professor in the Centre for Human Rights and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender at the University of Pretoria.[8] Robinson served as Oxfam's honorary president from 2002 until she stepped down in 2012 and is honorary president of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation EIUC since 2005. She is a former Chair of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and is also a founding member and chair of the Council of Women World Leaders. She was a member of the European members of the Trilateral Commission.
In 2004, she received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for her work in promoting human rights.
Caroline O'Driscoll
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner Deloitte
Caroline O'Driscoll
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner Deloitte
Caroline is the Corporate and international tax partner with Deloitte Ireland focused on the technology sector. Caroline is a member of Deloitte’s European Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Technology Sector and a member of Deloitte Irelands Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Caroline is a member of the gender balance advisory group for the Department of Education to achieve better gender balance in STEM education at post-primary level.
Caroline is a board director of ReThink Ireland, Irelands Social Innovation Fund. And Chair of the finance committee and is also the immediate past chairperson of it@cork(2017-2019)
Caroline is Co-Founder of I Wish. Caroline says she looks to the girls who attend I Wish as they really inspire her to keep going on what has been a mad but amazing journey. She feels a huge sense of responsibility to enable every girl to live their brightest lives.
Caroline embarked on the I Wish journey with fellow co-founders because she could see the opportunity in STEM, but with less than 25% of the STEM workforce in Ireland being women she realised that there was a risk that her own daughter would not participate in the jobs of tomorrow, all she wants for her is equal opportunity of choice.
In conjunction with Cork City Council, I Wish won the 2015 Chambers Ireland Award for excellence in local government in the “promoting economic development” category, and a LAMA award in Best Education category.
2015 winner of the WMB Boots Empowering Women Award for work in promoting STEM.
Awarded one of the Top 10 outstanding young people (TOYP) of Cork in 2016 by Junior Chamber International and progressed to be named as one of the Top 10 outstanding people of Ireland in the national finals in 2016.
Along with fellow I Wish co-founders, awarded Cork Persons of the Month in March 2017,
UCC Achievement Award 2017, one of the highest honours that the university can bestow on a graduate.
American Chamber Cairdeas Award 2019
IT@Cork Chairperson Community Award 2019
Anne O' Leary
VP of Mid-Market Global Business Group, EMEA Meta Head of Meta Ireland
Anne O' Leary
VP of Mid-Market Global Business Group, EMEA Meta Head of Meta Ireland
Anne O’Leary joined Meta in September 2022 as the Vice President of Mid-Market Global Business Group in EMEA. In May 2023, Anne was appointed Head of Meta Ireland to oversee the community and culture across three locations; Meta’s HQ in Ballsbridge Dublin, Clonee Data Centre in Meath and Reality Labs in Cork. Anne is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, a commitment mirrored in Meta's workforce in Ireland, which comprises 80 teams representing over 110 nationalities.
In her day-to-day capacity, Anne collaborates closely with business leaders across the EMEA region, empowering them to harness the potential of Meta's apps to expand their reach and engage new customers.
Beyond her role at Meta, Anne also serves as the Vice President of IBEC and holds seats on the boards of ERSI and Greencore. Anne previously spent 9 years as CEO in Vodafone Ireland, as well as spending time in BT Ireland as Managing Director and Esat Telecom as Regional Director..
In her spare time, Anne loves to swim in the Irish sea, run, cycle, do yoga and enjoys socialising with friends and family.
Furkan Karayel
Best selling Author, Speaker, Lecturer, Founder of Diversein.com
Furkan Karayel
Best selling Author, Speaker, Lecturer, Founder of Diversein.com
Furkan Karayel is multi award winning diversity and inclusion speaker and author of the best selling book “Inclusive Intelligence: How to be a Role Model for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace”. Furkan lectures at the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Master’s program at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. She is a board member for Women For Election, which supports women to succeed in Irish Politics. Her passion is leveraging women-in-tech leadership, diversity and empowering female founders globally.
Furkan founded Diversein.com after 10 years of software engineering experience in multinational tech companies in Ireland. She has been honoured with “Speaker of the Year”, “Diversity and Inclusion Role Model in Business”, “Trailblazer” and “Inclusive Leadership Development” Awards. Additionally, Furkan is an active speaker at international events where she shares her learnings about experiences of the tech world as a woman, her recommendations for inclusive leadership and the power of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Ciara Judge
Former Winner of the BT Young Scientist Competition
Ciara Judge
Former Winner of the BT Young Scientist Competition
Ciara is a PhD candidate in infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She works on new methods of tracking and mapping outbreaks that use both epidemiological and genetic concepts and data. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciara worked with the European Bioinformatics Institute and Cambridge Department of Chemistry to build a pipeline for modeling SARS-CoV-2 evolution that helped design variant-robust antibody treatments. She has a BSc in Genetics from University College Cork and is a past winner of the Google Global Science Fair, the European Union Contest for Young Scientists and the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Ciara is very passionate about science communication and youth outreach, and has addressed audiences worldwide about her research - most recently attending the United Nations General Assembly last September to attend high level meetings on pandemic preparedness and public health.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar is the Taoiseach. He became Taoiseach for the second time on 17 December 2022.
He was born and raised in Dublin. He is a qualified medical doctor and a graduate of Trinity College Dublin.
First elected Taoiseach in June 2017, Mr Varadkar was a member of Fingal County Council (2003-2007) and elected to Dáil Éireann for the Dublin West constituency on his first attempt in 2007 and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2020.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (2011-2014) he connected Dublin’s light rail system (the Luas), helped restore growth to the tourism industry and led the ‘Gathering Ireland 2013’.
As Minister for Health (2014-2016), he brought in free GP care for children under the age of 6 and adults over 70, launched Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy and published the Public Health Alcohol Bill which is now law.
As Minister for Social Protection (2016-2017) he increased pensions, social welfare payments for carers, people with disabilities and lone parents. He introduced paid paternity benefit for the first time in Ireland and extended new social insurance benefits and protections to the self-employed and farmers.
He is parliamentary leader and President of the Fine Gael party (EPP affiliate) and led the party into a historic third term in government in coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.
Laura Fox
Radio & TV Presenter RTÉ, I Wish 2024 MC
Laura Fox
Radio & TV Presenter RTÉ, I Wish 2024 MC
Laura Fox is a Radio and TV Presenter who is recognised as one of the key figures in Ireland's new music scene.
Laura has a regular weekend slot on RTE 2FM from 9-12, Laura Fox at The Weekend, and is the current host of hit TV series Ireland's Fittest Family. She's also just been announced as one of the celebrity contestants of this year's Dancing with The Stars!
Laura has also built a strong following across her social channels where she showcases lifestyle, fashion and fitness trends.
Dr Norah Patten
Aeronautical Engineer & Award Winning Author
Dr Norah Patten
Aeronautical Engineer & Award Winning Author
Dr. Norah Patten is an aeronautical engineer, a global faculty member at the International Space University (ISU), and a citizen scientist-astronaut candidate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). Norah has participated in several citizen science campaigns including multiple microgravity research flights, spacesuit testing and evaluation, high-g flights, and spacecraft egress. She is an award-winning author and STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) advocate and is a popular communicator with radio, television and public speaking experience. In 2023, she collaborated with the Department of Foreign Affairs for the Brigit’s Day campaign. In 2019, Norah released her children's book called ‘Shooting for the Stars', published by The O’Brien Press, and it won the An Post Children's Book of the Year, senior. She was a recipient of the Emerging Space Leaders Grant and a Next Generation Plenary panellist at the International Astronautical Congress in 2015. Through a partnership with NanoRacks and the Irish Composites Centre, Norah initiated and managed ‘The Only Way is Up’ project which launched Ireland's first student experiment to the International Space Station in 2014. Norah participated in the International Space University Space Studies Program in 2010, holds a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Limerick, participated in the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Program, and has industrial experience from The Boeing Company and Bell Labs Alcatel Lucent.
Amanda Adé (Adewole)
Content Creator, I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Amanda Adé (Adewole)
Content Creator, I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Amanda Adewole is a young Irish woman who has been vocal about her experiences of racism in Ireland. She has participated in several events and talks, including the First Thought Talk at the Galway International Arts Festival where she discussed her experiences of racism in Ireland She has also appeared on the Irish Times Women’s Podcast to discuss everyday racism and the ways in which white people can become part of the solution .Amanda Adewole has been an inspiration to many people in Ireland and beyond.
A Digital Content Creator, Podcast Host and Activist. A graduate of Analytical Chemistry and Forensic Science from IT Carlow, Amanda is currently serving as the Creative Director at Black and Irish.
Tamsin Smith
TY Student & I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Tamsin Smith
TY Student & I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Tamsin is a 15 year old transition student at Scoil Mhuire secondary school in Cork city. Tamsin has one sister who is 16 and a golden retriever who is one.
Tamsin plays hockey both with her school and her club Cork Harlequins and in her spare time she enjoys baking and singing.
Tamsin is interested in finding a career that does not have her sitting at a desk !
Katie Mullen
UCD and Trinity College MBA graduate, Biomedical Engineer, Ireland Hockey Captain.
Katie Mullen
UCD and Trinity College MBA graduate, Biomedical Engineer, Ireland Hockey Captain.
Katie Mullan. UCD and Trinity College MBA graduate, Biomedical Engineer, Ireland Hockey Captain.
Hailing from Colraine, Co Derry, Katie Mullan first represented Ireland in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games alongside teammate Roisin Upton. She has captained the Irish Women's hockey team since 2016, leading them to World Cup silver in 2018 as well as their first Olympic qualification. The proud owner of multiple Irish Cup and League honours with UCD, Mullan also won an All-Ireland camogie club intermediate medal with CLG Eoghan Rua in 2010 before concentrating on hockey. Away from the field, Mullan works as a medical visual engineer with Axial 3D, creating PPE and medical supplies solutions to aid the fight against Covid-19 and other harmful diseases.
Katie Mullen will speak at I Wish in association with Deloitte
Minister Simon Coveney
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Minister Simon Coveney
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Image: Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney is the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, appointed in December 2022. He is also the Deputy Leader of Fine Gael.
He has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (2017-2022) and Minister for Defence (2020-2022). Between November 2017 and June 2020 he also held the office of Tánaiste.
He has previously served as Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (2016-2017), Minister for Defence (2014-2016) and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2011-2016).
First elected to the Dáil in 1998, he was elected to the European Parliament in 2004 where he was a member of the EPP-ED group. He was a member of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee and the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee and a substitute member on the Fisheries Committee. Mr Coveney was the author of the European Parliament's Annual Report on Human Rights in the World for the year 2004 and again for 2006. He was a member of Cork County Council and the Southern Health Board from 1999 to 2003.
Mr Coveney holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Land Management from The Royal Agriculture College, Gloucestershire. He was also educated at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare, University College Cork and Gurteen Agricultural College, County Tipperary. In 1997-1998 he led the Sail Chernobyl Project which involved sailing 30,000 miles around the world for charity.
He is married to Ruth and they live in Cork with their three daughters.
Blessing Folayan
Consulting Analyst, Digital Health, Deloitte
Blessing Folayan
Consulting Analyst, Digital Health, Deloitte
Blessing graduated from UCD with a B.Sc. in Radiography in 2021. As part of this programme, she underwent clinical training across five hospitals and acted as Vice President & Secretary of the Radiography Society, UCD Student Ambassador, Peer Mentor, and Access Program Volunteer showcasing an early commitment to leadership, mentorship, and inclusivity within her field. Separately, she also conducted research on ‘Job satisfaction in private sector Radiography’ evaluating factors that have a positive correlation to job satisfaction and staff retention, of which she presented her report and findings in front of her colleagues at the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists conference in 2021.
Blessing’s interest in organisational behaviour, operations, and innovation for a functional healthcare system led her to completely shift career towards digital health and social care consulting at Deloitte in 2022 where she supports the team in various digital transformation projects across the health and social care industry. Since starting in Deloitte, she has made a significant impact providing front-line clinician insight for our senior health clients to support their decision making. Blessing also recently supported the team in developing a regional digital health strategy and roadmap for one of the new upcoming HSE health regions (previously known as Regional Health Areas). She was also nominated as Female Stem Graduate of the Year 2023 at the inaugural Women in Stem Awards in recognition of her achievements to date.
While balancing project commitments, Blessing also plays an active role with Connecting Women in Technology, SOLAS, and Junior Achievers Ireland social impact initiatives partaking in mentorship activities for both young females in STEM and disadvantaged communities across these organisations.
Blessing is a keen problem solver. She has demonstrated her technical skill in her taught profession of radiography which deals with complex medical physics as well as human anatomy and physiology. In her time as a radiographer, she worked to ensure safe and diagnostic images were taken for each patient while escalating medically suspicious and potentially dangerous findings to the relevant physician. Blessing’s healthcare experience and exposure allowed her to hone in on digital health as a vehicle for change in healthcare. Since joining Deloitte in September 2022, she has worked as an analyst in this space delivering solutions for clients in strategy and implementation. Currently her role involves simplifying and presenting data to help answer some of our senior health clients’ biggest and complex challenges.
Her passion for science and interest in healthcare position her as a uniquely equipped problem solver in the healthcare industry.
Ellen Mezera
Software Engineer, Google
Ellen Mezera
Software Engineer, Google
I am a Software Engineer with 10+ years of professional experience in a wide range of environments going from small startups to large corporations. I held various roles as a Software Engineer, Technical Consultant and Engineering Manager having exposure to working closely with non-technical teams, guiding them through building automation and scalable solutions to achieve their business goals.
Now, at Google, I've found my home within gTech supporting Google Ads customers. As a Customer Solutions Engineer, I'm on a mission to demystify the cutting-edge technologies that fuel Google products and empower businesses of all sizes to unlock their full potential to leverage Google Ads. Whether it's scaling advertisement efforts with AI or mastering data-driven insights, I'm here to bridge the gap between innovation and real-world results for Google customers and partners.
Marie Moynihan
Senior Vice President Global Human Resource Services, Dell Technologies
Marie Moynihan
Senior Vice President Global Human Resource Services, Dell Technologies
Marie is a Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources Services for Dell Technologies. She leads a team of @700 HR professionals globally who provide full life cycle services to team members, from on-boarding, to payroll, to employee relations, to site based engagement and inclusion activities, ensuring team members experience Dell as a great place to work in all 84 countries in which they operate. She is also ressponsible for Dell's HR approach to M & A, Privacy and Contingent Labor.
Marie report’s to the CHRO and influences all key HR decisions for the company.
Marie has been with Dell for over 22 years holding a range of HR roles from Business Partner, HR leader for Dell EMEA, to Talent Management and Chief Diversity officer, to Global Talent Acquisition.
Before joining Dell, Marie worked for Intel Corporation, leading HR in their European manufacturing facility for eight years. She has also spent six years consulting in Industrial Relations with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation. She is married with one child and lives in Ireland.
Jean O' Sullivan
Chief People Officer, Bus Éireann
Jean O' Sullivan
Chief People Officer, Bus Éireann
Jean O’Sullivan joined the Senior Leadership Team at Bus Éireann in 2022 as Chief People Officer with responsibility for leading the people engagement and culture development within the business, as well as managing the company’s resourcing strategy in order to build an organisation of people with the right mix of skills, capabilities, talent and diversity to deliver Bus Éireann’s ambitious growth plans.
Jean has an excellent track record in leading change and building capability and engagement across multiple industry sectors including financial services and the health service. She joined Bus Éireann from Enterprise Ireland, where she held key leadership roles spanning 23 years, most recently as Head of Organisation Development, Culture and Employee Engagement. In this role Jean led a series of major organisational change programs in addition to her responsibility for HR strategy and performance, leadership practise, talent recruitment and retention and female entrepreneurship.
Prior to Enterprise Ireland, her experience included positions within Bank of Scotland and the Eastern Health Board. She graduated with a degree in Marketing Management from Edinburgh Napier University and holds a Masters in Human Resource Strategies from DCU.
Michaela O'Rourke
Senior Business Operations Analyst, Dell Technologies
Michaela O'Rourke
Senior Business Operations Analyst, Dell Technologies
While I was at secondary school in Regina Mundi College in Douglas, Cork City, I always had a passion for logic and problem solving. My strongest subjects at leaving cert level were Physics, Math and Accounting. With those passions and skills in mind, I wanted to go to university to complete a STEM based degree, which at the time I was unsure whether that would lead to a science or business based degree.
With my strengths and interests in mind, I decided to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Business Information Systems (BIS) at Munster Technological University. The BIS degree delivered a blend of non-tech and tech skills, and included a range of modules which focused on Software Development, Database Design, Finance, Statistics, Marketing and many more. Due to my passion for these topics, hard work and determination, I completed my degree in 2021, ranking top of my year; something I am very proud of.
During my final year of BIS, I underwent the STEM Aspire Mentorship Program at Dell Technologies; a program that opened the doors for where I am today. The STEM Aspire Mentorship Program is a 6-month program whereby each mentee is assigned a mentor to work on aspects such as confidence, presenting, CV & interview prep and LinkedIn. This program further enhanced my passions for STEM, and in particular demonstrated the opportunities of women in STEM.
From here, my graduate journey at Dell Technologies commenced. Now 2 years within the company, I am currently working as a Senior Business Operations Analyst in the Storage Supply Chain Nerve Center Team. Storage is a huge part of what Dell offers to our customers, and my team is the one which reports financially the storage business performance across our manufacturing sites in Cork, North Carolina and Franklin. My current role within the team is to manage the Storage and Solutions business in the Cork facility to ensure orders are prioritized to our end customers, bottlenecks are limited, and key manufacturing metrics are within goal. Due to this, I work very closely with the Cork Manufacturing Teams to ensure orders are shipped on time to our end-customers, shipment revenue is maximized and our KPI’s are within target.
Amy Jane Keating
MC & Podcast Host
Amy Jane Keating
MC & Podcast Host
MC & Podcast Host Amy Jane is a talented presenter with an undeniable confidence in front of and behind the camera and a vivacious, friendly personality to match.
Amy Jane was the MC for National Women’s Enterprise Day this year and is also the host and creator of “Go Do You” a podcast series which inspires people to put themselves back on their own priority list, to follow their dreams and not give up on the life they have envisioned for themselves.
Instagram Handle @amyjanesdomain
Stephanie O' Sullivan
Data Center Commissioning Coordinator, Amazon Web Services
Stephanie O' Sullivan
Data Center Commissioning Coordinator, Amazon Web Services
I have had an exciting colorful career journey this far. As a teenager I qualified as a hairdresser during my school years.
I went on to experience a really exciting time in the Travel Industry working for some of Irelands largest tour operators , then moving into The Airline Industry as a ticketing agent in the bustling Dublin Airport.
I then moved into a procurement role for a small to medium sized Technology company. This is where I first discovered Fiber Optics and Data Centers and I was fascinated. This began my quest to work in a Data Centre , so I worked in the background taking a number
courses and trainings on fibre optics and structured cabling. It took sometime to get my foot in the door after one or two set backs but I did not give up .
I joined AWS in April 2021 , and was the first female to join my team ( super proud of that one ) I have never looked back and grown from strength to strength.
I have recently joined a new team in AWS and my current role is Data Centre Commissioning Coordinator. This is new and exciting so lots to lean and develop on :)
Hazel Murray
CONNECT Trinity, Research Fellow, Munster Technological University
Hazel Murray
CONNECT Trinity, Research Fellow, Munster Technological University
Hazel is a cyber security researcher with research interests in password security, authentication, local differential privacy and quantum cryptography.
She completed her PhD in Mathematics at Maynooth University under an Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship. Her Phd research focused on improving authentication for users via better understanding password use and abuse. During her PhD, Hazel worked as a visiting researcher at the University of Chicago as part of their Security and Privacy Research Group. Hazel investigated practical implementations and limitations of local differential privacy. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Maynooth University in 2016.
Hazel is presently a cybersecurity lecturer with the Cyber Skills team at Munster Technological University.
India Healy O'Connor
Co-Founder & CEO of Xelda
India Healy O'Connor
Co-Founder & CEO of Xelda
India is the Co-Founder and CEO of Xelda. She achieved 625/625 in the 2014 Leaving Certificate. This placed her in the 99.99th percentile of all leaving cert students and demonstrates commitment, ambition and tenacity. India is fluent in French and Spanish having lived in Switzerland for a year and completed the DELF exams up to B2 level. India was awarded First Class Honours in Economics from Trinity College Dublin and the Bastable Prize for the best Economics degree in the whole graduation year. She was awarded a gold medal for exceptional results. Given Xelda is built for SMEs and enables them to automate their finances and operations, India's background in Economics is extremely important. She moved to London and worked in investment banking in Goldman Sachs. She was an analyst on the Interest Rate Hedge Fund sales desk and was shortly promoted to associate. India's experience in Goldman Sachs was integral to teaching her how to work under pressure, to be analytical, to pay attention to detail and to manage client relationships
Portia Healy O' Connor
Co-Founder & CEO of Xelda
Portia Healy O' Connor
Co-Founder & CEO of Xelda
Portia is the Co-Founder and CSO of Xelda and a sister to fellow Co-Founder India. She achieved 625/625 in the 2016 Leaving Certificate. This demonstrates tenacity, a relentless ambition to be the best and a desire to push one's boundaries.
Portia is fluent in Spanish having lived in Madrid for a year and completed the DELE exams up to B2 level. She achieved the highest result in the country in the Spanish Leaving Certificate. Portia was awarded First Class Honours in Management Science and Information Systems from Trinity College Dublin. She was awarded a gold medal for exceptional results. Xelda helps SMEs analyse their business data and make critical decisions based on this information, so Portia's ability to analyse and summarise data sets is essential to the quality of the product. She is also a Trinity College Scholar having achieved top marks in scholarship exams. Portia also moved to London and worked in investment banking in Goldman Sachs. She was a trader on the EUR Swaps Trading Desk, where she enhanced her technical skills by building highly profitable multi-million-euro swap portfolio.
Tina Raleigh
Head of Offshore, Statkraft
Tina Raleigh
Head of Offshore, Statkraft
I studied Civil and Environmental Engineering at University College Cork. Upon graduation, I went into my first role with a company which had, until then, never hired a female engineer. I continued my career at a global engineering and management company and then a civil and engineering consultancy firm.
In 2017 I set up my own company offering strategic advice to renewable energy clients. During this period, I was the Irish Permitting Manager for one of Europe's most important energy project, the 500MW Greenlink Interconnector between Ireland and Wales.
I joined Statkraft Ireland in 2019. Since then, I have progressed from Project Manager to my current role as Head of Offshore Wind for Ireland. In this role I oversee the development of Statkraft’s offshore wind portfolio, supporting Ireland to reach its targets of 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
Dr Emma Owens
Postdoctoral researcher University College Dublin School of Mathematics and Statistics
Dr Emma Owens
Postdoctoral researcher University College Dublin School of Mathematics and Statistics
Emma is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Mathematics and Statistics in University College Dublin working with schools around the country to develop maths education practices in secondary school classrooms. She completed her PhD in Dublin City University which focused on investigating and developing the capacities of teachers in relation to the teaching of mathematical problem-solving. While undertaking this research, Emma worked as a maths and PE teacher in a secondary school in Dublin. From both her teaching and researching of maths, Emma is passionate about encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM.
This segment is in association with Deloitte
Nicola Rautenbach
Senior IT Director, Colgate-Palmolive
Nicola Rautenbach
Senior IT Director, Colgate-Palmolive
Nicola has worked for Colgate-Palmolive for 20 years in a variety of IT roles with increasing responsibility, in her current role she is responsible for the delivery of Supply Chain IT applications to the Europe, Africa EurAsia and Asia Pacific Divisions. Nicola works in partnership with the Division Supply Chain leadership teams to understand their IT priorities and operational challenges, in parallel she works with her teams in Dublin and Mumbai, and the wider global IT organisation to deliver cutting edge technology matched to the global and divisional Supply Chain priorities.
Nicola grew up in South Africa where she started her career working for Uniliever in their graduate programme and then as an IT consultant. After meeting her husband she moved to Ireland, they live in Dublin with their three teenage children and adorable dog. Nicola holds a
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an ACCA Diploma in Financial Management which she studied for through TUD Tallaght.
Regina Clery
Chartered Civil Engineer, Iarnród Eireann
Regina Clery
Chartered Civil Engineer, Iarnród Eireann
Regina will give a brief overview of her career path – from studying Fashion Design in Art College, her experience as a Detachment Commander in the Irish Military (Reserves), to becoming a Civil Engineer in Building Construction and now with Irish Rail, and her amazing experience supporting Climate Science Scientists and Ecosystem Researchers in Antarctica.
Muriel O' Byrne
PhD, Senior Vice President and Head of EU Regulatory Affairs & European Business Office, Regeneron
Muriel O' Byrne
PhD, Senior Vice President and Head of EU Regulatory Affairs & European Business Office, Regeneron
Muriel has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry gained from R&D roles with major players in the sector. She spent over 10 years based in London with GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca before returning to Ireland to take up a senior level position with Elan. Muriel was one of the first employees in the Dublin office on joining in the summer of 2014. Since then, she has contributed significantly to the growth of the office and the expansion of clinical development and regulatory affairs capabilities ex-U.S.
Muriel holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from University College Cork and a PhD from Trinity College Dublin, 12 months of which was spent at Oxford University as a collaboration with the MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit.
Alice Charles
Director for Cities, Planning & Design, Arup
Alice Charles
Director for Cities, Planning & Design, Arup
Alice Charles has more than 20 years’ experience working for the private & public sector in the areas of city & urban planning, real estate, urban development & regeneration, construction, infrastructure, transport, energy, climate change globally. She is currently a Director for Cities, Planning & Design in Arup, which is a leading global sustainable development professional services company. She focuses on cross cutting urban strategies (sustainability, climate change, resilience, mobility) in Europe & globally. She is also the global leader for Arup’s global strategic partnerships with a number of international organisations, Mayoral Networks and Foundations including the World Economic Forum, UN High Level Champions, UN Global Compact, C40, Resilient Cities Network, World Green Building Council, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Earthshot, Stockholm International Water Institute and Resilience Rising. She also sits on a number of Advisory Boards including the UN Habitat Executive Directors Stakeholder Advisory Group Enterprise, she is a member of the SDSN Urban SDG Finance Commission and Chairs its Private Sector Taskforce, she is a Member of the European Commission 100 Intelligent Cities Advisory Board, a Member of the International Telecommunications Union Focus Group on Environmental Efficiency for Artificial Intelligence and other Emerging Technologies and a Member of the World Economic Forum G20 Smart Cities Alliance.
She previously led the World Economic Forum's cities & real estate work streams, the production of all city and urban development related content and curation of events at World Economic Forum summits. She was an External Member of the Board, National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) Planning Advisory Committee, Ireland. She was an EU Presidency Officer with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Ireland. She worked for the oppositions Chief Whip in Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament), Ireland. She managed the Dublin office of Jacobs (formerly Colin Buchanan and SKM). She specialised in planning, development and regeneration when working for Avison Young (formerly GVA), London, UK.
She has a Master’s in Global Leadership, World Economic Forum, in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Cornell Tech, INSEAD, London Business School and the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS); Master’s in business administration (MBA), University College Dublin; Postgraduate Diploma in Town and Country Planning, Queens University Belfast; First class Hons Degree in Environmental Planning, Queen’s University Belfast. Chartered Member, Royal Town Planning Institute; Member, Irish Planning Institute and Member of the Academy of Urbanism. Recipient, Irish Echo Irish 40-Under-40 Award 2017 for Irish and Irish Americans who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields of work before the age of 40.
Rhea Connellan
Manager Supply Planning & Reporting, Supply Chain, Regeneron Ireland
Rhea Connellan
Manager Supply Planning & Reporting, Supply Chain, Regeneron Ireland
Supply Chain Manager of Supply Planning & Reporting in Regeneron Limerick - I joined Regeneron, which is the largest Biotech facility in Ireland in 2020, prior to this, I studied Financial Mathematics at the University of Limerick and gained over ten years proven professional supply chain experience in various industries – Industrial/ Tech / BioPharma.
In Regeneron the main objective of our team is ultimately to ensure continuous, uninterrupted supply of our medicines to patients globally. This is a fantastic role that provides me with a wealth of challenges and development opportunities. In addition, Regeneron promotes and facilitates a culture of healthy work/life balance - during my time off I enjoy running and spending time with my family.
Fun Fact :
Throughout my secondary school & college years I also trained as a Hairdresser - torn between two very different career paths I have no regrets in the decisions I made. Hairdressing is now a hobby of mine, one which my daughter certainly makes the most of.
Mary Dinan
Asset Manager, Ørsted
Mary Dinan
Asset Manager, Ørsted
Mary is an asset manager of onshore renewables for Ørsted based in Cork. Mary did her undergraduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCC, followed by a MSc in Renewable Energy at Imperial College London. Mary has over ten years of experience working in the renewable energy industry. She worked as a technical renewable energy consultant based in Bristol for 5 years and gained chartership though the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. She then moved to Oxford and worked in energy markets consultancy until she returned to Cork in 2019. Since returning she has put both her technical and commercial skills to use in the Onshore Operations team at leading global renewable energy company Ørsted. Mary is passionate about creating a world that runs on green energy and is delighted to work for a company that aligns with her values.
Victoria Uí Fhaoláin
Technologist, Carelon Global Solutions
Victoria Uí Fhaoláin
Technologist, Carelon Global Solutions
Victoria Uí Fhaoláin's tech journey began in Uganda at age 12, where she penned her first lines of code. Home-schooled in Uganda, East Africa, her early passion for technology set the stage for an exceptional engineering career. She continued studying different languages as part of her home-school curriculum, she studied Visual Basic and Java. She moved to Minnesota when she was 15 where she attended a Secondary School that offered college level data structures and algorithms courses which allowed her to continue her studies.
At 17, Victoria joined SPS Commerce's team of site reliability engineers, propelled by her NCWIT Aspirations in Computer Science Award win in Minnesota. Balancing work and study at the University of Minnesota, she graduated at 20 with a degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Arabic Language and Literature, showcasing a unique blend of skills.
Venturing into the professional realm, Victoria contributed significantly at Flashpoint, a business risk intelligence start-up. There, she extracted dark web data, offering companies vital insights for proactive cybersecurity measures.
After two impactful years, Victoria relocated to Ireland, joining Carelon. This move cemented her reputation as a versatile and forward-thinking technologist. In the vibrant tapestry of Victoria's journey—from Uganda to the USA, navigating academia and industry, and finally settling in Ireland—the thread of determination and versatility shines through.
Dr. Linda Doyle
Provost of Trinity College Dublin
Dr. Linda Doyle
Provost of Trinity College Dublin
Dr Linda Doyle was appointed the 45th Provost of Trinity College Dublin by staff and student representatives, coming into office on August 1, 2021. The Provost is the Chief Officer of the university responsible to the Board and ultimately to the State for the performance of the university.
She served previously as Trinity"s Dean & Vice President of Research (2018-2020) and was the founding Director of CONNECT " the Science Foundation Ireland research centre for future communication networks. Before that, she was Director of the Centre for Telecommunications Value Chain Research (CTVR).
Prior to her appointment as Provost, Linda was Professor of Engineering and The Arts in Trinity. Her expertise is in the fields of wireless communications, cognitive radio, reconfigurable networks, spectrum management and creative arts practices.
She has raised over €70 million in research funding and has published widely in her field. Linda has a reputation as an advocate for change in spectrum management practices and has played a role in spectrum policy at the national and international level. She has served as Chair of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board in the UK and has been a member of the Open Research Europe Scientific Advisory Board.
She was formerly a Director of Xcelerit and Software Radio Systems Ltd (SRS), two spin-out companies from CTVR. Linda has published extensively and has given over 100 keynotes and invited talks at various events globally.
Combining creative arts practices with engineering for many years, she founded the Orthogonal Methods Group (OMG) a research initiative in CONNECT that works in critical and creative tension with technology with the purpose of generating knowledges, insights and alternative research orientations across disciplines that are sometimes perceived to be mutually exclusive.
She serves on the Board of Science Gallery International (SGI), and served previously on the Board of the Festival of Curiosity, a STEM outreach activity for children based on a city-centre yearly science festival. Linda has also served as Chair of the Board of the Douglas Hyde Gallery (2013-2021), as a member of the Board of Pallas Project Studios, KTH Sweden Scientific Advisory Board, and the Board of the Wireless Innovation Forum.
As well as her contributions to research and the arts, she is an active advocate for women in engineering and computer science. She has been involved in numerous initiatives such Girls in Tech, Teen Turn, and HerStory.
She holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (BE) from University College Cork and an MSc, PhD, and PGDIP STATS from Trinity College Dublin. She is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford.
Linda is a native of Togher in Cork and attended Togher Girls National School and St Angela"s College.
Anne-Marie Tierney Le-Roux
Senior Vice President Enterprise Technology, IDA Ireland
Anne-Marie Tierney Le-Roux
Senior Vice President Enterprise Technology, IDA Ireland
Anne-Marie has 22 years’ experience in the global investment environment with IDA Ireland, working across a number of key roles in Ireland and abroad.
Anne-Marie took up her current position as Senior VP, Enterprise Technology in October 2021. Prior to this role, she held positions as Department Manager, Regional Development, Director of Europe, based in Paris and Project Manager in the Technology Division. Prior to IDA Ireland, Anne-Marie worked for the Consultancy business of PricewaterhouseCoopers in London in the retail and CPG global industry sectors.
Anne-Marie is a Law graduate and holds an MSc in International Marketing, as well as being an Associate Practitioner of the European Chartered Institute of Marketing. Anne-Marie is a Board member of CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for Applied AI and a Board Member of Cyber Ireland.
Dr Fiona Boyle
Head of Department- STEM MTU Kerry & Director of REEdI
Dr Fiona Boyle
Head of Department- STEM MTU Kerry & Director of REEdI
Dr. Fiona Boyle is Head of Department- STEM (Director of REEdI- Rethinking Engineering Education in Ireland) within the School of STEM at MTU- Kerry Campus. Fiona will give an overview of her varied and exciting career in STEM to date. Fiona hails from County Mayo and has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Microbiology from the University of Galway, a M.Sc. in Biomedical Science from University of Ulster Coleraine, a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology from the University of Galway and a Diploma in Change Management, also, from the University of Galway. Fiona’s early research and work centred on the topic of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Fiona’s Industry experience spans over 14 years in the MedTech and Pharma sectors, holding key roles in the areas of Terminal Sterilization, Microbiological quality and Biocompatibility of life saving and life enhancing medical products. Fiona’s recent experience focuses on agility and innovation in education, with a goal to ensure the talent pipeline can meet the future skills needs of the manufacturing industry in Ireland. This involves the use of virtual and augmented reality, emerging technologies, eLearning, and the inclusion of significant work-based project centric learning in undergraduate programmes. Fiona is extremely passionate about promoting STEM as a career option for young women and in linking employers with female engineers of the future that have the potential to identify solutions for many of the problems that we collectively face as a society.
Katie Wall
Graduate Engineer, PepsiCo
Katie Wall
Graduate Engineer, PepsiCo
Kate studied Chemical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering at Munster Technological University. She enjoyed the challenges that maths, physics and chemistry gave her in school and knew she wanted to pursue a career in this area, as analytical thinking and problem solving played to her strengths and interests. During her degree, Kate undertook a 6-month work placement in Little Island, Cork as part of PepsiCo’s Internship programme. During this time, she supported and led a variety of projects across a range of engineering disciplines. Upon completion of her degree Kate returned to PepsiCo on a two-year graduate programme which involves two rotations across varying disciplines within the engineering team. Kate has just finished her first rotation with the Base Capital Team, where she was leading Plant based projects in the manufacturing facility. She is now moving into PepsiCo’s Strategic Capital Team where she will be supporting global project implementation. Kate enjoys working in teams both inside of and out of work. In her spare time she enjoys playing GAA with her local club and coaching gymnastics.
Hazel Johnston
Digital and Automation Systems Apprentice, Johnson and Johnson
Hazel Johnston
Digital and Automation Systems Apprentice, Johnson and Johnson
My name is Hazel Johnston. I am currently studying in my third year of my Digital and Automation Systems Apprenticeship with Johnson and Johnson at Depuy Synthes through MTU. Prior to this apprenticeship, I completed my Leaving Cert in 2020. I decided to take a year out of education to explore my professional options. I had always had an interest in Engineering so when I saw this opportunity arise, I jumped at it. Over the past two years, I have worked with the Automation Team at DePuy Synthes. I work alongside this team of Engineers that help make processes Automated. This experience has broadened my technical knowledge and opened many doors for my future. I have recently been awarded Apprentice of the Year which means I am recognised as one of the top Apprentices in Ireland. This was a national award which recognises the finest talent in the apprenticeship system, overseen by the National Apprenticeship office, I am also the first ever female to receive this award
Doireann Joyce
Validation Manager, Merck
Doireann Joyce
Validation Manager, Merck
Doireann Joyce has a degree in Food Science from UCC and attained her postgraduate qualification from UL in Computer Science.
She started her career in Merck in 2000 as a Validation Scientist. Following a career break to travel the world in 2004, she returned to Merck as a Validation Engineer working on major projects that focused on transferring new processes and products to the Cork site. This role allowed her to continue to travel to multiple continents including the United States, Asia and Europe, representing the Merck Group as a Validation SME .
During her career in Merck, Doireann has held various positions such as Validation Supervisor, Quality Manager, Project Lead and is currently the Validation Manager for Merck’s expanding Carrigtwohill site and their new Blarney site, which is under construction.
Jim Meade
Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann
Jim Meade
Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann
Jim Meade was appointed Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail in in May 2018. He had previously been Director, Railway Undertaking since 2013 responsible for all passenger and freight services.
Jim began his railway career as an apprentice fitter in 1979, joining the company as a fitter in Limerick Locomotive Shed upon completion of his apprenticeship in 1983.
Since then Jim has worked in a range of roles including fleet maintenance management, strategic change programmes, District Manager in Limerick, and Regional Manager in the west of Ireland, before becoming Director of Train Operations.
Jim leads the management team in ensuring that the railway is operated and maintained in a manner that prioritises safety for passengers, employees and third parties; provides a quality customer service to all who use the rail network; strengthens the productivity and performance gains that have been achieved in recent years to secure a sustainable financial position; and delivers rail’s contribution in support of the Government of Ireland’s policies on sustainable development.
Elaine Kavanagh
Senior Apprentice Engineer, Stryker
Elaine Kavanagh
Senior Apprentice Engineer, Stryker
I had multiple jobs since leaving school in 2011 but have been working in Stryker since January 2019. I first started as a product builder and was lucky enough to get the apprenticeship role in 2021. I am currently in my 3rd year of my degree in MTU and will be continuing on to my level 8 in September 2024 to further my career as an engineer.
Fun fact: I don't have full movement in my right arm.
Katie Taheny
Quantitive Trader, SIG
Katie Taheny
Quantitive Trader, SIG
“I have always been passionate about STEM subjects and had a love of Maths and Physics at school. I graduated from the University of Warwick in 2020 with first class honours in Masters of Mathematics, Operation Research, Statistics and Economics specialising in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics.
Following this, I joined Susquehanna International Group through the Quantitative Trading Graduate Programme, where I now focus on trading equity stock options. I have always been fascinated by problem solving and thinking about strategy and I am very fortunate that I get to apply these skills to real-world puzzles in financial markets every day.
Outside of this, I am an avid sports fan following everything from Gaelic football to darts! I was awarded the ‘GoldMark Award of Excellence’ for volunteering at my local sports club through various charity events and coaching junior teams.
I am enthusiastic about improving diversity within STEM subjects and the world of finance and trading, in particular. In SIG we have started a Women’s Trading Committee, which regularly meets to discuss these goals.”
Rebecca Springett
Solutions Engineer, Titan HQ
Rebecca Springett
Solutions Engineer, Titan HQ
Rebecca is a Solutions Engineer with global network security specialists TitanHQ. Her role includes providing technical expertise to clients of TitanHQ and guidance during the implementation of cybersecurity solutions. She graduated from Maynooth University with a BA Honors in Media Technology. Since then, Rebecca has developed her technical skills and customer relations within different roles in the Cybersecurity sector. These roles have included Technical Support and Support Team Lead.
Emer Bambrick
Sustainability Senior Manager, Bus Éireann
Emer Bambrick
Sustainability Senior Manager, Bus Éireann
Originally from County Laois but now living in County Clare, Emer Bambrick is a Sustainability Senior Manager at Bus Éireann.
She previously worked at Iarnród Eireann, providing environmental support to Capital Investment projects and more recently she was appointed as Environmental Executive for the Department of the Chief Civil Engineer in Iarnród Éireann Infrastructure.
Emer has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management from IT Sligo and a Master’s qualification in Environmental Sustainability from University College Dublin.
As part of her role as Sustainability Senior Manager, Emer Bambrick help’s to develop best practices in sustainability and environmental compliance, develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and oversees the implementation of the Bus Éireann Driving Change Sustainability Strategy 2030.
Grace McConnell
Associate Director Cost Management, Linesight
Grace McConnell
Associate Director Cost Management, Linesight
My name is Grace McConnell and I am an Associate Director within the Quantity Surveying sector at Linesight. Linesight deliver professional construction consultancy services and strategic support to multiple sectors globally. I have over 15 years in the construction industry . I didn't start out with the traditional route into Quantity Surveying. After school i went to Study Interior Architecture first and qualified with a degree. After working in that field for a period of time and getting real hands on experience in the construction arena i decided to go back and do a masters in Quantity Surveying which i felt at the time was a better fit for me and my skills. I loved the design aspect of interior architecture but i felt it lacked practicality and i had an interest in contracts and finance. I instantly took to the course and applied to work as a Quantity Surveyor. I joined Linesight in 2015 as a Junior Cost Manager and have worked my way up since. I became chartered once I finished the masters. I am currently working on some major healthcare development projects.I love what I do, I’m a mentor for the Society of Chartered Surveyors and a mentor internally in Linesight for women in construction. I’m also a councillor for a number of graduates who are applying to do their chartership. Outside of work I’m a mum to a 1 year old girl and have just bought a house which im planning on using some of those early interior design skills.
Nidhi Mahambre
Data Analyst, Unum Ireland
Nidhi Mahambre
Data Analyst, Unum Ireland
Louise McGrath
Staff Engineer, Biomedical Engineering, Analog Devices
Louise McGrath
Staff Engineer, Biomedical Engineering, Analog Devices
Louise Mc Grath is a staff engineer working within the Digital Healthcare Unit in Analog Devices. Despite working as an engineer in her current role, Louise is a chemist by training. She studied Chemistry with Forensic Science in University College Cork from 2010 to 2014. During her undergraduate degree she fell in love with electrochemistry and decided to pursue it further. In 2014 she started a research internship in the Tyndall National Institute with Dr. James Rohan, where she worked on an industry-based project looking at electrodepositing different materials such as copper, nickel, and gold onto silicon wafers. After gaining valuable experience during the research internship, Louise decided to pursue a PhD where the work involved the creation of microbatteries (millimetre-sized batteries) for sensors to be used for the “Internet of Things”.
During the course of her PhD, Louise found a passion for scientific communication, and completed over 40 different STEM activities. Her achievements were recognised by her research centre, and she was awarded CONNECT’s Education and Public Engagement award. Due to her love of scientific communication, she decided to change her career trajectory and went to work in Eli Lilly and Company as a Global Scientific Communications Associate. In this role, she was in charge of writing papers, conference abstracts, and various other media to present Eli Lilly’s Oncology clinical trial results.
Louise decided that her true passion was electrochemistry and started working for Analog Devices in August 2021. Since 2021, she has worked on creating and developing biosensors for various healthcare applications. This role involves working with people from various different backgrounds: physics, biology, chemistry, and various different types of engineers such as mechanical and electronic. In addition to her role, she is heavily involved in STEM and community-based activities, all of which are supported by Analog Devices.
Outside of work, her passions include martial arts such as Kuk Sool Won, hiking, travelling and gaming. She is an avid rugby fan, and plays on the local Analog Devices tag rugby team.
Melissa Valloni
Digital Designer, Qualcomm
Melissa Valloni
Digital Designer, Qualcomm
Melissa is a Digital Designer at Qualcomm. She was born in Italy and pursued Biomedical Engineering for her bachelor's degree and Digital Electronics for her master's degree. Melissa completed an internship in France at Arm and later worked at STMicroelectronics in Milan, specialising in sensor technology. Since last year, she has been contributing as a Digital Designer at Qualcomm in the RISCV & Power team. Passionate about STEM subjects since childhood, Melissa has consistently strived to encourage more girls to explore and embrace science.
Ruth Murphy
Calibration Technician, Dornan Engineering
Ruth Murphy
Calibration Technician, Dornan Engineering
I am a instrumentation technician working for Dornan Engineering in Bristol Myers Squibb which is a bio-pharma manufacturing company. I completed my apprenticeship here and have been working with Dornan and BMS fulltime for more than a year doing this. I completed my bachelor of science in TU Dublin in 2022 in Process Instrumentation and Automation. I primarily work in calibrations but I also have some experience in automation, and I frequently work with vendors onsite. I also get to work on various different projects to improve our equipment and processes, which I very much enjoy!
Fun Fact : I am currently learning how to scuba dive!
Aphra Leavy
Asset Operations - Technical Services Senior Manager, Uisce Éireann
Aphra Leavy
Asset Operations - Technical Services Senior Manager, Uisce Éireann
Aphra Leavy is the Asset Operations Technical Services Senior Manager in Uisce Éireann (Irish Water). She is responsible for overseeing and managing the provision of technical services across Water and Wastewater operations nationally. Prior to taking up her current role, Aphra was the National Manager for the Water & Wastewater Process Optimisation Team within Uisce Éireann and held various Process Optimisation roles since joining Irish Water in 2014. Before joining Irish Water Aphra worked with Meath County Council for 10 years holding various compliance, enforcement and operations roles within the Environmental and Water Services Sections. Aphra holds an honours degree in Civil Engineering, an honours degree in Agricultural Science (Agribusiness), a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Protection and a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma.
Fun Fact : I recently went on a snowboarding holiday but switched to skiing halfway through the holiday and spent the next few days falling down the slopes.
Emma McQuiggan
Senior Design Engineer, Gas Networks Ireland
Emma McQuiggan
Senior Design Engineer, Gas Networks Ireland
Emma is a Senior Design Engineer at Gas Networks Ireland, working within the compressor stations and supplying gas to GNI’s transmission and distribution networks throughout Ireland and Scotland. Emma has always been passionate about the energy industry having undertaken several work placements within the gas industry and carrying out a master’s dissertation on renewable gas. After graduating from a Mechanical Engineering degree at Queen’s University Belfast she joined a gas distribution company rotating throughout the construction, operations, maintenance and health and safety teams. In 2022 she joined the design team at GNI, working on large transmission projects and has since rotated into the compressor area, designing projects that supply critical gas and energy infrastructure to Ireland.
Andrea Aza Villamor
Lead Solutions Engineer, Cadence
Andrea Aza Villamor
Lead Solutions Engineer, Cadence
Andrea is a Lead Solutions Engineer at Cadence. She was born in Spain and got a bachelor's and master's degree in Telecomunications Engineering. Andrea completer her Master Thesis as an intern at Rohde & Schwarz in Germany and stayed afterwards to contribute as a Digital Designer in the Mobile Radio Testing Lab. Since 2022 Andrea works as a Lead Solutions Engineer for a services team at Cadence, helping customers achieve integrated circuit designs optimized to their needs. It was through Cadence and its support to the Community that she grew enthusiasm about ensuring young females don't lack information on how a career in STEM looks like.
Orla Walsh
Cybersecurity Technical Program Manager, Dell Technologies
Orla Walsh
Cybersecurity Technical Program Manager, Dell Technologies
Alana Kavanagh
Graduate Instrumentation & Controls Engineer, Jacobs Engineering
Alana Kavanagh
Graduate Instrumentation & Controls Engineer, Jacobs Engineering
After finishing the Leaving Certificate in 2017, originally wanted to be a Veterinarian. I took a gap year before choosing a degree. During that year I completed a Level 5 PLC in Laboratory Techniques which moved my interests towards pursuing a career in science & technology. Graduating in 2022 with a BSc (Hons) in Physics for Modern Technology, I was equipped with the knowledge and skills that enabled me to take on my current position as a Graduate Instrumentation and Controls Engineer at Jacobs Engineering. My current project is a large-scale bio pharmaceutical plant based in mainland Europe. My role involves preparing and updating instrument index, issuing instrument datasheets to vendors, assisting seniors engineers with instrument hook-ups, cable schedule and instrument loop wiring diagram. Other duties involve attending Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT's) and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT's) and providing Support During Construction (SDC).
Fun Fact : I am a big fan of Motorsport, particularly Drifting and Formula 1.
Caoilinn O' Donoghue
3rd Year Student in Design & Manufacturing Engineering in UL & I Wish Alumni
Caoilinn O' Donoghue
3rd Year Student in Design & Manufacturing Engineering in UL & I Wish Alumni
Caoilinn O' Donoghue is a 3rd Year Student in Design & Manufacturing Engineering in UL. She has just finished her placement at Regeneron and is now facing back into her studies this semester.
Caoilinn is an I Wish Alumni student and was part of the first ever I Wish Deloitte Mentorship Programme.
Dr Rathnait Long
Consulting Engineering (Director Level), Technology Development Group, MACOM
Dr Rathnait Long
Consulting Engineering (Director Level), Technology Development Group, MACOM
Dr. Rathnait Long is a Consulting Engineering (Director Level) in the Technology Development Group at MACOM. With a Ph.D. in Microelectronic Engineering from University College Cork, Ireland and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Stanford University CA, as well as industrial experience with Analog Devices and Lam Research, she has been heavily involved in technology development from both the academic and industrial perspectives. A former Fulbright Scholar and Adjunct Professor at Stanford University, she has over 25 publications, 7 patents pending and is a technical reviewer for the National Science Foundation SBIR program. She is a member of IEEE and a member of the Executive Committee of the Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Conference.
Sara Ann Biju
I Wish Alumni, Final Year Student of BSc. Chemistry UCC
Sara Ann Biju
I Wish Alumni, Final Year Student of BSc. Chemistry UCC
My name is Sara Ann Biju and I am a Final Year Student of BSc. Chemistry in University College Cork. I am currently the Chairperson of the UCC WiSTEM Society and I hope to play my part in creating a space where young girls feel empowered to follow their dreams.
My journey in STEM began at I Wish and I am dedicated to playing my part in inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. I chose STEM as it is filled with limitless opportunities and individuals who do remarkable work daily. When I am not knee-deep in experiments and equations, I love to spend time dancing, cooking, travelling and painting.
Sabrina Alom
I Wish Alumni & Biochemistry Student UCC
Sabrina Alom
I Wish Alumni & Biochemistry Student UCC
Sabrina is one of our I Wish Alumni and currently on the I Wish Deloitte Mentorship programme. Sabrina studies Biochemistry in UCC.
Helena O' Riordan
Senior Engineer, Water Services, Cork City Council
Helena O' Riordan
Senior Engineer, Water Services, Cork City Council
Helena is a Senior Engineer in Water Services in Cork City Council and also works as Asset Operations Lead for Drainage in Cork City for Uisce Éireann. She is a Civil Engineering graduate from University College Cork and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Studies from Trinity College Dublin. She has worked in the Local Authority sector for all her career, including Kildare County Council, Cork County Council and now in her current role in Cork City Council. She leads a multidisciplinary team, which delivers essential services to the citizens of Cork City.
Ananyaa Madhur Sharma
electrical and electronics engineering
Ananyaa Madhur Sharma
electrical and electronics engineering
Ananyaa is currently pursuing electrical and electronics engineering at UCC. Recipient of J&J WiSTEM2D Scholarship and PepsiCo studnet mentoring programme. Peer Support leader for engineering students 2023-24.
Engineering Representative at WiSTEM, UCC.
Indian Classical Dancer and choreographer
Andrea Clarkson
Principal Diversity & Belonging Partner EMEA, APAC & Japan, Workday
Andrea Clarkson
Principal Diversity & Belonging Partner EMEA, APAC & Japan, Workday
Andrea works within the people and purpose function that serves all of Workday.
Andrea's team in the Belonging & Diversity Center of Excellence are a group of consultants that provide expert guidance to enhance and drive key Belonging and Diversity initiatives.