Senior Consultant at Dell Technologies in Global Business Transformation, specialising in Change Management and Change Leadership. Gillian’s passion is the intersection of people, process, technology and culture, leading teams and organisations through disruptive change. Putting people at the heart of how we work, enabling us to simplify complexity, work smarter and lead better in dynamic work environments.
30 years in the Technology industry, Gillian has held both technical and non-technical roles, people-management and individual contributor roles and operates at a global level. She recently completed her term as Chair of it@cork and was instrumental in the MOU bringing it@cork and KerrySciTech together under the umbrella brand of Tech Industry Alliance. She has represented Dell and it@cork on many regional forums and has a strong regional network.
She holds a Masters in Data Business, BA in Economics & Computer Science and Higher Diplomas in Accounting & MIS, and Business Innovation and Digital Transformation. She enjoys podcasts, music, reading and writing.
Educated to post-doctorate level as a scientist, Jean is a highly accomplished professional with over 30 years of experience in academia. In her roles at University College Cork, she focuses on establishing and nurturing national and international partnerships to advance UCC’s education, research, and public engagement missions. She has strong advocacy and influencing skills, extending her reach to policymakers and business leaders both nationally and internationally. She and her teams have informed, connected and promoted the university and this region, only one measurable outcome of which has been the generation of in excess of €200M of income for the University.
Committed to internationalisation, one notable achievement is her role as the founder and director of the European University Alliance, UNIC, which consists of 10 universities across Europe. Jean has received recognition for her achievements, including being named the “Women Mean Business” Business Woman of the year in Ireland in 2010.
Jean aims to leverage her extensive experience and network to benefit the Cork Chamber. She understands the dynamics of effective partnerships between academia and business, emphasizing talent provision and research outcomes. She also plays a crucial role in promoting Cork as a business-friendly destination, working in partnership with organizations like the IDA to attract multinational companies.
Jean is committed to influencing policy to drive economic growth, particularly in the higher education sector. She believes that strengthening the links between the Chamber and UCC can ensure that education programmes meet the changing needs of the business community. If elected to the Chamber’s Board, she pledges to raise awareness of UCC’s learning, teaching and research among Chamber members and enhance interaction with Chamber members and the University’s global partnership base.
In summary, Jean’s candidacy for the Cork Chamber Board brings a wealth of experience in partnership building, policy influence, and academia-business interface, with a focus on driving economic growth and fostering collaboration between academia and the business community in Cork.
As an accomplished strategic leader in the hospitality industry, she brings a wealth of expertise and a dedication to innovation. With a comprehensive background spanning revenue management, financial forecasting, and operations management, she has refined her skills in driving business success and nurturing avenues for growth.
Throughout her career, she has showcased a steadfast commitment to cultivating talent, spearheading continuous improvement endeavours, and championing sustainability in Cork. These principles closely resonate with the values upheld by the Cork Chamber, her insights and ability to collaborate will drive positive change within the Cork community.
With her domestic and international experiences Carmel has a robust foundation in strategic leadership and planning. Coupled with her hands-on role as the Director of Group Operations for Trigon Hotels in Cork, she possesses an intimate understanding of the local market dynamics and the myriad of challenges and opportunities confronting businesses in the region.
Carmel is passionate about the opportunity to join the Cork Chamber board because she believes that her diverse skillset and sectoral insight can contribute to the board’s strategic vision and decision-making processes. She is committed to supporting the growth and development of businesses in Cork, fostering collaboration, and driving positive economic impact in the region.
In essence, she will bring blend of strategic leadership, industry acumen, and a passion for fostering growth and sustainability within Cork. Eager to contribute to the Cork Chamber board, she is poised to play an integral role in shaping the future prosperity of the Cork business community.
Nicola has spent almost 20 years working in the energy industry working towards the significant transformation required across the industry. She is currently the Director of People at Gas Networks Ireland where she is responsible for developing and executing the people and culture strategy to support the development of people, and teams, to ensure the delivery of the business plan and strategic direction of the organisation, specifically in the areas of organisational transformation, talent development, diversity, equity and inclusion and organisational development and effectiveness. Prior to being appointed to her current role, Nicola held a number of senior positions including Head of HR Shared Services & Business Partnering with Ervia and Head of HR with Gas Networks Ireland.
Nicola would like to join the chamber board as her experience would be a great addition to the diversity of experience on the board. The skills, capabilities and talent across the Cork region in terms of what we have now and need into the future is an area where Nicola can provide insights and reflections to contribute to the continued development of the chamber. In addition, her experience in the energy industry considering the significant opportunity for the Cork area as we transition to a renewable future would bring benefit to the chamber board.
Brendan O’Connell is the Head of Faculty of Engineering & Science at MTU. As academic leader, he has responsibility for the effective leadership, management, performance and development of the faculty. The Faculty comprises of the School of Science & Informatics, the School of Building & Civil Engineering, the School of Mechanical, Electrical & Process Engineering, the National Maritime College of Ireland, the Nimbus Research Centre and Cyber Innovate. With 5347 students, 577 staff, and an annual research income of approx. €15 million the faculty is one of the largest in the country with 1126 graduates in November 2023. As a member of the University Executive, he works with the President and the other members of the executive to develop and implement University policy and progress the University’s Strategic Plan.
Dr O’Connell is the Climate & Sustainability Champion for MTU, this pan-university role oversees the university’s climate and sustainability efforts. He is a member of the MTU EDI Learning Committee. During his 24 years in MTU he has held a number of senior positions including Head of School of Science & Informatics, Head of Department of Biological Sciences and Senior Lecturer. #
He graduated with his BSc in Biomedical Science from UCC and his PhD in Clinical Biochemistry from MTU. Dr O’Connell is the Chair of the Faculty Industry Liaison Committee. Brendan is very passionate about the future success of Cork and would relish the opportunity of joining the Cork Chamber Board’s journey to champion Cork as a globally recognised place for business, innovation, sustainability and quality of life. He is fully committed to ensure that MTU continues to work with Cork Chambers to deliver on the educational and research needs of business and public services in Cork. As a champion of sustainability he is well positioned to actively contribute to the Sustainable Cork Programme.
Garrett O’ Keeffe is currently the Site Leader for Solarwinds, a US Software Multinational, here in Cork. He is also the Vice President of Customer Success globally, and has worked for Solarwinds for 10 years.
Solarwinds are based in Citygate and employ 180 people in Cork, and were honoured to win Cork Company Of The Year in 2015, an effort which Garrett spearheaded.
Born in Cork, Garrett has worked in Cork all his life in various roles for companies such as Esat Telecom, BT Ireland and Vodafone. Healso worked for 6 years as an executive coach. He graduated with a BComm from UCC in 1991, and in 2020 completed a Masters in Human Resources (also in UCC).
Garrett believes his unique blend of large corporate experience, self-employment and academic insight, makes me a great candidate to join the Chamber board, as he has seen the challenges facing both ends of the business spectrum. Having a multinational member of the board would bring a perspective that is necessary, given the importance of that sector to the business community here in Cork.
His relationship with the Chamber goes back to 1998, when Esat Telecom was a sponsor of the Cork Company of The Year Awards. At that time he also sat on the Telecoms Committee. More recently he has been a contributor at the Chamber Leadership Forum, including being a panel member in 2023, where he spoke about the challenges facing businesses due to the housing crisis. Garrett was also asked to represent the Multinational Sector on this topic at a Chamber meeting with the Taoiseach in 2023.
On a personal level, Garrett is a keen follower of Cork hurling, was involved for many years with underage hurling in Cloughduv and is a member of Lee Valley Golf Club.
Conor has worked in the hospitality sector for over 30 years in a range of management roles and has been heavily involved in leading and driving company culture through team collaboration. His proven success with leading teams and collaborating closely with peers has helped fulfil the value of “success is dependent on team collaboration”.
In his current role, Conor manages and leads Cork’s largest 4-star Hotel. His strengths are customer focus, with my eye constantly on the changing needs and behavior of our valued customers. With a long-standing record of initiative, innovation, achievement of outstanding results and the successful management of KPI’s, he has developed and executed strategies which he believes will bring value to this role. He enjoys the challenge of board membership in various aspects of the community and is confident that they will prove beneficial to Cork Chamber of Commerce should he be fortunate enough to be elected.
Throughout the course of his career, Conor has honed his business development skills. He is an astute problem-solver capable of prioritising and managing complex projects with proficiency. He exercises innovation, decision-making and project management in contribution of team efforts and organisational improvements. He is open minded and focused on new developments. He has proven to be effective and motivational with proficiency in critical thinking and collaborative work with others. Conor enjoys brainstorming and coordinating efforts to achieve a common goal.
Conor believes he will bring exceptional leadership qualities, excellent communication skills, ambition, results focused mindset, innovation and vision to this role.
I am a nominee for Secretary of the Cork Chamber board. I would very much appreciate it if you would consider voting for me.
I am an experienced Non-Executive Director with a strong understanding of Corporate Governance and the board’s role in an organisation.
I’ve sat on the Cork Chamber board for the last four years, and have been very active sitting on the Corporate Governance and the Audit & Risk Committee.
I joined during the pandemic, and worked closely with my board members and the executive to help navigate the many challenges faced by Cork businesses. I would like to carry on my work with the Chamber and to contribute to the board as Secretary, to ensure we continue to address the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities facing businesses in the region.
I have deep connections to Cork. I founded and built Springboard Communications in the city, an agency of 13 people and national PR Agency of the Year 2023. I have been a Chamber member since 2012 and I am passionate about building and attracting business in Cork.
Along with running a small company in the city-centre, I also advise a number of SMEs and large corporates in the area, uniquely positioning me to understand the needs across the membership.
I sit on the volunteer Board of Governors of Fota Wildlife Park since 2019 and I am the Chair of their Audit & Risk committee.
I also sit on the board of the Public Relations Consultant Association (PRCA) which gives me an insight into the challenges facing professional services and small business across Ireland. I am a member of the Institute of Directors.
Thank you for your time. I believe strongly in growing Cork as THE place to do business and I look forward to working together.
Participating in Cork business for more than 25 years, I have experience across a multitude of organisations. These include multinationals such as Johnson Controls, BT, and Vodafone, which have given me a fantastic understanding of the corporate world. More recently, in a new career move, I have joined the world of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) which I am privileged to represent, becoming the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for a Cork-founded and based AI software start-up called Future Planet. Over the past four years, I have been a member of the Cork Chamber Board, which has given me a broad perspective across the business landscape, in line with the vision and mission of Cork Chamber.
The majority of my career has had a commercial focus across the technology sector, working in key areas of strategic planning, organisational development, sales, and marketing. In the past four years, however, I have added sustainability to my experience, each day building on my knowledge in an ever-changing landscape. Climate change is of immense importance to us all, and I am delighted to be a valued member of the Cork Chamber’s Sustainability Working Group, which is doing fantastic work to push forward this agenda. I feel very privileged to have participated in the Board’s activities these past four years. With the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, it feels like my tenure has come to an end far too quickly, and so I would be honoured if I can continue to contribute to the Cork Chamber Board for an extended period.
My experience of both the multinational and SME perspectives – as well as my work with the Chamber to date – would add a lot of value in participating in the role of Secretary. The urgency for sustainability transformation within companies is compounded by the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive; CSRD. This has introduced me to the world of compliance & reporting which I know will be of value to the position of Secretary at Cork Chamber.