Aine McCarthy - Knowledge Lawyer, Dillon Eustace and Vice Chair, IF ESG PLR Working Group
Aisling McCaffrey has over 10 years’ experience in the Financial Services sector - working with key clients across Europe on a range of projects covering business strategy, risk management and sustainability advisory. Aisling has a keen interest in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a particular focus on gender equality, quality education and climate action. To that end, she has taken on a number of commitments in supporting organisations such as co-chair of 100 Women in Finance Early Career Committee, Non-Executive Director of environmental NGO Global Action Plan Ireland and Steering Committee member of Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter, a government led industry initiative. In addition, Aisling is a co-founder of the ‘Green Team Network’ – a forum for connecting firms across the Irish Funds Industry to encourage collaboration and empower change towards a more sustainable environment.
Alan Doherty is founder and principal of Novara Labs, a consulting firm that helps clients innovate better to become sustainable faster. Previously Alan was Head of Innovation Design at Citibank’s Global Innovation Lab, where he worked across their extensive innovation portfolio, from global brands to fintech startups. Alan is a founder and board member of Innovate Island, a non-commercial network that aims to establish the island of Ireland as a global centre of excellence for innovation leadership. Alan leads sustainability projects for Innovate Island and engages with public and private bodies as innovation advisor. He currently sits on the Sustainable Finance Fintech Working Group, collaborating on the Irish Government's sustainable finance roadmap. Alan also lectures in innovation at DCU Business School and is on the content advisory group for the P.Dip in Sustainable Fintech in Maynooth University.
Alan Guy - Head of Product Development and Innovation, Amundi
Alan Synnott leads client strategy, investor relations and product innovation across investment strategies that include equity, debt, blended-finance and listed vehicles. He joined BlackRock in 2011 as a founding member of BlackRock’s Infrastructure business, launching the Firm’s first renewable power investment and Infrastructure Debt strategies. He has authored multiple position papers on the topics of Real Assets, Infrastructure & Renewable Power Investment for Pensions, Insurance Companies, Institutional Investors and Public Policy makers, has represented BlackRock as a Principal to the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and partners closely with BlackRock's Government Relations and Public Policy team. Prior to joining BlackRock, Alan worked in Corporate Finance and Investment Banking for 16 years, based in San Francisco and with responsibility for the execution of public and private transactions in the Renewable Power, Conventional Power, Energy, Transport, Consumer and Technology sectors. He earned a BBS degree from Trinity College Dublin and an MBS degree from University College Dublin.
Alex McLean leads the cross-firm ESG Group, which assists clients with the identification and integration of ESG priorities at all levels of their business. He has a broad-based infrastructure and utilities practice, with particular expertise in renewables, energy and natural resources law. Alex has almost twenty-five years energy regulatory, transactional and major projects experience in Ireland and Australia and has been centrally involved in the liberalisation of the energy markets in both jurisdictions. He has extensive experience acting for government, regulators, financiers, market participants and customers, both on the island of Ireland and internationally, and combines broad industry expertise with a strong background in energy regulation and reform.
Alex Twose has 15 years’ experience working in the insurance industry advising a wide range of clients in the London and Specialty markets, global insurers and reinsurers, as well as retail insurers operating in the UK and Ireland. With considerable experience of actuarial claims reserving, review of claims handling processes, capital and solvency modelling and implementation of solvency regulation, his current focus is on helping insurers to manage their net zero transition through the development of emissions measurement frameworks and net zero underwriting strategy. Alex is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, and holds an MSc in Physics from the University of Manchester.
Alexander Malitsky is a Director in the DCM SSA team at TD Securities in London, responsible for originating global debt capital market transactions with SSAs and regional governments. Alex is the Chairman of the ICMA Future Leaders Committee, he is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master's Degree in International Accounting and Finance from the University of Liverpool. Since joining TD Securities in 2018, Alex was awarded three consecutive SSA Rising Star Awards by Global Capital.
Andreas Hoepner served on the EU's Technical Expert Group for Sustainable Finance (2018-2020), where he co-invented ‘EU Climate Transition and EU Paris-Aligned Investing’ (EU Regulation 2020/1818) by aligning investment strategies across asset classes with the IPCC’s 1.5°C trajectory (with no or limited overshoot), he is currently serving on the EU's Platform for Sustainable Finance (2020-2022) as individual academic member and Head of the Data subgroup.
Andrew Kehoe has been a practicing lawyer since 2002 and has a broad range of experience in the legal and financial services industry in Ireland and internationally. Andrew is Chief Executive Officer, Ireland at Waystone following its acquisition of KB Associates where Andrew served as its Chief Executive Officer. Previously Andrew was responsible for both the legal and business development teams at KB Associates and was the Chief Executive Officer of the KB Associates’ MiFID distribution firm in Malta. Prior to joining KB Associates, Andrew was a managing partner at a New York City law firm and worked as an investment funds solicitor at a Dublin law firm. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Fairfield University, a Juris Doctor law degree from New York Law School and a Diploma in International Investment Funds from the Law Society of Ireland. He is admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland, England and Wales, and is a member of the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Bars.
Andy Cronin is a globally recognised leader within the aviation industry, having held a range of senior roles across the sector for more than 20 years. As part of the founding team and serving as Avolon’s CFO from 2010 to 2022, Andy has played a central role in building the company to the industry-leading position it holds today. He has successfully led Finance and Capital Market teams through numerous capital raises, corporate acquisitions, and most notably Avolon’s listing on the NYSE. Prior to joining Avolon, Andy served as SVP Investor Markets at RBS Aviation Capital with responsibility for disposal, financing and debt syndication of operating lease and structured debt products to a wide pool of investors and banking communities. Before working at RBS Aviation Capital, Andy worked in numerous commercial and operational roles at FLS Aerospace.
Angelika Delen is committed to creating and deliver profitable strategies and portfolios for institutional investors while generating quantifiable benefits for both people and the planet. Alongside her team, she has developed a private markets impact framework, conducted impact assessments and alignment with SFDR, and she is a part of the Investment Committee for Global Impact. Her responsibilities include engaging with institutional clients, participating in panel and roundtable discussions, and being involved in various green finance and impact working groups at both the international and national levels, including local governments. She chaired the Global Compact Network Austria working group on sustainable finance and is a member of the Austrian Standards committee (TC 322/Sustainable Finance) and the International Organization for Standards (CEN/ISO). With a career spanning 18 years in asset management, Angelika joined Mercer in 2018 after leading the institutional and distribution team at Amundi Austria. Before Amundi, she was employed at Bankhaus Schelhammer & Schattera KAG, where she focused on business development in Austria and Germany with a special emphasis on ESG. Her professional journey commenced at AIG investments, where she oversaw business development in the DACH region. Angelika holds a Master's degree in International Business Administration from the University of Vienna.
Anita Donoghue - Vice President, BlackRock / Vice Chair Irish Funds Data and Reporting Working Group
Ann Shiels established FinLexSus in January 2022 as a sustainable finance regulatory business working with regulated fund management companies and asset managers to upskill on, understand and implement EU sustainable finance regulatory requirements including SFDR and EU Taxonomy. Ann worked in the Irish funds and regulated financial services industry for over 20 years, mainly as a qualified solicitor in a large Irish corporate practice. She holds a certificate in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability leadership, is a Green Team Network executive member and lectures in sustainable finance at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and the Institute of Bankers in Ireland.
Anna Skrivanou supports signatories in progressing their practices, engage in regional policy debate and regulatory change, and build strong responsible investment ecosystems, by focusing on convening investors, policy makers and other stakeholders. Anna has an 8-year experience in asset and wealth management. Prior to the PRI, Anna worked at HSBC Asset Management in London, as a relationship manager in the global wholesale team focusing on key distributors and as a discretionary investment specialist managing high net worth clients’ portfolios. Anna holds the CISI level 7 Chartered Wealth Manager qualification, a MSc in International Financial Management from University of Surrey, and a BSc in Economics from University of Athens.
Dr Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain is director of the BSc. Science, Mathematics & Education initial teacher education programme in the UCD College of Science. Her research investigates issues in Mathematics Education, with particular focus on teacher education, and on making STEM more accessible and exciting for those who have historically been left out, whether because they are underprivileged economically or because they are female. A former post-primary teacher in a DEIS school, she is committed to making the teaching of mathematics more effective and this commitment has taken her well out of the university classroom as a science communicator on TV, radio and in print.
Asbjørn Purup Andersen is responsible for Sustainable Fixed Income investments and Emerging Markets Debt at Velliv Pension, one of Denmark’s largest retirement funds with c. $50bn under management. Mr. Andersen has a background as a Credit Analyst and has been managing debt portfolios for more than a decade.
Dr Barry O'Dwyer os an internationally recognised expert in climate change impacts, risk and adaptation with over 10 years experience working in both the public and private sector. In practice, he supports and advises public and private sector decision makers employing complex climate risk information in operational and strategic planning.
Bethany Davies' work has focused on supporting the development of PRI’s Nature Programme. A key part of Bethany’s role involves convening signatories and building their capacity to address nature-related issues, as well as providing issue specialism (focus on forest loss and land degradation) to PRI’s stewardship, policy, and guidance activities.
Brian Mullan is an engineer with over 28 years’ experience in various roles in Microsoft. He is currently a Principal Data Science Manager leading a global team of Data Scientists focused on the Microsoft 365 product suite, within the Customer Success Engineering Organization. Brian is also the Microsoft Ireland Lead for the sustainability research strategy, leading the partnership on Terrain AI, which is a collaboration between Science Foundation Ireland, Maynooth University and Microsoft. The project’s mission is to provide a direct response to Climate Change, seeking to develop innovative sensing and computational methodologies in capturing and processing data about the world around us.
Brian O’Kennedy is CEO of Clearstream Solutions, a leading independent carbon management and corporate sustainability consultancy which he founded in 2009. Brian has over 20 years’ leadership experience in global supply chain management and procurement, particularly in the areas of IT, Media, Print and Packaging. Brian has served as Chair of the CDP Ireland Network, the global carbon reporting program, and is also a member of Steering Committee of the global Responsible Sourcing standard, Verego SRS. He has a degree in Economics from Trinity College, a Certificate in Sustainable Management from BSI Group and is currently studying the Circular Economy at TU Delft.
Brian O'Neill is responsible for the development and implementation of Aviva’s sustainability plans in Ireland, which involve the delivery of climate goals, including investment in biodiversity and carbon sequestration projects. Brian has previously held senior insurance roles in Ireland and internationally with Friends First, Prudential International and Achmea (Netherlands). In Friends First, Brian was also responsible for CSR, and funded and built an occupational work centre in Nansana, Uganda over three years.
Caoimhe Donnelly was appointed Chief Sustainability officer in April 2020. She has over 20 years’ experience in competition and regulation, strategy, and sustainability development. Prior to joining CIÉ, Caoimhe advised and led the delivery of regulatory strategy in the communications markets and in sustainable development. Her experience includes senior management roles in ComReg, as Head of Market Intelligence and Market Analysis Manager and in strategy development in AXA Ireland. Caoimhe is the Chair of Global Action Plan, Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation driving sustainability initiatives across Ireland.
Dr. Ciarán Fallon has held a range of senior management roles in Coillte over the last nine years and has prior experience working in the public and private sectors in Ireland and abroad. He holds a BSc in Engineering, an MSc in Environmental Sustainability and a PhD from UCD which he earned for his research into environmental policy and governance in Ireland.
Cathal McGlinchey has extensive experience of providing reporting services to global asset managers, real estate and private equity firms across a broad range of strategies including hedge, credit, renewable energy and infrastructure. Cathal has a BA in Accounting from University of Ulster and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland. Cathal holds a number of industry leadership roles and is currently chair of the Irish Funds ESG Servicing and Data Working Group and a member of the Irish Funds Sustainability, Skills and Training Steering Group. Cathal is a past chair of the Irish Funds Financial Reporting Working Group and also represented the Irish funds industry on the EFAMA Accounting Task Force.
Catharine Dwyer is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Markets Policy Division – Investment Funds section in the Central Bank of Ireland. Catharine’s responsibilities involve development of Central Bank policy on investment funds and provision of technical advice to internal and external stakeholders on matters relating to investment funds. She advises external stakeholders on the negotiation of European laws affecting investment funds and represents the Central Bank on various working groups both at European and international levels.
Catherine Smith McKiernan is a business and HR consultant specialising in transformation, organisation development, capability and change management. Drawing on nearly 25 years business consulting experience Catherine has worked with private sector, public sector and not for profit clients in Ireland and abroad leading many large-scale transformation assignments as well as smaller more focused strategic engagements. An experienced board member and HR Director, Catherine’s work covers all aspects of organisational development including governance, strategic planning, project management, facilitation, training and communications.
Cathy Bryce started her career in Investment Banking with Morgan Stanley and subsequently ABN AMRO. She joined AIB in 1996, holding a range of leadership positions in lending roles across both International and Irish portfolios. In 2018 she joined the National Treasury Management Agency as Director of the National Development Finance Agency and NewERA. In 2019 she returned to AIB joining the Executive Management team of the Bank as Managing Director of Capital Markets, her current position. In this role, she leads the corporate and business areas of the Bank with teams that account for about one third of AIB’s assets and banking activities, including Goodbody Stockbrokers. She is a business graduate of Trinity College Dublin, holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School and completed the General Management Program in Harvard Business School. Cathy is a member of the Finance Committee of Trinity College and the Advisory Board of Trinity Business School. She is also a member of the Diversity Committee for Leinster Rugby.
Catriona Wood is part of the Sustainable Investment Solutions team at Mercer, with a core focus on integrating climate change considerations within client portfolios and across Mercer’s Investment Solutions framework as a whole. She plays an active role in driving best practice in terms of ESG integration by working with other key stakeholders around the business to align ESG practices across Mercer’s global investment solutions business. Catriona has 10 years’ industry experience, the last 5 of which have been at Mercer. Before joining Mercer, Catriona held positions in Market Risk and Middle Office within the banking sector. Catriona holds a First Class Honours BSc. in Accounting and Finance from Leeds University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Cécile Goubet has been working on energy and ecological transition issues in financial institutions, government ministries and the private sector for over fifteen years. After serving as the decarbonization, sobriety and energy efficiency advisor to the French Minister for Energy Transition in 2022 - 2023, she has now chosen to join the IFD to pursue its mission of accelerating the Paris financial hub's action to achieve energy and environmental transition.
Claudia Hügel has been responsible for group-wide sustainability / ESG rating and reporting at Lufthansa Group for more than five years. She deals with the sustainability regulation landscape such as the non-financial declaration ,the EU Taxonomy and (draft) CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), the European Sustainability Standards but also with the overall strategic aspects of ESG and future impacts for the airline industry In this capacity, she is also responsible for the Lufthansa Group’s Reporting which addresses in particular the finance industry such as Sustainability Factsheet, the TCFD-, SASB- and CDP reporting to name the most important ones. Claudia acts also as interface to the finance community and in particular towards investor relations and the rating agencies as well as corporate finance. Since 2001 Claudia has been working at Lufthansa Group in various senior management positions. She was responsible at headquarters for the global sales strategy and sales steering before moving to Singapore as country representative for Lufthansa being responsible for sales in parts of Asia including Oceania. Back in headquarters Claudia Hügel established lean management as an approach to agile working processes and set up a group-wide process academy. Before joining Lufthansa Claudia worked as a project manager at Roland Berger, International consultants for 4 years. Claudia studied business administration at Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich.
Colette Coogan coordinates the delivery of the 18 actions outlined in Ireland's first Sustainable Finance Roadmap - under the pillars of Talent Development, Industry Readiness, Leveraging Digital and Enabling Environment. She has 15 years banking experience in Ireland, most recently working in AIB’s Sustainability team, with the main areas of focus being sustainability reporting, materiality assessments, stakeholder engagement, external partnerships and communications. Colette is a certified sustainability practitioner (CSE Sustainability Academy) and has recently completed a Business Sustainability Management programme at the University of Cambridge - Institute for Sustainability Leadership, in addition to IOB APA qualifications.
Colin Hunt, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AIB and an Executive Director on the AIB Board in March 2019. He joined AIB in August 2016 as Managing Director, Wholesale, Institutional & Corporate Banking Division. Prior to joining AIB, he was Managing Director at Macquarie Capital where he led the development of its business in Ireland. Previously, he was a Special Policy Adviser at the Departments of Transport and Finance, Research Director and Chief Economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers, Head of Trading Research and Senior Economist at Bank of Ireland Group Treasury and a country risk analyst at NatWest. He has a Phd in Economics from Trinity College, Dublin and degrees in Commerce & Economics from University College, Cork. He served as a Non-Executive Director of Aer Lingus Group plc from 2008 to 2014. Colin is a Director of the Ireland Funds, Ireland Chapter and Non-Executive Director and President 2021/2022 of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland.
Conor O’Leary joined the Strategic Investment Research Group in November of 2022 and is responsible for overseeing investment management on the UCITs platform.Prior he was an Investment Oversight Manager at abrdn Plc. He was responsible to overseeing abrdn’s Direct European Real Estate business and segregated accounts for Institutional clients invested in global public market asset classes. Conor earned a B.A. Honours Bachelor degree in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin and is a CAIA charterholder.
Daryl Byrne is CEO of Euronext Dublin and a member of the Managing Board of Euronext N.V. Daryl joined Euronext Dublin (formerly the Irish Stock Exchange plc) in 2000 and has held several senior management roles, including Head of Debt and Funds Listings and ETFs (2018-2020), Head of Regulation (2011 to 2018) Head of Strategy Planning and Brand (2008 to 2011), and Head of Corporate Listing and Policy (2003 to 2008). He currently participates on the Balance for Better Business Advisory Group. He previously participated on the ESMA Corporate Finance Standing Committee Consultative Working Group, the European Corporate Governance Network, and is a former member of the Irish REITs Forum and the Company Law Review Group. Daryl is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, and holds a Bachelor in Business Studies degree from Trinity College Dublin.
David Carlin is currently running a pilot for nearly 50 global banks and investors on topics of climate scenarios, climate risk assessments and climate governance. He is also a contributor to Forbes, where he writes about climate change and leadership. Prior to joining UNEP FI, he worked as a senior manager in Risk and Public Policy for Oliver Wyman Consulting and in Model Risk Management for PNC Bank. His background is in quantitative modeling and decision science. He conducted research in financial decision-making at Carnegie Mellon University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College.
David Connolly is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and Senior Manager of a specialised team within EY dedicated to helping companies in the financial services sector navigate the complex world of climate change and sustainability. David is currently leading CSRD engagements which includes double materiality assessments and basis of preparations on behalf of regulated clients; this includes a deep dive gap assessment across the identified topics and sub-topics related to CSRD. Formerly Principal with Accountants for Sustainability, a sustainability consultancy specialising in advising finance professionals on their sustainability / ESG strategy and reporting obligations, David also has 20 years’ experience of commercial banking and strategy with Bank of Ireland.
David Harte is also the Deputy Head of the Operations, Services & Technology Division of Amundi Asset Management and formerly Global COO of Pioneer Investments. He is Irish and based in Dublin,Ireland. He has been working in the Investments industry since 1989 and has been with the Group since 2003. In his role as Global COO, David was responsible for managing all Operations and IT functions in Pioneer including Investment Operations, IT, Cost Management & Procurement, Organisation and Data Management. Prior to joining the Group, he was COO at Bear Stearns Bank plc, Dublin. He has also worked at a number of financial institutions in London. He holds a BA (Honours) Degree in Economics and Geography from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
David Watson is responsible for the overall direction, performance and risk management of both Investment Management and principal investments. Before co-founding Temporis Capital, David spent eight years in the financial markets, as a risk manager, product structurer and portfolio manager. David worked at investment banks and a hedge fund, focused on asset backed securities and credit instruments. David has a BSc (First Class) in Chemistry from University College Cork and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Cambridge University.
Dr. Deborah Brosnan is a globally recognized marine scientist, environmental entrepreneur and climate-risk expert. She works worldwide to create innovative solutions to environmental and climate risks, that support ecosystems, business, communities, and governments. She is highly sought after at the highest-levels for her expertise and ability to deliver win-win solutions. In addition to her international work she has a strong interest in advancing the needs of Small Island Developing States, having worked in the Caribbean for over 25 years.
Dee Moran (FCA) has significant experience in both practice and industry. The Professional Accountancy team is responsible for a broad technical policy agenda of relevance to the Institute and its membership and works to coordinate policy approaches and develop guidance for members. Dee leads the Institute in the area of sustainability reporting and in responding to consultations in this area.
Deirdre Hayes is responsible for strategically driving asset management initiatives across the property portfolio enhancing income and capital value through a number of initiatives including leasing, major redevelopment and refurbishment projects. She is a general practice chartered surveyor with over 24 years’ experience in commercial property Prior to joining Irish Life, Deirdre was Managing Director of Aramark property and a board member of Aramark Northern Europe where she was responsible for the management and development of the business, enhancing service delivery and driving change strategies. Prior to joining Aramark, Deirdre was a founding partner of HT Meagher O Reilly (now Knight Frank). Deirdre holds a BSc (Surveying) from Trinity College, Dublin and a Diploma in Property Economics from the Dublin Institute of Technology. She is a member of Society of Chartered Surveyor Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Deirdre McIlvenna is a partner of Maples and Calder's Funds & Investment Management team in the Maples Group's Dublin office. She has extensive experience advising global and domestic clients on the establishment and on-going regulatory, compliance and corporate governance requirements relating to their Irish regulated investment funds, management companies, servicing operations and directors. She has a particular expertise in UCITS and ETFs with strong industry involvement across different ETF committees and working groups. In addition, Deirdre has significant experience in AIFs authorised under the Irish AIFMD regime.
Delilah Rothenberg is a Co-Founding Partner of the Predistribution Initiative (PDI), a multi-stakeholder non-profit organization designed to support investors in aligning their investment governance, financial analysis, and asset allocation practices with the principles of system-level investing and systematic stewardship. Delilah brings nearly two decades of experience in finance across asset classes – particularly private capital markets – having worked with private equity investors, lenders, and project developers on growth financing, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) integration, and impact strategy for over 12 years. Prior to private capital markets, Delilah worked in sell side equities with Bear Stearns and investment research with Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). Delilah serves on the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) Markets Advisory Group; is on the Advisory Panel for the Capitals Coalition; is an Advisor to For the Long Term (public treasurers focused on ESG); was an advisor to New York City Comptroller-elect Brad Lander’s campaign; and, is a former Open Society Foundations Fellow. She has served on various committees, advisory groups, and working groups for the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) amongst others.
Dermot Kennedy is an accomplished director with significant experience in Compliance, Risk and Fraud, Operations, Engineering and Customer Services management, primarily in the Information Technology and Fintech areas. He has worked for multinational companies including Amazon, Dell and Sanmina, and most recently served as CS Director Ireland at Remitly, leading the launch of Remitly’s European operation in Cork - growing the site to 270 team members in just two years while ensuring that the activities of REL’s align with regulatory requirements, compliance, local laws, and business requirements. Dermot is passionate about developing highly scalable standards, policies, procedures, repeatable processes, and methodologies to enable best practices to be standardized across organizations. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, Diploma in Fintech, Risk and Compliance, and Six Sigma Black (American Society of Quality) qualification.
Dorian Fougères has worked for over 20 years on coastal and marine, water, agriculture, forest, and climate change policy and management throughout California as well as overseas. Formerly the acting Deputy Director for the California Tahoe Conservancy, he oversaw the state agency's climate adaptation, community forestry, landscape forestry, watershed restoration, land management, recreation and access, and sustainable communities programs, as well as all organizational scaffolding. Prior to this he worked for many years as a senior mediator at the Center for Collaborative Policy, CSU Sacramento, including establishing its southern California office. Dorian authors the The Promise and Practice of Resilient Landscapes blog
Donna Wilson joined AIB in 2001 and her career has spanned a number of business areas including Group Internal Audit, AIB UK and Retail where she has held a number of senior leadership roles including Head of Audit AIB UK, Head of Customer Advocacy AIB UK and Head of First Line Governance Retail. Most recently Donna has taken up the Enterprise wide leadership role of Head of ESG Transformation & Reporting, AIB Group.
Eimear specialises in the design and delivery of world class, professionally relevant, career defining digital and innovation education and training programmes. Eimear is the Director of Digital and Innovation in the Institute of Banking (IOB), working with industry to understand current and future skills needs and developing exciting education propositions that enable individuals and organisations to truly achieve their ambitions.With a background in eLearning and having successfully built and led a scalable eLearning function, the blend of innovative technologies with compelling content result in a unique, learner focused experience.
Emma Jane Joyce leads on the design and implementation of the ISIFs unique Sustainability and Responsible Investment Strategy across the whole Fund, Global and Irish Portfolios, multiple investment structures and asset types and across the life-cycle of investments. She represents the NTMA on number of sustainability platforms including SIF Ireland and the CDP Ireland Network (past Chair). Emma Jane has extensive investment experience and has held a variety of investment roles within the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), including responsibility for a number of International Equity Portfolios as part of the National Pension Reserve Fund’s (NPRF) Investment Management Programme. Emma Jane joined the NTMA from Mercer Investment Consulting. She is a graduate of both Trinity College Dublin (BA Mod Genetics) and the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business (MSc in Management).
Eva Sheehy has worked with a wide variety of public and private clients including those in the Retail, Food & Agri and Transport and Construction industries. Eva joined KPMG in 2013 and has extensive experience working on audit and assurance engagements. Eva assists clients completing ESG reporting readiness assessments and advises clients on current and future ESG reporting standards relevant to their business and sector.
Francesca Pellegrino is responsible for working alongside bankers and originators to advise clients globally on sustainability matters. During her 5+ years in the ESG and sustainable capital market space, she worked on a number of sustainable finance deals including the inaugural green bond of the Government of Canada and numerous sustainability bonds from the SSA, financial, real estate and utility sectors. Prior to joining TD, Francesca worked at Arabesque, a sustainable investment advisory company, after starting her career at Goldman Sachs.
Graham Fox is the Head of Distribution for Amundi Ireland. He is responsible for managing and developing Amundi Ireland’s domestic Irish business across all client segments. Before joining Amundi, Graham was Head of Broker Investment Sales with Irish Life for over thirteen years and Head of Distribution for State Street Global Advisors where he was responsible for developing both companies Irish retail business’s. Graham holds a Commerce degree from University College Dublin, a Master in Business Studies from the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Graham is also the current chair of the Distribution Committee for the Irish Association of Investment Managers having previously chaired the associations Responsible Investment Committee.
Henry Coyle primarily focuses on supporting the development of IDA’s growing funding program. He also supports World Bank funding operations as needed. Henry previously worked for Credit Agricole, and spent more than ten years running MTN and Private Placement desks across various banks including RBS, Jefferies and Dresdner. Originally from Ireland, where he grew up and studied at UCD, Henry studied at ESCP Europe has since spent time exploring and living in various cities across Europe.
Ian Conlon has extensive experience in the establishment, operation and regulation of both UCITS and AIFMD funds, with particular focus on alternatives, including hedge funds, investment limited partnership vehicles (ILPs), private equity and private debt, credit funds, loan origination and real asset structures. Ian has significant expertise in the ICAV space, having advised on the first ICAV authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and numerous innovative ICAV structures, redomiciliations and conversions to date. Ian is a member of the Maples ESG Advisory Group and is recognised as a leading lawyer in the ESG and sustainable finance space. He regularly advises global asset managers looking to establish sustainability focused investment funds in compliance with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation ("SFDR") and the Taxonomy Regulation. Ian also advises asset managers looking to establish Irish authorised AIFMs, UCITS and MiFID management companies.
Imelda Hurley joined Coillte in 2019 and was appointed to the board in January 2022. She has extensive executive and non-executive experience in public company, state owned, private equity and venture capital backed businesses. She has built that experience in multiple geographies including Ireland, UK, Eastern Europe, and Asia, and across a variety of sectors including forestry, agriculture, food, technology related product development and supply chain management. Prior to joining Coillte, Imelda was an executive director and CFO with agri-services group Origin Enterprises plc and, earlier in her career, she held a range of senior leadership positions at PCH International and Greencore Group plc. She has previously served as a non-executive director of Total Produce plc, Valeo Foods and Ervia. Imelda is a past president of Ibec, Ireland’s largest business representative group, and a non-executive director at the world’s leading fresh produce provider, Dole plc. She is also a patron of Chapter Zero Ireland, a community of non-executive directors that lead Irish boardroom discussions on the impacts of climate change. Imelda is a graduate of University of Limerick, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an alumna of Harvard Business School.
Ioanna-Victoria Kyritsi has 20+ years of experience in finance and financial structuring. Prior to her appointment in EIB Global, Victoria headed the team implementing the Pan-European Guarantee Fund. She has also worked in a number of front office roles in both the EIB and the EIF covering a wide range of geographies. Prior to joining the EIB Group, Victoria worked in Standard & Poor’s London. Victoria holds an MSc (Distinction) in International Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics (LSE), UK and a BA (Honours) from the University of Piraeus, Greece.
James Maher joined the European Actuarial Services practice in September 2010. He leads our Insurance market offering and within that leads the management and delivery of our advisory services offering. James specialises in capital and risk management for insurance and reinsurance companies. He leads projects on strategic and operational review, risk and governance systems, hedging and risk management of guarantees. James is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. He holds a MA in Management Science and Industrial System Studies from Trinity College and a diploma in Corporate Governance from UCD.
Jan-Hein van den Akker leads Mercer’s Sustainable Investment Solutions team for the Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia region, working collaboratively with Mercer’s Sustainable Investment consulting team to implement and innovate ESG integration and sustainability best practice in solutions across all asset classes. He is the investment solutions team lead and co-chair of Mercer’s Global OCIO Sustainable Investment Forum and is responsible for the sharing of knowledge across the solutions business for all ESG related activity, including all climate-related actions such as net zero commitments and transitionary guidance, as well as stewardship activities and engagement priorities. Jan-Hein is based in Dublin and joined Mercer's Investment Management division as a Portfolio Manager in August 2006. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for the management of all equity strategies, including fund manager selection, blending and monitoring. Jan-Hein also assisted some of Mercer’s large clients in the management of their bespoke investment strategies.He graduated from Tilburg University with an honours degree in Economics and also holds a Masters degree in Finance from the same university. In 2004 he completed an honours MBA at Dublin City University.
Dr. Janice Fuller CIEEM is a botanist by training with a PhD in Forest Ecology and an MPhil in Conservation Biology, both from Cambridge University. Janice has over 25 years’ experience of field survey, data analysis, ecological assessment and delivering training. She has a particular interest and expertise in woodland and peatland ecology based on many years studying these fascinating habitats. Janice is a member of the Ecology Team in Coillte Forest and is lead ecologist on the BIOForest25 project.
Dr. Jarlath Molloy leads the IFRS Foundation’s internal sustainability project and the capacity building programme linked to the new ISSB standards. Jarlath has over 15 years’ experience in roles across the public, private and non-profit sectors in multiple countries on a range of Environment, Social and Governance topics. These include climate change policy, decarbonisation and climate change adaptation, as well as non-financial reporting, ESG enterprise risk and audit, sustainable finance and capacity building. He also led the expansion of the CDSB Framework, from GHG emissions into wider environmental matters. As a former preparer and standard setter, Jarlath is familiar with the challenges and opportunities ahead for sustainability disclosure. He is a physics graduate of TU Dublin, holds an MSc in climate change from UEA Norwich, a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Imperial College London and is a chartered physicist.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance. She was appointed to this role in December 2022. She is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Constituency, elected in February 2020. She is Vice Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party and Spokesperson for Equality. She is also Vice Chair of the Justice Committee as well as being a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement Committee. She was also a member of the Special Dáil Committee on Covid prior to its disbandment into sectoral Committees. Previously she was a Councillor for the Killiney-Shankill ward. Since first being elected as a public representative, she has prioritised families experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse awareness. She has supported, and personally assisted a number of homeless women with small children to find appropriate accommodation. She has also worked closely with Coercive Control Ireland to raise awareness of this issue. Coercive Control became a criminal offence in January 2019. Since being elected as a TD, she has continued to work for her constituents at a national level, drawing on her decade of experience working in Government on policy and legislation. Reducing carbon emissions by protecting and developing public transport facilities and better recycling and waste management are also part of her local agenda.
Jimmy Samartzis' career has focused on climate change and in particular advancing the decarbonization of industries reliant on fossil fuels. He is known for his inspirational leadership, building private/public partnerships, and impact by enabling change across industries, governments, companies, and teams. He effectively navigates the complexities of first-of-a-kind technologies, commercial partnerships, regulation and policy, global adoption, and stakeholder relations. While in the airline industry, his contributions led to pioneering test flights, the first commercial-scale sustainable jet fuel deal and commercial production, and to a global industry agreement to enable a reduction in aviation emissions and adoption of low-carbon fuels. Additionally, he led a global coalition of stakeholders across the value chain to break down the barriers associated with the commercialization of sustainable fuels.
John Paul Corkery is a Senior Manager - Sustainable Finance with NewERA. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and Business Studies graduate of Dublin City University, he leads NewERA’s sustainable finance work and other climate-related activities. He provides financial advice to Government Departments related to climate action, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and nature-based solutions and has worked on a number of developments in these areas.
Julien Manhes graduated from the ENSICA, a French aerospace engineer school, in 2001 and got a master in project management from the French business school HEC in 2002. He started his aviation career in 2002 at Aircelle (now known as SAFRAN nacelle), a French engine nacelle manufacturer fully owned by the SAFRAN group. He joined Airbus in 2005 and has worked in A380 Marketing as well as Airbus Product Strategy where he led studies on potential evolitions of the A380. In 2013 he worked again in Marketing, dealing with airlines in central and northern Europe and acting as a supervisor on other accounts. He then contributed to the transition to digital and data analytics in particular for marketing before joining the contract leading a team in charge of aircraft pricing. In 2020, Julien became the executive assistant to the Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus. In this role he supported the CCO and his team handling the COVID crisis commercially. Since June this year, he joined corporate affairs at Airbus as the leader of a project aiming at ensuring Airbus acts as a catalyst in the SAF deployment globally.
Karen Woods is a forester who has worked with Coillte in a wide variety of roles, with a special interest in continuous cover forestry management, biodiversity and recreation. Karen holds a BAgrSc (Forestry) from UCD and an MSc in Forest Nutrition from the University of British Columbia. She currently works as the operations manager with Coillte Nature and The Nature Trust.
Kathy Jacobs is an experienced risk professional and chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in Regulatory Compliance in retail and commercial banking, fintech payments and insurance in various domains including AML/sanctions, data protection, conduct risk. Kathy holds the Licentiate of the Compliance Institute, the Certified Data Protection Officer qualification, and Postgraduate Diploma in Corporate Governance (UCD) and is currently studying for the Professional Diploma in Sustainable Finance for Compliance Professionals. Kathy has been an active member of the Compliance Institute since its establishment, was a member of the Compliance Institute Council from 2012 to 2023 and served as President 2020-2022.
Katie Heston supports clients on their corporate biodiversity journey, particularly those operating in the built environment. She is also responsible for key account management across a wide range of sectors. Katie has previously worked for construction companies Cairn Homes Plc, BAM and CRH in ESG reporting. She has a background in Marine Biology and holds a bachelors degree from NUI Galway.
Kevin Hourigan is an experienced energy manager working in the utilities industry. He is skilled in project estimation, feasibility studies, cost engineering and quantity surveying.
Laura Flood has significant experience in providing regulatory, risk management and assurance services to domestic and international banking and fintech clients. She is also a Council Member of the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI). The FPAI represents the interests of fintech and payments businesses in Ireland, helping develop the regulatory, commercial and community ecosystem in which they operate. She is also a member of the FPAI's Regulatory Interest Group advises clients on a range of issues including financial reporting and emerging issues in financial services regulation. Laura has a particular focus on the impact of ESG on financial services and has supported clients in assessing the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors on their business and on their financial reporting.
Lauren Anderson - Associate - Policy and Regulatory, Irish Funds
Lois Guthrie pursued a career in taxation, first at PwC and then at Zurich Insurance Group until 2016. Having joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (now CDP) in 2004, she simultaneously developed a career in climate and natural capital corporate reporting. Lois is the founding director of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and also worked for the International Integrated Reporting Council as a Technical Director during the development of the <IR> Framework. Lois was a director at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development for five years. She joined the IFRS Foundation in February 2022 as a Special Advisor to the International Sustainability Standards Board. Lois studied theology at the University of Birmingham and environmental policy at the Open University and holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice.
Lucy Gaffney is a bio-scientist and entrepreneur and has been working within the life sciences sector since2005. In November 2021, she joined Natural Capital Ireland to lead the development of a national businessand biodiversity platform, an initiative funded by the Irish Government. The platform aims to helpbusinesses develop meaningful biodiversity strategies and ultimately help Ireland transition to anature-positive way of working. In 2021 she also established Wild Plan, a private consultancy which provides support to SMEs on their journey to nature-positive. In January, Lucy was named as one of the Irish Times 50 People to Watch in 2023 for her ongoing work in the business and biodiversity space.
Lucy Thomas joined UBS as Head of Sustainable Investing and Impact for Asset Management in January 2022. Lucy was previously Head of Investment Stewardship at TCorp, the financial markets partner of the New South Wales Government in Australia. In this role, she developed and implemented a global best practice sustainable investing framework and was a member of the Management Investment Committee overseeing AUD110bn in assets. Prior to this, she was Global Head of Sustainable Investment for Willis Towers Watson from 2014-2018. Lucy is a member of the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and a sits on the IFRS International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Investor Advisory Group. Lucy is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder.
Mamobo Ogoro is a Social Psychologist and award winning social entrepreneur. As the first Sanctuary PhD Fellow at the University of Limerick, Mamobo’s research investigates migrant identity construction in Ireland and how systems of inclusion and exclusion affect migrant communities in Ireland. Mamobo is on a personal mission to unify the world. She is the Founder and CEO of GORM, an award winning social enterprise on a mission to unify across differences and advance belonging for marginalised communities. Mamobo has been heralded for her work with GORM on countless occasions, and most recently won the ‘Catalyst Award’ in the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Awards 2022 for bringing about social change in Ireland.
Marcos Neto is Director of UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub. With more than 25 years’ experience in development finance and private-sector development, Marcos leads UNDP’s work on sustainable finance in more than 140 countries in collaboration with other UN agencies and partners. Head of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group Secretariat, Marcos also co-chairs the executive boards of the Business Call to Action and the Connecting Business Initiative. Apart from his role at UNDP, Marcos is on the Supervisory Board of CARE International. Prior to joining UNDP, Marcos served at CARE International for 17 years, in roles including Regional Manager for Asia and Latin America at CARE UK, Executive Director of CARE Brasil, and Programme Director for Central America. A lawyer by training, Marcos holds a Master of Laws degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. He is a passionate advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prior to the IFRS Foundation, Mardi McBrien spent over a decade leading the global ESG standard setter, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB). Under Mardi’s leadership CDSB published the first global capital market framework for reporting investor focussed information on climate, environmental and social matters to capital markets. CDSB’s work notably underpins both the TCFD and the TNFD frameworks and became an influential foundational building block in the establishment the International Sustainability Standards Board, where Mardi also played an important leadership role in its establishment. Mardi has enjoyed a vibrant career which involved her leading high profile flagship environmental campaigns, working in public sector policy advisory roles and public private partnership management. Originally qualifying as a forester and environmental scientist in Australia (Melbourne University) and agricultural economist (UK, SOAS), Mardi is a Board Member of XBRL International, a member of the UK Government Transition Pathway Taskforce Steering Group, trustee of one of the oldest environmental NGOs in the world, the International Tree Foundation, a founding Board member of WOCAN – Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management / W+ Standard, a school governor and a member of the ICAEW Sustainability Advisory Committee. Mardi was awarded UK environmental campaigner of the year by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation in 2013 and in 2021 and was selected as one of the ESG Foundation’s ones to watch.
Mark Halle lectures, writes and publishes frequently on issues relating to sustainable development and was previously IISD's European Representative and its Director for Trade and Investment. In this capacity, he supervised a team of some 30 professionals based in Europe and around the world. He began his career in the field of international negotiations, serving in the diplomatic secretariat of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In that capacity, he was associated with the negotiation of the Barcelona Convention on the Mediterranean Environment, one of the first regional environmental conventions ever adopted. He then spent five years with UNEP, starting in the Policy Planning Unit and ending up working on the global State of the Environment report published 10 years after UNEP’s establishment. From UNEP, he worked with WWF and IUCN in writing the World Conservation Strategy, a document which fundamentally changed the way in which conservation of nature was approached, namely by abandoning the earlier notion that conservation and development were necessarily in opposition to one another and embracing the notion that they are essential components of sustainable development. He is founder and former Chairman of the Board of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development.
Mark Merrigan is Head of Bond Products and Documentation at the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) in Ireland. The Funding and Debt Management directorate is responsible for debt issuance on behalf of the Irish State and the risk management of that debt within guidelines set by the Minister for Finance. Mark has 32 years’ experience of operating in financial markets during his career at the NTMA, mainly in funding and trading roles. More recently, he was responsible for the project management of Ireland’s first sovereign green bond issue. He is a former Chairman of the Society of Investment Analysts in Ireland (now known as CFA Ireland). He holds a B.Comm from University College Dublin and the ASIP qualification from the Society of Investment Analysts of Ireland.
Mary Whitelaw joined AIB in 2007 and her experience has spanned the retail, corporate and treasury businesses. She has held a number of senior leadership roles across the bank including Chief of Staff, Head of Strategy & Business Performance for Corporate and Institutional Banking and Head of Corporate Treasury Sales. Prior to joining AIB, Mary trained as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with PwC. She is a graduate of University College Dublin.
Matthias Dill is CEO and Managing Partner for EIP’s European operations. He oversees investment activity and EIP’s collaboration with its strategic partners. Matthias believes in the superpower of combining technology, entrepreneurship and capital and applies it to decarbonize industries. Matthias is an experienced VC investor and board-member and has dedicated his career to supporting the best entrepreneurs in climate-tech. Prior to building EIP’s European operations he was the founder and managing director of Statkraft Ventures, a fund focused on the energy transition (investments include: Tado, Limejump, Skyspecs, Deepki, Zolar). Previously he was a senior investment manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds, the leading German early-stage investor, backed by the largest industrial companies and financial investors. Matthias was trained in mechanical engineering and business administrations at Technical University of Braunschweig and University of Rhode Island. Additionally, he earned a Ph.D. from Technical University of Braunschweig with a thesis on private equity financing of SMEs. He lives in Germany with his wife and two sons and spends his time between EIPs offices in Cologne, London and Oslo.
As the Aviation Lead at the Mission Possible Partnership and the Energy Transitions Commission, Maximilian Held develops strategies how to align the aviation sector and other hard-to-abate sectors with a 1.5°C target. Max holds a PhD in CO2 reduction strategies for the European transport sector from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Automotive Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Due to his prior engagements at AUDI, BMW, Deloitte and Siemens, he combines industry expertise from the transport and the energy sector. Max is working on climate change mitigation since ~395 ppm CO2 and is convinced climate action is a chance, not a burden.
Michael Bennett leads the team that is responsible for structured note issuance, all derivatives related to funding, structure finance transactions for the Bank and its clients (including catastrophe bonds and swaps, carbon emission rights linked bonds, sukuk (Islamic bonds) for IFFIm and project linked bonds) as well as monetization of certified emissions reductions as agent for the United Nations’ Adaptation Fund. Michael has spent sixteen years with the Bank, including five years (2006-2010) in the Bank’s Paris office. Prior to joining the Bank, Michael worked for Chase and Lehman Brothers in structured finance and two international law firms in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. He holds a doctoral degree in Law, with a specialization in international and comparative law, from Columbia University in New York.
Michael Concannon has worked in financial services for over 30 years. He holds a degree in Financial Services from UCD and is a Licentiate of the Institute of Bankers. Most recently he joined the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI) as Head of Strategy and Development. The FPAI aims to bring banking and Fintechs together for common good. Michael remains passionate about how Fintech is a positive force in financial services and can help bring tangible benefits to consumers and society at large.
Michael McGrath is a TD for Cork South Central and is currently the Minister for Finance in the Government of Ireland. He previously served as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2020 to 2022. In his time in Dáil Éireann, Michael has served on a number of Oireachtas committees including the Finance Committee, the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry, the European Affairs Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. As Minister for Finance, Michael is responsible for leading the Department in the achievement of the government’s economic, fiscal and financial policy goals, having regard to the Programme for Government.
Since taking over in April 2020, Moyagh Murdock has navigated Insurance Ireland through a crucial phase of its growth. She has implemented a new 5-year strategy for the Organisation and its members who make up over 90% of the insurers in Ireland. The key pillars of her new strategy are anchored around advocating on behalf of members with policymakers and regulators to promote the value that Insurance Ireland members create for individuals, the economy, and society. Sustainability and how the insurance sector can contribute to tackling climate change is a key deliverable for her. Moyagh’s focus is also to ensure customers understand insurance products and services so that they can make informed choices. As a member of the Steering Group for the Women in Finance Charter, Moyagh is particularly focused on diversity and inclusion through the identification and promotion of good practices in the insurance industry.
Nessa Joyce is a Consultant in William Fry’s Asset Management & Investment Funds department and a senior member of its cross-practice ESG & Sustainability Group. Nessa is a member of the Irish Funds ESG Policy, Legal & Regulatory Working Group through which she contributes to the development of sustainable finance policy at national and EU level.
Niall O'Leary joined ILIM in March 2019 and has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in 2023 and is a member of the Executive Management Team. He has overall responsibility for responsible investing in ILIM, including setting strategy, overseeing our stewardship agenda, ensuring adherence to regulatory commitments and working with the investment business to develop new and to enhance existing responsible investment strategies. Prior to that he was Head of Indexation and Fixed Income, with responsibility for ILIM’s equity indexation business and its active and passive fixed income capabilities. He remains a member of the asset allocation committee. Before joining ILIM, Niall was Global Head of Fixed Income Portfolio Strategy at State Street Global Advisors. He was responsible for leading a team of experienced investment professionals with operations in Dublin, London, Boston, Bangalore and Singapore. The team represented investment capabilities to clients, spanning indexed and active fixed income, LDI, cash and currency. Prior to taking on this role he was Head of Fixed Income and Cash at State Street Global Advisors Ireland (formerly Bank of Ireland Asset Management), as well as managing the institutional real estate investment team. Niall holds a Commerce Degree and a Master’s in Business Studies (first class) from University College Dublin.
Oisin Lunny is an award-winning marketer, webinar and podcast host, MC, public speaker, virtual event consultant, UX business professor, and journalist. His work has been translated into Chinese and Arabic, and read over half a million times as a senior contributor to Forbes, music editor at PHOENIX Magazine, and via regular contributions to The Guardian, CX Magazine and many others. Oisin has hosted, moderated, and given keynote presentations at over 250 conferences in every corner of the world, including TEDx and SXSW, where he is a member of the advisory board. He is the host of the Siemens Advanta podcast and the Audio Talks podcast by HARMAN and has worked in a series of leading global technology firms over the past 20 years as Global Product Manager, Country Manager, VP of Technology, Senior Market Development Manager, and Chief Evangelist.
Oskar Meijerink is the head of Future Fuels at SkyNRG, a pioneer and global leader in the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The Future Fuels team runs over a dozen projects with the aim of developing new SAF production capacity in cooperation with technology suppliers and other partners. The aim of these projects is the commercialization of future SAF production pathways by assessing the technological and economic viability. As head of the department, he is also responsible for SkyNRG’s advisory and research activities and he specializes in the commercialization of CO2-to-jet, Fisher-Tropsch and Alcohol pathways. Oskar studied Energy Science at Utrecht University and graduated with distinction by assessing investments in the biojet fuel industry at Imperial College London.
Patrick Burke was appointed Managing Director of ILIM in 2013 having joined the company in 2006 as Director of Investment Development, responsible for the strategic development of investment solutions for the institutional market. Prior Patrick was a director and professional trustee at Irish Pensions Trust Limited, having previously been a corporate lawyer with Mercer. Patrick is past-Chair of Pensions Europe, past Chair of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, and has previously served as Chairman of the Irish Trustee Forum. A solicitor by profession, he is also an Associate of the Irish Taxation Institute and an Associate of the Irish Institute of Pension Managers. Patrick holds a primary degree in Commerce from University College Dublin.
Paul Healy has operated at an executive level in commercial environments for over 20 years. His broad areas of expertise include: Enterprise and Labour Market Policy, Human Resource Development, Public Affairs and Corporate Governance. Paul is a member of the National Skills Council, National Training Fund Advisory Group, EU Commission Skills for Industry Policy Group and the European Digital SME Alliance. He also serves on the Skillnet Ireland Board (ex officio). Paul qualified as an Economist and holds an MBA from Dublin City University. He is an adjunct lecturer at post-graduate level in field of Human Resources and is a respected commentator in the arena of workforce development and talent.
Paul O'Brien is head of Goodbody Asset Management, a boutique asset manager (€1.6bn AUM), specialising in long only, active, global investment Funds. As Head of Investments, he is responsible for managing the investment process and wider investment team. He joined the investment industry in 2002, moving to a buy side role as a Fund manager to work on active global mandates in 2005. Paul joined Goodbody, from Davy Asset Management, as a founding member of the Asset Management business in 2015. Across his career Paul has worked on active global equity and multi asset strategies. Paul holds a Bachelor of Business Studies degree, specialising in Finance and the MSc. in Investment and Treasury, both from Dublin City University (DCU) and is also a CFA Charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Paul Saunders is a Senior Investment Director and Head of Climate and Venture Capital. Paul leads a team focussed on ISIF’s climate and venture capital agenda.
Paula Hodson is the Director of Education and Development at The Insurance Institute of Ireland. Paula began her insurance career in 1985 as a Trainee Underwriter in Allianz and was promoted to manage the not-for-profit business for the organisation, including education, medical and religious order business. Paula achieved her ACII in 1991 and then studied marketing for four years with the Marketing Institute of Ireland. In 1996, Paula joined American company St. Paul in Ireland to manage their healthcare business. In 1998, she obtained a Higher Diploma in Medico-Legal Risk Management from UCD. Paula assumed the position of Deputy General Manager at St. Paul after it was acquired by Travelers Insurance in 2001. Her portfolio included marketing, sales, broker management and compliance. She went on to become the third female President of The Insurance Institute of Dublin in 2007, a distinguished role. Paula joined The Insurance Institute of Ireland team after completing her Fellowship of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII) in 2012. She is responsible for relationship management, business development, and education. Paula is also a member of the board of The Insurance Institute of Ireland and the European Financial Insurance Certification Organisation.
Peter Barrett has worked in aircraft leasing and finance for over 30 years, starting his career with Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA). Peter holds a B.Eng from University College Cork (UCC).
Peter Stapleton regularly advises investors, sponsors, fund managers and investment banks on the establishment, structuring, financing, public and private distribution and ongoing operation of UCITS and AIFs, including hedge funds, funds of funds, master feeders, private equity funds, managed account platforms and bespoke structures. He also has significant expertise advising on derivatives, prime brokerage, investment services, MiFID and securities law. His clients include financial institutions carrying out business in Ireland, or transacting with Irish-domiciled counterparties from other jurisdictions. Peter holds several senior positions on industry groups and regularly works with Irish regulatory and governmental bodies on enhancing Ireland’s financial services regime. He is a recognised legal expert in the ESG and sustainable investment space and works with some of the world’s largest managers and financial institutions to implement their internal policies as well as external standards such as UN PRI and the EU’s Sustainable Action Plan. Peter has written several articles for the IBA and industry journals, has lectured on Financial Services Law at private conferences and for the Law Society of Ireland, and has advised the Commercial Law Centre of University College Dublin on developments in Financial Services Law. He is Chair of the Irish Funds Alternative Investment Product Group, a member of AIMA's Asset Management Working Group and past chairman of Hedge Funds Care Ireland.
Philip Lovegrove has been with Matheson for eighteen years. He specialises in advising on the establishment and operation of investment funds in Ireland. Philip’s experience includes advising leading international financial institutions and asset management companies on structuring and offering fund products in Ireland and particularly in relation to exchange traded funds, innovative and complex products authorised as UCITS and emerging markets products. Philip is the vice chair of the Irish Funds ETF Working Group and the Irish industry’s representative on the EFAMA ETF Task Force. He specialises in advising managers on bringing innovative ETFs to market, including smart beta, actively managed, multi asset and emerging market funds and, more generally, on complex funds which are structured using the full range of flexibilities available under the UCITS regime. He has also advised extensively on the establishment of hedge funds and alternative investment products and in relation listing Irish and foreign domiciled investment funds on the Irish Stock Exchange. He has advised clients and participated in the Irish fund industry’s implementation of the AIFMD and UCITS V and is currently advising many institutional and smaller managers on the implementation of the European Commission’s Climate Action Plan for investment funds and asset managers. Philip is one of Matheson’s Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors and the vice chair of the firm’s Mindful Business Charter committee.
Ryan Faucett has responsibility for strategy, global partnerships, and climate policy within Boeing’s Global Environmental Sustainability (GES). In this capacity he provides strategic direction for Boeing’s leadership role in de-carbonizing the aviation industry. Previously, Ryan led global enterprise market intelligence and market development within Corporate Strategy. He was responsible for future market intelligence and forecasting, competitive intelligence, external benchmarking, as well as inorganic strategy, partnership, & business development integration. He led efforts to create a lifecycle strategy for the New Middle Market (NMA) development program within BGS business development. He has also been a Product Line leader with PL responsibility for a division of Aftermarket parts within BGS. Early in his Boeing career he helped drive the BCA and EHS environmental integration platform, including one of the world’s first sustainable aviation biofuel business cases, policy analysis, and chairing of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG).
Sandra Healy's career has spanned 20 years in the global telecoms industry and five years at Dublin City University where she established the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion. Sandra is an Organisational Psychologist and NLP Master Practitioner. Over seventeen years she has championed and driven diversity and inclusion practice across industry and is considered a leading expert. In 2014, she was involved in establishing the EU Diversity Charter Ireland. In 2020 Sandra was a member of the Expert Advisory Group for Ireland’s Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality and is on the Leadership Council for An Garda Síochána (Ireland's Police Force). In 2020, inclusio spun-out of Dublin City University. The inclusio platform delivers a solution to address some of the most pressing challenges facing global employers today. Combining technology, psychology and artificial intelligence (AI), inclusio delivers a scientific, independent ‘Nudge’ platform that empowers leaders to measure, track and action DEI in an authentic way; through the voice of their people. The platform empowers leaders with the data they need to chart their progress on DEI efforts, measure ROI and benchmark in their sector, locally and globally.
Sarah Moran is a director in KPMG’s dedicated sustainability advisory practice. Sarah trained in KPMG’s global centre of excellence for climate risk in the UK and now leads out Sustainable Finance and Climate Risk service lines. Sarah lectures in sustainable finance, climate risk and ESG reporting with UCD Smurfit Business School and Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Sarah Thompson has experience in advising a broad range of clients on financial regulation matters and is admitted to practice in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England & Wales. She advises on Central Bank of Ireland authorisation processes, perimeter issues, ongoing compliance with conduct of business and other requirements with a special focus on ESG matters and on the Individual Accountability Framework and the Senior Executive Accountability Regime, as well as financial services M&A. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Sarah worked in London in the financial regulatory groups of two major international law firms.
Sebastian Aburto is the European Head of ESG Strategy for Citi. Within this role Seb oversees the strategic and regulatory agenda to embed ESG into the firms practices. Prior to this Se was Head of Stress Testing within the Risk department of Citi. Before joining Citi, Sebastian worked across a range of Financial Institutions covering Model Validation, Treasury Risk , Market Risk and Finance. Sebastian has a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from University of Bristol, UK and professional qualifications in Accounting (ACA) and Financial Risk Management (FRM).
Shane O'Reilly is a Director at KPMG Sustainable Futures leading the ESG & Sustainability service line. Sustainable Futures are a dedicated cross-functional team of experts who help corporates and public sector clients plan and execute programmes addressing ESG topics, decarbonisation and long-term value creation. The team brings together a wide range of disciplines including sustainability practitioners, economists, engineers, corporate strategists, accountants and financiers to help clients navigate the complex and fast evolving climate change and sustainability agenda. Our service lines include ESG & Sustainability, Decarbonisation & Circular Economy, Renewable M&A, Energy Advisory, Reporting & Assurance and Sustainable Finance.
Sharon Donnery was appointed Deputy Governor, Financial Regulation on 1 July 2022. She is an ex-officio Member of the Central Bank Commission and is a member of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). As Deputy Governor, Financial Regulation, Sharon is responsible for leading credit institutions supervision; insurance supervision; policy and risk; and prudential analytics and inspections directorates.
Sharon was previously Deputy Governor, Central Banking from 1 March 2016 to 30 June 2022 and was the Governor's Alternate on the Governing Council of the ECB. She is also a member of the General Board of the European Systemic Risk Board and the Chair of the ECB Budget Committee (BuCom) having been appointed by the ECB Governing Council in December 2016.
Sharon was Acting Governor from 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019. She has chaired a number of European Committees including being Chair of the ECB High Level Group on Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), Chair of the European Banking Authority's (EBA) Consumer Protection Group and Vice-Chair of the EBA Standing Committee on Consumer Protection and Financial Innovation.
Sharon joined the Central Bank in 1996 as an Economist in the Monetary Policy Division and has held a range of senior positions. From February 2013 to August 2014, she held the statutory position of Registrar of Credit Unions and from April 2014 to May 2016 was Director of Credit Institutions. Prior to joining the Central Bank, Sharon lectured in economics at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Sharon holds a B.A. in Economics and Politics and a M.A. in Economics from University College Dublin and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. In 2019, she was admitted to the Institute of Directors in London as a Chartered Director. In 2020, she was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Economics in Trinity College Dublin.
Stephen Nolan has been at the forefront of the green and sustainable finance agenda in Ireland and internationally for the last decade as a Director of Sustainable Finance Ireland and Managing Director of three major UNDP Sustainable Finance initiatives - UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S), UNDP Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF) and Asia-Pacific Sustainable Finance Development Network. He is also Chair of Ireland’s Climate Finance Week Ireland series; member of the international advisory grouping of the Climate Bonds Initiative; Sustainable Finance Skillnet Steering Committee member, and serves on several international sustainable finance working groups, including the IFSC Authority Sustainable Finance WG in India. In 2020, Stephen received the 2020 Irish Green Leader award, sponsored by Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and has led and delivered initiatives from start-up to scale across both public and private spheres in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Susan Rossney is Public Policy Officer with Chartered Accountants Ireland, Chair of the Institute’s Expert Working Group on Sustainability and member of the Sustainability Expert Working Group of the Global Accounting Alliance. She is also author of the Institute’s publication Sustainability for Accountants.
Dr Tanya Harrington is a public policy and regulatory affairs professional with over 20 years’ experience in helping organisations drive the effectiveness and performance of their policy-focused teams. Tanya currently serves as An Post’s Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer, leading the development of the Company’s comprehensive and integrated regulatory strategy and leading An Post’s engagement with government and regulatory authorities and stakeholders at international, European and domestic levels. Before joining An Post, Tanya spent six years in consultancy, advising a range of Ireland’s largest companies on matters of public policy, government affairs and economic regulation across a range of economically regulated sectors. Prior to her consulting work, Tanya was Director of the NTR Foundation, the corporate foundation of NTR plc – a leading investor and asset manager of renewable energy projects, with a specific focus on wind energy. Tanya holds a BA (Hons.) in German and History from University College Dublin, and an MSSc. in European Integration and a Doctorate in Governance, both awarded by Queen’s University Belfast.
Thomas Ball leads the team’s work on nature and biodiversity and corporate transition planning. A scientist by training with a 20 year career spanning corporate sustainability strategy, communications, policy and advocacy. Prior to KPMG he was Head of Business Advocacy at WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) where he led a technical team working with global financial institutions and real economy businesses to drive the transition to a net zero and nature positive economy. Alongside this he was a core technical member of the UK Government’s Transition Plan Taskforce. Prior to this he ran an award-winning documentary business for over 10 years producing environmental and social documentaries for clients such as National Geographic and The Guardian. He is also a founding director of Our Yard, an award-winning social enterprise in NW London. Thomas has a degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College Dublin, an MA in Documentary making from University of the Arts London and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London.
Prior to joining TNFD in May 2023, Thomas Viegas was at the Bank of England where he spent nearly a decade working on and influencing a broad range of UK and global macro-financial policy issues. Thomas led the Bank of England’s initial approach and strategy to nature-related financial risks. He also played a key role in establishing the foundational work on nature-related financial risk within both the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) and UN Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF). Thomas has been responsible for leading the Bank of England’s external technical assistance program to other central banks and financial regulators on greening finance issues, in the run up to and including COP26. Thomas was previously seconded as an Economic Adviser and Finance Sector lead to The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, based at the UK’s Finance Ministry (HMT).
As head of the UN SSE’s training and education arm, Tiffany Grabski works with stock exchanges to disseminate consistent and pragmatic education on pressing global topics affecting capital markets participants. The UN SSE initiative is a United Nations Partnership Programme organised by UNCTAD, the UN Global Compact, UNEP-FI and UN PRI. Its mission is to provide a global platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with investors, companies, regulators, policymakers and relevant international organizations, can enhance performance on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment, including the financing of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UN SSE seeks to achieve this mission through an integrated programme of conducting evidence-based policy analysis, facilitating a network and forum for multi-stakeholder consensus-building, and providing technical assistance and advisory services.
Tim Steinweg leads the development of Spring - PRI’s stewardship initiative for nature. Tim has 17 years’ experience working as a researcher, analyst and adviser at various non-profit institutions. He has expertise in corporate research, supply chain analysis and investor engagement on topics including deforestation, indigenous and community rights and corporate transparency. Prior to PRI, Tim worked at the Rainforest Foundation Norway, Aidenvironment and the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO).
Timothée Jaulin oversees ESG Development & Advocacy for Amundi Asset Management and Special Operations for the Institutional Clients Division. He joined Amundi in 2012 as a Research Associate, and then contributed to the setting-up and development of the Investment Solutions team before being in charge of the coverage of supranational entities globally. In both capacities, he has been closely involved in the development of some of Amundi most innovative investment solutions including Amundi climate finance offer. Timothée was notably involved in the launch of flagship green finance public-private partnerships such as the Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition with the United Nations Environment Program, green bond development programs with the International Finance Corporation and the European Investment Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s Climate Change Investment Framework. Prior to working in Amundi Paris headquarters, Timothée worked for Amundi in London and New York and for the French Treasury in Washington D.C. Timothée is a graduate from the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay and holds a Master in Theoretical and Applied Economics from the Paris School of Economics.
Willie Walsh became the eighth person to lead the International Air Transport Association (IATA) when he took on the role of Director General on 1 April 2021, after an airline industry career spanning over 40 years. Walsh is deeply familiar with IATA, having served on the IATA Board of Governors for almost 13 years between 2005 to 2018, including serving as Chair (2016-2017). Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1961, Walsh joined the country’s flag carrier Aer Lingus in 1979, as a cadet pilot, becoming a captain in 1990. One year earlier, he had moved into a management position in the airline’s flight operations department, beginning a rise that led to his being appointed chief executive of Futura, Aer Lingus’ Spanish charter airline in 1998. He returned to Aer Lingus in 2000 as COO and was appointed chief executive in October 2001 at a time when the carrier was in a grave financial crisis following the 9.11 attacks. Walsh led a radical restructuring that returned Aer Lingus to profitability. In 2005, Walsh was appointed chief executive of British Airways (BA). He led BA through the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis, established a transatlantic joint business venture with Iberia, Finnair and American Airlines, and oversaw the 2011 merger of BA and Iberia under a newly established parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG). Walsh served as chief executive of IAG from its inception until he retired in September 2020.
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