Richard Curran is a broadcaster, columnist, author, and event chair. He is also a qualified mediator.

He is the presenter of The Business radio show on RTE Radio One and a columnist with the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent. He has worked in business journalism through TV, radio, print and online for 30 years. He is a former business editor of the Irish Independent and former deputy editor of The Sunday Business Post. He has co-written two books, one on Irish entrepreneurs and the other on the multi-billion euro collapse of Irish Nationwide Building Society. He has also made several television documentaries for RTE including, Future Shock: Property Crash in 2007 and The Battle For Rural Ireland in 2015.

Michael Carey is co-founder and Executive Chairman of East Coast Bakehouse, Ireland's only commercial scale biscuit producer. He is also co-founder and Chairman of The Company of Food, a specialist food investment business. 

He is the current Chairman of Enterprise Ireland and of The Housing Agency, and a judge on the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. 

In the past, he has been non-executive chairman of a number of public sector and commercial organisations including; An Bord Bia, Grow Dublin Tourism Alliance, Zaragoza Restaurant, Soul of Haiti Foundation, Traidlinks (East Africa), and the Marketing Institute of Ireland. He has also held non-executive directorships at Drury Public Relations and Valeo Food Group.

Michael started his entrepreneurial life just before his 40th birthday in 2002 when he established Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, building upon experience over nearly 20 years as an employee in a number of multinational food companies in Ireland and the UK, including periods as Managing Director at Evian/Volvic (UK), Fox’s Biscuits and Kellogg’s (UK and Ireland). He sold Jacob Fruitfield to Valeo Foods in 2011.

He (and his companies) won the Bord Bia Food Entrepreneur Award 2004, the EY Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2005, the Smurfit Graduate Business School Alumnus of the Year 2010, and the Irish Exporter of the Year Award 2019.

He is married to (and is in business with) Alison Cowzer. They have two daughters (aged 22 and 20) and live in Dublin.

With 30 year career in Diageo, Colin was appointed to look after Diageo’s global brewing and beer packaging operations in October 2021. 

Since joining Diageo as a graduate at the St Francis Abbey Brewery, Kilkenny in 1993, Colin has progressed through a a number of roles including managing Diageo’s breweries in Dundalk and St. James’s Gate.  

He was Operations Director for all of Diageo’s beer and spirits operations on the Island of Ireland before being appointed to head up the company’s Beer and Packaging operations across eight sites in the UK, Ireland and Italy. His scope expanded to include African brewing operations in 2019. 

Orlaith joined Dairygold as the Group Head of Sustainability in 2019 and was appointed to the Senior Leadership Team in 2022. Orlaith’s role involves driving Dairygold's sustainability strategy across the entire value chain, from farm level to processing operations. Before joining Dairygold, she worked with Diageo in Ireland and East Africa in various roles. Orlaith holds a BSc. in Food Business from University College Cork and a post-graduate qualification in Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

Marcus began his career in engineering five decades ago, after graduating from University of Galway with a first-class honours BE, followed by an M Eng Sc in numerical analysis and statistics.  After various construction roles working for companies such as General Electric and working in areas such as Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Marcus moved into precast concrete in 2002, joining his college friend and founder of Techrete, Chris O’Dea, as Managing Director for the company.   

For the last twenty-three years and with sustainability always at the forefront, he has helped to shape Techrete into the market-leading company it is today.  Now, as Non-Executive Chair, Marcus manages special capital projects pertaining mostly to the sustainability of Techrete’s product, both from operational and embodied carbon perspectives.         

Dr Tara Shine is co-founder and CEO of Change by Degrees where she and her team are on a mission to make sustainability a superpower for every person on the planet.  Tara spent 20 years as an international climate change negotiator and adviser to governments on environmental policy. She was previously Special Adviser to the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice and The Elders. She is an author, broadcaster and TV presenter.

Liz Waters joined the Watershed Group as CEO in 2012 and has grown the company from a single site in Ireland to three fully operational sites across the country servicing the food, drinks, and pharmaceutical sectors. The Watershed Group is Ireland’s largest privately owned label producer and the only one with international sites in Germany, Poland, and the U.K The group is a key supplier to many of Europe’s largest brands.

Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in Mod Lang and Classics and a HDIP in Education. She has a teaching background in secondary and third level education before joining Aer Lingus to develop European sales. Liz is also responsible for re- inventing and developing the Malones brand, an Irish eco - friendly cleaning product brand producing a range of products which are listed in the Irish multiples.    

Mitchell O'Gorman is the Co-Founder and CEO of xWave Technologies, a pioneering digital health company with the mission of ensuring that patients get the best test first. Previously, he held senior roles as Head of Innovation at Independent News and Media, Managing Director of Offscript Studios, and Managing Director of Kantar Ireland.     

As the General Manager of VOYA, Andrew Darmody leads with a commitment to sustainability, drawing on a strong background in sales, marketing, and operations. With a passion for innovation and an eye on sustainable growth, Andrew works to ensure VOYA’s mission aligns with high standards in environmental stewardship and operational excellence.    

Sergiu is Technical Director at Lumcloon Energy and joined the company in 2017.  He is responsible for developing and completing timely projects in energy storage and renewables. This role includes site development, team creation, construction oversight, risk assessment and mitigation, financial projections and forecasts, relationships with clients, marketing, and management. He is also working on market intelligence and trends and competitive strategy. Sergiu completed an International Selling Programme in 2019 and holds a Doctoral degree in Engineering.    

Liam Kearney is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Revive Group, established in 2020 to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions to the sewer cleaning industry. With a career spanning three decades, Liam has held senior leadership roles, including Managing Director and Global Business Development Director at Bucher Municipal, where he developed his expertise in managing growth and innovation on an international scale. His extensive experience has been key in shaping Revive’s whole-of-life approach to environmental sustainability, significantly reducing carbon emissions across the product lifecycle.

Under Liam’s leadership, Revive has expanded internationally, most recently into the Nordic and New Zealand markets, with further growth planned, including the opening of a state-of-the-art, off-grid manufacturing facility in Tipperary in 2025. His vision has positioned Revive as a respected and recognisable name within the sewer cleaning industry, known for its sustainable approach. In recognition of his contributions to international trade and sustainable development, Liam became the first Irish citizen to receive the Danish Medal of Honour from HRH Prince Henrik in 2014, reinforcing his reputation as a leading figure in the sector.

Subsea Micropiles is a pioneering offshore foundations company headquartered in Ireland.  

First serving as a ship's officer in the U.S. Navy, Derek has enjoyed a diverse career experience with multiple assignments in the areas of marine technology and the energy sector. Having first moved to Dublin in 1999 for graduate school, Derek subsequently joined the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland at the time of its establishment in 2001, managing the development and execution of a €20m R&D programme focused on the energy performance and sustainability of residential buildings. 

Commercial activities include work as a consultant with Strategic Insight (Washington D.C.) and leading business development for ocean renewable energy programs at Lockheed Martin. In response to the cost and challenges associated with anchoring large floating platforms for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, the initial research and development of intellectual property acquired by Subsea Micropiles first began in 2008.

Derek holds a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MBA from Trinity College Dublin, and a certificate for Advanced Project Management from Stanford University.

Aileen has 25 years + experience in helping Irish businesses across diverse industries to start, scale and compete in international markets and working on National Industrial Policy. Part of the EI Sustainability team, Aileen works on a one-to-one basis with Climate tech companies, specifically in the Offshore Wind and Water sectors on implementing their strategy plans.

She holds a European Studies Joint Honours degree, has a Masters in Supply Chain Management with Lean Black Belt accreditation and a Diploma in Strategy.

Keith has fifteen years of experience in European climate policy, industrial decarbonisation, and the delivery of large low carbon projects. In 2022, Keith joined Enterprise Irelands Sustainability, Renewable Energy & Agritech department providing planning and investment supports to help business reduce emissions and increase competitiveness.

Alan Keogh is the CEO of CoolPlanet, a company specialising in energy efficiency, engineering services, and continuous improvement solutions for industries seeking to decarbonise. Prior to becoming CEO, Alan served as Commercial Director for five years, driving strategic growth and strengthening the company’s commercial footprint in the sustainability sector. Prior to joining CoolPlant formerly CrowleyCarbon, he headed up the technical activities at Bord Gais and Dalkia, before taking the role of Head of Business Development Energy Management at Veolia in 2014. He also previously worked as a commissioning engineer at Solar Turbines and as a business development manager for Alstrom. Alan has more than 20 years’ experience working on both the technical and commercial sides of the energy and renewables sector.    

Over 30 years of experience in the energy sector with a technical and commercial focus. Founded multiple businesses in the energy sector across four continents and designed and built large scale energy projects in various sectors. These technologies include, CHP, solar, wind, electrical storage, district heating & heat recovery.

Developed large-scale energy projects globally and served as an energy board adviser to several large corporations. Educational qualifications include an engineering degree from Trinity College Dublin and an MBA from University College Dublin. Recognised industry leader and keynote speaker at international energy conferences. Sits on the Renewable Energy Board as an advisory to the government.     

John Hanley is the Managing Director of FDT, part of the NIRAS Group. He is a chartered mechanical engineer and graduated from Technological University of Dublin with a degree in mechanical engineering, a Master of Philosophy in manufacturing engineering, and a PhD in manufacturing engineering. He has extensive experience in technical project engineering across process and utilities plants in the manufacturing sector, most notably in the brewing industry. He has fulfilled the role of Energy Efficient Design Expert across several large projects in the pharmaceutical, brewing, distilling, packaging, freight, dairy, data centre, and medical device sectors in Europe, Central America and Africa and has provided expert mentoring services in Energy Efficient Design to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.    

Richard Morrison is a principal energy consultant and director of Optien Ltd which specialises in energy efficiency and decarbonisation of large energy using organisations. Richard has a strong background in engineering has worked as an energy efficiency consultant for over 20 years. The breadth of Richard’s experience is spread across both the private and public sectors and Richard, in conjunction with the team in Optien provide services to organisations operating in the Pharmaceutical, Medical Components, Food & Drinks, Agricultural, and Computing Technology industrial sectors; as well public bodies; and a wide range of SME businesses.

Richard has assisted in the development of decarbonisation strategies for Food and Drinks companies, Public sector organisations and multinational organisations. These strategies included reviewing the organisations operations and identifying pathways to carbon neutrality. These pathways include a combination of energy procurement options, technology changes and employee engagement in order to minimise energy waste within organisations.    

With 20 years’ experience in the infant formula industry, in roles such as Manufacturing Excellence, Project Management and Technical Services Helen was inspired to set up Flex Power Solutions to focus on renewable-led electrification of heat.  Flex Power Solutions helps manufacturing sites to flexibly decarbonise their high-temperature heating processes while supporting the electricity market to integrate more renewable generation.  

Owen Buckley is the Head of Corporate Partnerships at UNICEF Ireland, where he leads a team focused on building impactful collaborations and partnerships with companies across Ireland. With over six years of experience in strategic partnership development, Owen is dedicated to uniting UNICEF with companies to tackle the challenges children face worldwide.

In 2024, Owen led the UNICEF team that launched its global partnership with CRH, Ireland’s largest company, supporting childhood routine immunisation in fragile and conflicted affected countries.

Prior to his time at UNICEF, Owen began his career in a New York City secondary school as an English teacher to children from socio-economically deprived neighbourhoods.

Aoife is a Director in Deloitte’s Climate and Sustainability practice with over 15 years’ experience in helping companies become more sustainable. Prior to rejoining Deloitte in 2018 she ran an award sustainability-tech business in the UK where she worked with companies including Unilever, Asda, GSK and Tesco to help them drive sustainable supply chain programmes. She’s a founding member of Re-Wild Wicklow and a board member of Global Action Plan, an environmental NGO focused on helping individuals and local communities engage in climate action.    

A seasoned sustainability professional with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage, retail, and manufacturing sectors, Sinéad currently serves as Sustainability Manager at Portwest, a global leader in PPE and safety wear manufacturing. Sinéad has a track record of implementing robust sustainability and compliance frameworks across diverse industries, aligning corporate practices with evolving regulations like CSRD, CSDDD, EUDR and CBAM. Known for a strong presentation style and effective stakeholder engagement, Sinéad has led the development of non-financial reporting and group-wide compliance strategies that advance circular business practices and decarbonization. Previous to Portwest, Sinéad spent 5 years working with Lidl, supporting the integration of sustainability across the business. A certified executive coach and active advocate for sustainability in both professional and volunteer settings, Sinéad is passionate about fostering sustainability as a driver of commercial success and resilience across sectors.    

Lorna McAdoo–Group Director Environment, Social and Governance and Site Lead NI. Lorna joined Version 1 in 2013 to lead the Northern Ireland (NI) operation; growing the team to over 550 people, and is now responsible for the corporate ESG agenda, including driving the organisation on track to meet a net zero target of 2025 within its operations and by 2035 within the supply chain. The ESG strategy has been awarded multiple industry recognitions this year including Business in the Community One to Watch, Green award and the International CSR award for investment in ESG across the Science and Technology Industries.

Enda Buckley is Director of Sustainability with Carbery Group. He has almost 20 years’ experience in the sustainability scene. Over the past nine years he has spearheaded a number of sustainability initiatives and projects within the Carbery Group such as Farm Zero C, the Futureproof initiative and the Biorefinery Glas (grass biorefinery) project. These projects and Carbery’s wider ESG strategy have enabled the group to become an Origin Green gold member for 3 years and winners of multiple sustainability awards. Prior to his time at Carbery, Enda worked in his own consultancy - Sustainable Solutions, tutored at DCU, worked as the Sustainable Transport Policy Officer for the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) and was Sustainability Director at the National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI). Enda is a science graduate of NUI Galway with a HDip in Applied Science Microbiology and also holds an MSc in the Management of Sustainable Development through Dublin City University (DCU).     

Kathleen works in the Sustainability Department of Enterprise Ireland helping companies implement sustainability best practice through a range of sustainability supports from webinars and workshops to training and advisory, capital and research and innovation grants. Prior to this Kathleen worked in the Enterprise Ireland Operational Excellence Department and Shannon Aquatic Toxicity Laboratory. Kathleen holds a degree in Environmental Science and Technology from ATU Sligo, a Master’s in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring from the University of Ulster and completed a Business Sustainability Management course from the University of Cambridge.

Jenny has a strong track record in leadership roles in Enterprise Ireland. She is passionate about helping Irish companies to innovate and grow, and supporting Ireland’s entrepreneurs to achieve their ambition.

She first joined the Research and Innovation Division as a commercialisation specialist in 1996, and managed Enterprise Ireland’s national research and technology programmes between industry and third-level research institutes. As the Irish liaison for EU nanotech and advanced materials funding programmes, Jenny was appointed by the EU Commissioner to their high-level advisory group.

She has since held a number of senior roles within the organisation across a variety of sectors, led the High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) team, and was Divisional Manager for Technology and Services. She graduated from UCD with a BSc and PhD in Chemistry

Dara Calleary TD is the current Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation.

As a Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Minister Calleary is responsible for promoting responsible and sustainable trade, ensuring fair and better regulation for all businesses, and that markets work effectively for consumers and for the economy as a whole. He also has a specific focus in the continued digital transformation of enterprise and ensuring Ireland maintains or improves its position of 5th in the DESI, and remains a digital frontrunner at the heart of Europe.

He represents the Irish Government at the EU Competitiveness Council which works to enhance competitiveness and increase growth in the EU, as well as the D9+ forum and OECD Digital for SMEs Global Initiative.

A native of Ballina, Dara Calleary has been a TD for Mayo since first being elected at the 2007 General Election.