Our Speakers

Minister Patrick O'Donovan

Patrick O'Donovan TD was appointed as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science in April 2024 by Taoiseach Simon Harris. He is the Fine Gael TD for Limerick County, first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020. Previously, he served as Minister for the Office of Public Works, Minister of State in the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport. He was also a member of various Dáil committees and the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Caroline Currid

Caroline Currid, a leading Performance Psychologist, empowers elite athletes and business professionals to achieve exceptional outcomes, leaving a lasting legacy. Combining common sense with psychological insight, she's recognized as a sought-after practitioner in her field. Caroline's impressive career includes working with renowned sports teams and individuals like Rugby Lions Captain Paul O'Connell, gold medal-winning Kenyan Olympic athletes, and successful teams like Celtic FC, Munster Rugby, and All-Ireland GAA Football champions Tyrone and Dublin. She's also contributed to the success of Hurling Champions Tipperary and Limerick. Additionally, Caroline collaborates with various business industries, integrating high-performance principles into their organizational cultures.

Liam Sheedy

Liam Sheedy, Managing Director of BlueLake Consulting, brings over 25 years of experience in leading teams to exceptional results in both corporate and sporting realms. Known as the lead sports analyst on RTE's The Sunday Game and a sports columnist for the Irish Examiner, Liam's achievements extend beyond media. He led Tipperary to an All-Ireland Final victory in 2010 and served on the board of Sport Ireland, chairing its High-Performance Committee. Liam is also a member of the University of Limerick Sport (UL Sport) Board of Directors and a former member of the GAA management committee. Additionally, he facilitates management training programs for Irish Medtech Skillnet, supporting Ireland's leading Medtech brands.

Dr. Ann O’Connell

Dr. Ann O'Connell is Head of Funded Projects for Medtech and Engineering at Ibec, overseeing over 100 professional upskilling programs. Her expertise includes Research & Development, Manufacturing & Digitalization, Quality & Regulatory, Sustainability, and Management & Leadership. Ann earned her PhD from University College Dublin in 2014 and joined Ibec in 2019 from the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre, where she coordinated a H2020 funded project. She previously spent nearly two decades as a Senior Integration Engineer with Intel Corporation. Ann champions lifelong learning and applies her expertise in digitalization and data science to address critical health and environmental challenges.

Padhraic McGinn

Padhraic McGinn is Chief Executive Officer of Mergon Group and is the 2024 Chair of the Irish Medtech Association. Padhraic has over 25 years leadership experience in medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostics manufacturing. He has an exceptional track record in delivering multi-site business transformation using Shingo, people engagement, process improvement and digital factory systems.

Padhraic is a Fellow member of Engineers Ireland and holds a BSc Eng. Degree (Trinity College) and MBA (University of Limerick).

Paul Healy

Paul is the Chief Executive of Skillnet Ireland, the agency responsible for spearheading workforce development for the enterprise sector and for driving innovation and competitiveness through industry-led upskilling.

Paul has 20 years executive level experience spanning the private and semi-State sectors, specialising in the development and implementation of organisation strategy, public affairs, corporate governance and human resource development.

Paul is a member of Ireland's National Skills Council and the National Training Fund Advisory Group. Paul qualified with a degree in economics and holds a MBA from Dublin City University. He is a respected commentator on skills for industry.

Yvonne O'Byrne (Chair)

Yvonne O'Byrne is a Business Development and Project Manager at Irish Medtech Skillnet and the Manufacturing Engineering and Polymer Technology Apprenticeships in Ibec. Since joining Ibec in May 2023, Yvonne has led the management of the future skills report project, collaborating with KPMG, Irish Medtech, and industry stakeholders to publish 'Talent to Thrive: The Future Skills Report for Ireland's Medtech Sector'. With over 5 years' experience in project management, Yvonne previously worked with the V-LINC expert research group at Munster Technological University on EU-funded projects. Yvonne's academic pursuits include defending her PhD thesis titled 'Project Spraoi: The implementation and outcomes of a process evaluation of a school-based health promotion intervention'. Beyond her professional achievements, Yvonne is an accomplished ex-international hockey player and world cup silver medallist, representing Ireland at the 2018 World Cup.

David Walsh

David is a Director in KPMG Strategy and a qualified pharmacist with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Bioengineering. He joined KPMG from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) where he held roles as both a pharmaceutical and medical device assessor. He has previously advised both local and global pharmaceutical and medtech companies on emerging regulatory issues and scientific advice as well acting as a reviewer for new product applications and clinical trials. Prior to the HPRA, David held a number of roles as a researcher, lecturer and as a pharmacist. He is a co-inventor of a patented gene delivery platform and has been author/co-author of several peer-reviewed scientific publications. David specialises in healthcare strategy, cross-sector regulatory advice, strategic scientific advice, technical due diligence and market feasibility for medicinal products and medical devices.

Niamh Hunt

Niamh Hunt, a senior supply chain leader, oversees seven sites within Johnson & Johnson's Joints Reconstruction platform. With 28 years at the company, she's held roles in Environmental, Health & Safety, Human Resources, Operations, and Plant Leadership. Previously leading Strategy, Innovation, and Deployment for Joints Reconstruction, Niamh is dedicated to diversity and inclusion, serving as Executive Sponsor for the GenNow ERG in Cork. Committed to continuous learning, she's involved in STEM initiatives and serves on the Irish MedTech Skillnet Steering Committee. Niamh holds a BSc in Industrial Chemistry and is certified in Lean and Strategic Human Resources. She's a graduate of the Johnson & Johnson Ascend Women's Leadership program.

Tony O'Reilly

Tony O'Reilly is the Head of Engineering/Manufacturing, Science & Technology (MS&T) at Alcon, bringing over 30 years of experience in regulated industries. He has a robust background in engineering, facilities management, automation, digital transformation, and manufacturing engineering. Tony has also excelled in new product introduction, technology transfer, equipment engineering, maintenance management, project management, high precision machining management, and production supervision.

Tony holds an MBA in Technology Management and a degree in Manufacturing Management and Technology. His career is marked by leadership roles on site teams and significant contributions to advancing automation and digital transformation in the industry.

Eoghan Ó Faoláin

Eoghan Ó Faoláin is the Director of Irish Medtech, the Ibec group representing over 250 medical technology companies in Ireland. With more than 16 years at Ibec, he previously served as Head of Public Sector and held senior roles in Technology Ireland. Eoghan joined Ibec in 2008 as a Regulatory Affairs Executive in Irish Medtech.

He holds a PhD in using Raman Spectroscopy for diagnosing cervical cancer from Technological University Dublin. Eoghan worked with FOCAS, the Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, and Dublin's maternity hospitals to commercialize this technology, leading to a worldwide patent.

Padhraic McGinn (Chair)

Padhraic McGinn is Chief Executive Officer of Mergon Group and is the 2024 Chair of the Irish Medtech Association. Padhraic has over 25 years leadership experience in medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostics manufacturing. He has an exceptional track record in delivering multi-site business transformation using Shingo, people engagement, process improvement and digital factory systems.

Padhraic is a Fellow member of Engineers Ireland and holds a BSc Eng. Degree (Trinity College) and MBA (University of Limerick).

Kevin Geary

Kevin Geary, COO at Croom Medical, spearheads operational strategy, ensuring top-notch orthopedic implants globally. With 20+ years in engineering and operations, Kevin is adept in strategic planning and project management. His tenure at Zimmer Biomet saw him drive transformative projects, yielding substantial savings. Across roles at esteemed companies like DePuy Synthes Ireland and Molex, Kevin prioritizes fostering trust and growth for team engagement. He holds a Bachelor's in Production Engineering and a Project Management Diploma, blending academic and practical expertise to lead innovation in orthopedic implant manufacturing.

Geraldine Garvey

Geraldine Garvey is a Senior Director in the Global Quality and Operations team in Stryker based in Ireland.

Geraldine joined Stryker in 2003 and has had multiple roles across Operations, New Products and more recently joined the Divisional Operations team to drive supply chain excellence. In her current role, Geraldine is responsible for the central team in developing and implementing lean and supply chain strategies across Stryker. Geraldine is on the Stryker board for European Operations since 2018. She earned her BSc in Materials Science from UL and most recently completed her Chartered Directorship at the IOD.

Daniel Walsh

Dr. Daniel J. Walsh leads the Department of Applied Science at the Technological University of the Shannon, Midwest Campus, Limerick. Since 2019, he's overseen the planning and administration of various B.Sc. programs in fields like Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Science, and Environmental Science, managing approximately 500 undergraduate students and 50 academic staff. Dr. Walsh, appointed Biosciences Lecturer in 2005, holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Protein Chemistry from the National University of Ireland, Galway. With over 20 years of research experience, including 9 years in post-doctoral roles and involvement in European Commission projects, he's a founding Principal Investigator of the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre. Dr. Walsh is committed to maintaining TUS's program offerings at the forefront of science, particularly in pharmaceutical, regulatory, and medical technology areas.

Barry Regan

Barry Regan is Vice President & General Manager of Freudenberg Medical's Carrick on Shannon facility where over 800 employees are employed in designing, developing and manufacturing of catheter based medical devices for various Minimally Invasive market segments. Barry has over 20 years' experience in the Irish Medtech sector.

Sharon Fahy (Chair)

Sharon Fahy serves as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Medtronic, based in Galway, Ireland. Leading a global regulatory team for Peripheral Vascular Health, Sharon's mission is to develop innovative strategies for regulatory approval and provide strategic leadership to influence the global regulatory environment, benefiting over 75 million patients served annually by Medtronic. With 25 years of industry experience in quality and regulatory roles, she transitioned from the pharmaceutical industry to support regulatory aspects of combination products in MedTech. Sharon holds a BSc (Hons) in Applied Chemistry, a Diploma in Quality Management, and recently graduated with an MBA from the University of Galway, where she received a 30% Club scholarship award. She emphasizes lifelong learning and is actively involved in various industry associations and Medtronic resource groups, currently sponsoring Medtronic's Young Professional Network.

Conor Russell

Conor Russell is VP of operations for Boston Scientific, Clonmel. The site employs round 1300 people and is responsible for the manufacture and development of BSC active implantable products for our Cardiac Rhythm Management and Neuromodulation divisions. He has worked with Boston Scientific for over 25 years in various leadership roles, both in the USA and in Ireland. He sits on the board for the Irish Medtech Association and on the board for GRIT, an accelerator program for female entrepreneurs.

Brendan Delaney

Established Director of Purchasing Controls & Sustainable Procurement in Teleflex, with over 25 years' experience in supply chain management. Holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering with key experience working in the areas of quality and procurement. As Director of Sustainable Procurement in Teleflex, he is actively partnering with the Teleflex Global Supply Chain to advance sustainability practices, ethical sourcing of products and services to help deliver on Teleflex's CSR initiatives. When he is not working, he enjoys spoiling a good walk with a game of golf.

Caroline Walsh

With over 25 years of experience in the medical devices industry, Caroline has held various roles encompassing quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and more. Currently serving as Senior Director QARA at Aerogen, she leads a team of 70 professionals across multiple facilities. Prior to Aerogen, Caroline led global strategic manufacturing QARA teams at Teleflex, overseeing consolidation programs, new product development, and regulatory submissions. She successfully achieved FDA ANDA approval for three medications during her tenure. Actively engaged in the Irish MedTech community, Caroline has contributed to standards development and talent strategy initiatives. She holds an honours degree in Industrial Biochemistry from the University of Limerick and a first-class honours Masters degree in Industrial Pharmaceutical Science from the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. Caroline's career also includes roles at Boston Scientific, Teleflex OEM, and ArcRoyal (now Owens and Minor).

Ines Cifuentes

Ines is a dynamic leader specializing in strategy, transformation, and corporate sustainability. With a multicultural background, she advocates for diverse teams, drawing from her experiences living and working globally.

She holds a BComm International and a Masters in Strategic Management from University College Dublin, along with professional qualifications in change and project management.

After success in management consulting, she founded and led her own consulting business in Germany for a decade. Now, with senior roles in strategy and sustainability at Mergon Group, Ines drives ESG initiatives, leveraging her expertise to contribute to sustainability goals.