Kathleen is a Senior Sustainability Specialist in Enterprise Ireland’s Business Expansion and Sustainability Solutions Department where she supports companies to adopt and embed sustainability best practice through a range of supports, including webinars, workshops, advisory and training grants, and capital 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.
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Shane is Managing Director at KPMG Sustainable Futures. He has 20+ years’ experience of the global construction materials market in operations, investor relations and ESG group management. He works across multiple sectors developing ESG strategies, due diligence, target setting and decarbonisation. He is an outgoing chair of the CDP Ireland Network, a committee of sustainability professionals from across Irish industry and semi-state organisations. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of ECO UNESCO, Ireland’s Environmental Education and Youth Organisation that works to conserve the environment and empower young people.
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Jack is the Director of Certifications at the for-profit subsidiary off of My Green Lab, Impact Laboratories. He is based out of Limerick, Ireland, from where he manages and supports laboratories globally, involved in the My Green Lab Certification Programme. His responsibilities have also involved the administrative work and management of the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge, My Green Lab Ambassador Programme, supporting lead generation for My Green Lab and the current project lead for the Pilot Programme with Research Ireland-funded laboratories, and a pilot with the HSE. Jack graduated from Munster Technological University in 2019.
Prior to joining My Green Lab and now Impact Laboratories, Jack had previously applied his trade within the QC laboratories of both PepsiCo and Regeneron. During his time in PepsiCo, Jack spearheaded the project for PepsiCo’s pursuit of My Green Lab Certification for a number of laboratories across multiple European PepsiCo sites.
Dr. Ann O’Connell is Head of Funded Projects for Medtech and Engineering Skills at Ibec, leading over 100 upskilling programmes across industry. With a PhD from UCD’s Centre for BioNano Interactions and a background spanning Intel, IMR, and EU-funded research, Ann brings deep expertise in digitalisation, innovation, and strategic programme development. She’s a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and skills for the future.
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Pauline O’ Flanagan, Director, Engineering Industries Ireland, an Ibec Trade Association, representing the interests of engineering business sectors in Ireland. Member of Orgalim National Council, representing European Technology Industries, Lean Business Ireland Leadership Team, Solas, Skills to Advance Micro-Qualifications Oversight Team and Midlands Advanced Manufacturing Steering Committee. Previously, Head of Funded projects for Ibec Medtech & Engineering Skillnet, Springboard & Apprenticeships. Held senior leadership positions in Medtech research and manufacturing for 15 years. Managing Director of own consultancy business for 10 years. Academic qualifications BSc (NUIG), H. Dip. App. Sc. (UG), MBA (UL), Diploma in Managing Networks (TUI), Diploma in Quality Mmt, Lean Blackbelt (UL), Certificate in Training & Development (UG).
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David is the Chair of the Ibec Medtech and Engineering Sustainability Steering Committee. David is the global sustainability director at Teleflex, with experience across multiple sectors including medical devices, civil and structural engineering, retail and manufacturing with over 15 years being in senior sustainability roles.
David has developed and led award winning sustainability strategies that have delivered significant impact in GHG emission, water and waste reductions and supported cost improvements and commercial success.
Throughout his career David has engaged widely with industry initiatives in Ireland, the UK and Europe, including serving as chair on the Irish Food Board (Bord Bia) DEI Taskforce and EU PEFCR Technical Secretariat for Red Meat.
David is a Chartered Engineer (Engineers Ireland/University College Cork) and holds an MSc in Sustainable Business (Michael Smurfit Business School) and an MBA (University College Cork).
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Ellie Walshe is the Vice-Chair of the Ibec Medtech and Engineering Sustainability Steering Committee Ellie Walshe is Head of Sustainability at Suir Engineering. She has over 14 years’ experience working in sustainability across engineering, construction, and infrastructure in both Ireland and the UK. Before joining Suir Engineering, Ellie worked in sustainability advisory with Davy Horizons, supporting organisations across a range of sectors on ESG and sustainability strategy. Earlier in her career, she worked on major infrastructure projects including Crossrail and HS2. Her work today focuses on helping Suir Engineering respond to changing sustainability regulations, reduce emissions, and build practical sustainability approaches that work across operations, people, and supply chains.
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Pádraic Ó hUiginn leads the Climate Action and Sustainability Centre of Excellence in the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), a government agency, to enable it become an exemplar – internally, in how it does business, and externally, in how it supports business in the green transition. With a background in economics, public policy, communications and environmental innovation, he holds a diploma in management and leadership from UCD, and an M.Sc. in sustainability from DCU.
Over the past decade in particular, he has been a central connector and facilitator for innovation and knowledge transfer, in early mover projects in developing a circular economy in Ireland – at the intersection of industry/enterprise, government, academic research, and citizens/end users. He is a co-author and co-contributor on a number of environmental and circular economy reports, including the Irish EPA-funded Environmental Policy Integration: Innovation and Change.
Fiona Lavin works for SEAI on their Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN) Programme. Fiona qualified from University College Galway with a BE (Industrial Engineering) and later an MSc (Biomedical Science). She has experience in various manufacturing industries including wafer fabrication and data storage, fibre optics, wound care, medical device and advanced research and training with laser processing. In her current role Fiona focuses on supporting LIEN members to improve their energy performance and decarbonise their sites. This is achieved through the LIEN ongoing engagement supports including advisory, training, events, site visits and briefings.
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Ryan Collins is a Sustainability Executive at IDA Ireland. He collaborates with corporate leadership teams across Ireland, the U.S. and Europe to develop impactful sustainability investments. With a focus on decarbonisation, Ryan also works to support circular economy, waste, and water projects across the FDI sector. Ryan works with IDA clients to strengthen competitiveness, productivity, and to futureproof industry. Ryan has an MSc in International Political Economy as well as a degree in Economics and Politics from UCD.
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Lucas Pianegonda, founder of Gradical, is a globally recognized expert in sustainable plastics for medical technology, having helped 40+ MedTech companies use plastics more sustainably. As a board member of the European Medical Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers and the VDI Fachausschuss Kunststoffe in der Medizintechnik, he pushes the boundaries of sustainability in MedTech. He's developing AI for plastic selection and building his own database to make material selection faster and easier. Lucas also hosts the podcast "MedTech Sustainability by Design," exploring the intersection of MedTech, sustainability and plastics
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Rosemary Durcan is a life sciences and healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience in business strategy, new business development and strategic partnerships working with both private and public organisations. Her academic background spans Science (M.Sc., B.Sc.), Business (MMII Grad) and Strategy & Innovation (Trinity College & IMI).
Having identified sustainability as a critical challenge for the life sciences and healthcare sector, Rosemary pursued a Certificate in Climate Change for Decision Makers at the University of Cambridge, before co-founding Nocomed, a sustainability platform empowering life science & healthcare organisations to reduce their environmental impact and build competitive advantage.
Prior to this, Rosemary held senior roles at Sims IVF, Enterprise Ireland and IBEC and founded Athena Life Sciences Consultancy in Ireland.
Jenny is secretariat for the Medtech and Engineering Sustainability Steering Committee, Environmental Health and Safety Forum and Chemicals Forum at Ibec. She works closely with member companies and industry stakeholders on key initiatives including sustainability and environmental health and safety. In her role, she works with industry leaders, policymakers and member companies to support initiatives that strengthen competitiveness, sustainability, regulatory pathways, skills and long-term growth of the Irish ecosystem. Jenny is an active member of Orgalim’s Green Transition Working Group and the Medtech Europe Chemicals and Sustainable Transition Committee. Jenny supports collaboration across the sector both in Ireland and Brussels to strengthen Ireland’s position as a sustainable, global hub for medtech innovation and manufacturing.
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Tim Keenan is a Manager in KPMG Sustainable Futures, with 5 years’ experience delivering ESG, decarbonisation and sustainability strategy projects. He has worked extensively across the public sector, energy, infrastructure, aviation, and financial services, supporting organisations on strategy development, regulatory compliance, CSRD readiness, and large-scale transformation programmes. Tim holds a BA in Geography from Maynooth University and an MSc in Environmental Sciences from Trinity College Dublin, where he specialised in microplastics research. He combines a strong academic foundation with practical delivery experience, leading complex projects from early-stage analysis through to implementation and reporting.
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