SFA B2B & Networking Event

Speakers & Panellists

Ray Goggins is a former Special Forces Operator and bestselling author – you may know him as the Chief Instructor on RTE’s hit show, Ultimate Hell Week or more recently, RTE's Uncharted with Ray Goggins. Over the past 30 years, Ray has been building and leading teams and acquired key skills to encourage people to change their mindset. His aim is to help push them to be the very best version of themselves.

Fergal O'Brien is Ibec’s Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence. He leads and coordinates the organisation’s activity across a range of business policy issues and public affairs activity. He represents Irish business on a number of fora at both national and EU level and is currently a member of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council and a council member of the Foundation for Fiscal Studies and was a member of the Commission on Taxation and Social Welfare. Fergal is a regular commentator on the economy and domestic and international policy issues.

Morgan Pierce founded SolarSmart in 2020, establishing Ireland’s only female-owned domestic and commercial solar installation company. Her passion for renewable energy began in 2018 while working on an Irish rooftop solar project, where she saw the need for a dedicated solar provider for Ireland’s homes and small to medium sized businesses.

Since its launch, SolarSmart has installed more than 1500 solar systems across Ireland’s homes and businesses and is now the country’s highest-rated solar installer on Trustpilot. Committed to exceptional customer service and customer education, Morgan continues to drive SolarSmart’s growth and solar energy adoption nationwide.

Morgan was selected for the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women EMEIA class of 2024, as one of the 70 women founders, representing 23 countries across 13 business sectors.

Rachel Bothwell is the founder of GP Practice Ally, Ireland’s leading support & training community for GP practice managers. Since launching in 2021, she has grown the network to over 2,000 members, supporting 75% of Irish GP practices with practical tools, training & peer connection to streamline systems, strengthen finances & empower practice teams.

Her work has been recognised with Outstanding Small Business at the SFA National Awards 2025 and Irish Early Career Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. Rachel’s vision is to equip practice managers with the skills & support they need to lead confidently and to safeguard the future of independent practice in Ireland.

Andrew Darmody is the General Manager of Commercial and Operations at VOYA. He's a seasoned leader with a proven track record of success in diverse industries. His core strengths lie in leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving, and business development. He's a highly skilled professional with a strong background in sales, holding an honors degree in Business Studies from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.