Judging Panel 2025

Aidan Cotter, Chair

Aidan Cotter is currently Chairperson of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the State Agency responsible for developing the Irish Seafood Industry.  He served as CEO of Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board from 2004 until 2017, a period which saw the extension of its office network eastwards into Asia, the establishment of its Consumer Insight Centre and the launch of Origin Green, the worlds first national sustainability programme for food and drink.  He was Chairman of Slaney Foods, a joint venture between ABP Foods Group and the Fane Valley Group from 2017 to 2021 and currently Chairs the Plastics Action Alliance.  In March, 2021 he was appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to chair the Seafood Task Force to examine the implications of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement for the Irish fishing industry and to make recommendations.  The report of the Task Force was published in October, 2021.  He is a practicing barrister.

Marie Armstrong, KPMG, Independent Observer

Bio coming soon

David Brophy, FR Kelly

David is a European Patent Attorney and a Community Design Attorney, and he heads up the design practice of FRKelly. In his patent work he specialises in telecommunications and software-related inventions, medical devices and physics-related inventions. He has been in practice for over 25 years and has advised hundreds of companies on protection and enforcement of their IP, ranging from start-ups to large multinationals.

Ciara Clarke, Clarke Pharma Consulting Ltd.

Ciara is a highly experienced pharmaceutical consultant and Qualified Person (QP) with more than 25 years of industry expertise across quality assurance, quality control, and regulatory compliance. She is the founder and principal of Clarke Pharma Consulting Ltd., providing strategic QP services across the UK and Ireland for both commercial and clinical trial products. Ciara has been named on several Manufacturing and Importation Authorisations (MIAs) and provides oversight in all pharmaceutical activities from manufacturing through to batch certification and market release for solid oral dosage forms, sterile products, active pharmaceutical Ingredients, medical devices, and investigational products.

Her prior roles include senior leadership positions in MSD and Viatris and as a consultant with Takeda, MIAS Pharma, Eramol & Amivas where she specialized in GMP compliance, auditing, quality systems development, and cross-functional project management using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. She is also an accomplished speaker with the ECA Academy and a former assistant lecturer in science at TU Dublin, sharing her deep knowledge of GMP, formulation, and regulatory science with the next generation of professionals.

Ciara holds advanced degrees in Instrumental Analysis and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology, underpinned by a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry. She is committed to helping organizations to strengthen, achieve and maintain high standards of quality excellence, regulatory compliance, patient safety, and operational efficiency throughout the product lifecycle across the pharmaceutical sectors in both the UK & Ireland.

Kieran Comerford, Local Enterprise Office, Carlow

Kieran is Head of Enterprise of Economic Development in the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow County Council. He has responsibility for Business Support, Economic Development and Special Project Development (including EU projects). Kieran has worked in a variety of roles from retailing, banking, and information technology and in the training sector during his career and has worked in the Enterprise Development sector since 2002.

Lis Dara, Business Working Responsibly Manager, BITCI

Bio coming soon

Margaret Dineen, Blue Sky Consulting

Margaret has spent over 20 years in the Food Industry working with retailers, food producers and manufacturers in the areas of commercial, finance, sales, supply chain, business development and customer account management. She has worked for companies such as Dunnes Stores, Super Quinn, Keeling’s, Donnelly Fresh and Kerry Group in various supply chain, procurement , category management and commercial roles at senior leadership and director level.

Patrick Flynn, Founder of Flynn O’Driscoll, Business Lawyers

Having worked as a corporate finance lawyer in several other countries, Patrick Flynn returned to Ireland to lead the corporate department of a top Irish legal practice. He soon identified an opportunity in the market for a different kind of law firm, a legal practice focussed zealously on its clients’ needs, wants and ambitions.
A law firm that would provide pro-active support to its clients, where legal services would facilitate their successful growth and development. A business based on merit and ability, rather than tradition and habit. That was 2002 and Patrick G Flynn Solicitors was founded.
The concept was very favourably received by agile, forward-looking businesses. In 2009, Alan O’Driscoll was made partner and the firm became Flynn O’Driscoll, Business Lawyers.
Since then, Flynn O’Driscoll LLP has grown to over 14 partners and 100 legal professionals to become one of Ireland’s most active full service legal practices and one of the most recognisable firms supporting corporate deal making in Ireland.

Deirdre Hurley, Pharma Consultant

Dr. Hurley is a graduate of University College Cork with a Ph.D. in Plant Science along with business qualifications from the Irish Management Institute and the University of Bocconi (Milan) amongst other institutes.

She has over 25 years work experience across the Agriculture, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries covering a wide range of senior functions from Manufacturing, Engineering, Technical Affairs, Supply Chain, Operations and most recently Country General Manager for a privately owned Pharmaceutical Company.

Companies she has worked for includes a state owned Irish company, American Multinationals, European Multinationals and privately family owned European companies giving her a broad breath of experience in different models of operation along with the challenges and rewards that come with this.

Seeing the benefits of her own education stream she has maintained a keen interest in third level education in Ireland having previously done part time lecturing, advising third level institutions on current industry needs and currently serves as an External Examiner at the Technical University of Dublin (TUD)

Patrick Joy, Suretank

Patrick Joy is the founder of Suretank Group. He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer (University College Dublin, 1974) and also has an MBA (Trinity College Dublin, 1988). Patrick’s business is a truly global one with manufacturing in Ireland and overseas. Patrick, was an active member of the IEA’s National Council from 2014 – 2024 and IEA President in 2022.  Patrick was 2013 Irish EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Seamus Kavanagh, Irish International Freight Association

Bio coming soon

Howard Knott, Logisitics Consultant

Howard’s experience goes back to the mid-1970’s and has involved running companies in the freight forwarding, trailer and shipping businesses. For the last seventeen years Howard has worked with the IEA within the logistics area, including trade facilitation, the IEA Rail Freight Group now IEA Multimodal Working Group and the Supply Chain activity. He is also a columnist and writer of the Maritime section at “Fleet Transport”.

Jillian Mahon, Consultant

Jillian has had an extensive executive career in financial services operating both in the private and public sector.  As a former Treasurer with AIB, she has broad experience in Capital Markets, International Banking with specific expertise in all areas of Treasury risk management complemented with Irish representation and consultancy on projects for the European Banking Federation and the ECB. From 2013 to 2018, Jillian worked in senior roles for the National Treasury Management Agency. As a result, she has unique experience in the implementation of public policy in credit financing for small business having worked in the Irish Strategic Investment Fund and as founder member in the establishment of only Irish National Promotional Financial Institution, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland.

She currently works as a consultant to the public and private sector on the development of financial instruments and alternative financing streams to enhance access to finance particularly for SMEs. Jillian holds a BA in Economics and English, an MBA and a Prof Dip in Corporate Governance.

Ciara McDonagh, Teagasc

Ciara McDonagh is Head of Food Industry Development in Teagasc. She has over 20 years’ experience providing consultancy and technical services to Irish food companies.  Ciara leads a team of accomplished scientists and technologists delivering research and innovation to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of Irish food sector. She has fostered highly successful national and international collaborations with stakeholders and works with companies of all sizes to support them in meeting evolving consumer expectations and regulatory requirements.

Una McGoey, InterTradeIreland & Anu Change

Una is Director of Anu Change, a Consultancy business providing tailored Leadership Training. Una has over 25 years’ experience in Finance and Management roles in the Financial Services industry with a proven record in Strategy, Leadership, Sales, and Business Lending. She is also the Senior Trade Specialist for InterTradeIreland.