Judging Panel 2026

Aidan Cotter, Chair

Aidan Cotter is Chairperson of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Ireland’s State Agency for the seafood industry.

He was CEO of Bord Bia from 2004–2017, overseeing its expansion into Asia, the launch of the Consumer Insight Centre, and Origin Green, the world’s first national food and drink sustainability program. He chaired Slaney Foods from 2017–2021 and currently leads the Plastics Action Alliance. In 2021, he was appointed to chair the Seafood Task Force examining the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement’s impact on Irish fishing. He is also a practicing barrister.

KPMG, Independent Observer

Bio coming soon

Éadaoin Boyle Tobin, Business in the Community

Éadaoin spent 15 years in the Financial Services sector. During this time, she worked in a variety of roles including credit underwriting for SMEs, assessing business plans and cash flow projections and tailoring credit applications to suit the SMEs repayment capacity. She also worked as a Business Information Analyst which involved identifying and analysing changes in credit decisioning and customer behaviour.

More recently Éadaoin completed a Masters in DCU in Climate Change, Media, Society and Politics. After which she took up a role as a researcher in Business in the Community Ireland looking at how businesses can take nature positive action in their operations and along their value chain. She then moved into the role of Sustainability Adviser on the Environment Team in Business in the Community Ireland where she has been leading the Climate Action Programme for SMEs.

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 pharmaceutical consultant and Qualified Person (QP) with over 25 years’ experience in quality assurance, quality control, and regulatory compliance.

She is founder of Clarke Pharma Consulting Ltd., providing QP services across the UK and Ireland for commercial and clinical products, overseeing manufacturing, batch certification, and market release. Her previous roles include senior positions at MSD and Viatris and consultancy work with Takeda, MIAS Pharma, Eramol, and Amivas, specializing in GMP compliance, auditing, and quality systems. She is also a speaker with the ECA Academy and a former assistant lecturer at TU Dublin. Ciara holds advanced degrees in Instrumental Analysis and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry.

Kieran Comerford, Local Enterprise Office, Carlow

Kieran is the 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.

Declan Coppinger, Agrifood Industry Specialist

Declan Coppinger is a recently retired Marketing Finance Manager at Bord Bia and a former official with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

He is an experienced agrifood industry specialist and chaired the EU-wide Trade Promotion Europe Agrifood Promotion Committee from 2020 to 2025.

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

Patrick is Founder of PGF Consultancy and brings over 35 years’ experience in legal and business advisory roles. A corporate lawyer by background, he advises clients in Ireland and internationally on mergers and acquisitions, investments, financings, and strategic business matters.

He previously founded and led Flynn O’Driscoll, Business Lawyers, serving as managing partner and later executive chairman, and growing the firm into a leading business law practice. Pat currently chairs several companies, including Primary Health Properties PLC (Ireland), Spark Crowdfunding, and Optahaul, and is a member of the Law Society of Ireland, the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce, and the Irish International Business Network.

Deirdre Hurley, Pharma Consultant

Dr. Hurley holds a Ph.D. in Plant Science from University College Cork, along with business qualifications from the Irish Management Institute and the University of Bocconi, Milan. She has over 25 years experience across the agriculture, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors, holding senior leadership roles in manufacturing, engineering, technical affairs, supply chain, operations, and most recently as Country General Manager of a privately owned pharmaceutical company.

Her career spans state-owned, multinational, and family-owned European companies. She has a strong interest in third-level education and has previously lectured part-time, advised academic institutions on industry needs, and currently serves as an External Examiner at Technological University Dublin.

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 also the 2013 Irish EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Seamus Kavanagh, Irish International Freight Association

Seamus has worked with Irish International Freight Association since 2008. Seamus represents the Association through participation with National and International Industry Groups. Nationally, these include the Revenue Customs Consultative Committee, the DTTAS Logistics and Supply-Chain Skills Group and more. Internationally, such Groups include representing the Irish Freight industry with FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and CLECAT, the European Association for Freight Forwarders and Customs Clearance Brokers. Seamus is also heavily involved with IIFA training initiatives. He developed the online delivery capabilities for the Association’s FIATA Diploma course, including its video production. Seamus is also involved with the Association’s Customs Clearance and Practical Custos Declaration programme, acting as course lecturer and maintaining the necessary updates for this ever evolving training.

Howard Knott, Logistics 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”.

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, Anu Change

Una McGoey is founder of Anu Change and a senior trade and enterprise professional with over 25 years’ experience.

She specialises in export readiness, market development and enterprise growth, working with SMEs and enterprise agencies to support business growth and international expansion.

A former President of Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, she brings extensive experience in trade development, stakeholder engagement and enterprise support, and contributes to the sector through advisory, board and judging roles.

Leah McStravick, InterTradeIreland

Leah McStravick is the Assistant Director of Trade at InterTradeIreland.

Bio coming soon.

Claire Percy, Dublin Port Company

Communications and marketing professional with over 20 years’ experience across multiple geographies and sectors, including real estate, education and professional services.

As a member of the Executive Management Team at Dublin Port, Claire leads the communications function as Head of External Affairs. Her team works to deepen understanding of Ireland’s busiest port and its vital role in national logistics and the wider economy. Claire also serves on the Port’s ESG Steering Committee and oversees its CSR programme.