Our Speakers
This year’s speaker line-up is shaping up to be our most inspiring yet, and we’re just getting started. Here’s a first look at the leaders, innovators, and visionaries you’ll hear from, with more big names to be announced soon.”
Aidan McGowran
Aidan brings over two decades of expertise in architecture, engineering, and governance across enterprise domains. At EXL, he leads AI engineering in Ireland and is responsible for delivering their EXLerate.ai platform and agentic AI solutions. At Workhuman, he built their Enterprise Architecture practice from the ground up and served as key architect of their Generative AI strategy, designing scalable AI systems and governance frameworks while leading organization-wide AI adoption programs. He previously modernized critical financial research and compliance platforms at Credit Suisse. A recognized thought leader in AI innovation with a Master's degree in Data Analytics and AI, Aidan is a past panellist for the Analytics Institute and spoken at AWS and CIO conferences on how Generative and Agentic AI will reshape the future of work.
Ash Hunt
Ash Hunt is a technology, information security, risk and product executive.Formerly FTSE 250 CISO for Sanne Group and Global CISO for Apex Group, he has worked extensively across UK Government, FTSE, Fortune 500 and CNI organisations, leading multi-million dollar enterprise programmes and multi-disciplinary teams in highly-regulated, acquisitive and high-growth environments.He operates as a Board & VC advisor, supporting global technology product innovation and strategy, as well as an international keynote, having previously served as a media commentator for Sky News & ITV on cyber security issues.
Barry James
Barry James is Director of Data & AI at Nucleo, where he helps organisations turn complexity into clarity through data strategy, analytics, governance and AI adoption. With over 20 years of experience in IT leadership and data transformation, Barry brings a no-jargon, practical approach to solutions that deliver lasting value.
At Nucleo, Barry’s remit includes guiding clients through data governance, reporting improvement, and helping them unlock real impact from AI. He works closely with teams to build robust, scalable systems and is focused on making data work — not just be eye-catching dashboards, but tools for smarter decision-making and operational improvement.
Bronagh Riordan
Bronagh is a recognised leader in AI, data and analytics with more than 20 years of experience driving business transformation through data strategy, innovation and leadership. She is AI & Data Partner at EY Ireland, where she helps organisations leverage data and AI to transform operations and deliver measurable value.
She is Chair of the Industry Steering Board of CeADAR, Ireland’s centre for Applied AI and European Digital Innovation Hub, and the first woman to chair an Irish Technology Centre. Bronagh also serves on Ireland’s AI Advisory Council, advising government on ethical deployment, regulatory alignment, workforce readiness and ensuring AI contributes fairly to social and economic outcomes.
Prior to EY, she held senior international roles leading global data and analytics functions across financial services, travel and retail, combining hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership.
Her influence in advancing technology and AI leadership has been recognised nationally and internationally. She was named among the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Irish Technology in 2025, awarded Analytics & AI Data Leader of the Year by the Analytics Institute in 2023, and recognised globally as a Data Power Woman in 2023 and 2024.
Caroline Carruthers
Caroline is a renowned globally recognised Data Leader. With extensive exposure managing large complex data and technology transformations from both internal and consulting positions. Caroline brings real-life experience and knowledge to coach and train organisations, business leaders and data professionals on successful modern data approaches and leading strategies. Working with them on delivering data-driven business transformations.
Christina Stathopoulos
Christina Stathopoulos is a global keynote speaker, award-winning educator and Founder of Dare to Data, helping individuals and corporations take the next step in their data and AI journey. After most recently building a successful career at Google and Waze, she shifted her focus to scaling impact through education, training and product evangelism. She is trusted by an extensive client list of Fortune 500 and Big Tech organizations. Christina also holds an Adjunct Faculty position at several universities where she lectures on data and AI for business, serves as an instructor for LinkedIn Learning and hosts a podcast for EM360.
Ciarán Hickey
Ciarán Hickey is a Partner at EY and a delivery partner for AI transformation, leading EY and client teams on their journey to design, build, and scale AI solutions. He leads a practice of 300+ AI and Data professionals across Europe, as well as EY’s AI Lab, the firm’s hub for innovation, experimentation, and applied AI, and the Centre of Excellence for building AI solutions both internally and for clients.
With over 14 years’ experience in Data Science and AI, Ciarán combines deep technical expertise with a focus on bringing new and emerging methodologies into production. His work spans advanced model development, AI solution deployment, and embedding Responsible AI best practices from the start.
He works closely with EY’s alliance partners to deliver complex, high-impact AI programs across industries. In 2020, he was recognised as Ireland’s Analytics Practitioner of the Year, and he also lectures part-time in AI and machine learning, sharing his expertise with the next generation of practitioners.
Conor O'Neill
Conor O’Neill has spent decades at the forefront of new technologies from mobile to AI. His Open Source journey began as a user in 1992 with GNU tools and eventually led to launching the first Open Source smartwatch powered by Machine Learning in 2019 and a groundbreaking performance tool for Node.js.
He has worked with some of Ireland's biggest startup success stories including S3, Integral Design, FeedHenry (Red Hat) , NearForm, Tines and now ServisBOT.
At ServisBOT, he focuses on wrangling powerful new tech into useful products for businesses. Working with the ServisBOT teams in Product, Engineering and Bot Building, Conor is leading the charge in getting the incredible capabilities of LLMs safely into production so they can solve real-world problems for customers.
Erdoo Tor-Agbidye
Erdoo Tor-Agbidye is a global data and analytics leader with a career spanning federal government, non-profit, and corporate sectors. She has led international teams in the development and adoption of data, analytics, and AI/ML products that make analytics accessible and impactful across diverse audiences. Passionate about the intersection of human behaviour and data, Erdoo earned a master’s in Applied Psychology from NYU and an MBA in Technology and Big Data from IE Business School. She leverages this unique blend of expertise to bridge people, processes, and data—helping organizations translate insights into action.
From the New York City Department of Education, United Nations, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the Olympics, Erdoo has championed data literacy as a core competency for modern organisations. Her mission is to improve how people speak, read, and communicate data—empowering both technical and non-technical audiences to make confident, data-driven decisions.
Jamie Heaslip
Jamie is the Irish Growth Lead for Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform. He helps companies of all sizes use Stripe to launch new business models, enter new markets, and accelerate their growth. Jamie is a former Ireland rugby captain and start-up investor and mentor. He holds an MBA and a degree in Medical Engineering,
Joe Keating
Joe Keating is Senior Director of Data Analytics at Slalom, based in County Dublin, Ireland. He leads teams helping organisations turn data into insights, improve governance, and build analytics capabilities that fuel better decision-making.
Prior to Slalom, which he joined in November 2023, Joe was Head of Data Strategy & Data Governance at The Information Lab Ireland. He also lectures as an Adjunct Lecturer at UCD Professional Academy.
Joe has expertise in data quality, leadership, data strategy and governance, and training—grounded in practical delivery across business and public sector projects. He studied via the National College of Ireland and holds industry certifications in Microsoft technologies.
Jordan Morrow
Jordan Morrow is known as the "Godfather of Data Literacy", having helped pioneer and invent the entire field. He is also the founder and CEO of Bodhi Data and currently is the Senior Vice President of Data & AI Transformation for AgileOne, helping to utilize data and AI in the total talent management space. Jordan is a global trailblazer in the world of data literacy and enjoys his time traveling the world speaking and/or helping companies. He served as the Chair of the Advisory Board for The Data Literacy Project, has spoken at numerous conferences around the world, and is an active voice in the data and analytics community. He has also helped companies and organizations around the world, including the United Nations, build and/or understand data literacy.
Jordan is the author of three books: Be Data Literate, Be Data Driven, and Be Data Analytical, with his fourth book coming out in December 2024.
Louise McCormack
Louise McCormack is pursuing her PhD at the ADAPT Centre, University of Galway, where her research focuses on the responsible assessment of AI systems. Alongside her academic work, she serves as an AI consultant, guiding organisations on compliance with the EU AI Act and alignment with ISO/IEC 42001 standards. A TEDx speaker and published scholar in the Journal of AI and Ethics, she combines rigorous research with over ten years of professional experience in digital innovation and strategic leadership. Her work has been recognised with a number of industry and academic awards for her work in AI.
Marion Shaw
Marion Shaw is an award-winning data leader, currently serving as Senior Director Data, Analytics and Data Management at Cencora. With deep expertise in building high-performing data functions, accelerating data maturity, and unlocking business value through data, Marion is passionate about transforming how organizations leverage their information assets.
A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, she creatively adapts process improvement principles to the data domain, driving measurable outcomes and operational excellence. In 2024, Marion was recognized as Data IQ’s Data Leader of the Year and Corndel’s Data-Driven Leader, while her team at Chaucer earned the Data Team of the Year award from the London Market Forum.
Marion is a strong advocate for Women in Data & IT and champions Neurodiversity in the workplace. Known for her innovative approach to embedding data culture, she even designed the widely celebrated Data Escape Room to engage teams in data-driven thinking.
When she’s not shaping the future of data strategy, Marion enjoys life as a proud mom of two young daughters—and continues to inspire the next generation of leaders in tech and data
Michelle MacDonagh
Michelle MacDonagh is CEO of Intelligent Enterprises and a senior leader in data and analytics strategy. With a background in analytics implementation and digital transformation, she works with leading enterprises to modernise data platforms, design governance frameworks, and deliver insight-driven solutions at scale. Under her leadership, Intelligent Enterprises has become a trusted partner in combining analytics with finance and EPM solutions, helping organisations strengthen governance, decision making, and long term performance
Niall Maher
Niall Maher leads global Engineering for Innovation at Marsh McLennan, where he spearheads the deployment of AI and LLM applications across the organization's 90,000+ workforce worldwide. In this role, he drives practical AI implementation strategies that transform how one of the world's largest professional services companies operates, moving beyond experimentation to measurable enterprise-scale impact. Beyond his corporate leadership, Niall founded and runs Codú, Ireland's largest coding community, fostering technological innovation and knowledge sharing across the developer ecosystem. His diverse background spans roles as Lead Developer, Architect, Head of Product, and CTO, giving him a unique perspective on both the technical and strategic challenges of scaling AI solutions. Niall combines deep technical expertise with practical leadership experience, focusing on bridging the gap between AI possibilities and real-world business transformation at enterprise scale.
Oliver Williams
Oliver Williams leads the Tableau business across the UK & Ireland, driving the adoption of data visualisation and analytics platforms to empower organisations of all sizes. Originally with Salesforce’s UK&I FinTech division, Oliver brings deep experience supportingchallenger banks, payment firms, BaaS (Banking as a Service) providers, and broader financial services. His background includes leadership roles in Financial Services, working on risk analytics, market-facing solutions, and digital transformation. He is especially focused on translating data into actionable insight, fostering data-driven cultures, and helping customers makesmarter decisions faster.
Oliver holds a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences (Neuroscience) from the University of Edinburgh.
Patricia Rojas
Patricia is a highly accomplished data science leader with a background in mathematics and statistics, complemented by deep expertise in AI. Currently leading the Data Science team at Bank of Ireland, she brings a unique blend of corporate and academic experience with multiple industry awards recognition and experience across different sectors.
Phil Tetlow
Phil spent nearly 25 years at IBM as Chief Technical Architect and Academy of Technology Vice President, helping Fortune 100 companies build large-scale data, analytics and AI systems. He now works as a Freelance Advisor and Non-Executive Director.
He holds the first PhD in Web Science and serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton and Visiting Professor at Newcastle University. Phil is a Chartered Engineer, Open Group Distinguished IT Architect, and former Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
With over 35 years in IT, he specializes in web-based technologies, metadata and transformation at enterprise level. He has contributed to the World Wide Web Consortium's Semantic Web initiatives and advised the UK Government, Bank of England and major corporations on AI strategy.
Richard Skinner
Richard Skinner is a seasoned technology leader with over 16 years of experience in IT, specialising in AI operations and MLOps. As CEO of PhasedAI (also CEO of Phased) and former CTO of Marshmallow Pensions, he has built and scaled secure, machine learning-powered systems that drive value in enterprise settings.
Richard is known for helping organisations turn big data and ML into operational strength — creating scalable, secure solutions and enabling businesses to deploy AI in ways that are reliable and impactful.
Ruadhán Barry
Ruadhán Barry is Vice President of Product Management at Sitecore, based in Dublin, where he leads strategy across AI, personalisation, analytics for SaaS platforms. He focuses on innovative product management, the strategic use of data, AI, and human insight to guide content creation, curation, and distribution, and shaping new approaches to pricing in the AI era. Ruadhán is passionate about bridging advanced technology with real-world marketing outcomes, ensuring enterprises achieve both growth and agility in an AI-first era.
Sai Vajja
Sai Vajja is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Couchbase, the cloud data platform built for modern, data-intensive applications. With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, Sai partners with enterprise customers to architect scalable, multi-cloud solutions that power advanced AI, real-time analytics, and next-generation applications using NoSQL and DBaaS technologies. He holds a postgraduate degree in Computer Science and has a strong focus on helping organizations unlock value from their data through intelligent, cloud-native architectures. Outside of work and spending time with family, Sai is passionate about motorcycling, photography, and playing chess.
Sile Ni Liathain
Síle is currently a Senior Decisioning Architect in Bank of Ireland, with over 20 years broad CRM experience combining both business and technical skills. She has a background in Mathematics and more recently, a First Class Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence. She is responsible for the development of omni-channel customer engagement strategies in Pega, Bank of Ireland's Customer Engagement Engine - implementing Next Best Actions, the logic to drive customer engagement and the use of Adaptive/Predictive Modelling to deliver considerable positive outcomes for the Bank's customers and the Group.
Tiankai Feng
Tiankai is a data leader by day, a musician by night, and an optimist at heart. He is the author of "Humanizing Data Strategy", and is currently working as the Director for Data & AI Strategy at Thoughtworks. With 12+ years experiences in Data Analytics, Data Governance and Data Strategy, he found a passion for the human aspect of data: how to collaborate, communicate and be creative around data. He is passionate about making data more understood, approachable and fun through unconventional methods like music and memes.
More coming soon.
