Speakers
Ciaran Hickey
Bronagh Riordan AI & Data partner at EY Ireland & Ciaran Hickey, Partner at EY
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.Withover 14 years’ experience in Data Science and AI, Ciarán combines deep technical expertise with a focus on bringing new andemergingmethodologies into production. His work spans advanced model development, AI solution deployment, and embedding Responsible AI best practices from the start.Heworks 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.
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.