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David Byrne, Group Managing Director at Merlin Group
Group Managing Director at Merlin Group, Irelands largest independently owned motor, plant/machinery & property group with operations in every sector of the industry and recent winner of a Deloitte Best Managed Company Award.
Dave recently starred in the RTE Documentary, The Auction House, an entertaining observational documentary which followed the staff at Merlin as they attempted to break into the world of distressed property sales.
Dave will put his can-do attitude and cheeky smile to good use as he explains just some of the innovative approaches he and his team have taken to make sure that they recruit and keep the best staff.
A graduate of Business & IT at undergraduate level, David also holds an MBS in Strategy and Planning from UCD Smurfit Business School. A qualified coach, during his free time fulfills the role of Director of Football at an emerging Dublin schoolboy team.
Merlin Group debuted on this year's first-ever list of the Best Small Workplaces in Ireland.
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Paul Candon, Corporate Services & Marketing Director, Topaz
Prior to this appointment, Paul held the position of Vice President Human Resources and Operations for Statoil Ireland. He holds an Honours Degree in Human Resources Management from Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management (MSc HRM) from Sheffield Hallam University. Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management FCIPD, a Member of the Irish Institute of Training and Development (IITD), and he is also the current Chairman of Retail Excellence Ireland.
Topaz has been recognised as one of Ireland's Best Workplaces each year since 2009 and is currently ranked 14th among the Best Large Workplaces in Europe. Topaz was the winner of the 2012 'Great Place to Work Team' Award in recognition of its commitment to ensuring that employees play a pivotal role in shaping the culture and quality of the workplace.
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Cathal Divilly, Managing Director, Great Place to Work, Ireland
Cathal Divilly brings nearly 10 years’ experience in research and management consulting to his role as Managing Director of Great Place to Work in Ireland. During his time with the Institute, Cathal has played a significant role in shaping the strategic direction of the business in Ireland and internationally.
He also has played a big role in developing and managing some of the Institute’s key partnerships such as the Irish Institute of Sport, the Irish Pensions Board, and Dublin Institute of Technology. Cathal specialises in helping organisations improve their workplace culture by designing company-wide workplace interventions and developing new and innovative people strategies. He is a regular speaker at management events both nationally and internationally.
Before joining the Institute, Cathal earned a degree in marketing and went on to obtain a Masters in Strategic Management from DIT.
Cathal is a sporting fanatic. Hurling is his number one game, followed closely by a developing obsession with golf.
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Jarlath Dooley, HR Director with Version 1 Software
Jarlath is HR Director with Version 1 Software, One of Ireland’s leading IT Consultancies. Prior to this, Jarlath was HR Director with FINEOS Corp and held senior HR roles with Iona Technologies and IBM Lotus.
Version 1 employs almost 300 people and in 2011 grew revenues by 40%. This growth is set to continue in 2012 and attracting high calibre people with scarce IT skills is a constant challenge. Becoming one of the Best Large Workplaces was a key objective in the company’s business strategy to help with this challenge and also with retention. Version 1 joined the Best Large Workplace listing for the first time in 2012.
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Caroline Grant, HR Director, Dell Ireland
Caroline Grant is responsible for managing all aspects of the Human Resources function on behalf of the 2,300 strong Dell team located at Dell's two Irish campuses in Cherrywood, Co. Dublin and Raheen, Co. Limerick.
In her capacity as HR Director she works in partnership with leaders across multiple business units including EMEA Commercial Sales, Global Operations and Services. Working with business leaders she implements strategies and people programmes designed to create an energetic working environment which fosters participation and productivity as well as ensuring that talent is developed and supported.
Caroline is a strategic contributor to the on-going programme of transformation and change that is taking place throughout Dell, working with the company's executives to ensure that the organisation has the skills and capability to achieve Dell Ireland's business objectives.
Before joining Dell Ireland in 2008, Caroline returned to Ireland from the UK in 2007, to take up an interim management role with Arnotts & Co Ltd, Dublin. Prior to that she was the HR Director, UK & Ireland for Elizabeth Arden Ltd, the global cosmetics company. She has also held HR roles with Unilever and Marks and Spencer.
Caroline has a Bachelor of Commerce from UCD.
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Bob Lee, Communications Director, EMEA, Great Place to Work Global
Bob Lee is Communications Director, EMEA, and a senior consultant with Great Place to Work®.
In this role, Bob is responsible for representing Great Place to Work at leading international conferences and events. He is a key member of the global senior team, and has served on the GPTW Global Advisory Board since 2011.
He founded Great Place to Work in Ireland in 2002 and served as CEO until 2010. Before this he held senior management positions in a number of organisations in Ireland and the UK over a twenty year period.
Bob holds an MBA from the UCD Smurfit Business School, writes and lectures extensively, and is a regular conference speaker and media commentator in Ireland and internationally.
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Amy Lyman, Great Place to Work Co-Founder & Author of The Trustworthy Leader
Amy Lyman has spent close to thirty years studying organisations and groups, seeking to understand what helps some groups to thrive while others stall and fall apart. Her current focus is on the key contributions of Trustworthy Leaders to the creation and support of successful groups and organisations.
In 1991, Amy co-founded the Great Place to Work® Institute, a San Francisco based research and consulting firm with over 40 affiliate offices around the world. Amy advises individual leaders and organisations interested in understanding and enhancing the practice of trustworthy behaviors. She has been a featured speaker at management workshops and conferences and also develops custom presentations and workshops for organisations and associations.
She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.S. from the University of California, Davis. She began her consulting work while a research fellow at the Wharton Center for Applied Research at Penn.
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Martina Murphy, Director of Operations, Scotland & Ireland, Bright Horizons
Martina Murphy qualified at The Institute of Technology in Waterford in 1985 with a National Diploma in Childcare. She has since achieved a BA in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management and an MBA from The Smurfit Graduate School, UCD.
Prior to joining Bright Horizons, Martina managed a successful Early Care & Education Centre in Dublin. In addition she acted as a consultant and advisor to a number of individuals setting up day nurseries and has strong skills in the area of human resource management. As Director of Operations for Scotland and Ireland Martina oversees the operations of all Bright Horizons nurseries in those countries.
Bright Horizons has been honoured among the Best Workplaces in Ireland since 2008, and is currently ranked 17th among the Best Large Workplaces in Europe.
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Valerie O'Riordan, HR Director at Diageo Ireland
Valerie has extensive experience in a wide range of Human Resource areas - from Talent and Capability development, to designing and managing shared services, leading Employee Engagement as well as managing large scale change - all areas which are relevant to these changing times. She has worked extensively across the food and drinks sector (in major corporations such as Nestle as well as Diageo) and she has operated in other parts of Europe as well as in Ireland.
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Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland
Paul was appointed to this role in December 2007. As MD he is responsible for Microsoft Corporation’s business in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and also represents Microsoft on all strategic policy and communications issues in Ireland.
Prior to being appointed MD, Paul was the Managing Director for Microsoft’s European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations Centre, based in Sandyford, Co. Dublin. Previously, he held the position of Finance Director for Microsoft Operations in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
Paul was President of the American Chamber of Commerce in 2008 and continues to be a board member of the organisation. He is also a member of the Governing Body of IBEC, is a member of the Board of the IMI and of the National Digital Research Centre.
Microsoft was this year named as Best Large Workplace in Ireland for the 4th consecutive year. Internationally, Microsoft is recognised on 26 individual GPTW lists, the company is also recognised as the Best Multinational Workplace in Europe and was named last October as the Best MNC Workplace in the World.
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Bob Savage, Vice President and General Manager, EMC Ireland
Bob took over as General Manager in 2008 and has been with EMC Corporation for over 22 years. He has worked in a number of divisions while at EMC including: engineering, manufacturing and customer service. Bob has a degree in Electronic Engineering from Cork Institute of Technology, is a chartered member of the Institute of Engineers in Ireland and has a Diploma in Strategic Management. Prior to EMC, Bob worked for a number of small and medium enterprises in Ireland and lectured at CIT for a number of years. He is a member of the board of Enterprise Ireland.
Bob was named Ireland’s Most Trusted Leader at our tenth annual Best Workplace Awards which were presented by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton TD on Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Savage’s approachable and accessible management style at EMC was one of the key factors leading to the Most Trusted Leader accolade being awarded to a Cork native for the very first time. Previous winners include John Kennedy (Diageo – 2011) and Danuta Grey (Telefonica Ireland – 2010).
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John Ryan, CEO Great Place to Work, Ireland
John Ryan has been CEO at Great Place to Work in Ireland since January 2011. Previously, John was self-employed as a management consultant, providing services to indigenous organisations as well as foreign multinationals in the areas of Strategic Decision Making, Communications and Positive Behaviour Building.
A former broadcast journalist, John is a graduate of Business from Dublin City University having a specialisation in Marketing. He also holds a qualification from the University of Maynooth.
John lives in Bray, County Wicklow, with his wife Kelly and three young children. He loves golf and football (Arsenal fan). He also has a passion for current affairs and was Mayor of his local town and is a local county councillor.
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Debbie Smith, Managing Director at Boots Ireland
Debbie Smith, Managing Director of Boots Ireland, has worked for the pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer for 26 years. She originally began her career as a Boots pharmacist and quickly progressed through various roles including store, area and regional manager. Debbie was appointed as Managing Director of Boots Ireland in April 2010 having previously been the Eastern Divisional Director for Boots UK.
Throughout her career with Boots, Debbie has consistently demonstrated her unwavering commitment for outstanding customer care combined with a deep intuitive understanding of the Health and Beauty business. She is now driving the expansion of Boots Ireland through the provision of exceptional customer care, great value and new innovative products and services across pharmacy, health and beauty. There are currently 71 Boots stores in Ireland which employ over 1,900 people nationwide.
Boots Ireland has been recognised among the Best Workplaces in Ireland each year since 2008, and won this year's 'Developing' Award. Debbie was one of four candidates shortlisted by Great Place to Work as 'Irelands Most Trusted Leader' 2012.
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Cormac Tobin, Managing Director, Docmorris / Unicarepharmacy
Cormac Tobin is managing director of the 72-store DocMorris /Unicarepharmacy group. Previously, he was Retail Director of Superquinn for 29 years from 1977 to 2006. He started in Superquinn aged just 13, and became Superquinn’s youngest store manager at age 23. He was a member of the board by the year 2000, and went on to become MD of Unicarepharmacy in 2006.
This company, currently rebranding as DocMorris, employs over 850 people in 72 pharmacies in Ireland, and is part of the multinational, €22 billion Celesio group.
Unicarepharmacy has been recognised as one of Ireland's Best Workplaces each year since 2007 and was included among the Best Workplaces in Europe in four of those five years. The company won this year's 'Speaking' Award for its great communication practices, and Cormac himself was one of four candidates shortlisted for the award of 'Ireland's Most Trusted Leader' 2012.
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Emmet Wrafter, HR Manager, Abbott Laboratories
Emmet Wrafter is a HR Manager with Abbott Laboratories. Emmet has worked in his current position with Abbott’s Commercial Operation in Ireland for 5 years. During that time he has supported 4 independent divisions promoting Abbott’s Pharmaceutical, Diagnostics, Diabetes and Nutrition products in the Irish Market. Abbott’s commercial site in Dublin has been recognised for 9 years in a row on the list of Ireland's Best Workplaces and over those years has received special recognition for Well-being, Respect and Fairness as well as a number of Top 10 and European recognitions.
Before joining Abbott’s commercial operation Emmet worked in one of Abbott’s manufacturing sites in Sligo. Prior to working in the manufacturing site with Abbott, Emmet worked in a policy role reporting to the HR Director for Ireland. Before joining Abbott Emmet worked with Fannin Healthcare for 5 years. In this role he was the sole HR professional supporting the business.
Emmet holds an MA in Organisational Psychology and BA in Psychology from University College Dublin.
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