Greg Byrne's career spans successful new ventures and enterprise start ups. Most recently he developed and positioned the Ernst & Young 'Entrepreneur of the Year' Awards Programme as a platform for fostering entrepreneurship in Ireland. In September 2004, he published a new book on entrepreneurial marketing titled 'The Winning Marketing Decisions That Grow A Business – How Successful Entrepreneurs Do It'. He created (and is currently facilitating) a 'real-marketing-that-works' community resource for Irish and international entrepreneurs looking to take their ventures to the next level- www.marketing4entrepreneurs.com.

 

David Pierce is a Director of Ulster Bank Corporate Markets. He also is a Director of Ulster Bank Commercial Services Limited.

David joined Ulster Bank in 1978 from Deloitte where he completed his Accountancy Articles. He worked with Ulster Investment Bank and Ulster Bank Commercial Services, before taking up his current position as Sales & Marketing Director for the Corporate Markets division of the Bank. He has also had responsibility for marketing the Ulster Bank Group to overseas business locating in Ireland and works with many international contacts.

David has been involved with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce for many years and served as President in 2004. David is currently President of Chambers Ireland.

He is a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and a Past President of the Leinster Region ACCA. He was awarded the ACCA Accountant of the year Award in 2004. He is also a member of the Institute of Bankers and the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

 

Liam Nellis has worked in the Public Service since 1973. For most of this time Liam has been involved in economic issues such as labour market, tourism and small business policy in Northern Ireland.  
 
In 1990 he established NI-CO, the public sector marketing company and was CEO for 7 years. In 1997 he joined IDB where he became Executive Director of the organisation involved in attracting inward investment to Northern Ireland. Since 2000 Liam has been Chief Executive of InterTradeIreland the organization set-up by the British & Irish Governments to enhance trade and business development links across the Island of Ireland.  
 
Liam has a law degree from the University of London and a Masters Degree in Policy & Planning and Administration from the University of Ulster.  

Padraig O'Ceidigh is the Chairman of Aer Arann. From its beginnings as a small Irish island-hopping airline, O'Ceidigh has driven Aer Arann to its current position as one of the fastest growing regional airlines in the world with a turnover in excess of EUR100 million and annual passenger numbers in excess of 1.2 million.  
 
A fluent Irish speaker Padraig trained as an accountant in NUIG and has also worked as a teacher and solicitor. Padraig is also a Harvard University Alumni. He owns the Irish language newspaper Foinse and Fuinseog Teo among many other business interests.  
 
Padraig was named Ernst and Young Irish Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 and went on to represent Ireland in the World Entrepreneur of the Year awards in Monte Carlo in 2003. He was a judge for the Irish Entrepreneur of the Year every year since and a member of the world judging panel in June 2004 and again in 2005. He was named Galway Person of the Year in 2004 and received special recognition from NUIG in 2002 winning the Bank of Ireland Award for Business and Commerce for his significant contribution to Irish society and to the Irish economy in particular. Padraig is an honorary member of the MBA Association of Ireland, a director of Failte Ireland and executive Chair of the NUIG Masters in Business Program for 2007/08.

Maeve Dineen is business editor of the Irish Independent. She previously held the position of editor of the Farming Independent for the five years. Maeve has also presented the RTÉ series Ear to the Ground and has contributed regularly to radio and TV programmes such as Questions and Answers. She holds a degree in agricultural science from UCD and a master's in communications from Queen's University Belfast/Dublin City University.

Founder of and currently Managing Director of Morrissey Media Ltd, a publishing company set up 5 years ago that publishes flag ship publication, Irish Entrepreneur which is now Ireland's largest selling business publication.  
 
An accomplished keynote speaker at major Irish and global business events Morrissey also is a Batchelor of Music and holds a degree in classical animation. Having won a scholarship to work for Walt Disney she became senior layout artist on some world movie blockbusters. Prior to setting up her own publishing Business, she held senior management positions in Irish and UK national business newspapers.  
 
Maree was recently a judge for RTE's 8 part TV series, The Fund, a search for Ireland's brightest entrepreneurs and is currently patron of Ireland's only support centre for Irish women in business, FIEW, based in Waterford.

Pat Maher is Executive Director at Enterprise Ireland since 1998. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and has an MBA from Fordham University.  
 
Pat's previous position was Director for EI in Britain with responsibility for Ireland's largest export market. He also worked in the Irish Trade Board/ABT's Paris and Brussels offices. His industry experience includes Esso and Unidare in Ireland, and Old Mutual in South Africa.  
 
He is a Council Member of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the European Association of Development Agencies, and the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (UK). Pat is on the board of the Mentor Programme Ltd and Enterprise Equity Investment Fund Ltd.

Eddie Brown joined Ulster Bank in June 1988 where he has played an active role in the establishment, development and growth of the Invoice Finance business. Over the years Eddie has held a number of leadership roles including Head of Operations, Company Secretary and Director of Sales and Client Relations. In March 2006 Eddie took on his current role as Managing Director of Ulster Bank Invoice Finance. Prior to joining Ulster Bank Eddie spent 10 years working for the Irish subsidiary of Bayer AG, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceutical and chemical products.  
 
Eddie holds a Masters Degree in Management (Organisational Behaviour) from Trinity College Dublin.