MEET THE
SPEAKERS
PETER BURKE, TD
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Peter Burke is Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. He previously served as the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, and the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning in the Irish Government. Before being appointed to government, Peter sat on the Oireachtas Finance and Public Accounts Committees and has been a frequent media commentator on tax and financial issues.
He was born in Mullingar, Ireland and attended National University of Ireland, Galway where he studied Commerce. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession with ten years’ experience in the private sector. Peter served as a Councillor on Westmeath County Council from 2007 until he was elected to the Dáil in 2016. He is married to Olivia and they have two young sons, Leo and Ted.
Recently, Minister Burke launched the Government’s Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, spearheaded Ireland’s new tourism policy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, and advanced Ireland’s first ever Semiconductor Strategy – Silicon Island. He has a particular focus on scaling indigenous enterprise, the promotion of innovation in Ireland’s business ecosystem and advancing artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in the Irish economy.
MICHAEL MAGNER
Irish Hotels Federation President
Michael Magner is the 40th President of the Irish Hotels Federation. A native of Kileedy, Co. Limerick, Mr Magner is owner of the historic Cork's Vienna Woods Hotel. He has studied Hotel Management and holds a masters degree in Business in HRM from the University of Limerick. He began his career in hospitality aged 16 in Newcastle West, Limerick, going on to work at the Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel in Adare.
Michael has been an active branch member of the IHF since 2006 and has served as Chair of the Cork branch, a two-year term as National Vice President, and as a member of the National Council and Management Committee. He currently sits as Chair of Cobh Heritage Trust and a Director of the Board of Visit Cork.
CLAIRE BROCK
TV Presenter, Journalist & Broacaster
A seasoned broadcaster and journalist with more than twenty years’ experience working in television and radio, Claire Brock is a news and current affairs presenter, interviewer, and moderator. Most recently she’s been a regular presence on RTE Radio, across its current affairs programming, where she has hosted Drivetime on Radio One.
As presenter of the Tonight Show, the flagship current affairs programme on Virgin Media Television, Claire cemented her reputation as an experienced anchor, regarded for bringing clarity, depth and relevance to topics that resonate with the audience. With incisive interview skills, Claire guides lively analysis of often complex subjects, covering the big issues of the day in a relatable and compelling way, while bringing empathy and clarity when talking to people at the heart of the story.
MARTIN KEMP
Musician, Actor & TV Personality
Martin Kemp is a treasured household name with an impressive number of strings to his bow. Martin’s career set off in 1979, when he formed the new romantic band Spandau Ballet playing bass guitar. The group went on to tour the world and had several Top 20 hits in the 80’s. The single ‘True’ made the American Top 10. Alongside his music career, Martin has had a successful acting career, starring alongside his brother Gary in the film ‘The Krays’, which was a huge success, playing the infamous Steve Owen in BBC’s BAFTA Award winning drama series EastEnders, and starring as Billy Flynn in the West End run of Chicago in 2018. Martin currently hosts his own show, Greatest Hits, on Hits Radio and for the past 3 years, has toured around the country with his ‘Back to the 80’s’ DJ sets. Martin is a television regular, and has appeared on numerous shows, notably acting as a Judge on BBC’s entertainment show ‘Let it Shine’, and as a contestant on Channel 4’s ‘Bear Grylls: The Island’. Martin and his son Roman are part of the regular cast for ‘Celebrity Gogglebox’ on Channel 4 and hosted their morning show ‘Weekend Best’ on ITV. Together, they now co-host the podcast ‘FFS! My Dad is Martin Kemp!’.
CLARE MCALLISTER
Electric Ireland, Business Sales & Service Manager
Clare is responsible for commercial sales and service across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, from Large
Energy Users to Small and Medium Enterprises. Clare has played an integral role in the success of Electric Ireland since having joined as a Customer Relationship Manager in 2004 – a position which has helped shape and inform her
customer centred approach to client management.
Her knowledge and understanding of thewider economic environment as previous Chair and Honorary Secretary of the Energy Institute Northern Ireland branch, a member of the Board of the Centre of Advanced Sustainable Energy and of ESB Independent Energy’s Board of Directors, positions Clare perfectly to develop Electric Ireland’s growing
market share in Ireland.
DECLAN FLOOD
Musgrave Wholesale Partners, Director of Foodservice & MarketPlace
Declan is responsible for leading the growth of the Foodservice business within Musgrave Wholesale Partners including the seven Musgrave MarketPlace Food Emporiums across the Republic of Ireland.
Declan is committed to bringing cutting-edge products to market, while ensuring that existing offerings continue to meet the highest standards of quality and customer expectations. An accomplished leader, Declan has more than 20 years’ experience in sales leadership spanning sales and channel management across field sales, inside sales and digital sales in B2B and B2C markets.
Before joining Musgrave, Declan held several senior commercial roles, most recently as Head of Sales in Bulmers and prior to this, in Sysco and Eir.
PAUL GALLAGHER
Irish Hotels Federation Chief Executive
Paul joined the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) in January 2025. He is a past President of the IHF and former Chair of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Paul was previously General Manager of Buswells Hotel, Dublin for 27 years. He is a Government appointee to Tourism Ireland as a Non-Executive Director and has previously served on numerous Government taskforces, including the Tourism Recovery Oversight Group, the Brexit Taskforce, the Advisory Group on Small Business, the Tourism Recovery Taskforce and Grow Dublin Taskforce.
Paul is a fellow of the Irish Hospitality Institute and holds a Master’s Degree in Business and Hospitality as a graduate of the University of Galway and Shannon College of Hotel Management.
ERIFILI GOUNARI
Gen Z Expert, Founder & CEO at The Z Link
Erifili Gounari is an entrepreneur, author, social media strategist and public speaker. She’s one of the leading global
voices on all-things Gen Z and social media strategy. Erifili’s work as Founder and CEO at The Z Link is paving the way in the field of Gen Z marketing and engagement.
Since launching in 2020, The Z Link has helped brands such as
Deloitte, the United Nations, Pepsi and IKEA. Erifili is listed on Forbes ‘30 Under 30 Europe’ and she has been featured in major media publications such as the Wall Street Journal, NBC News and Business Insider.
PETER COSGROVE
Founder of Futurewise
Peter Cosgrove is the founder of Futurewise, a future of work insights company focused on workplace trends, technology, and talent transformation. Peter researches and publishes widely on hybrid work, remote work, automation, and AI’s impact on jobs. Companies bring Peter in to help leaders understand the skills of the future and prepare for what’s coming next. He also speaks on engaging men in gender diversity conversations, providing practical and inclusive solutions.
Peter has written two books, Fun Unplugged and Family Fun Unplugged, designed to get families off screens and reconnected. He also chairs multiple non-profits, giving him real insight into leadership under pressure.
DOUG LANSKY
Travel Writer + Tourism Development Advisor
Doug Lansky is a Stockholm-based tourism expert who spent 20 years as a travel journalist, editor and author contributing to such publications as The Guardian, National Geographic Traveller and Lonely Planet.
The author of ten books, Doug has given three TEDx Talks and presented to hundreds of major tourism destinations, introducing audiences around the world to new insights on smart tourism, destination management and the future of travel.
ALICE MANSERGH
Tourism Ireland Chief Executive
Alice Mansergh is Chief Executive at Tourism Ireland, the organisation with leadership responsibility for marketing the island of Ireland to overseas visitors. Collaborating with industry and government, Alice and the Tourism Ireland team are proud to grow the contribution overseas tourism makes to economies and communities across the island. Previously, Alice spent 19 years leading large-scale commercial organisations at Google. As Managing Director, UK & Ireland Customer Solutions, she helped hundreds of thousands of businesses to digitise and succeed online. During a period in London, Alice led Google’s own consumer marketing, growing iconic brands like Google Chrome to market-leading positions. Alice is passionate about tourism and has not let a year of her life go by without holidaying around the island of Ireland. From 2018 to 2023, she served on the board of Fáilte Ireland.
CAROLINE BOCQUEL
Fáilte Ireland Chief Executive
Caroline Bocquel serves as Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland, bringing more than two decades of experience in strategic leadership, innovation, and sustainable growth across the public and NGO. Before joining Fáilte Ireland, Caroline was Chief Executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), where she led significant organisational transformation during a period of major industry change. Her career also includes senior leadership roles in financial management and governance, including Chief Financial Officer at GOAL and Director of Corporate Services at the Marine Institute.
DANNY MCCOY
Irish Business & Employers Confederation Chief Executive
Danny McCoy is Chief Executive Officer of Ibec, Ireland’s largest business representative organisation and one of the largest in Europe, since 2009. He is a graduate in Commerce from the University of Galway and postgraduate in Economics from University College Dublin. He has held lecturing posts at University College London, University of Oxford, TCD andDCU. He has been senior economist at the Central Bank of Ireland and the ESRI as well as being a consultant to the European Commission in Brussels and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. Danny is currently the Chair of Business Europe Task Force on Security and Defence, Employer Leader on the tripartite Labour Employer Economic Forum, Executive Committee of BusinessEurope, advisory committee of the Marine, Resource and Energy Institute (MaREI), member of both the State Investment and Trade Council and the Balance for Better Business group.
JEZ ROSE
Author, Presenter & Ceramic Artist
Jez’s career began in television, presenting for the BBC, ITV, Discovery, and QVC. Over more than 20 years he has appeared on programmes including BBC Breakfast and Saturday Kitchen. With a passion for exploring how to live and work with greater meaning, his 2015 book Flip the Switch: Achieve Extraordinary Things with Simple Changes to How You Think became a number one bestseller.
Its success established Jez as a sought-after keynote speaker and consultant, helping global organisations—including 93 of the Fortune 100—understand behaviour, mindset, and the science of change, inspiring audiences in more than 48 countries.
CHARLIE CURSON
Strategic Advisor, Author & Leadership Coach
Charlie Curson is the founder of Mandarin, a strategic advisor, investor, facilitator and accredited leadership coach. With 25+ years’ experience across 250+ organisations – including VISA, McDonald’s, Unilever, Experian, Volkswagen Group, L’Oréal and Barclays – he helps leaders and teams strengthen strategic thinking, make better decisions, and turn clarity into action. He is the international best-selling author of ‘Be More Strategic: 12 Essential Practices to Build the Life and Career You Want’, and is a featured contributor to leading global publications including Forbes, Fast Company, Entrepreneur and People Management (CIPD).
TOM MCDERMOTT
Founder and Managing Director of Agility Hospitality
Tom is a hospitality specialist helping hotels improve performance by streamlining processes, standardising ways of working, and unlocking the potential of their teams. Founded in 2020, Agility Hospitality works with hotel owners, leadership teams and frontline team-members. The focus is on embedding a practical continuous improvement mindset that delivers real results. These include improved productivity, stronger margins, better guest experiences and more engaged teams. Tom and his team are known for cutting through complexity, helping hotel leaders move from firefighting to flow by identifying low-hanging fruit and building improvement capability within their own teams without adding layers of bureaucracy or extra workload. Previously Tom held senior operational and leadership roles in hotel groups and went on to lead Hilton’s Operational Excellence programme across EMEA, working closely with GMs to standardise everyday processes and improve operational performance at scale.
SARAH DUIGNAN
Director of Client Relationships at STR
Sarah is STR’s director of client relationships and is based in London. Prior to joining the business Sarah spent 7 years in hotel operations in Ireland and held a variety of roles including on Front desk, in reservations, sales and event management. She joined the HotelBenchmark team at Deloitte in 2005 as a Business Development Executive, later becoming an Account Manager responsible for a number of key international clients. Sarah regularly attends and presents at hotel operator and industry events, spreading greater awareness of STR’s benchmarking services. Sarah holds an honours degree in translation (German & Spanish) from Dublin City University (DCU).
RORY O'CONNELL
Chef, Author and Food Ambassador
Having spent more than twenty years cooking in the world's finest kitchens, Rory O'Connell is uniquely equipped to share his expertise and knowledge with others. His work has not solely been confided to the classroom or kitchen, being asked to act as a food ambassador for Ireland on many occasions. Rory has addressed both the hospitality and tourism industry at home and abroad in countries as diverse as Greece, South Africa, Italy, Denmark and Britain.
Today, he teaches at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, is the celebrated author of two books, and has filmed a number of successful series following his culinary travels for RTÉ.
RAYMOND KEANEY
TU Dublin Head of Hospitality Management Discipline
Ray is Head of the Hospitality Management Discipline at the School of Tourism & Hospitality Management, TU Dublin. He lecturers in international tourism policy and in 2023, was appointed by the European Commission to its expert group ‘Together for EU Tourism’ (T4T). In this role he has served as Chair of the ‘tourism strategies’ sub-group and Co-Chair of the ‘tourism governance’ sub-group. In 2025, he was appointed to a working group, led by the European Innovation Council and the SME’s Executive Agency (EISMEA), aimed at enhancing awareness and accessibility of EU funding opportunities for the tourism sector. He is a member of Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Association Conference Strategy Implementation Group’ and European Movement Ireland.
KEITH BARRY
TV hypnotist and mentalist
Renowned as the world's foremost TV hypnotist, mentalist and Brain Hacker, Keith has been revolutionising the entertainment industry on a global scale for numerous years. With his awe-inspiring abilities, he has been featured in over forty international television shows, captivating audiences with his mind-bending performances. Over the past two decades Keith has also written, produced and performed many of his own live and virtual shows, selling out venues across the world.
BOOK
NOW
Hoteliers, Exhibitors, Associates and Affiliates can all book the conference and accommodation using the link below. Please note that booking is through a third party and all fees must be paid directly to Advantage PCO and not the IHF. You can choose from discounted packages or select individual functions.
Packages Available: