Judges

Rick joined Facebook in June of 2009 as the Director of EMEA Sales within the Global Marketing Solutions team.

In this role, Rick helps oversee Facebook’s expanding advertising efforts with an emphasis on emerging brands, ad agencies and large direct response advertisers.

Rick spent seven years starting and leading similar teams for Yahoo! in both Boston and Barcelona, Spain.  A native of Boston, Rick currently lives in Dublin with his wife Kim and son Ben.

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Clare Dillon

Developer and platform group lead

Microsoft Ireland

Dr. Stephen Brennanhas a long track record in digital content and technologies and specialises in helping digital startups.

He has development of a host of successful digital education initiatives focused on the unemployed and young people. He was appointed Director of Marketing and Strategy of the Digital Hub Development Agency in December 2003.

Before that worked he with a succession of very successful Irish technology companies such as: Iona Technologies and Aldiscon.

He is a: special advisor to the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources, member of the IBEC TIF and R&D groups, chairs the Digital Hub CEO forum and established ‘CreativeD’ a creative industries network in Dublin. He holds a BA and PhD in Physics from the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

Barry McMullin is an Associate Professor in the School of Electronic Engineering of Dublin City University (DCU), and also Director of the e-Accessibility lab of the Rince Engineering Research Institute at DCU.

The e-Accessibility lab has been responsible for a number of large scale evaluations of web accessibility across European states, including an EU-wide study of e-Government accessibility.The lab is also active in the development of novel web browsing tools specifically targeted at users with certain disabilities.

Barry has been a member of the W3C WAI Education and Outreach Working group, and is currently a member of the Approvals Board for the Excellence Through Accessibility award of the National Disability Authority.

Ronan is Director of Google Ireland, and heads up Google’s Large Customer Sales division for Google EMEA.

Ronan joined Google in 2005 and based in Google’s EMEA headquarters, he has focused on growing the online sales channel for new and existing markets and also launched online operations for Google Checkout.

A graduate in electronic engineering at University College Dublin, Ronan began his career with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation at their Information Storage Products division in Japan. He went on to spend nine years in Japan working in consulting and technology before returning to Ireland in 2001 to work in private equity before joining Google.

Emmet Ryan works full time in communications and marketing while also being a freelance journalist based in Dublin working with several media organisations including, the Irish Times and the Sunday Business Post.In 2009 Emmet won the IIA Net Visionary Journalist award.

In 2008 he was a finalist in the Specialist category at the Irish Business Journalist Awards.He has written extensively about developments in the internet and how new media is changing our everyday lives and is a regular guest on several national and local radio stations.

Active in charity work, Emmet walked a 500 mile route from Malin Head to Mizen Head in 2009 in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and has completed 8 marathons for the same charity.

Laurence has 13 years experience online and has been working as a senior analyst with leading user experience company, iQ Content for the last six years.

Since joining iQ Content, he has worked on a variety of usability and user experience projects, in the areas of education, healthcare, media, telecoms and eGovernment.Laurence specialises in user centred design, user testing, analytics and conversion rate optimisation.

Hugh McAtamney is a lecturer and researcher in the domains of Digital Games, Digital Media, Virtual Reality and Visualisation.

He is course chair of the MSc in Digital Games and MA in Creative Digital Media in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and is founder of the Experimental Gaming Group [EGG] and the www.seriousgames.ie wiki. This group, in conjunction with the Learning & Technology Centre in DIT, focuses on developing and researching proof of concept education based ‘serious games’.

The wiki acts as a portal to research and development in the serious games domain along with a portfolio of student projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. He is a features writer for gamedevelopers.ie (Irish Game Developers Association) and a frequent contributor to newspaper articles, magazines and radio interviews on video game related topics.

Dusty Rhodes is a renowned radio DJ, having worked with 2FM, Atlantic 252 and many other radio stations since the 80′s.

In 2002 Dusty saw an opening in the Irish market for a new radio venture and established Digital Audio Productions with a view to developing this business. Since then DAP has successfully created a niche producing high quality syndicated radio programmes.

The quality of the work has been noted at the PPI Radio Awards. In 2004, the Irish language chart show Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann beat national and major regional competition to win the Music Programming Weekly Award.

In 2005 DAP was the first independent company to be awarded a nomination for a commercial series on RTE “Net Nanny” which also went on to win accolades at the PPI Radio Awards.The following year this success was consolidated with a PPI Radio Award win for “CGI: Computers Games Internet – another programme series for national broadcaster RTE.

Dusty is currently Vice-Chairman of the Independent Radio Producers of Ireland, lectures for Éist, the Irish broadcast training organisation and most recently was named one of the Most Influential People in Irish Radio by leading newspaper the Sunday Tribune.

Colin Baker began appearing on Tv3′s Ireland AM some years ago by invite to talk about the latest gadgets and gizmos on the market and has been going back ever since to, in his own enthusiastic style, educate the country on the latest developments in computers and technology every Wednesday morning.

He also visits radio stations around the country to chat even further about his passion. Colin Baker began his technology retail stores, Back from the Future, almost 10 years ago in Dublin’s Aungier street, borne less out of business acumen or financial ambition, (quite devoid of it!) and more like a child looking to play at having a gadget shop.

Despite a general lack of business skills, Colin’s over-riding passion for gadgets and technology and helping people with same dragged him through the quagmire of running a small retail business and established Back from the Future as a well known and loved “micro-force” within the tech industry in Ireland.

Lead by customer demand and his desire to “solve problems” the business evolved into a laptop and technology repair lab – the most advanced in Ireland. Despite 10 years passing, he still has no office, and enjoys mostly working on the shop floor in Aungier street, Dublin 2, helping customers with their queries and problems!

Darragh Doyle is the Community Manager of WorldIrish.com.He teaches and trains companies on online customer service and engagement and helps charities, small business and high profile brands communicate with people.He’s talks about the internet a lot.

He is an entertainment and events blogger, sharing experiences, interviews, photos, reviews and stories on a variety of platforms and on the website http://yay.ie.

His use of social media allows the companies and charities he helps get their message out to many people.He posts very bad jokes on twitter and does not, surprisingly, have a blue nose in real life.

You’ll find him at
http://thisiswhatido.org and http://yay.ie
http://www.linkedin.com/in/darraghdoyle
http://twitter.com/darraghdoyle

Peter Kinahan is Managing Director of Kapito, a media production company that specialises in interactive financial literacy content and applications for the financial services industry.

He is publisher and a director of mycash.ie, the ground-breaking personal finance website. He is also Director of Content and Research at Lafferty Group, London, providers of industry intelligence and research to the global retail banking and cards and payments industry.

He frequently attends and chairs Lafferty events worldwide.

Peter was formerly Markets Editor with the Sunday Business Post. He is also the former Head of Content with Intuition, the IFSC-based financial markets eLearning company.

Krishna De (http://www.KrishnaDe.com) is an award winning digital marketing and social media speaker and mentor and her expertise in leveraging digital marketing and social media is featured in several highly acclaimed books.

Krishna has worked in with clients across the globe including leaders of FTSE 100 companies, public sector agencies, professional services firms, non-profits and the media guiding them on how to integrate social media communications to support their business strategy.

Ask Krishna your social media marketing questions at www.Facebook.com/KrishnaDe, join her on Google Plus at www.KrishnaDe.com/googleplus, connect with her on www.Twitter.com/KrishnaDe and watch her digital marketing video tutorials at www.YouTube.com/BizGrowthTV

Jim graduated from Queen’s University, Canada with a degree in Science and Education in 1987. While living in Canada Jim was briefly involved with teaching before moving into sales and marketing with Merck Frosst Canada Inc.

In 1993 Jim moved to Ireland and graduated from University College Dublin with an MBA.In 1994 Jim joined Bioniche Canada Inc. as Business Development Manager and was stationed in Dublin with a brief to develop heir European business.

In 1997 Jim became Chief Executive of ECDL Ireland Ltd. (T/A ICS SKILLS) and has since established the ECDL as the leading computer literacy certification in Ireland.

In 2002 Jim was elected Chairman of the Board of the European Computer Driving Licence Foundation, the governing body for ECDL and ICDL worldwide.In addition to ICS SKILLS and ECDL Foundation responsibilities in January 2004 Jim became the Chief Executive of the Irish Computer Society.

Jim served as President of the Ireland Canada Business Association from 1998 to 2000 and is a Member of the MBA Association and Institute of Directors.

David Scanlon works as part of Enterprise Ireland’s Internet Marketing Unit to help Irish companies develop a strategic approach to online marketing.

With a background in web development and technology, David works with Enterprise Ireland clients to assess how they can create a best-fit between their own business development objectives, and the opportunities presented by the Web.

David has a particular interest in the area of Social Media Marketing, and is actively engaged in developing its use within Enterprise Ireland, in terms of both communications with clients, as well as operational use amongst staff.

David is also the joint curator of the BestConnected blog, a well-respected source of updates on the Irish software community, while also actively promoting the success of the sector to the world.

Eamon McGrane is a freelance media consultant, editor and journalist.

He has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Daily Mail, Sunday Business Post, Sunday Tribune and Sunday Independent.In addition he has also contributed to specialist magazines such as Business Plus, Computerscope, Irish Computer and many others.

He has wide experience as an editor and has previously edited magazines such as Irish Computer and AMT for CPG (now Mediateam).

Eamon also offers media consultancy services and has worked with companies such as Memory Bank and Logitech. He has also contributed to various TV and radio programmes.

Andy Prothero is an Associate Professor of Marketing at University College Dublin.

Prior to moving to UCD in 1999 Andrea lectured at Universities in Wales and Scotland and also spent a sabbatical period at Arizona State University in 2002.Andy’s research broadly explores the area of Marketing in Society. Specific research projects have focused on, for example, advertising to children,  motherhood and consumption,  and sustainable consumption, and she has published widely in these areas.

Andy was the Guest Editor of a special issue on Green Marketing in the Journal of Marketing Management in 1998 and she currently serves as co-editor of the Global Policy and the Environment Track for the Journal of Macromarketing, and as Associate Editor for the Sustainability Track for the Journal of Marketing Management.

Andy teaches at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive levels, and won a UCD School of Business “Outstanding Educator” award for her postgraduate teaching in 2002, and another School of Business teaching award for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in 2009.

She is currently leading the implementation of the new UG curriculum for the School of Business which is due for launch in September 2011.

Siubhán Nic Grianna heads up the Communications and Marketing Department of Údarás na Gaeltachta, the state development agency with responsibility for the economic, social and cultural development of Irelands Gaeltacht areas.

In her current position since 2007, Siubhán manages the public relations, communications, and marketing functions of the organisation, which includes responsibility for all online marketing activities.

She managed the redevelopment of a new Údarás website which won the Best Irish Language category in the 2008 Irish EGovernment Awards. Prior to this Siubhán held a Regional Development role where she had the responsibility of assessing and administering regional aid supports and providing advice and guidance to tourism-based projects in the Gaeltacht.

She was also central to the establishment and development of the GaelSaoire Gaeltacht Holidays marketing brand which placed the Gaeltacht areas on the map as unique tourism destinations.Siubhán holds an MA in International Tourism and a BA in European Studies, both from the University of Limerick.

Dr. Kevin Byrne is currently Head of Department of Print and Digital Media at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. He is also Interim Director of the Print and Packaging Forum.

Kevin’s career commenced with Defence Forces prior to moving to Print Options to take on the role as managing director.

In addition to this Kevin has worked in quality and project management roles with both Brookfield Printing and Microprint and was managing director of FM²before taking on his current role at DIT.

Kevin is also a Director at the NationalPrint Museum and is Chair of the Museums Management Committee. Kevin research interests include ‘attitudes and perceptions toward e-learning’ and was principal researcher and project manager of a Minerva Doodle sponsored programme.

Kevin has also conducted research in to the development of strategies for the migration of tradition print media to new communication channels during an Interreg, Estiic IIIc funded programme, an output of which was a document of best practice and a working prototype. His doctoral research is in the area of economics of strategy and he developed the concept of ‘micro-clustering’ which examined organisational performance in cooperative networks and the impact that this may have on sectoral competitiveness in the printing industry in Ireland.

Kevin holds a DBA from Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK, an MBA in accounting and finance from DIT and a BA(hons) in management from the Irish Management Institute.

Cera Ward joined Google in September 2011. Cera was Google’s first direct sales focused hire for the Irish market; she is responsible for building out the Irish sales team to manage & service Large Customer Sales, across all platforms and verticals.

Cera joined Google from Newstalk, where she led and built their advertising sales team from the early days. Before that, she spent time at a creative agency and ad sales at 98FM.

Cera is a graduate of the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

Silicon Republic’s John Kennedy has been writing about IT since the mid-Nineties.

He joined Silicon Republic in 2002 to become the fulcrum of the company’s news service and is Editor of the weekly E-Thursday section in the Irish Independent.

He was recipient of the Irish Internet Association’s NetVisionary Technology Journalist Award 2005 and Siliconrepublic.com has been awarded ‘Best Technology Site’ at the Irish Web Awards for the last four years in a row.