By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance is proud to release the annual CMO 100 Index in association with Cvent. The CMO 100 recognises the top marketing professionals operating in Ireland in 2025.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Siobhan O’Dwyer, Global Head of Marketing,
Kingspan
With a background in Marketing and Business Management, Siobhan O’Dwyer created her own company called Threesixty, an award-winning specialist B2B marketing and branding consultancy that has evolved to become a B2B agency with a focus on food, cleantech and science.
21 years later ,she is the Global Head of Marketing from Kingspan Group and feels very fortunate to enjoy the rich experience of working in diverse, multi-cultural teams.
Siobhan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management, Marketing, and Business Managment from TUD.
Irene O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer,
KPMG
Irene O’Gorman joined KPMG Ireland as Chief Marketing Officer in March 2024. During her 25 year career, she’s held senior marketing and BD roles with firms such as Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland and EY, leading major brand development and commercial growth initiatives. She’s gained extensive international experience, having worked in South Africa, Australia and the Middle East. Irene has overall responsibility for KPMGs client relationship development programmes and strategic markets planning. She also oversees KPMGs portfolio of leading brand sponsorships across business, sports and the arts including the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. An alumnus of UCD, with a Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Business, (specialising in Marketing), she has completed numerous executive programmes with the London Business School and the Chartered Director programme with the IOD. Irene is a Non-Executive Director of the Irish Cancer Society and an Advisory Council Member of the Gate Theatre, Dublin.
Rob O’Keeffe, Head of Marketing, E-Commerce & Digital at Tirlan,
Tirlán
Rob O’Keeffe is Head of Marketing, E-Commerce & Digital at Tirlán, formerly Glanbia, a nutrition business with a network of over 6,000 family farms. O’Keeffe has over 20 years of experience as a marketer. He has worked in a variety of sectors, including global software, tourism, agri and international food organisations.
Rob holds a Master’s degree in Marketing from DCU.
Sinéad O’Neill, Senior Marketing Manager,
TransferMate Global Payments
Sinéad O’Neill has over 20 years experience across B2B and B2C sectors.
Currently the Chief Marketing Officer for TransferMate, a global fintech unicorn, Sinéad has been instrumental in driving brand growth and market expansion across multiple verticals and territories since joining the company in 2020.
Prior to TransferMate, Sinéad held key roles in Aer Lingus, ODEON and 11850. In Aer Lingus, she was responsible for introducing the Tayto crisp sandwich on-board in addition to the Clodagh McKenna chef collaboration. While in 11850 Sinéad was responsible for all ATL and BTL marketing for the famous 118 50 runners plus the companies UK (118118), French (118218) and other European directory enquiry brands.
Her contributions have been recognized with inclusion in the Business & Finance CMO 100 Index in both 2023 and 2024, recognizing her as one of Ireland’s most influential marketing leaders.
Brian O’Neill, Head of Communications, Brand, Sponsorship, Sustainability,
Aviva
Brian O’Neill joined Aviva in August 2018 after 12 years with Friends First Group, most recently as Strategic Marketing Director since 2012, and Head of Investor Relations from 2010 to 2012.
Prior to this, he was Product & Market Development Director with Prudential Europe. He began his career with Bank of Ireland Lifetime Assurance. O’Neill’s key responsibilities include Sustainability and Climate Change Delivery, Communications and Public Policy, and Sponsorship including the Aviva Stadium.
Ruth O’Shea, Director – Head of Marketing & Communications,
Grant Thornton
Ruth O’Shea is Director – Head of Marketing & Communications at Grant Thornton. An accomplished and results-driven leader, O’Shea boasts an impressive 20 years of expertise in Advertising, Marketing, Digital, and International Communications across B2B and B2C. As the Marketing Director at Grant Thornton, she leads a high-performing team of 30 professionals, including marketers, designers, storytellers, and communicators. Prior to her appointment at Gran Thornton, she held senior positions in Ryanair and daa.
Ruth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from DCU.
Catherine O’Toole, Head of Marketing,
Very
Catherine O’Toole is Head of Marketing at Very, with 20 years’ experience across retail, FMCG, and ecommerce. She’s led major brand initiatives, including a full rebrand and the award-winning Very Pink Run. A former marketer at P&G and Boots, Catherine holds an MSc from UCD Smurfit and has received multiple industry awards for her work.
Andy Parton, Chief Commercial Officer,
Greencore Group Plc
Greencore Group plc Andy is Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for setting and delivering the commercial strategy and agenda. The role covers marketing, insights and category management, product development and management, sales and procurement.
Prior to this Andy was Business Director for our Food to Go business. Andy joined Greencore in 2014 having previously held senior commercial positions in Aldi and PepsiCo.
Andy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Cranfield University.
Oskar Persson, Head of Brands,
Irish Distillers
Oskar Persson is Head of Brands for the Irish market at Irish Distillers and is responsible for providing strategic marketing leadership to support the growth of a diverse portfolio of brands, including Jameson, Redbreast, the wider Irish Distillers prestige whiskey portfolio and Absolut vodka.
In addition, Oskar and his team are focused on driving brand affinity for a much-loved Irish success story, West Coast Cooler – especially given the acceleration of the ready-to-drink market in Ireland.
Oskar is currently leading several key initiatives in Ireland, including the recent Irish launch of Jameson Triple Triple, a triple-distilled whiskey finished in bourbon, sherry, and Chestnut casks – a major innovation for the brand.
His team are preparing for the annual Absolut Pride celebrations and he has also overseen the launch of the new ‘Quite the Find’ Redbreast brand campaign in Ireland, with a further full through the line campaign live in Q2.
Prior to joining Irish Distillers in 2020, Oskar spent ten years in various marketing roles with Danone.
Sarah Powell-Abrams, Marketing Director,
Cairn Hotel Group
Sarah Powell-Abrams is a seasoned brand builder and strategic partnerships professional. With experience building brands across seven countries and diverse industries including TV, Film, Sport, and Hospitality, she excels as a creative, results-driven collaborator. Recently, Sarah has been appointed as the new Director of Marketing for Cairn Hotel Group, after holding the position of Head of Marketing for 3 years.
Skilled in strategic marketing, brand development, and partnerships and leveraging her professional Masters in Business Law from University of Toronto, Sarah brings a unique blend of business acumen and creativity to her work. Currently serving as the Head of Marketing at Cairn Hotel Group, Sarah continues to drive marketing excellence in the hospitality sector.
Gideon Pridor, CMO,
Workvivo
Gideon serves as the CMO and Chief Storyteller at Workvivo, a leading employee experience platform recently acquired by Zoom. Positioned at the vanguard of marketing and communications, he has a distinguished track record of propelling disruptive SaaS startups into market-leading unicorns that redefine their sectors. While his official title denotes him as a marketing leader, Gideon sees himself more as a storyteller and a coach, employing narrative to ignite excitement and foster connections. His leadership ethos is built on empathy, open dialogue, and the development of a workplace culture that promotes satisfaction and peak performance.
Prior to his tenure at Workvivo, Gideon built and led marketing teams in various startups and was instrumental in the explosive growth of TravelPerk, a business travel unicorn, and Perfecto (acquired by Perforce), among other ventures. Acknowledged as a thought leader, he regularly imparts his expertise at industry events, fueled by a fervent passion for story-led marketing and workplace innovation. Additionally, Gideon makes significant contributions as a seed investor and startup mentor, assisting companies and founders in effectively articulating their narratives and engaging their target audience.
Gideon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from the University of Tel Aviv.
Hilary Quinn, Marketing Director,
Diageo Ireland
Hilary Quinn is the Marketing Director for Diageo Ireland having been appointed in 2020. She is responsible for the full portfolio of beer and spirits brands including Guinness, Rockshore, Smirnoff, Gordons and many more. Prior to joining Diageo Hilary was Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Western Europe responsible for driving the growth of a vast portfolio which included an array of premium brands across Western Europe. Hilary started her career in Unilever and holds a Bachelors Degree in International Marketing, Economics and Business.
Meadhbh Quinn, Director of Marketing,
Bord Gais
Meadhbh Quinn is the Director of Marketing at Bord Gáis Energy, appointed in 2024. She began her marketing career in 1991 at PTSB and has since held senior roles across leading organisations including Mediahuis, Smurfit Kappa, Meteor Mobile Communications, Telefónica, and Virgin Media Ireland. In 2018, she founded PinkSalmon, a strategic marketing consultancy focused on brand positioning and growth, working with global and tech brands. Known for her deep strategic insight and leadership, Meadhbh combines over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and brand transformation across multiple sectors.
Meadhbh is a graduate from UCD, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and History.
Fiona Rawlinson (O’Keeffe), Head of Marketing,
Carbery
Fiona Rawlinson is Head of Marketing at Carbery, the Cork-based global manufacturer of specialty and nutritional dairy ingredients. She has strong consumer and B2B marketing experience in corporate organisations as well as non-profit and professional services consulting experience.
Before stepping into her current role, Fiona held senior marketing positions including Head of Global Marketing at Waterful and Marketing Manager at Clonakilty Food Co., along with previous roles at Glanbia, Northern Foods, John West Foods, First100 Ltd, and 9White Deer Brewery.
Fiona is a graduate from the University College of Cork, with a Bachelor’s in Communications, Marketing & Management.
Angela Schmidt, Chief Marketing Officer,
AMCS
Angela Schmidt is a marketing leader with over 20 years of experience across global enterprises and high-growth startups. She is a strategic thinker and hands-on planner who applies a sales-focused approach to drive measurable revenue growth. Her expertise spans a wide range of marketing disciplines, including sales and marketing alignment, strategic campaign planning, global event execution, lead generation, customer advocacy, channel marketing, and communications.
Angela is a graduate from the Universty of Arizona, holding a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Spanish.
Lauren Schulz, Chief Communications Officer,
CRH
Lauren Schulz is Chief Communications Officer at CRH, a global leader in building materials solutions. She brings over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, reputation management, and executive positioning across corporate, nonprofit, and military sectors. Prior to CRH, she led global communications at Verizon Business and held leadership roles at the veteran nonprofit FourBlock. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, she held senior communications and operational posts across multiple regions. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and has a proven track record of leading high-impact global communications strategies.
Matt Simmons, Head of Global Marketing,
Cubic³
A data-driven marketing and communications leader with 20+ years of global experience, Matt has spearheaded impactful programmes for high-growth startups and public companies alike—including Zendesk, Avalara, Microsoft, and now Cubic³, an Irish tech firm connecting millions of cars to the internet for the likes of Audi, Porsche, VW, Skoda, Honda and GM.
With a unique blend of in-house and top-tier agency experience, Matt brings deep expertise across the full marketing spectrum—spanning brand, demand generation, GTM, digital, content and PR/comms.
At Cubic³, Matt spearheaded a full company rebrand—including new visual and verbal identities, website, product naming and positioning—and led the high-profile press launch of SoftBank Corp’s investment in the company, achieving record press coverage in titles such as Forbes, Reuters, WSJ and TechCrunch.
David Slattery, Head of Marketing & Communications,
Pinergy
David Slattery is Pinergy’s Head of Marketing and previously held a range of Marketing & Digital leadership roles across Financial Services, Wealth Management & Energy sectors.
Slattery is responsible for the development of a range of marketing, brand and sponsorship activities across both commercial and residential segments and has led the significant re-positioning of the Pinergy brand to being a leading player in the clean energy sector as well as its Solar PV Energy and Acutrace businesses.
David is a Commerce graduate of UCD, is a Qualified Marketer and holds qualifications from IMI & Marketing Institute of Ireland.
Siobhán Smith, Senior Global Marketing Manager,
Expleo
As Global Marketing Director for Expleo, a world-wide technology and engineering consulting firm, Siobhán Smith is responsible for driving brand awareness and new business acquisition in Expleo’s key sectors. She leads an award-winning marketing and communications team across Expleo’s strategic countries, driving commercial and business targets for their development and growth.
Smith was recently appointed to the board of directors for Expleo Ireland where she plays a key role in driving the business strategy towards its vision to becoming the primary challenger brand in transformation services for the region.
Smith holds a Postgraduate Degree in Marketing and Management from TU Dublin. She was also awarded the Gold Medal for achieving a first place on the Master of Science in Management and Marketing from the Dublin Institute of Technology, class of 2018. She achieved the diploma and certificate in company direction in 2025 from the Institute of Directors.
Michelle Spillane, Marketing & Brand Director,
PaddyPower Betfair – Flutter
Elizabeth Toner, Head of Marketing,
First Derivative
As Global Head of Marketing at First Derivative, Elizabeth leads the strategic direction of the brand across global markets, driving visibility, positioning, and growth in the Capital Markets and Fintech space. With over 15 years of experience in financial services and tech, Elizabeth brings a unique blend of commercial insight and creative strategy to marketing, helping shape go-to-market plans that support growth, talent acquisition, and client engagement.
Her career spans marketing, recruitment, HR, and project delivery—giving her a rare ability to align brand and culture. She has led campaigns across Europe, North America, and APAC, and holds degrees from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster.
Laura Toner, Group Marketing Director,
DAA
Laura Toner is Group Marketing Director of daa, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports. Laura joined the daa Group in 2019 as Global Head of Marketing for ARI, daa’s international travel retail subsidiary.
Niall Tracey, Director of Marketing,
Fáilte Ireland
Niall leads visitor-focused initiatives at Fáilte Ireland including domestic tourism marketing campaigns, websites & social, business events, consumer insights and corporate communications. Adopting a visitor-centric approach, Niall is passionate about creativity and collaboration when promoting Ireland as a destination.
Niall is based in Sligo and joined the national tourism development authority in 2018 after spells agency and client side. His marketing expertise led to several international positions, working with some of the world’s most recognisable brands including Guinness, Aviva and Kerrygold
Heather Vadgama, Chief Marketing Officer,
Walkers
Heather Vadgama is Chief Marketing Officer at Walkers. Her focus is on strengthening the Walkers brand, its market presence and client relationships. She also leads a global team of talented business development, marketing and communication professionals.
Heather has over 20 years of experience in business development, sales and marketing in a multinational B2B environment, including law and accounting firms.
Heather is a graduate from the Federation University Australia, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management.
Michelle White, Head of Marketing,
Dawn Meats Group
Michelle White MCIM has been with the Dawn Meats Group since 1998. An Economics graduate from the University of Essex, Michelle completed a 2-year Management programme with Tesco prior to joining Dawn Meats as an Account Executive. From there she climbed the ranks and was responsible for a €100m+ retail account before moving into a Marketing role in 2010. Following the joint venture with Dunbia in 2017, Michelle was appointed Group Head of Marketing responsible for delivering corporate brand, internal and external communications, events and product branding, in line with the corporate strategy.
With key involvement in industry, including membership of marketing and reputation advisory groups for Bord Bia, the UK’s AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) and Global Meat Alliance, Michelle has been a Chartered Marketer since 2012. She was a member of the Millennial Dawn Meats Management Programme and is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
Sarah-Jane Willoughby, Head of Marketing & Sponsorship,
Ibec
Sarah-Jane Willoughby is an experienced B2B senior marketing leader with a proven track record in strategic marketing leadership, strategic planning and B2B brand building.
She has been the Head of Marketing and Events at Ibec since 2014, Ireland’s most influential and largest business representative organisation, shaping the organisation’s brand strategy and developing innovative competitive marketing strategies for impact and growth across all its commercial lines. She is skilled and passionate about developing compelling corporate communications and customer value propositions with a focus on increasing brand consideration, driving new areas of growth through innovation, partnerships and digital transformation.
She was previously Marketing Communications Manager at Deloitte Ireland and has also served in senior marketing roles at Microsoft, Verizon Business and MCI-WorldCom.
Business & Finance CMO 100 Index 2025 (alphabetical by surname):
View part one (B–D)
View part two (D–K)
View part three (L–O)
View part four (O–W)
