The I Wish Conference
Cork Dublin 2019
What is I Wish?
I WISH is an initiative to inspire, encourage and motivate young female students to pursue careers in Science, Tecnology, Engineering and Maths.
inspiring & motivating young female students
STEM can change our world - help us harness the power of thousands of girls to shape a better world.
solving the world’s problems through STEM
We have so many world problems to solve – food shortage, climate change, pollution, ageing population. These will be solved through STEM.
a conferencve with interactive exhibitions
Workshops, daily keynotes and engaging talks by women and men who have seen the opportunities for a great career in STEM.
I WISH ALUMNI
Third-level STEM students who attended I Wish will now be able to join a growing network of like-minded ambitious women who will meet up at regular events and mentor new generations of I Wish attendees.
FIND OUT MORE
CHARTER FOR CHOICES, CHANCES, CHANGES
Sign the I WISH Charter to show your support of I Wish. Do Something – Be a Driver of Change – Register Your Commitment Now
Register NowWHY STEM MATTERS
50%
The lack of female participation in STEM means we are leaving 50% of the talent pool behind. Changing this can solve the current skills gap in the industry.
88%
88% of Irish Adults believe a consistent supply of STEM graduates is critical to Ireland’s economic growth.
71%
71% of Irish Adults believe a investment in STEM will have a positive impact on job creation.
37%
Women are half the worlds working age population but generate only 37% of GDP.
Latest News
15 October 2024
I Wish Co-Founder Caroline O’ Driscoll chats to RTÉ Morning Ireland
Caroline O’ Driscoll I Wish Co-Founder discusses why only 28 per cent of the STEM workforce are women. Poor gender equality biggest barrier for girls in STEM – study | Morning Ireland – RTÉ Radio 1
15 October 2024
Poor gender equality biggest barrier for girls in STEM I Wish 2024 Report
The 2024 ‘I Wish Report’ reveals that 60% of Irish teenage girls surveyed cited gender inequality as the biggest barrier, down from the 2021 figure of 83%. Poor gender equality biggest barrier for girls in STEM
5 March 2024
I Wish celebrate International Women’s Day in association with Go Do You podcast
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday and as a further extension to the programme I Wish has launched the inaugural I Wish podcast series in association with Go Do You, featuring leading STEM supporters I Wish celebrate International Women’s Day in association with Go Do You podcast
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Watch videoTHE I WISH CONFERENCE
Proudly sponsored by Dell Technologies and VMware in association with Science Foundation Ireland
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Katja Mia
RTÉ 2FM, Virgin Media Six O' Clock Show Presenter & I Wish MC
Katja Mia
RTÉ 2FM, Virgin Media Six O' Clock Show Presenter & I Wish MC
Katja Mia will be our MC for I Wish 2026!
Katja’s story — from her family’s journey to Ireland, to graduating in international finance and economics, to becoming a trailblazer in TV, radio, and modelling — is a powerful reminder that every path is possible.
She works seven days a week across Virgin Media and RTÉ 2FM, inspires young women nationwide, and champions representation everywhere she goes.
We’re honoured to have her lead this year’s celebration of possibility and potential.
Gillian Keating
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner RDJ Law Firm
Gillian Keating
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner RDJ Law Firm
Gillian leads Ronan Daly Jermyn Corporate department. She is a highly regarded deal lawyer known for her work in the healthcare and technology markets.
Gillian is an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Law at University College Cork (UCC) and in 2017 received an Alumni Achievement Award from UCC for her work with I Wish.
Gillian is a co-founder of the multi-award winning I WISH
Gillian is passionate about empowering the next generation of female leaders and innovators and ensuring our society enables these young women to participate fully in the economy of the future.
Gillian has held and continues to hold non-executive board and audit committee positions in the private and public sector.
Caroline O'Driscoll
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner Deloitte
Caroline O'Driscoll
I Wish Co-Founder & Partner Deloitte
Caroline is the Corporate and international tax partner with Deloitte Ireland focused on the technology sector. Caroline is a member of Deloitte’s European Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Technology Sector and a member of Deloitte Irelands Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Caroline is a member of the gender balance advisory group for the Department of Education to achieve better gender balance in STEM education at post-primary level.
Caroline is a board director of ReThink Ireland, Irelands Social Innovation Fund. And Chair of the finance committee and is also the immediate past chairperson of it@cork(2017-2019)
Caroline is Co-Founder of I Wish. Caroline says she looks to the girls who attend I Wish as they really inspire her to keep going on what has been a mad but amazing journey. She feels a huge sense of responsibility to enable every girl to live their brightest lives.
Caroline embarked on the I Wish journey with fellow co-founders because she could see the opportunity in STEM, but with less than 25% of the STEM workforce in Ireland being women she realised that there was a risk that her own daughter would not participate in the jobs of tomorrow, all she wants for her is equal opportunity of choice.
In conjunction with Cork City Council, I Wish won the 2015 Chambers Ireland Award for excellence in local government in the “promoting economic development” category, and a LAMA award in Best Education category.
2015 winner of the WMB Boots Empowering Women Award for work in promoting STEM.
Awarded one of the Top 10 outstanding young people (TOYP) of Cork in 2016 by Junior Chamber International and progressed to be named as one of the Top 10 outstanding people of Ireland in the national finals in 2016.
Along with fellow I Wish co-founders, awarded Cork Persons of the Month in March 2017,
UCC Achievement Award 2017, one of the highest honours that the university can bestow on a graduate.
American Chamber Cairdeas Award 2019
IT@Cork Chairperson Community Award 2019
Katelyn Cummins
International Rose of Tralee & Electric Engineering Apprentice
Katelyn Cummins
International Rose of Tralee & Electric Engineering Apprentice
Katelyn Cummins, the 2025 International Rose of Tralee, hails from Ballyouskill on the Laois-Kilkenny border, where she grew up on a dairy farm and developed a love for the outdoors. Currently in her third phase of an electrical apprenticeship with Alpha Drives Ltd., she hopes to pursue an engineering degree. An outgoing and adventurous individual who loves to travel, Katelyn has won two county camogie finals and serves as chairperson of North Kilkenny Macra club. She was announced as the 2025 International Rose of Tralee in August, and has been championing the alternative career route of apprenticeships at events ever since, while carrying out her extensive duties as a Rose.
Marie Moynihan
Senior Vice President Global Human Resource Services, Dell Technologies
Marie Moynihan
Senior Vice President Global Human Resource Services, Dell Technologies
Marie Moynihan is Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources Services. She leads a team of over 500 HR professionals globally who provide full life cycle HR services to our team members, from on-boarding, to payroll, to employee relations, to site based HR support, ensuring their team members experience Dell as a great place to work in every country in which they operate.
In addition, she is responsible for their global HR approach and infrastructure to support M & A and HR Privacy & Compliance. Marie reports to the CHRO and influences all key HR decisions for the company.
Marie has been with Dell for 24 years holding a range of HR roles from Business Partner, HR leader for Dell EMEA, to Talent Management and Chief Diversity officer, to Global Talent Acquisition.
Before joining Dell, Marie worked for Intel Corporation, leading HR in their European manufacturing facility for eight years. She has also spent six years consulting in Industrial Relations with the Irish Business and Employers Confederation. She is married with one son and lives in Co Wicklow.
Gráinne Walsh
Irish Olympian Boxer
Gráinne Walsh
Irish Olympian Boxer
Gráinne Walsh is an Irish Olympian boxer. She won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Grainne is a native of Tullamore. She was a talented soccer player with Shamrock Rovers Ladies F.C. and studied at NUI Galway. Grainne boxes at Spartacus Boxing Club in Tullamore. She won bronze at the 2019 European Games in Minsk.
Gráinne produced the sole Irish victory on day five of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, coming through a blistering 65kg bout against Spain’s Mariana Soto Torres to book her place in the last eight.
She proved the faster and more direct boxer throughout the three rounds, earning a unanimous 5-0 verdict, the 29-year-old from Tullamore next boxing for a medal against China’s Yang Liu, who won Olympic silver in Paris last summer.
Eva Donnelly
Director of Process Science, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Eva Donnelly
Director of Process Science, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
As a Director of Process Science at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Eva Donnelly, has a passion for science, applying it to produce products for patients that need them.
She holds a BSc in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Limerick, an MBA from University College Dublin, and postgraduate diploma in Project Management.
She has decades of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, process development, and technical transfer at a few renowned organisations, such as Pfizer, and Schering Plough, in addition to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Eva has a proven track record of leading multidisciplinary teams, facilitating technical collaborations, and implementing business improvement initiatives. Her career reflects a commitment to operational excellence, quality assurance, and delivering impactful results across global pharmaceutical and personal care industries.
Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, running, sea swimming, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.’
DJ Mona- Lxsa
I Wish DJ & Social Media Hub MC
DJ Mona- Lxsa
I Wish DJ & Social Media Hub MC
DJ Mona Lxsa, the founder of GXRLCODE, is a prominent figure in Ireland's music scene. She has performed at major events like Electric Picnic and Longitude, and she supports female artists through her collective. Mona-Lxsa's journey from Malawi to Ireland and her dedication to empowering women in the creative sector are highlighted in her YouTube channel, where she shares insights and inspiration.
Mona Lxsa, will be bring the Festival Vibes tunes to I Wish 2026.
Jenny Galvin
I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Jenny Galvin
I Wish Social Media Hub MC
Louise Shanahan
Irish Olympian Athlete & Software Engineer with a PhD in Physics from University of Cambridge
Louise Shanahan
Irish Olympian Athlete & Software Engineer with a PhD in Physics from University of Cambridge
Louise Shanahan was a European Youth champion at 800m in 2013 and a European Youth Olympic finalist in 2014.
Injury then disrupted her career but she bounced back as Irish 1,500m champion in 2020 and her 800m victory at Nationals a year later (2:03.62) critically moved her up three places into the top-48 ranking that clinched her Olympic spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where she finished 7th in her heat .
Louise is a PhD student of quantum physics at Cambridge and her dad Ray was also an Irish champion.
Elaine Laird
Head of People & Culture, Logitech
Elaine Laird
Head of People & Culture, Logitech
Elaine Laird is Head of People & Culture at Logitech. Having worked across the globe at the company for over 25 years, Elaine's main priorities are around community, people development, digital transformation and cultural evolution. With a background in supply chain and operations, she champions inclusion, innovation and employee engagement to build high-performing, purpose-driven global teams
Richael Timothy
Irish Paralympian Cyclist
Richael Timothy
Irish Paralympian Cyclist
Richael played schoolgirl soccer for Ireland at U15 and U17 levels alongside current Irish captain Katie McCabe, and also represented Roscommon in Gaelic football. Her promising career was tragically cut short by an acquired brain injury, a result of treatment for a rare condition called Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), which affects the veins and arteries. The injury left her with only 30 percent strength in her left leg.
She made her Irish debut in 2017 and claimed her first international medal at the Manchester Para-Cycling International in December 2019, securing silver in the Scratch race. In 2020, she earned a bronze medal at the World Track Championships in the non-Paralympic Scratch Race. The following year, she achieved fourth place in the Road Race and fifth in the Time Trial at the World Road Championships.
She made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo Games, and Paris will mark her second appearance at the Paralympic Games.
Richael holds a degree in Sports Science from Athlone IT and is the owner of RT Fitness in Ballymoe, where she offers personal training, strength and conditioning services, along with a dedicated recovery suite.
Mary Considine
Chief Executive Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail
Mary Considine
Chief Executive Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail
Mary Considine was appointed Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann in October 2025.
Mary leads the management team in delivering upon the vision of ensuring Iarnród Éireann is the backbone of Ireland’s sustainable transport network: prioritising safety, customer experience, and the continued development of Ireland’s railway network and Rosslare Europort to support national strategic policy for sustainable transport and housing development, climate action targets and the National Planning Framework.
Prior to joining Iarnród Éireann, Mary was CEO of The Shannon Airport Group and built a distinguished career in aviation over more than three decades, rising quickly through senior roles - including Shannon Airport Director, Chief Financial Officer, Deputy CEO - before becoming CEO in 2019.
Throughout her career, she has cultivated a wealth of strategic leadership experience, with extensive knowledge of the economic, regional, regulatory, governance and risk environment, and has established relationships with key stakeholders in transport regionally, nationally and internationally.
A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland; she holds a Certificate of Professional Competence from the Chartered Institute of Transport in Ireland and a Certificate Airport Economics and Finance, from the University of Westminster, London; and completed The Director As Strategic Leader, Cranfield School of Management; and AVIRA (Global Executive Leadership Programme) INSEAD.
Mary is also currently a Board Director of IBEC, sits on its Audit and Risk Committee and Trustee and Governing Authority member of MIC.
Biola Folorunso
Final Year Biomedical Science Student, UCC & I Wish Alumna
Biola Folorunso
Final Year Biomedical Science Student, UCC & I Wish Alumna
Biola went to Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty Cork and attended I Wish in 2020. As a passionate advocate and Woman in STEM, I feel that there would be numerous benefits to my future if I were fortunate enough to receive a place on this programme.
From a very young age, my love of science has been undeniable. Throughout primary and secondary school, I was very lucky to have an educational environment that nurtured and encouraged my natural curiosity and interests, particularly in the fields of biology and medical sciences. When I first attended I Wish back in January 2020, little did I know that that showcase would spark my future on such a fundamental level. This showcase showed me the amazing opportunities that awaited my future as a woman in STEM.
Over five years later, I am now in my final year of Biomedical Science, and have been a committee member of UCC WiSTEM Society the last two years. It has been such an amazing experience and now I look to the next five years of my life, and where to go forward in order to flourish in my career.
Bethany Carson
Women in Sport Manager, Sport Ireland
Bethany Carson
Women in Sport Manager, Sport Ireland
Bethany Carson is the Women in Sport Manager at Sport Ireland, tasked with promoting women and girls’ involvement in sport from participation to leadership to high performance. Bethany is passionate about providing equal opportunities to women and girls in sport to achieve their full potential, while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport!
Bethany is a former Irish International Swimmer, former Irish record holder and finalist at multiple European Championships, World University Games and the Commonwealth Games. Bethany was also Assistant Swim Coach at the National Centre, Dublin from 2017 to 2021, contributing to the national performance system at events like the 2019 European SC Championships. Prior to becoming Women in Sport Manager at Sport Ireland, Bethany spent six years working at Swim Ireland as Women in Sport Lead, leading out on all WIS programmes, initiatives and events from grass roots up to performance level.
Jenny Melia
CEO of Enterprise Ireland
Jenny Melia
CEO of Enterprise Ireland
Jenny Melia is the CEO of Enterprise Ireland.
Jenny, who graduated from UCD with a BSc and PhD in Chemistry, has held a number of senior leadership roles across the organisation throughout her career. She has worked extensively with client companies of varying scales from all sectors, including food, industrial and technology, and has also worked with the High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Division, and the Research and Innovation team.
Jenny will deliver a Keynote address at our Executive Networking Breakfast.
Estelle O' Sullivan
Biological & Biomedical Sciences Student, Trinity College Dublin & I Wish Alumna
Estelle O' Sullivan
Biological & Biomedical Sciences Student, Trinity College Dublin & I Wish Alumna
Estelle went to the Institute of Education secondary school and attended I Wish in 2022.Estelle said :When I attended the I Wish event during Transition Year, I found it incredibly inspiring to see so many women succeeding in science, technology, engineering, and business. That day had a real impact on me—not just because of what I learned, but because it led to an amazing opportunity. Following the event, I was fortunate enough to win a 3-day work experience placement with Deloitte through my school. That experience was a turning point for me. It gave me a real-world insight into the professional world of STEM and helped solidify my decision to pursue a STEM degree. Seeing the collaborative environment, the problem-solving in action, and the role technology plays in shaping the future showed me that this is where I belong.
Michael Lohan
CEO of IDA Ireland
Michael Lohan
CEO of IDA Ireland
Michael Lohan is the CEO of IDA Ireland previous to that Michael was IDA Global Head of Life Sciences and Talent Transformation and Innovation Departments.
A key priority for Michael in his role as Chief Executive Officer is leading on the execution and delivery of IDA Ireland’s organisational strategy: Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024, which will be delivered through a focus on five pillars: Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability, and Impact.
Prior to this role, Michael was a member of IDA’s Executive Leadership team with global responsibility for Life Sciences (Biopharmaceutical and Medical Technologies) and as organisational lead on Talent, Transformation, and Innovation agenda at IDA Ireland. Michael led on the development and execution of organizational and divisional strategies across the Lifesciences sector in addition to evolving Irelands value proposition on Talent, Transformation, and Innovation to enable and support foreign direct investment.
Weronika Mozolewska
Quality Assurance Engineer, Dell Technologies
Weronika Mozolewska
Quality Assurance Engineer, Dell Technologies
Weronika is a Quality Assurance Engineer at Dell Technologies. She works in the Material Science Lab, where she specializes in qualification and failure analysis. She holds a master's degree in electronic engineering, with research focused on nanotechnology and quantum computing. In her role, Weronika works hands-on with advanced technologies to ensure reliability and performance across cutting-edge products. Her career combines technical expertise with a passion for continuous learning and problem-solving. Committed to fostering interest in STEM, Weronika regularly hosts lab tours for students, sharing her insights and encouraging the next generation of innovators to explore the exciting possibilities of science and technology.
Ciara O' Connell
VP, Global Business Services at Aptiv
Ciara O' Connell
VP, Global Business Services at Aptiv
Ciara O’Connell is a seasoned shared services leader with over 25 years of experience driving operational transformation across industries. As Vice President of Global Business Services at Aptiv, she oversees finance operations for this automotive technology company. Previously, Ciara held senior roles at Novartis Business Services, leading the Dublin Corporate Center of 1,000+ professionals, global service development, and enterprise customer experience programs. Her career began in consulting, delivering shared services solutions for global organizations including Gillette, BBC, Xerox, and John Lewis Partnership. Ciara specializes in global operations strategy, multi-site service delivery, process optimization, and purpose-driven leadership.
Anne-Marie Tierney Le-Roux
Masters of Science, Bachelor of Civil Law, Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Senior Vice President Global Enterprise Technology, IDA Ireland
Anne-Marie Tierney Le-Roux
Masters of Science, Bachelor of Civil Law, Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Senior Vice President Global Enterprise Technology, IDA Ireland
Anne-Marie has 24 years’ experience in the global investment environment with IDA Ireland, working across several key roles in Ireland and abroad, positioning Ireland for high impact investments, with a specific interest in enterprise technology, semiconductors and cyber.
Anne-Marie took up her current position as Senior VP, Enterprise Technology in October 2021, and works with existing Technology companies to expand their mandates and operations in Ireland and is also responsible for attracting new Technology corporates to establish in Ireland. Prior to this role, she held positions as Head of Department Regional Development, Director of Europe, based in Paris and Project Manager in the Technology Division. Prior to IDA Ireland, Anne-Marie worked in the Management Consultancy business of PricewaterhouseCoopers in London in the retail and CPG global industry sectors.
Anne-Marie is a Law graduate and holds an MSc in International Marketing, as well as being an Associate Practitioner of the European Chartered Institute of Marketing. Anne-Marie is a Board member of CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for Applied AI and a Board Member of Cyber Ireland. Anne-Marie engages with key stakeholders on IDA Ireland’s STEM agenda, is a mentor with the Open Doors Initiative & at the IMI 30% Plus Program.
Sarah Walker
Senior Executive, Enterprise Ireland
Sarah Walker
Senior Executive, Enterprise Ireland
Sarah Walker is a Senior Executive on the Startup & Entrepreneurship team at Enterprise Ireland, where she leads new initiatives and programmes to support underrepresented groups, including women entrepreneurs. She brings extensive experience across Ireland’s innovation ecosystem from senior roles at Dogpatch Labs, where she led policy, public affairs and marketing for national startup initiatives, including the NDRC, and through her work with TechIreland on national AI initatives. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Head of Mobile & Telecoms at CCgroup, advising global technology clients on strategic communications. Sarah is a European Studies graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds an MA in Public Communication from the University of Westminster. She is a Director of Dublin City Lido, a civic initiative advocating for inclusive and accessible community infrastructure.
Sophie Doolin
Women in Sport Lead, Her Moves
Sophie Doolin
Women in Sport Lead, Her Moves
Sophie Murphy
Process Engineer, Johnson & Johnson
Sophie Murphy
Process Engineer, Johnson & Johnson
Mary O' Donnell
Aeronautical Engineer & I Wish Alumna
Mary O' Donnell
Aeronautical Engineer & I Wish Alumna
Mary attended the I Wish Event in Cork back in 2017 with her secondary school, Loreto Fermoy. At that time, she wasn’t sure what career path to take, and had always considered a route in business. However, seeing the amazing opportunities available to those pursuing STEM and hearing about the lives of the fantastic speakers began planting seeds in her mind. From that event, she chose higher level Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Applied Maths for her Leaving Cert.
Then a summer spent working with NASA on the United Space School program changed the trajectory of what Mary O’Donnell thought was possible as a career. Through her Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Limerick, Mary discovered many avenues of what Aerospace can do - Chairperson of the Astronomy Society, Flight Deck Engineer at Boeing, Seattle - and landed firmly on the ground, with bicycles, as the youngest, and only Irish engineer on the US Bike Company - TREK Bicycles, where she is an aerodynamics engineer on the TREK Performance Research Team. Mary uses her platform to leverage her niche interests and passions, as a female engineer and national champion long distance triathlete, to promote the advocacy of women in these spaces through WiSTEM and WiSport advocacy. She is determined and ambitious in the eye of a very male dominated sport and career, but has never let that stop her in achieving enormous goals, all while encouraging and supporting those looking to take the same leap.
Melissa Sheridan
Co-Owner of Strata
Melissa Sheridan
Co-Owner of Strata
Melissa Sheridan, MSc, BSc (Hons)
Melissa is a business leader with a Master’s degree in Science and over 20 years’ commercial experience. She is co-owner of Strata, an award-winning Irish engineering company focused on using digital innovation to improve how construction projects are planned and delivered.
Strata is the first Irish company in its sector to achieve B Corp certification. The company is proud of its 20% gender balance and actively works to make engineering and construction careers more inclusive, encouraging more girls and women to enter the industry.
Previously, Melissa held senior marketing and commercial leadership roles at Kerry, AbbVie, and Abbott, where she led global strategies for science-led brands. She is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and inspiring more girls to explore the wide range of careers that STEM can offer.
Rachel Ring
Site Reliability Engineer, Google
Rachel Ring
Site Reliability Engineer, Google
Rachel is a Dublin-based Site Reliability Engineer at Google. She's passionate about keeping systems running and championing women in tech.
Joanne Treacy
Director Southern Region, Construction Industry Federation
Joanne Treacy
Director Southern Region, Construction Industry Federation
An experienced Construction Industry professional, Joanne joined the CIF in 2022. With in excess of 20 years’ industry knowledge, Joanne holds qualifications in HR, leadership, health and safety and HSQE auditing. Having worked as a HR Manager for a large construction and engineering company spanning Ireland and the UK, her skills include policy development and implementation, employee and industrial relations, organisational change, craft and professional apprenticeship training, and CPD. She is responsible for providing advice and support to the CIF members within the Southern Region, maximising engagement with stakeholders and ensuring member interests are represented on regional committees, state agencies and local authorities. Joanne has a strong interest in raising awareness of the exciting opportunities within the construction industry and has been heavily involved the CIF’s various campaigns aimed at bringing this awareness to students at all levels.
Lauren O' Rourke
Electrical Apprentice, Jones Engineering
Lauren O' Rourke
Electrical Apprentice, Jones Engineering
Ana Correa
Principal Civil Engineer, Jacobs
Ana Correa
Principal Civil Engineer, Jacobs
Ana Correa is a Principal Civil Engineer at Jacobs Engineering, leading the adoption of responsible AI within Ireland’s water sector. Drawing on her technical background in water infrastructure, she designs AI-enabled tools, establishes governance frameworks and embeds robust oversight practices into project delivery, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations.
Ana is an active advocate for ethical, transparent and inclusive AI use. She is a member of the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI (IASEAI) and is actively engaged in the Women of Water community within Jacobs, supporting initiatives that highlight the experiences and leadership of women across the water industry. Through these roles, she contributes to discussions on how emerging technologies can strengthen decision-making, environmental stewardship and the delivery of critical infrastructure. Her work centres on advancing practical, responsible AI applications that improve outcomes for utilities, project teams and communities.
Sarah Ryan
Quality Manager, Dawn Meats
Sarah Ryan
Quality Manager, Dawn Meats
Sarah graduated in 2023 from ATU Sligo with a degree in Human Nutrition. She went on to complete the Food Safety and Quality graduate programme at Dawn Meats, one of Europe’s leading food companies, producing meat products for supermarkets and restaurants. Sarah is now a Quality Manager helping to maintain high standards of food safety and quality to ensure the meat products are safe to eat and of a consistent quality.
Emma O' Brien
Senior Process Engineer, Exyte
Emma O' Brien
Senior Process Engineer, Exyte
I am a Senior Process Engineer at Exyte, with over eight years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. I graduated with a degree in Chemical and Process Engineering from University College Cork (UCC) in 2016 and have been passionately advancing pharmaceutical processes and design ever since. My career has spanned a diverse range of projects, from small-scale initiatives to multi-million-dollar ventures, showcasing my versatility and expertise. Beyond my professional career, I am deeply committed to STEM education and outreach. Throughout my career, I have actively participated in various STEM events, from the annual I Wish event to engaging with Transition Year and Fifth Year students in secondary schools about engineering, to captivating young minds in primary schools with exciting science lessons. These experiences have fueled my passion for fostering a love for STEM and inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals. I am excited to share my journey and insights at this event, hoping to motivate others to pursue their own paths in science and engineering.
Caitlin Heslin
Senior Manager, Technical Services, Alexion
Caitlin Heslin
Senior Manager, Technical Services, Alexion
Caitlin Heslin has worked across Ireland’s medical device and biopharmaceutical industries. She holds a degree in Microbiology and a PhD in cell/plasma biology, with experience at Pfizer, Abbott Diagnostics and Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. She’s collaborated with diverse teams, tackled tough manufacturing challenges and supported the launch of 28 diagnostic products. Currently, Caitlin leads the Technical Services team in Drug Substance Manufacturing – delivering safe, effective medicines for rare diseases. The role involves partnering with Quality, Engineering, R&D, Automation and Validation to improve processes and enable new therapies. Caitlin would say herself that her path wasn’t linear – having started as a lifeguard and swim teacher and even worked as a private cook. She believes curiosity, teamwork and persistence are the real superpowers in STEAM.