Keynote Address by:
Louise Phelan, CEO, Phelan Energy GroupLouise spent 13 years as Vice President at PayPal leading and developing the business, taking a large performance team from 200 people to 3000 people, across multiple geographies and established green field sites in Berlin, San Paulo, Chandler and Dundalk. Louise has delivered outstanding results for PayPal, leading a global team that processed 7.8 billion payments worth US$451billion, supporting 125 markets in Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to PayPal Louise spent 16 years with General Electric in various leadership roles. Prior to joining PayPal, Louise held several leadership positions in General Electric, in the areas of compliance, credit, sales and risk assessment & customer service. Louise started her career in James Crean Mars Distribution Limited.Louise is a board member of Ryanair and sits on the board advisory committee of Voxpro.
Lisa Cusack, Pilot, Aer Lingus:
Lisa took her first flying lesson at the age of 13, and took inspiration from this to set about planning a career in aviation. She graduated from DCU with an honours degree in Applied Physics.Upon graduating, she gained employment for 7 years as a flight dispatcher in Dublin Airport, and credits this time as an invaluable learning experience within the industry. With lengthy costs involved in flight training, and multiple setbacks along the way, Lisa set up a cupcake business, where she baked and sold over 10,000 cupcakes, using this to fund her private pilot’s license. Having completed the initial part of her training, she was selected as 1 of 18 from 3000 candidates as a cadet pilot, by Aer Lingus. She fulfilled her dream, and is now a qualified pilot, flying the Airbus 330 to America twice a week. Lisa’s next ambition is to become a Captain for Aer Lingus and is currently in the process of working towards this. Lisa is extremely passionate about speaking to groups of various ages, particularly young women and sharing her experiences. She emphasises the need for determination, and the importance of young women entering STEM disciplines, especially in traditionally male dominated work environments like aviation. She has mentored endless amounts of young girls, some who are now currently full time students in aviation, and some who have already graduated. This work has recently seen Lisa awarded with the esteemed AWAR Trailblazer award, for her efforts to inspire the next generation.
Expert Panel:
Sophie Cafolla - Co- Founder of The Stork Box
Sophie Cafolla, an experienced Marketing & Sponsorship Consultant left her career in Events in 2017 to start her own business The Stork Box, a business focused on the baby market. As a Mum of two, Sophie has drawn from her own experiences and created a range of modern products that will prevent people from making the #parentingfails she did. It is the marketing and project management skills which she learnt over the course of her 11 year career along with her honours degree in economics and sociology and her love of fashion that have really helped build The Stork Box brand. Tinkering through life, her goal is to design innovative yet practical products for children, relieving parenting stresses, one household at a time! Sophie Cafolla, an experienced Marketing & Sponsorship Consultant left her career in Events in 2017 to start her own business The Stork Box, a business focused on the baby market. As a Mum of two, Sophie has drawn from her own experiences and created a range of modern products that will prevent people from making the #parentingfails she did. It is the marketing and project management skills which she learnt over the course of her 11 year career along with her honours degree in economics and sociology and her love of fashion that have really helped build The Stork Box brand. Tinkering through life, her goal is to design innovative yet practical products for children, relieving parenting stresses, one household at a time!
Laura McCarthy, CEO, Drink Botanicals
Drink Botanicals Ireland was founded in 2017 by gin enthusiast Laura McCarthy.
At the age of 20, Laura spotted a gap on the Irish market for a consumer to enjoy an ‘Up-Styled’ gin and tonic in the comfort of their own home. Drink Botanicals Ireland offers customers that sophisticated solution by facilitating the enjoyment of your favourite drink, creating a luxurious experience, without having to pay a premium price.
In September 2017 Laura launched her first product; The Gin Fusion Kit.
The Gin Fusion Kit contains 5 of the most flavoursome botanicals to give your standard gin and tonic extra flavour, aroma and spice. Each kit comes with a serving spoon and a 5 compartment recyclable storage tub and makes 20-25 luxurious G & T's!
Building upon the success of the Gin Fusion Kit, Drink Botanicals Ireland expanded their product range, launching The Expert Gin Fusion Kit & The Expert Cocktail Kit, seeing the business grow year on year. At present, their products can be found in over 200 + supermarkets and off-licences across the country.
Drink Botanical Ireland’s mission is simple – to provide customers with the opportunity to experiment, have fun and make a drink of their choice by using a selection of botanicals at very little
Ailbhe Keane, Founder Izzy Wheels
Ailbhe Keane is the Founder of the multi-award-winning brand Izzy Wheels. Izzy Wheels provide a range of designer wheel covers for wheelchairs which allow users to express their individuality and personality. The brand collaborates with top designers and major fashion brands from around the world to create its vibrant collections. Their tagline is 'If you can't stand up, stand out'. Ailbhe is passionate about combining art with business, bridging the gap between disability and fashion, and making the world a more inclusive place for all. She was named on Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018 for Retail and E-commerce.
MC
Ruth Scott, Radio Broadcaster