26^th

September

2019

The workplace and
workforce of tomorrow
are changing

Are you ready?

Skillnet Ireland
National Summit
Thursday 26
September 2019
The Clayton Hotel
Burlington Road
Dublin 4

Advances in technology, changing demographics, and a multitude of competitive and geopolitical forces are constantly changing the landscape of work on a national and global level.
The Future Works, Skillnet Ireland’s inaugural National Summit, brings you renowned international keynote speakers and insightful industry panel discussions, focusing on the key factors shaping Ireland’s workforce and the future world of work.
Hear from innovation thought leader, Charles Leadbeater, and technology evangelist, Clare Dillon, as they share their experiences of helping organisations capitalise on emerging trends.
Join us, with our event MC Alison Comyn, on Thursday 26th September and, together, we will address the rapidly-advancing challenges ahead for Irish businesses and explore how they can prepare their workforce for the future world of work.

Skillnet Ireland is the national agency dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of workforce learning in Ireland.

We operate under a unique and innovative joint investment model partnering with key industry representative groups across a range of sectors and regions nationwide. Through our 68 Skillnet Learning Networks, we support over 16,000 companies and 56,000 trainees annually.

Working with our industry partners, we are driving excellence in learning for the workplace of today and the future.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SKILLNET IRELAND

Summit Themes

Future-proofing
Your Workforce

Attracting and retain top talent
Innovative learning experiences
Developing 21st century skills
Multi-generational workforce
Emerging future skills needs
Unlocking the potential of your workforce

Workforce Development
in a Disruptive Age

Technological advancements for workforce
Evolving requirements of roles
Digital ways of working
Increasing participation in the workforce
Personalised learning through AI
Empowering employee career development

VIEW OUR SPEAKERS

Speakers

Clare Dillon

Technology Evangelist

With over 20 years experience of leadership development, business strategy and technology evangelism, Clare helps organisations maximise the opportunities presented by the latest trends in technology, from AI to Virtual Reality.

Charles Leadbeater

Innovation Thought Leader

Adviser to leading European companies, Charles is a world-renowned innovation and creativity expert whose work focuses on future strategies for more networked and personalised approaches to learning in today’s technological world.

Paul Healy

Chief Executive
Skillnet Ireland

Paul is a respected commentator in the arena of workforce development and skills, having operated at an executive level in commercial environments for over 20 years. His areas of expertise include: Education and Labour Market Policy, Human Resource Development and Corporate Governance. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive of Skillnet Ireland, Paul had responsibility for Organisational Development and Talent for a large multinational company. Paul is a member of National Training Fund Industry Steering Group, the EU Commission Skills for Industry 2030 Policy Group and the European Digital SME Alliance. He also serves the Skillnet Ireland Board & Board Committees (ex officio). Paul lectures at post graduate level in the field of Human Resources’

Brendan McGinty

Chairperson
Skillnet Ireland

Brendan McGinty is a leading national voice in people strategy, employment relations and policy, change management, dispute resolution and public affairs. Having worked previously as the executive director with leadership responsibility for IR/HR services with Ibec, Brendan founded Stratis Consulting, offering supports to organisations who want to inspire, lead and drive change in critical areas of employee relations, people strategy and workplace innovation. As an effective influencer, advocate and communicator, he engages with enterprise, trade unions, government and other stakeholders. Apart from Chairing the Board of Skilnet Ireland, Brendan is also a Board member of Resolve Ireland and is Deputy Chairman of the Governing Body of the National College of Ireland (NCI). He previously served on the board of the Labour Relations Commission (now the WRC).

Panellists

Aiden O'Dwyer

Director, Cork Operations,
DPS Engineering

Aiden is Director of Operations for DPS Group’s Cork campus. DPS Group is a global consulting, engineering and construction management company, serving high-tech industries around the world. Aiden has over 30 years of in-depth experience in Operations, Program Management, Engineering and Construction, for diverse capital projects within the Pharmaceutical, Life Science, Industrial and Petrochemical sectors. His extensive Project Management experience spans project delivery throughout Ireland, North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Anne Rigney

Head of Behavioural Change & Retailer Development,
Musgrave

IITD Learning & Development Professional of the Year for 2017, Anne led SuperValu & Centra to become the Learning & Development Organisation of the Year in 2019. Anne holds a Honours Degree in Food Business, Masters in Food Science and Technology, Diploma in Personnel Management and is a qualified executive coach. Anne has worked in Musgraves for the last 18 years holding various roles in the HR function. In her current role, Anne heads up the Learning & Development team for both SuperValu and Centra partnering with independent retailers in SuperValu and Centra stores to develop teams in these stores to bring the best of these brands to shoppers right across Ireland.

Carmel Somers

Talent Manager & Organisational Psychologist,
IBM

Over a thirty-year career at IBM, Carmel has held a number of local and global roles in research & development, consulting services and operations. In 2018 Carmel had the opportunity to set-up IBM’s first European Technology for Good development team, based in Dublin. Carmel seized this opportunity to work with NGOs, Industry & Government organisations to demonstrate how IBM technologies and skills can be used to create solutions that result in positive societal outcomes. Her philosophy is to build on past experience, engage in lifelong learning, embrace new challenges and give something back for the benefit of others.

Christof Paulischta

Senior Manager - Human Capital Consulting,
Deloitte

Christof is a Senior Manager with Deloitte Ireland and aligned to the Human Capital Consulting Transformation team. Christof leads the HR strategy practice and has over 20 years of functional experience in supporting business deliver on their strategy through HR. Christof joined Deloitte Consulting from Philips where he has reviewed and subsequently implemented strategic HR Talent, OD and Leadership initiatives in both HR and business functions. Prior to Philips, Christof led Learning and Organisational Development at Westinghouse-Toshiba where he designed and implemented a Corporate University in EMEA and Asia. Christof is a Chartered Psychologist, Registered Occupational Psychologist and Associate Member of the CIPD. Christof is also a part time lecturer at the Irish Management Institute focusing on organisational design and transformation.

Mark Jordan

Chief Technologist,
Skillnet Ireland

Mark is the Chief Technologist at Skillnet Ireland, and has previously held a number of senior leadership positions in the Financial Services and FinTech industry in the UK, North America and Europe. He is an experienced and innovative leader and possesses expertise in technology deployment, operational management, business transformation and regulatory compliance readiness. At Skillnet Ireland, Mark is responsible for leading the technology skills need strategy and agenda, with close engagement across the EU, multisectoral focused industry, higher education and government groups within Ireland.

Ronan Emmett

Learning & Talent Acquisition Manager,
Boston Scientific

Ronan is a HR Professional with more than 18 years’ experience across a broad range of industries. Ronan started his career in education sector lecturing in the institute of technology sector before moving to industry where he has held a range of senior roles with major Fortune 500 companies. During his career he has spent time as Global Director of Learning & Development and Global Director of Talent Management with Schneider Electric based in Paris, France. Ronan returned home to Ireland in 2014 where he is currently the Learning & Talent Acquisition Manager at Boston Scientific in Cork. In his role at Boston Scientific he has the pleasure of leading the companies activities around Learning, Talent Management and Talent Acquisition. Ronan has a strong interest in the area of developing, attracting and retaining top talent in the current competitive landscape, and using innovative learning experiences as a competitive differentiator.

Schedule