Susan HayesCulleton, CFA, “The Positive Economist” is managing director of the Hayes Culleton Group, with clients across Europe and the USA. The businesses include Active Peers AI which unlocks, diffuses and records tacit strategic knowledge within networks and #SavvyTeenAcademy which manages the entire experience of teenage work experiences in corporate organisations.

The company also provides training, speaking and content development services in the subject areas of the financial markets, economics and entrepreneurship. Susan has published “Money Matters”, a textbook sponsored by CFA Society Ireland, to go into every secondary school in Ireland to promote and democratise financial literacy right across the country. She has twice co-authored “Positive Economics”, the market-leading Leaving Cert economics textbook in Ireland. She is also the author of two books published by Penguin, The “Savvy Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom” and “The Savvy Guide to Making More Money”.

Susan is co-founder of The Positive Economist, Associate Lecturer at Ulster University, host of Fantastic Female Fridays and the ESG & Tech Show, and the sole presenter of the Savvy Women Online podcast. She serves on the boards of the Irish International Business Network and the Ireland Hong Kong Business Forum. Susan holds a Chartered Financial Analyst charter, MSc Executive Leadership, BSc Financial Maths and Economics and a Diploma in Taxation.

Craig Thompson is the founder of Vibrant Workplace, a movement helping organisations turn culture into a genuine competitive advantage.
He leads the Vibrant Workplace Collective, a network of some of Northern Ireland’s best-known employers, supporting their journey to better performance through better workplace culture.

Craig also hosts the Vibrant Workplace Forum and Podcast, platforms that spotlight proven employers of choice and share practical ideas from industry leaders.
Manufacturing Month shines a spotlight on one of Northern Ireland’s most important sectors. At a time when many manufacturers are struggling to attract and retain talent, Craig will be sharing how to build magnetic cultures where people want to come to work, perform and stay.

Williams Career began as a trainee actuarial consultant with Mercer in Dublin and segued into the technology of actuarial valuations. This segued into international assignments in Germany and then Philadelphia, where he pivoted into Compliance, with a Global remit to train and measure compliance with the settlement agreement between MMC and the New York Attorney General.

Whilst working as a Partner with Mercer in Philadelphia, William emerged from the Wharton School with an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management. A move to Boston followed with roles as Director at Liberty Mutual and Manulife, as well as 5 years growing a Princeton-spun-out ed-Tech artificial intelligence start-up.

William returned to Ireland in 2020 when he and his sister purchased a family business established by their grandfather. This transaction completed in 2022 and they have been transforming the company through culture, process, and technology initiatives since then

Karina Todd is a workplace wellbeing specialist and the founder of WorkLife People. She works with organisations to help develop inclusive, evidence-led approaches to menopause support in the workplace. Karina has created the world’s first wrap-around digital menopause eLearning suite and leads an accredited menopause programme designed to help employers move from policy to practical implementation. She is recognised for her clear, pragmatic approach to strengthening workplace culture, retention and employee wellbeing.

Caroline McKenna is the Founder of Lead Self, an award-winning coaching practice dedicated to helping leaders grow, scale, and lead with greater clarity and confidence. Known for her grounded and practical approach, Caroline supports CEOs and senior leaders to navigate the internal challenges that arise as their businesses expand – strengthening their mindset, decision- making, and leadership presence.

Caroline draws on more than two decades of experience working in growing SME’s including leading and developing high-performing teams, combined with vast experience of working with international teams. She has developed a reputation for helping ambitious leaders unlock the next level of their capability. Her work centres on transforming the inner stories and beliefs that shape behaviour, enabling leaders to lead with purpose, courage, and authenticity.
Through Lead Self, Caroline empowers individuals and teams to elevate how they think, lead, and live – creating meaningful, long- lasting change from the inside out.

Caroline developed the Lead Self First Framework from her experience of working with Ireland’s top entrepreneurs to unlock next- level growth. Caroline shares this framework in her upcoming book Lead Self First scheduled to launch on 30th June 2026.

John is a senior business leader with over 13 years’ experience spanning external consulting and internal operational leadership. He has led large-scale data, regulatory, and technology transformation programmes across financial services, government, and healthcare, supporting organisations from early-stage ventures to FTSE 100 firms.

He has held COO, Director, and Head-of-Department roles across Big 4 consulting, listed companies, and venture-backed scale-ups. His work focuses on applying data, technology, and management research to solve complex problems and drive confident organisational evolution.
John contributes regularly to industry panels and produces applied research at the intersection of data, operations, and leadership. He holds an MBA and serves as Northern Ireland Chapter Director of the MBA Association of Ireland.

Alan leads the Data and Analytics Centre of Excellence in Belfast.

He is a Chartered Civil Engineer by background and brings over 19 years of industry experience across multiple sectors.

He has worked in professional services and analytics solutions roles since October 2014.

Paul Donnelly is the Head of Engineering at Reliance Automation Ltd. based in Dundalk, where he leads the design and delivery of custom turnkey automation solutions. This new facility expands the Reliance Group’s nationwide premium engineering capabilities, establishing the company as a valuable partner to all manufacturing sectors.

With nearly four decades of automation experience, Paul launched Donnelly Automation in Galway in 1997 to serve the medical device and electronics sectors. His extensive career spans technical and leadership roles across the automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, and medical device industries, including managing projects funded by the European Space Agency.
Despite nearly forty years in the industry, Paul remains as energised and enthusiastic about each new project today as when he first started his career in automation.

Stuart leads NI Chamber’s direct interactions with politicians, helping to shape the legislative agenda and supporting elected representatives to create the right conditions for business and economic growth. He works directly with NI Chamber members in all sectors, identifying their challenges and bringing forward their ideas as part of a collaborative approach between industry and policy makers. A qualified lawyer, he was the Convenor of the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group for 3 years.

Mark has been with the Labour Relations Agency for over 20 years working in all frontline services as well as the corporate services side of the organisation and more latterly as the director of employment relations services. Mark was appointed CEO during the summer and took over from Don Lesson on 1 September 2024.

Mark was a legal academic and regional trade union negotiator prior to joining the Labour Relations Agency. He has worked in a variety of voluntary capacities such as community mediation and is a former Chair of Community Restorative Justice Ireland. In addition, Mark has held the post of Northern Ireland Convenor of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Chair of the Governance Institute (NI) Branch.

He also holds memberships in the Employment Lawyers Group (NI) (independent member) and the Industrial Law Society (independent member). Since he began working many years ago, he has remained passionate about improving work for everyone and is well regarded as an expert in industrial and employment relations.

Michal Voyno is Head of Delivery at Netcompany, a leading European technology consultancy specialising in large-scale digital transformation for public and private sector organisations. He joined the firm in 2021 and oversees delivery across its UK public sector portfolio, with a focus on Tax & Customs engagements. He has spent his career delivering complex technology programmes across health, financial services, and government, with a particular focus on operational excellence and building the structures that allow large teams to deliver at pace and at scale.

Richard is a Business Development Director in the Barclays Corporate Banking Team, Northern Ireland. He works with a number of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses, supporting their growth through tailored funding solutions and access to Barclays’ UK and international capabilities.

He joined Barclays from KPMG, where he worked in the Corporate Finance team, advising on mergers and acquisitions and capital raising transactions. Through this experience, he developed a strong understanding of the strategic and financial priorities facing growth-focused and internationally active companies.

Richard has experience working across sectors including manufacturing and agri-food, and focuses on building long-term client relationships, supporting businesses as they scale, invest and expand into new markets.

Michelle McGinley is the Managing Director of the Employers Federation, an employer’s organisation that provides legal advice, representation and strategic HR solutions to businesses across Northern Ireland. Michelle is a qualified solicitor with over 25 years’ experience advising and supporting employers across a broad range of sectors on employment law, industrial relations and workplace issues.

Michelle previously served as Director of Legal & Policy, where responsibility included leading on employment law and policy matters, advising on complex and sensitive workplace issues, and representing the employers’ interests on key employment and regulatory developments. Michelle works closely with senior leaders and HR teams, providing practical guidance on managing risk, responding to change and navigating evolving legal obligations.

 

Michelle is a former Board member of the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) and also regularly writes updates on LinkedIn, helping to guide the business community on how employment law and workplace developments impact employers in practice.