Linda Cereda is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of international experience driving business growth and consumer-centric innovation through AI/data-driven strategies. She spent over 15 years at Nike, holding multiple leadership roles across digital, loyalty marketing, data, and retail, and spearheading large-scale digital and organisational transformations. She now advises organisations on AI transformation, data monetisation, modern marketing.

Linda is a collaborative, results-driven leader known for leading large transformational initiatives that harness data and insights to drive both consumer and business outcomes. She excels at crafting compelling visions and strategies, and operationalising these through processes, crossfunctional teams, tools/technology, and change management. She is recognised for turning complexity and ambiguity into simple frameworks, relatable narratives, and actionable plans.

As a sought-after advisor, speaker, and educator, Linda works across four engagement modes: Fractional Executive and consultant for hands-on AI strategy (e.g. AI Native MarTech, Generative Engine Optimization, growth strategy); keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at both large events and intimate C-suite offsites; Board & Company Advisor for MarTech and AI companies; Educator (Guest Lecturer at Erasmus University and Politecnico di Milano, and facilitator of proprietary AI Literacy Masterclasses for executive and business audiences).

Linda began her career at Goldman Sachs and The Boston Consulting Group, building a solid foundation in financial acumen, strategic thinking, and global business operations. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and has studied at UCLA Anderson School of Management, Bocconi University, and MIT School of Management.

Dave Morrissey has spent over 15 years driving growth across eCommerce and technology, from high-growth startups to global platforms. At Meta, he partnered with leading brands including HUEL, Alibaba, LEGO, Very and Gymshark to scale performance. He later led TikTok’s Retail and eCommerce Lifestyle team, supporting the growth of brands such as Represent, Adanola, THG, SharkNinja, eBay, Next and more.

Dave is also the author of Grow Like Tech, sharing the mindset and playbooks behind the world’s most successful companies. He now advises ambitious brands through his growth and culture consultancy, helping unlock transformational growth across marketing, strategy and mindset.

Stuart Trevor is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who founded AllSaints in 1994, creating its distinctive aesthetic from the ground up and building it into a globally recognised brand. Inspired by music, vintage culture, and his early years customising hand-me-down clothing in Dundee, Trevor developed a signature design language that continues to influence the brand decades later. Prior to AllSaints, he was Head of Menswear Design and Buying at Reiss, where he built deep expertise across design, merchandising, and retail strategy.

After leaving AllSaints, Trevor set out to rethink the fashion industry at its core. In response to the environmental impact of overproduction and fast fashion, he launched his eponymous label, STUART TREVOR – a brand built on the idea of creating without producing new clothing. Working with vintage garments and deadstock fabrics, he transforms existing materials into unique, limited-edition pieces through processes such as reworking, patching, printing, and hand-finishing.

Driven by a belief that there are already too many clothes in the world, Trevor’s mission is to turn “waste into want,” making sustainable fashion more desirable, accessible, and emotionally engaging. His work responds to growing eco-anxiety and challenges a culture of overconsumption, while still delivering the creativity, individuality, and sense of joy that people seek from fashion.

With a career spanning nearly four decades, Trevor continues to combine design, culture, and purpose -mentoring the next generation and working to reshape the future of fashion into one that is both inspiring and responsible.

Meet Holly Hayes, a creative personal brand strategist and social media expert who has worked with some of the biggest brands and creators.

From the likes of L’Oréal, where she was responsible for starting their TikTok and managing their social channels and most recently Steven Bartlett / The Diary Of A CEO. Where she spoke to an audience of over 7 million daily, published 200 pieces of content per month and was responsible for creating viral content. She is now working with one of the biggest media companies in the world. Dear Media, an American business championing over 70 female creatives in the entertainment space.

A seasoned retailer, who has led intensely challenging transitions and integrations from pure retail , to multichannel, omnichannel and digital B2C across all stages of company lifecycle and ownership structures. She has worked in Irish & international retailers from family-owned to NYSE listed, from start-up to liquidation. 

Placing the customer at the heart of proposition and product strategy, Marion now leads a multi-billion euro business, bringing physical,  social and community experiences to life in digital gaming, in regulated environments.  

Marion is an expert at leading strategic evolution, defining the purpose & positioning of channels and focusing on the customer in their experience of your brand, wherever they want to do business with you.  

Jim Power is one of Ireland’s most respected economic analysts and commentators, with over three decades of experience at the forefront of Irish economic thinking. A UCD graduate, Jim has served as Chief Economist at both Bank of Ireland Group Treasury and Friends First Group, and has lectured at UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business and Dublin City University.

Éanna Lynch is a senior retail executive with 20 years’ experience across premium and luxury retail, having held leadership roles with some of the world’s most recognised brands including Waterford | Wedgwood (Fiskars), Orlebar Brown (Chanel Group), DKNY and Hugo Boss. As Director of Retail & DTC at Waterford | Wedgwood, he led a £25M global operation across 25 locations, driving significant commercial transformation across both iconic heritage brands. Now working in a consultative capacity through Retail Excellence Advisory, Éanna partners with established and start-up retail businesses on growth strategy, omnichannel transformation, and operational excellence. A passionate advocate for people-first leadership, he is a compelling voice on the future of retail talent, culture and change management. 

Paul Brooks co-founded SFD in 1998 with his brother David Brooks. SFD is a key international player in the supply of inspired retail environments to some of the UK’s top retail blue-chip fashion groups and many independents Brandyourself, with clients including Primark, River Island, Gap, House of Fraser and JD Sports among many others. With overall responsibility for sales and creative direction, Paul has spent decades at the forefront of retail design and store environments, working with some of the most recognised names on the British and international high street. A hands-on creative leader, he brings a wealth of knowledge on what makes a retail environment truly compelling — from store concept to customer experience.

Maeve is the Environment Social Governance (ESG) Manager with Boots Ireland. Prior to that Maeve worked with Accenture in their Corporate Citizenship department but her career began in retailing with Oxfam Ireland, where she worked for 20 years as a District Retail Manager. Her current role marries her love for retailing and her interest in social inclusion and the environment.

Tommy Smyth is Director of Tom Smyth & Associates, one of Ireland’s most trusted HR consultancies supporting Irish and international employers since 1991. With deep roots in retail and expertise spanning HR, employment law and industrial relations, Tommy is a straight-talking, practical voice on the people challenges facing Irish retailers today. TSA is a long-standing partner of Retail Excellence Ireland. 

A sustainability leader with over a decade of experience in the food industry. Elaine’s path to Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland included time as a Bord Bia Origin Green Ambassador, where she gained valuable international experience working with teams in Starbucks and Danone to apply sustainability frameworks across the global food industry.

Now leading sustainability strategy Elaine manages the complexities of large scale retail while achieving milestones like setting a Net Zero by 2050 target. It’s a privilege to navigate the complexities of large scale retail and support important initiatives, such as the rollout of the Deposit Return Scheme and The Lidl Green Fund. Working with a dedicated team, Elaine focuses on connecting local production with global best practices, contributing to Lidl’s efforts in carbon reduction and most recently, sustainable nutrition positioning. These collective efforts led to Lidl Ireland being recognised as the Most Sustainable Retailer in the Ireland RepTrak Sustainability Index for both 2024 and 2025.

Fergus Sharkey is Head of Business Supports with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). 

Fergus is an experienced engineer and proven leader in the energy and sustainability sector. Currently Head of Business Supports in SEAI, helping to lead Ireland’s energy transition. Fergus and his team provide a wide range of supports to businesses looking to improve energy efficiency and adopt renewable energy.

An experienced and dynamic Chief Executive Officer, Ciaran leads a team of over 650 across 50 locations in the UK & Ireland. At Select Technology Group, he has overseen a rapid growth phase that has made Select the largest Apple Premium Partner in the UK and Ireland, leading to the acquisition of DID Electrical in 2023. Since the purchase of DID Electrical the business has gone through rapid change with new flagship locations in Limerick and Killarney and the launch of DID Essentials in partnership with United Hardware.

Since his appointment in August 2015, the business has increased its footprint in Ireland, exceeded revenue targets and grown employment by 40%. With a core belief in collaboration, Ciaran has built a team surrounding him that adds value to the company thanks to their business and people skills.

Prior to Select, Ciaran was the Channel Manager for Apple, an appointment that came about as a direct result of his 9-year career as one of Ireland’s leading professional development consultants, retail sales trainers and digital content creators. During this time, Ciaran was responsible for the growth of Apple’s corporate, retail (Apple Premium Reseller), business-to-business and public sector segments.

Brian is an experienced retail leader who has lived and managed projects across five different countries. Working with a diverse range of global leading premium brands such as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and McArthurGlen, collaborating with luxury and lifestyle leaders including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Charlotte Tilbury, and Adidas.

Brian is originally from the UK and departed his most recent role as Group Retail Director for Harvey Nichols to join in the helm of leading the Avoca business into a bright future. He brings not only a wealth of experience but a deep insight into retail global landscape. Brian believes in creating customer-focused stimulating environments that translate into sales growth and profitability. Brian is passionate about design, fashion, and loves working alongside dynamic cross functional teams to realise the brands potential.

Since joining Avoca in 2024, he has leveraged his strategic vision to lead a team of over 1,000 across Ireland. He has spearheaded a whole new & exciting chapter for the Avoca brand reframing its story telling and introducing new designs across 3 recently launched collections from their Mill – Heritage, 1723 & Warp Collections to global markets. For the past 18 months, he has focused on investing in Avoca’s 13 stores transforming their aesthetic and creating stimulating & fun environments alongside introducing 100’s of new products & brands across food, house & home, fashion, and beauty attracting a whole new customer profile and fresh new mindset. He leads with passion, bravery and positions Avoca firmly as a personality brand that focuses on connection & experiences.

Ciaran Doyle is a Technical Success Leader at OpenAI, based in Dublin. He leads teams across EMEA helping organisations of all sizes adopt AI in practical, high-impact ways. Ciaran and his team work closely with businesses to turn AI into real-world solutions, focusing on moving quickly from idea to prototype and delivering measurable value. Prior to OpenAI, Ciaran spent 7 years leading teams in the business productivity space at Slack and Notion, and spent time at both Oracle and IBM in his early career. Growing up, Ciaran was immersed in his families butcher shops from young age, beginning a life long passion for retail. 

Joe Barrett is Group Chief Executive of Applegreen. Joe joined the Group in 1993 – its second year of operation and has more than 30 years’ experience in the retail of fastmoving consumer goods and in brand partnerships. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Joe oversaw the management and development of the Group’s operations, with a particular emphasis on strengthening its retail and food offerings. He was instrumental in developing the Group’s partnerships with its many international food brand partners. Joe managed the operational expansion of the Group from its base in Ireland into the UK from 2008 and into the US market from 2014. Applegreen Group currently employs about 17,000people and has further plans for growth in its three geographic markets. Applegreen has almost 200 sites in the Republic of Ireland and also operates 61 service areas and 31 hotels in the UK through its Welcome Break business. Welcome Break employs more than 6,000 people in the UK and serves more than 85 million customers annually. In the US, Applegreen operates in 11 states, with over 300 food outlets, employing over 6,000 people. Joe has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and an MBA from University College Dublin.

By Car:

• From Dublin: Lyrath Estate is about 1.5 hours (130 km) south of Dublin. Take the M9 motorway southbound, then follow the signs for Kilkenny and the N10. The hotel is located just a short drive from the city center.
• From Cork: It’s about 2.5 hours (160 km) north of Cork. Take the N8 towards Dublin, then the M8 and follow signs for Kilkenny.

By Train:

• From Dublin: Take a train from Dublin Heuston Station to Kilkenny (about 1.5 hours). Once at Kilkenny station, you can take a short taxi ride to Lyrath Estate (approximately 10 minutes).

By Bus:

• Several bus services run from Dublin and other major cities to Kilkenny. From Kilkenny bus station, a short taxi ride will take you to the hotel.

By Air:

• The nearest airport is Waterford Airport (about 1 hour away), but most travelers fly into Dublin Airport and drive or take a train from there.

Please check with your transportation provider for the most up-to-date schedules and routes!