Colman Lydon, Chairman, IIBN New York & Managing Director, Fonepool Inc
Colman has worked in travel and telecoms industries at senior management and director level for the past twelve years, bringing concepts to profitable reality within stringent time-scales and budgets. Has brokered multi-million dollar contracts with top-tier companies in sectors as diverse as travel, telecoms and computer software. Currently holds director positions in his companies in USA, Ireland & Ecuador.
Conor Foley, Global Chairman, IIBN and CEO, WorldSpreads Limited
Conor Foley is the CEO and co-founder of WorldSpreads Group plc., the financial markets trading company with offices in London, Dublin, Europe and the Far East. Prior to launching WorldSpreads, Conor was Chief Dealer with Smurfit Paribas Bank in Dublin, with whom he worked from 1989 to 1998. Conor has been short-listed by Ernst & Young for Entrepreneur of the Year in Ireland three times. He serves on the Executive Committee of Co-Operation Ireland, a charity dedicated to promoting better relations between the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Conor has a Masters Degree in Economics from University College, Dublin and is a mentor on the London Business School MBA Summer Programme.
Turlough McConnell, Vice President, Irish American Magazine
Born in County Donegal, Turlough McConnell has lived in New York for 35 years. Since 1995 Turlough has been an important contributor to Irish America Magazine, both as a writer and as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. He is also Executive Director of the US-Ireland Forum. In addition to Irish America Magazine, many prominent U.S. companies and organizations have come to rely on Turlough for his special talent for mixing creative planning with traditional and interactive media into communications services, exhibitions, live events, and multimedia shows. Over the years, Turlough has worked with such national and international organizations and institutions as Pfizer Inc.; The John F. Kennedy Center; The Governments of Ireland and Northern Ireland; the United Nations; Boston College; and the South Street Seaport Museum.
Michael Brewster, Managing Director, Credit Suisse
Michael Brewster, Managing Director in the Private Banking Division of Credit Suisse, recently joined the firm in September 2008 from Lehman Brothers. He is a registered Investment Advisor involved in ananlysing, reviewing, and investing for the MB Value and Growth and MB Strategic Dividend and Income Portfolios. He also co-manages the Small Mid-Cap and Special Situations Portfolio on the team.
Michael is a member of the Enterprise Ireland Financial Services Advisory Board, which is a US based initiative to provide advice and guidance to Irish based financial services and technology companies looking to position themselves in the United States. Michael was honoured in 2006 and 2008 by Irish American Magazine as one of the ‘Top 50 Irish Americans on Wall Street’, as well as one of the ‘Top 40 under 40′ by the Irish Echo in 2008. Michael began working at Lehman Brothers in February 1993 and spent the past 16 years managing investments for high net worth and institutional clients. Prior to his position at Lehman Brothers, he worked in ledger accounting at Bally’s Park Place and in casino credit at Trump Castle Hotel Casino. Michael graduated from Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland with a higher degree in Management Finance and earned his BA from Thomas Edison State College with a degree in Business Administration.
Ailbhe Mullen, Sales Exectuive, Corcoran
A native of Ireland, Ailbhe studied Hotel Management in England before embarking on a successful career in the hospitality industry. She first worked for her family’s restaurant business, then upon arriving in New York in 1995 served as restaurant manager for a golf and country club in Scarsdale for many years. Ailbhe simultaneously pursued courses in Human Resource Management at New York University, honing her interpersonal skills once again at the Parker Meridien Hotel. After rising the ladder to become assistant manager for the front desk, housekeeping and human resources divisions respectively, she entered food and beverage management at Restaurant Associates. Prior to entering real estate, she was wooed back to run both the Parker Meridien’s prominent Norma’s Restaurant and to open and manage the popular Burger Joint as well. A Hell’s Kitchen resident, Ailbhe loves exploring the streets of New York, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with friends doing fun things around the city. She also likes to travel when time allows, especially visiting her family back home in Ireland.
Mary McEvoy, Group Manager, Global Procurement, PepsiCo
Mary McEvoy is Group Manager, Global Procurement, PepsiCo located in Westchester, NY where she has responsibility for risk management and purchase of corn based sweeteners and ingredients for PepsiCo’s food and beverage operations in North America. Mary has been with PepsiCo for over 11 years. A scientist by background, she spent 4 years in Pepsi Worldwide Beverage R&D before moving to a procurement role with PepsiCo International. In 2009, Mary was honored by the Irish Voice as one of the “Top 50 Influential Women in Irish America”. Mary was educated at Loreto Convent Secondary School in Kilkenny and received a B.Sc. in Applied Physics and Chemistry from Trinity College, Dublin. Mary has resided in the New York area for 15 years and is actively involved in community and GAA organizations. She still can’t fathom the appeal of baseball despite living in a two team city.
Garrett Corcoran, Vice President of Operations, HK Hotels
Garret began his career as a hotelier with The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group in Dublin, Ireland in 1984. There, he successfully completed a five year hotel management training program that combined theory and practical work experience. In 1989, he became Assistant Manager of the Jameson (Whiskey) family – owned Portmarnock Hotel and Country Club in Dublin. The same year, he was chosen by the Irish Government State Hotel Training Agency as one of 23 junior hotel managers countrywide to be placed in East Coast American hotels for a management development program. He worked at the Ritz – Carlton Hotel in Boston, returned to Ireland following the program to run the three restaurants at Jury’s Hotel Group flagship 400 guestroom hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Soon after that he was recruited to assume the position of Front Office Manager of The Ritz – Carlton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio from 1991 -1992. In 1992 he moved to New York City, where he quickly rose up the ranks from being Assistant General Manager to General Manager of The Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel. He supervised all operations for this 92 – guestroom boutique hotel improving quality standards and raising occupancy to a steady 90 % year – round. During his tenure here he hosted several visit’s of President Mary Robinson. From 1995 to 2006, Garret was the General Manager of the world class Troutbeck Estate & Resort in Amenia, located on a 600 acre estate. He was General Manager with Marriott International from 2006-2008. Corcoran is adept in hotel budgets, forecasting, expense control and has a thorough understanding of profit & loss statements. Currently Garret is Vice President of Operations for HK Hotels, New York. In this role he oversees the full operation of four unique luxury hotels in Manhattan: The Library Hotel, The Casablanca Hotel, Hotel Elysee and Hotel Giraffe.
Fionuala Pender, Global Executive Director, IIBN
Prior to joining IIBN in September 2007, Fionuala was the Executive Director of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE UK), a global not for profit networking organisation which spans 45 cities in 11 countries. Fionuala headed up two TiE offices in London and Manchester and worked closely with the Board to help drive strategy. During her 4 years with TiE, Fionuala delivered a technology focused tour in India which showcased over 100 technology start up companies in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. In the UK, Fionuala saw the group triple in membership and corporate sponsorship was gained from 4 key industry sectors. Fionuala also helped to build and deliver a mentoring programme to the growing membership who required business guidance and advice. Fionuala has also worked for Lehman Brothers Investment Bank within its IBD Technology division. Fionuala is a graduate from the London School of Economics, and her first job after graduating was for a London based charity which focused on alleviating poverty in the UK working closely with the European Union.
