Our board play an essential role in the governance of our organisation. They comprise an experienced, diverse and exceptional team.
Click on the picture to find out who the individual is, click on their name to find out more about them.

Alan Cox
Chairperson

Alan Cox
Chairperson
Alan Cox is CEO of a new start-up in the business software sector. Prior to this, Alan was Chief Executive of Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company. He has 35 years’ experience working in advertising and communications.
Alan was named ‘Most Trusted leader in Ireland’ by the Great Place to Work Institute in 2013. In 2017, he co-authored Marketing Multiplied with Jim Power and Chris Johns; it is a study into the impact of marketing communications from a macro-economic and micro-economic basis.
Alan was Chairman of TAM Ireland, the company that manages the Television Viewing Research contract for a two-year term from 2012 -2014 and is a Chartered Director and a fellow of the Marketing Institute and of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland.

Kevin McLoughlin
Board Member

Kevin McLoughlin
Board Member
Kevin is a 19-year-old student with Asperger Syndrome from Country Clare and is studying and living most of the time in Galway. He is an AsIAm Ambassador, having previously been a part of the AsIAm Youth Leadership Team for two years before graduating to become a part of the Ambassador Team.
In his time as an Ambassador, he has delivered talks to parents about puberty, sexuality, large changes and mental health, all from an autistic perspective. Kevin speaks about his own experiences in the hope it will give people a greater understanding.

Shaun Murphy
Board Member

Shaun Murphy
Board Member
Shaun Murphy was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Director of Ardagh Group in 2019. He is Chairman of the Sustainability Committee. Prior to joining Ardagh, he was a partner at KPMG for almost 20 years and completed a six-year term as Managing Partner of KPMG in Ireland in 2019.
Mr. Murphy also served as the Lead Director on KPMG’s Global Board from 2015 until 2019. He holds a business degree from University College Dublin and is a Chartered Accountant.

Emer Ring
Board Member

Emer Ring
Board Member
Emer Ring is Head of the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick. She previously worked as a mainstream primary class teacher, a learning support teacher, a resource teacher and a senior inspector with the Department of Education and Skills.
In her work with the Inspectorate, in addition to school inspection and probationary work with teachers, Emer was involved in a wide range of research projects related to inclusion. Emer is co-editor of the recent publication Autism from the Inside Out: A Handbook for Parents, Early Childhood, Primary, Post-Primary and Special School Settings.
Emer’s research interests include education policy and practice; the teacher education continuum; child voice; inclusion; early childhood education and autism.

Una Herlihy
Board Member

Una Herlihy
Board Member
With 30 years’ experience gained in advertising and marketing for creative agencies and as a self-employed marketing consultant, Una’s passion lies in creating the conditions for high performing teams to deliver real business outcomes.
Having worked for some of the world’s biggest brands, she co-founded The Indie List in July 2020 to help find sustainable work for freelance marketing talent. She holds qualifications from UCD and the Dublin Institute of Technology and lives in Kilkenny with her husband and children.

Brian Irwin
Board Member

Brian Irwin
Board Member
Brian

Eileen Jackson
Board Member

Eileen Jackson
Board Member
Eileen has worked to achieve equality of access and advantage in education over her 37-year career as a Teacher and Principal in the state and private sector. Her management roles have involved leadership of strategic planning, policy development, and liaison with Government departments and public agencies. She has initiated a number of local, national and international educational and cultural initiatives, and has been a member of various advisory groups within the Department of Education and Skills (DES). She has also held a number of non-executive governance roles.
Having received primary and master’s degrees from Trinity College Dublin, Eileen completed a diploma in corporate governance at UCD’s Smurfit Graduate Business School in 2019. She works as a consultant in education-related governance and data protection, and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in governance with the IPA.

Stuart Neilson
Board Member

Stuart Neilson
Board Member
Stuart was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2009 at the age of 45, after many years of ineffective psychiatric treatment. He has been teaching and researching at third level since 1987. He lectured in statistics at Brunel University for eight years, where he was also director of medical information systems in the Centre for the Study of Health, Sickness and Disablement. He has also lectured in medical statistics, have been involved in a variety of research projects and have published extensively in international neurological journals. Stuart has co-authored a number of books including guides to multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease and Asperger syndrome / autism

Ian Baker
Board Member

Ian Baker
Board Member
Ian Baker has a strong background in IT and worked for over 20 years in this area at the Irish Time. . He has been working with SSE Airtricity for the last 13 years is currently as the Head of Customer Operations within SSE. Ian’s passions lie in the areas of inclusion and diversity within the workplace. In his current role with SSE he is given the opportunity to encourage people of different backgrounds, experiences and learning paths to contribute meaningfully to the work environment. Ian lives in Naas with his wife Deborah and 5 children.

Orla O'Connor
Board Member

Orla O'Connor
Board Member
Orla is Chair of law firm, Arthur Cox and is a partner in the firm’s Finance Group. As Chair of the firm, Orla is responsible for chairing the firm’s board which deals with new partner appointments, partner remuneration and other strategic matters for the firm. Orla also leads and chairs all
partnership meetings and as Chair, works closely with the firm’s managing partner.
In addition to her role as Chair, Orla also practices in the firm’s Finance Group advising banks, private equity firms and corporate clients on financing and restructuring transactions and on regulatory issues such as anti-money laundering and compliance with Central Bank regulation.
Orla has been involved in diversity at Arthur Cox and champions the Gender in the Firm Initiative.
She has been a mentor in both the firmwide mentoring scheme and the Women Partners’ mentoring scheme.
Prior to being elected Chair, Orla served on the firm’s management committee from 2013 – 2018 and chaired the firm & legal tech and innovation steering group from 2016 – 2018.
She received her LL.B. from Trinity College Dublin and her B.C.L. from Oxford University. She is married with two boys and lives in Kildare.

Marie O'Riordan
Board Member

Marie O'Riordan
Board Member
Marie O'Riordan, a seasoned journalist, communicator, and diversity advocate, began her media career at just 13. She has interviewed Hollywood legends and Saint Mother Teresa. A Cambridge-educated journalist, Marie founded consultancies serving a diverse clientele, from governments to Fortune 500 companies. Her relentless advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion earned her the 2022 Gamechanger Progress Champion Award and an international philanthropy award alongside Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi, UAE. As an Autistic Savant, she has spoken on stages across five continents on neurodiversity. Additionally, she connects with the LGBT+ community. Her passion for positive mental health is demonstrated in her global keynote speeches and recent Positive Psychology course completion at the University of Oxford. Marie lives in Ireland with her South African partner and three special-needs dogs.

Lucinda Murrihy
Board Member

Lucinda Murrihy
Board Member
Lucinda Murrihy, M.A., B.Sc. is an accomplished communications and advocacy specialist with more than 15 years’ experience in leadership roles. Lucinda has been an indefatigable activist for not-for-profits across continents, including Barnardos, Focus Ireland, Community Housing Aotearoa, and Action on Smoking & Health NZ. She has a Master’s in Public Affairs & Political Communications and has supported the campaign of a successfully elected parliamentarian. During the COVID pandemic she produced and presented the 'Empowering Through' podcast for Microsoft in Europe, America and Asia-Pacific. She is a keynote speaker for multinationals and public sector organisations in her mission to fervently pursue equality for the autistic community.