Careers and Connections, An In Person Event

Elaine Brady

Managing Partner, Barden Leinster

Elaine Brady is Managing Partner of Barden Leinster. She holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and since graduation has worked nationally and internationally with some of the world’s leading recruitment companies.

Throughout her career Elaine has specialised in accounting and tax talent advisory and recruitment, and is an expert in qualified accounting careers across practice and industry. In 2014 Elaine founded Barden talent advisory & recruitment, with Ed Heffernan and since then it has grown organically into a thriving team of talent advisory & recruitment experts in Dublin and Cork. Barden was founded by people passionate about recruitment and its impact on people’s lives. We are a partner led talent advisory and recruitment firm consumed with supporting professionals on their chosen career journey.

Our expertise covers accounting & tax, business support, financial services, legal, life sciences, supply chain and technology. She is an active contributor and regular panellist on talent advisory, recruitment, accounting and tax, and diversity and inclusion, and advises Boards on how to build world class leadership teams. In 2021/2022 Elaine also completed the KPMG/Enterprise Ireland Going for Growth programme.

Elaine has also recently been selected for the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women EMEIA Class of 2023.

Jennifer Brennan

CEO, Thrive Marketing

Jennifer Brennan is CEO of Thrive Marketing and is an experienced marketing and communications professional with a demonstrated history of working in the private and not-for-profit sector.

She is skilled in all areas of branding, marketing, communications, strategy, planning, event management, PR and all things digital.

For over two decades Jennifer has successfully led several rebranding projects with leading companies throughout Ireland, in particular those within the professional services, start-up, wellness and sustainability space. Jennifer is also a personal brand and employer brand strategist working with individuals, senior management and c-suite executives to manage their personal, professional and employer brands, along with their online and offline reputation. She helps all those she works with to create a personal and professional brand that places them in the best position to excel in all they do, and to build an employer brand to attract and retain the best talent to build their teams and businesses.

She is a lover of all things brand…and the one who gets over excited about the logo round in a table quiz!!

Dr Margaret Fitzsimons

Dean and Chief Learning Officer in IOB

Dr Margaret Fitzsimons is Dean and Chief Learning Officer in IOB. She is a proven leader with a distinguished career across several academic institutions and expertise in developing people, programmes, governance and leading teams and implementing strategy and change.

As a qualified Executive Coach, with 20+ years of business and leadership experience, she is passionate about lifelong learning and personal growth. She has a PhD in Finance, is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and a member of the Irish Taxation Institute.

She holds a Masters in Coaching (UCD), a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (DIT), a Masters in Accounting (UCD) and a Bachelor of Commerce (UCD).