We have more speakers than ever before and it will include a full day of plenary sessions as well as parallel hosted conversations, break-out sessions and clinics.
About the Speakers
Sean O'Sullivan, Co-founder and Managing Director, Avego
 | Sean O’Sullivan is co-founder and managing director of Avego, a 55 person technology firm with offices in the United States, Ireland, and China. The company is a world leading company in efficient mobility, adding cars and vans to the public transport network. Sean is also managing director of SOSventures International, an investment management operation with returns averaging 27% over the past 15 years, and a founder of JumpStart International and Chinaccelerator. His first company, MapInfo, grew to a $200 million public company with over 1,000 employees, and popularized street mapping on computers. His first internet company, NetCentric, pioneered many concepts in internet computing, and he has been recognized as the co-creator of the term “cloud computing”. He received his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California. |
Sharon Walsh, Marketing Director, Heineken
 | Sharon is a proven marketing professional with over 14 years experience working in the FMCG industry in Ireland. She started her marketing career working on the Baileys & Smirnoff brands at Diageo Ireland where she spent 5 years, and then spent 8 years at Coca-Cola Ireland in various roles, her latest as Head of Marketing for their Sparkling Brands Portfolio (Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite). In her time in Coca-Cola, Sharon led the turn around in volume & equity performance on both Diet Coke and Powerade, through clear strategic thinking, driving consumer insights through to strong creative ideas and into clear & focused action plans. Sharon also led the hugely successful launch of Coke Zero into the Irish marketplace. Sharon has a Masters Degree in Strategic International Marketing from DCU and was a finalist in the Marketer of the Year 2007. She has been the recipient of two All Ireland Marketing Awards; ‘Brand Campaign of the Year 2006’ for the repositioning of Diet Coke in Ireland and ‘Advertising Campaign of the Year 2008’ for her work on Sprite. She joined Heineken Ireland in July 2011 in a contract maternity cover role on the Heineken brand. In February 2012 she was promoted to the role of Marketing Director for Heineken Ireland. |
Deborah Lynch, Developer Technical Services, EMEA Manager, Paypal
Deborah is the manager of the PayPal's Developer Technical Services team in Europe, supporting developer's integrations with the mobile products and platform APIs. Prior to PayPal Deborah spent her career in software development. She started as a software engineer with ICL/Fujitsu developing online content management systems including the initial BBC website. Following further programming roles in Sydney, Deborah returned to Dublin and joined SabreHoldings where she held a role of Software Development Manager providing software solutions for travel agents, airlines and consumers. Deborah holds a BSc in Computer Science and Software Engineering from Dublin Institute of Technology. Session Description : Overview on mobile payments including future trends,opportunities and consumer experiences. |
Alan Kearney, Founder and Managing Director, Gesaky Interactive
 | Combining his skills as an Engineer and experience with an MSc in International Sales Management, Alan has helped many companies over the last 25 years to maximise their export potential. For most of these years he has specialised in the development of companies that designed hardware and software to enable Energy Efficient Buildings, but in the last 18 months he has used his skills to develop an Interactive Mirror for High End Retailers. The Gesaky Interactive Mirror is an in-store portal to enable retailers maximise revenues in their traditional “bricks & mortar” stores by providing a Mirror that reads what they are wearing and displays this onto the Mirror, while at the same time providing images of accessories and clothing that will match the item being worn. Gesaky are in the process of launching further products and services into the Middle East, South America, Russia and the US, and are in interested in any IIA companies that may wish to partner with them in these countries. All interested companies should email their details to alan.kearney@gesaky.com |
Fergal O'Byrne, CEO, Sonru.com
 | Fergal joined Sonru.com in 2009, as CEO, after 4 years at the helm of the Irish Internet Association. Sonru is an automated online video solution, being utilised by HR, Talent Acquisition departments and Recruiters to make radical savings in their recruiter process. Fergal has been involved in the internet for most of his career and has been a founder and investor in a number of start-up companies. Fergal will talk about the challenge and experience of bringing Sonru from a small Wexford based entity to a company with global ambitions and goals. The session will focus on how the product was localised for markets in Asia Pacific and beyond. |
Neil Leydon, Founder, International Digital Services Centre
 | Neil Leydon is a scriptwriter, ideas junkie, entrepreneur and professional optimist. He is Chairman of the Digital Media Forum, a network of digital media companies in Ireland and a board member of the Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland’s Contracts Committee as well as sitting on the board of a number of tech start-ups. He is project advisor for WorldIrish.com - an initiative to connect the Irish Diaspora online and was also the winner of Your Country, Your Call - a nationwide competition to get ideas that will lift Ireland out of the economic gloom. The big idea: to create an International Digital Services Centre to make Ireland the global gateway for digital content and services between the US and Europe. The IDSC is a privately funded, not for profit foundation dedicated to making Ireland a global leader in international digital services with a two-fold strategy: - Create an ‘implementation group’ to break down all barriers and to facilitate the optimum business environment - Create a clear market framework to provide seamless solutions – virtual and physical – to any digital service business seeking to locate in and operate from Europe. |
