CONFERENCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Integrated Materials Solutions
Cian has over 15 years in the waste and environmental sectors and is managing director of Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS), a company providing specialist waste management services to the construction industry. IMS operate an EPA regulated engineered landfill in north county Dublin which accepts a range of materials for disposal and recovery including brownfield soils, concrete, Japanese knotweed contaminated soils and other residual wastes which meet the site's waste acceptance criteria. IMS is committed to the circular economy and is currently working on an environmental risk assessment as part of an end of waste study for secondary aggregates as well as carrying out feasibility studies on recycling and recovering a number of other residual waste streams which are currently going for disposal or export.
Cian's background is in environmental engineering and he is a Chartered Member of CIWM currently serving on the Irish Centre Council. He is also a Chartered Scientist and Professional Geologist and is serving on the board of the Institute of Geologists of Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive, Community Reuse Network of Ireland ( CRNI )
- National Network Coordinator With CRNI
Claire Downey is National Network coordinator with CRNI, an all-Ireland umbrella body funded by the EPA that represents community based organisations involved in reuse and recycling. In this role she is responsible for the promotion of reuse, support for members to overcome barriers to reuse, communication and policy input, networking and research.
Claire holds a Bachelor of Engineering (first class honours) degree and has over 12 years of experience in the waste and resources sector. She sits on the Centre Council for the Republic of Ireland Centre with the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, and is a board member with the Green Foundation Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Technical Director With SLR Consulting and Also IWMA Secretary
Conor Walsh is a Technical Director with SLR Consulting in the company's Waste and Resource Management section in Ireland. Prior to joining SLR in 2009, he worked in the waste industry for 7 years and spent 12 years as an environmental consultant. He is also the Secretary of the Irish Waste Management Association.
Job Titles:
- Partner, Gunnercooke and President of the CIWM
Anna is an environmental criminal lawyer, specialising in defence work in the waste and recycling industry. She is dual-qualified, having completed a PhD in geochemistry and worked as an environmental consultant for 5 years before qualifying as a lawyer. Anna represents waste and recycling businesses and directors who are prosecuted by the regulators (Environment Agency and local authorities) for environmental and waste offences. She has been a member of CIWM for over 20 years, is a Trustee of the Institution and Senior Vice President, becoming President in June 2022. She is also Co-Convenor of UKELA's Waste Working Party. Anna is co-authoring a book on the practical application of waste management law with a barrister and an environmental consultant.
Job Titles:
- Head of Circular Economy at Irish Manufacturing Research ( IMR )
Dr. Geraldine Brennan, Head of Circular Economy at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), drives CIRCULÉIRE - the National Platform for Circular Manufacturing, an industry-led partnership accelerating Ireland's circular economy. With a decade's expertise, Dr. Brennan specializes in shaping circular and sustainable business models, applying systems innovation to align with the zero-carbon circular economy transition. Holding a PhD in Strategic Management and an MSc in Environmental Technology (Business & Environment), both from Imperial College London, and a BA in Politics and Philosophy from the University College Dublin, she contributes to academia as an Honorary Fellow at CEEDR, Middlesex University Business School, and ESRC Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity. Dr. Brennan's influence extends as a Visiting Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London.
Her leadership is affirmed by the international Green Talent Award from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in 2015, solidifying her status as a cross-disciplinary sustainable development leader.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Chief Executive - Donegal County Council and Chair of the CCMA Climate Action, Transport, Circular Economy Committee
John G. McLaughlin grew up in Redcastle, Co. Donegal and was educated at Carndonagh Community School and the Regional Technical College in Letterkenny. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from University College Galway in 1986. He spent a short time working for University College Galway and Westmeath County Council before taking up an appointment in California, USA where he spent 13 years working in engineering and construction. He joined Donegal County Council in 1999 where he worked in the National Roads Office in Donegal Town at Executive Engineer and Senior Executive Engineer level. In 2001, he was appointed Director of Roads and Transportation and held that role until July 2020, when he took up the position of Chief Executive of Donegal County Council.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Manager With Carey Building Contractors
- Environmental Manager, Carey Building Contractors
Keith Burke is an Environmental Manager with Carey Building Contractors (CBC) in Galway. He is graduate of the B.Sc. in Construction Management from GMIT.
Keith is currently undertaking a M.Sc. with GMIT. He has been involved in an EPA funded project over the last two years with Carey Building Contractors and Dr. Mark Kelly of Department of Building and Civil Engineering in the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).
Leo Donavan is the CEO of WEEE Ireland, Ireland's leading compliance scheme organising the environmental management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and waste batteries. Leo has more than 25 years' experience in the electronic recycling business in Ireland and has been at the helm of WEEE Ireland since the organisation was founded in 2005. Leo represented the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA) on the government task force which was set up in February 2003 to review the transposition of the WEEE Directive into Irish law.
Since then Leo has been actively working on the implementation of the WEEE and Battery Regulations into operation in Ireland. Leo's expertise in accountancy and financial management of e-waste recycling systems has been at the forefront of his leadership for a cost effective solution for Producers of electrical appliances and batteries onto the Irish market since 2005. This focus is one he will maintain as Ireland works towards the next decade of environmental management of waste as a resource opportunity under the developing EU Circular Economy Package.
In addition to his role as CEO of WEEE Ireland, Leo also holds numerous roles across industry committees and European Forums such as the National Waste Forum, WEEE and Battery Monitoring Committee, Green Public Procurement 4 Growth, WEEE Forum, Eucobat, and WEEE Europe. Through these forums Leo works closely with the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment(DCCAE), The EU Commission and numerous national/international associations such as White Goods Association, IBEC, Digital Europe, European Portable battery association(EPBA) and the European Electronic Recyclers Association (EERA).
Job Titles:
- Programme Manager
- Programme Manager, National Waste Collection Permits Office
Leo Duffy is the Programme Manager for the National Waste Collection Permit Office at Offaly County Council.
Leo completed his Masters Degree in Environmental Protection from the Institute of Technology Sligo; His undergraduate degree was completed in Environmental Science, from the University of Limerick.
Leo has worked for over eleven years in waste regulation and enforcement in local authorities. As Programme Manager of the NWCPO he leads the operation and development of the office, specifically focusing on advancing IT systems, waste data management and administering permits to the ISO9001 standard.
Previously, he worked in environmental consultancy and environmental laboratories.
Job Titles:
- President
- President of the European Waste Management Association ( FEAD )
Mrs. Claudia Mensi was born on the 1st of January 1970 in Pavia. After graduating from the university of Pavia as a Class A Chemist from the faculty of Mathematical, Chemical, Physical and Natural Sciences, Mrs. Mensi went on to work briefly as a safety management consultant from 1995 to 1996. After this, she joined Sistema Ambiente from 1996 to 1998 as a Laboratory Manager and worked on emission analysis and put into practice new laws pertaining to waste management. In 1998 Mrs Mensi set up the company Hydrae and worked there until 2009 as a laboratory Manager and consulted on various projects ranging from the remediation of contaminated sites to the development of new business systems that linked safety with the environment. Her background and experience helped her interpret and apply new advances in waste management law. From 2005 to 2010 Mrs. Mensi was the Technical Director for Fertilvita overseeing the operations of industrial and municipal waste treatment plants while being responsible for the quality and safety of the environment. Most recently Mrs. Mensi has been employed by A2A since 2009 as their Technical Manager working on a multitude of projects. Most notably, on the classification of waste, the revision of operations according EU legislation, at high level EU working groups such as the SCIP database, BREFS / BATS, Ecotoxicity, and numerous other technical and regulatory frameworks both at national and international level. She is actively engaged in FEAD's work for several years.