DYSLEXIA.IE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Training and Development Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Adult Literacy Coordinator
Aoife O'Reilly has worked in media and communications for over 20 years. She worked in journalism and broadcasting including 13 years heading up the digital offering for RTÉ's young people's programming. She is currently a Communications Manager for Digital and Health for the North-South body - Safefood. She has a Master's in Journalism with DCU and recently completed a professional diploma in Public Service Innovation. Aoife has been a member of the DAI Board since 2022.
Barbara has experience and background in I.T., Community Development and Policy. Barbara has a BA (Hons) in Theology and English Literature from All Hallow's College and an M.Phil. in Irish Writing from Trinity College Dublin. She has been a member of DAI for about twenty years, and had two children attending the DAI Workshops over a period of sixteen years. She joined the Board in 2016 in order to be able to continue to help other families on their dyslexic journey. Barbara has been a member of the DAI Board since 2016.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Senior Director With Deloitte Consulting
Bruce is a senior director with Deloitte Consulting and has extensive experience in delivering large scale business and technology programmes. He is an active member of the Deloitte Consulting Risk Council. Bruce has worked in various professional services positions prior to his role with Deloitte selling and delivering projects across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is married with grown up twins and enjoys going to the gym and playing golf. Living with dyslexia Bruce is keen to help others in this area. Bruce joined the DAI Board in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Senior Adult Dyslexia Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer of the Board
David is a program manager, specialising in digital transformation within Financial services. David has a MBA from Smurfit Business School and professional qualifications in Finance, IT & Program management. He joined the Board in 2023 to advocate for all on their dyslexic journey.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice Chairperson of the Board
Dave Deighan is a senior marketing and communications professional with several decades of experience working with some of Ireland's leading blue chip organisations. A Business Studies graduate of Dublin City University, Dave started his career with Guinness at St. James's Gate where he spent a decade making TV ads for brands such as Guinness, Carlsberg and Budweiser. Prior to joining KPMG as Head of Communications, Dave spent several years on both the agency and client-side with communications companies such as JCDecaux and McCann Erickson. In his role as Head of Communications at KPMG, Dave supports the marketing and communications for Ireland's leading professional services firm. With a family background in primary education, Dave has a passion for reading and literacy. Dave joined the DAI Board in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Head of Education and Policy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Programme Manager and Principal Investigator at University College Cork
Joanne is a Programme Manager and Principal Investigator at University College Cork. Joanne's passion is in people and supporting success amongst educators, researchers and learners. She specialises in Training and Development and has devoted the last 15 years to supporting Human Capital development for researchers and early career professionals. This was recently recognised with the award of Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. She has contributed to national policy on EDI, and her programmes have won training and development awards at national level. She has a particular interest in learning and teaching excellence and supporting underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in higher education. Joanne is an avid ultrarunner and mum to two children with dyslexia. Joanne joined the DAI Board in 2022.
Ellen Reynor was a primary school teacher for over 20 years. She taught in mainstream schools, language units and spent 10 years teaching children with dyslexia in a reading school in Dublin. Ellen moved to academia in 2010 and spent 13 years as a lecturer in the School of Inclusive and Special Education in DCU, where she taught on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in special and inclusive education and specific learning difficulties, and was Director of the Masters in Dyslexia there. Ellen holds a B.Ed from St. Patricks College of Education, and an M.Ed and PhD from UCD. Ellen joined the DAI Board in 2024.
Job Titles:
- Senior Educational Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Member of the Board
- Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Gareth is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in Ireland (FCCA) and holds an Accountancy Practicing Certificate from Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Ireland. Gareth has over twenty years' experience in practice, serving clients in the commercial; humanitarian and advocacy sectors; as well as in industry. Gareth has extensive experience providing professional advice, support and lecturing in areas including accountancy, finance, taxation and governance, across multiple sectors and working with diverse stakeholder groups. Gareth has been CEO of NUI Galway SU Commercial Services Limited since 2015 and is a member of that company's Board of Directors, leading and directing the work of the company and its Board. Gareth joined the DAI Board in 2022.
Gerry McCoy - Secretary, Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President / Chairperson
Gráinne O'Rourke has worked in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors over the course of her career. Gráinne worked in a variety of businesses from enterprise-creation to animation before moving to the public sector in 1996. In 2011 Gráinne moved to the charity sector, heading up the Communications Department at the Irish Cancer Society. Gráinne moved on from the Society in January 2019 and is currently Head of Communications at MyMind, a mental health NFP. Gráinne has degrees in Communications: Film and Broadcasting, Law (LLB) and an MA in Media Studies. She recently returned to study again completing a PG Certificate in Creative Thinking, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Trinity College, and Train the Trainer and HR certificates at DDLETB. Gráinne has been a member of the DAI Board since 2019.
Job Titles:
- Acting Workshop Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator
Majella Goss (Mungovan) joined Facebook in 2004 to lead the EMEA finance team. She is currently the Global Senior Director for revenue finance based out of Dublin. Majella leads the global Facebook finance operations teams across North America, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East & Latin America. Together her teams have helped Facebook scale to $100BN of revenue faster than any other company in history. Majella has also worked in various roles at Deloitte, Glen Dimplex & Microsoft. She is a Chartered Accountant, holds a B.Comm from NUIG, an M.Acc from UCD and she is the mum of 11 year old twin boys. Majella is a member of Dyslexia Ireland and has a passion for understanding and supporting those with learning differences. Majella has been a member of the DAI Board since 2021.
Workshop Coordinator: Maria McAnaney southsidedublin@dyslexia.ie 086 833 4580 (only during term time - Monday to Thursday - 4pm -7pm)
Job Titles:
- National Workshop Manager
Job Titles:
- Adult Literacy Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Adult Dyslexia Coordinator
After initially working in investment management with Bank of Ireland, Rob qualified as a Barrister in 2007, and practiced for seven years, litigating commercial, intellectual property, trust, and succession law cases, primarily in the High Court, during which time he published five legal textbooks. Since moving in-house, he has worked in North America and the UK for the Bank of Nova Scotia, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and ACCO Brands plc., across a variety of legal roles. In 2020, he was appointed General Counsel at Lighthouse Studios (a BAFTA award winning and EMMY nominated animation studio based in Kilkenny). He holds a degree in commerce from UCD with a specialty in banking and finance, a barrister-at-law degree from the Kings Inns and a qualification in Fintech from the University of Oxford. Rob lives in Kilkenny, and has two small children.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Educational Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Assistant Educational Psychologist
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairperson of the Board