Best Practice Arena

Mary is Launch and Change Programme Manager within SEAI. Mary has 16 years’ experience in Programme & Customer Relationship Manager. She is responsible for strategic change focused on digital transformation and customer experience. Mary’s background is on Customer Solutions, Relationship, Projects and Change Management. 

Mary will be presenting at the Built to Retrofit- Upskilling & Digital tools for retrofit professionals at 10:45am on Wednesday April 22nd

Overseeing and managing all aspects of training delivery within the Construction sector for NZEB & Retrofit Training, Scaffolding Apprenticeship, Skilled Utilities Operator Traineeship, Construction Skills Certificate Scheme, UK Changeover and Non EU Transfer programmes. Passionate about training within the Energy and Sustainability sector and working closely with Industries to identify training to meet current and future skills gaps with the aim of upskilling, retraining and further professionalising the Construction Industry.

John will be presenting at the Built to Retrofit- Upskilling & Digital tools for retrofit professionals at 10:45am on Wednesday April 22nd

Jim has been responsible for leading the team that established the Hub’s training Centre in Dublin Port, the Junction Hub in Pearse Street and the ICRG Hub in Amiens Street.  He has been responsible for bringing together different state, private sector and community interests in a common goal to address the employment and skills deficit in the construction industry and elsewhere.  The Dublin Construction Skills project has trained over 3000 construction workers and offers retrofitting and going forward MMC Courses.  He has been a full-time community worker in Dublin Inner City for over 30 years specialising in employment issues and economic development previously Jim was an electrical engineer.

Jim will be presenting at the Built to Retrofit- Upskilling & Digital tools for retrofit professionals at 10:45am on Wednesday April 22nd

Niall is Group Technical Director and the first employee of Ecological Building Systems over two decades ago. He provides technical guidance on national standards committees and contributes expert insight to working groups across Ireland and the UK. His expertise includes building physics, energy conservation, hygrothermal analysis, airtightness, natural insulation materials, and vapour diffusion-open construction. A founding board member of the Irish Green Building Council, he has supported many award-winning new build and retrofit projects. Niall also contributes to professional bodies and publications, including the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Journal.

Niall will be presenting at the Compatible Thermal Solutions for Historic Buildings session at 15:00pm on Wednesday April 22nd

Geraldine McGlynn is the Business Development Manager at IKC3 – Ireland’s Knowledge Centre for Carbon, Climate & Community Action, a national sustainability consortium led by MTU in partnership with Trinity College and UCD. She leads the rollout of IKC3’s green skills digital platform - Edugreen Connect, onboarding universities, employers, and learners to foster a skilled workforce for a sustainable future. She also manages the IKC3 Sustainability Professionals Network, driving collaboration across academia, industry, and community sectors. 

Before joining IKC3, Geraldine was the founder and Managing Director of Golden Ireland, a travel company for the Actively Retired market. Over 15 years, she grew the brand through strategic partnerships, digital marketing, and hands-on operations. Her earlier career includes over a decade as Operations Manager at Malahide Castle with Dublin Tourism, where she oversaw one of Dublin’s leading visitor attractions.

Geraldine holds a Professional Diploma in Sustainable Work from the University of Limerick, a Diploma in Project Management from the Institute of Public Administration, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations from Technological University Dublin. She also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History and Irish from University College Dublin.

She is passionate about using education, policy, and collaboration to deliver real-world sustainability solutions

Geraldine will be speaking at the 'Built to Retrofit' session on Wednesday 22nd April at 10:45am

After completing his apprenticeship at 17, Lewis spent a decade working as a service and repair engineer at British Gas, building deep technical expertise in heating systems. His passion for education emerged when he became a lecturer at St. Helens College, where he recognised that industry training standards were falling short. Determined to raise the bar, Lewis published his first book and went on to hold training manager roles at Ideal Heating and Aira. Following collaboration on his second book, Heat Pumps Unlocked, Lewis joined Heat Geek’s Leadership Team, where he now leads the Installer Network, supporting engineers driving the energy transition.

Lewis will be presenting at the Heating Pump Optimisation session at 14:30pm on Thursday April 23rd

Stephen a Chartered Engineer who transitioned from design consultancy work to the sustainable energy space in 2010. Since then, his work has centred around sustainable energy deployment programmes leading the One Stop Shop Development programme from its inception in 2019, to now working on the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One Stop Shop service) focusing on retrofit development, piloting new technologies and approaches to support future mainstream integration. Stephen has also worked on other SEAI schemes such as the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme and the Community Energy Grant programme. 

Stephen will be presenting at the Heating Pump Optimisation session at 14:30pm on Thursday April 23rd

Jonathan Sandham is an energy and sustainability professional with over 18 years’ experience across energy systems, innovation, and efficiency programmes. He is Managing Director of DCSix Technologies and has worked extensively with SEAI on energy audits, monitoring, and research projects. Jonathan is currently working on the SEAI Heat Loss Indicator (HLI) project, analysing how modelled heat loss metrics compare with real‑world building performance. His work bridges technical analysis and practical application, supporting evidence‑based retrofit and heat pump decision‑making.

Jonathan will be speaking at the Heat Pump Optimisation Session at 14:30 on Thursday 23rd April

Xavier Dubuisson is co-founder of RetroKit, a company dedicated to scaling energy retrofit in housing.  During his 30-year career as an engineer, he has been instrumental in driving the adoption of energy efficiency and renewables in Ireland and internationally. His strategic thinking & collaborative skills, combined with his deep insights into the built environment, have enabled him to play a key role in informing policy-making, driving innovation and supporting market development. 

Xavier is speaking at The Built to Retrofit Session on Wednesday 22nd April at 10:45am

Lee Gleeson is BERWOW’s Customer Success Manager and Manager at IHER Energy Services Ltd., bringing over seven years of experience in the energy sector. She holds a BA in Accounting and Finance and previously worked in facilities maintenance, bringing a strong operational and commercial understanding to her role.
Through IHER’s consultancy role with BERWOW, Lee supports the delivery of customer-focused energy services. Her experience includes overseeing Building Energy Ratings (BERs), technical assessments and Part L compliance services, as well as contributing to the advancement of industry initiatives such as BERWOW and the One Click Reno renovation passport.

Lee is speaking at The Built to Retrofit Session on Wednesday 22nd April at 10:45am

José Ramírez is a BERWOW Consultant, working through IHER Energy Services Ltd. in its consultancy role to support the platform’s technical and industry expertise. He studied Architectural Technology and Building Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in Spain before moving to Ireland in 2015.

Since then, José has worked in architecture practices as an Architectural Technician, specialising in construction detailing, materials, and energy efficiency. 

He registered as a BER assessor in 2022 and has since contributed to a wide range of projects, including domestic BERs, technical assessments, Part L compliance, and large-scale residential developments from design stage through to completion.

José is speaking at The Built to Retrofit Session on Wednesday 22nd April at 10:45am

In 2021, David founded Prime19 which has developed www.YourRetrofit.ie and the One Stop Shop Workflow Platform which supports OSSs in the design of retrofit packages for homeowners and the automated production of all necessary reports. Prime19 leverages machine learning to deliver major efficiencies to the retrofit industry by automating design and pricing using DEAP. They have also developed a unique toolkit for the identification of specific hotpot locations for all retrofit types and the identification of energy poor homes. This tool can be used by private industry, Approved Housing Bodies, Local Authorities and Government Bodies to instigate retrofit activity. 
 

David is speaking at The Built to Retrofit Session on Wednesday 22nd April at 10:45am