Half Day Seminars

Based in Enterprise Ireland, Philip is the National Contact Point Point (NCP) for Horizon Europe Cluster 5 - Energy, NCP for the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, NCP for New European Bauhaus R&I component and National Representative for the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. Philip has extensive experience in European Framework Programmes and previously had responsibilities for FP7 (NMPB) and Horizon2020 (Energy).

Hear from Philip at the 'Accelerating Innovation' Session on Weds 22nd April

Dr. Brendan Cahill is Programme Manager for Innovation and International Research at SEAI. He has over 15 years of experience in the energy sector with previous roles spanning academic research, management of R&D funding programs, public policy, technology development and consultancy. Brendan earned a Ph.D. for his work on ocean energy resource characterization from University College Cork and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct further research at Oregon State University. Brendan previously managed energy efficiency and ocean energy programmes at SEAI and has also led business development activities at two renewable energy startups.

Hear from Brendan at the 'Accelerating Innovation' Session on Weds 22nd April

Francesca Martini is the Programme Manager for Funded Research at SEAI. She leads the Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Programme, SEAI’s national energy research funding programme   supporting research institutions and public and private organisations to advance energy research, innovation and solutions for Ireland’s energy transition.

Hear from Francesca at the 'Accelerating Innovation' Session on Weds 22nd April

Gary is a chartered accountant with 22 years post qualification experience. Employed within the banking sector for 16 years, prior to moving to SEAI in 2019. Gary’s current role is Grant Governance Manager within SEAI.  The role focuses on leading the Grant Governance team for SEAI’s Business, Communities and RDD schemes, involving input to the development of existing and new grant schemes, review of grant evaluations, grant payments and State Aid and Scheme rules compliance. Gary also provides Governance support to SEAI’s domestic schemes within the Organisation.
 

Gary will be speaking at the 'Accelerating Innovation' session on Wednesday 22nd April

Dr Sarah Blake leads the Geothermal Programme at Geological Survey Ireland. Current activities include: mapping and quantifying Ireland’s clean, secure, and affordable geothermal energy resources; developing and maintaining the National Geothermal Database; and hosting national and regional geothermal energy events for a wide range of stakeholders. Geological Survey Ireland have a leadership role in the groundbreaking all-island GEMINI geothermal demonstration project.

Hear from Sarah at the Women in Energy Session on Wednesday 22nd April

David Power has been with SEAI for a number of years, starting in the BER team before helping Public Sector organisations lead by example in emission reductions. He is now the Programme Manager with responsibility for Registration and Management of One Stop Shops. Prior to working in SEAI, David lived in Melbourne and worked for Sustainability Victoria to improve the energy efficiency of Victoria's building stock. His background is in architecture.

David will be speaking at the 'Pathways to Becoming a One Stop Shop' session on Wednesday 22nd April

Brian holds a PhD in economic and greenhouse gas emission modelling of livestock systems. He currently works in the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine in their Climate Change and Bioenergy Policy Division. His work focuses on Bioenergy and the opportunity for farmers to decarbonise both the agriculture and energy sectors.
 

Hear from Brian at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Leighanne Crowe is Sales Manager at KORE Retrofit, one of Ireland’s leading One Stop Shop providers for deep home energy upgrades. She leads sales and commercial strategy across residential, community, commercial, and multi-unit retrofit projects, supporting the structured, performance-led delivery of retrofit at scale.

Over the past nine years, Leighanne has progressed from an administrative role within the organisation to senior commercial leadership. This journey has given her a strong understanding of both operational delivery and customer engagement, enabling her to align commercial growth with technical excellence and long-term building performance.

Under her leadership, the sales function has experienced significant growth, built on transparency, education, and trust. She leads a team of ten women within the construction and retrofit sector, championing mentorship and professional development in an industry where female representation in leadership remains limited.

Leighanne holds qualifications in Physiology and Public Health, along with Project Management and Leadership & Management, and recently completed a Professional Diploma in Leadership and Management at UCD Professional Academy 

 Hear from Leighanne at our Women in Energy session on Wednesday 22nd April.

Fergus Sharkey is Head of Business Supports with SEAI. His team is responsible for working with SMEs and large industry to provide supports for energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment. Supports range from advice and training on energy management, monitoring and reporting, best practice, project development, to grants and other financial support. Prior to joining SEAI, Fergus worked in a range of positions in ESB.

Hear from Fergus at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Bryan Mulchinock is an EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety) leader with 20+ years across biopharma and high tech industries, including Intel, Pfizer, Alexion and AstraZeneca. He has led Global Environmental Protection and EHS strategies, built management systems and delivered sustainability roadmaps. His current focus is on decarbonising Alexion’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions and driving efficiencies in the use of natural resources. He holds a BSc in Environmental Science and diplomas in Safety Management, Organisational Development, and Business Finance, with an MSc in Energy Management.

Hear from Brian at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Hannah leads the Behavioural Economics Unit in SEAI’s Data & Insights department. The unit uses a behavioural science approach to understand and change energy-related behaviours and attitudes, to inform policy, communications and programme design. Hannah has just under 8 years experience conducting behavioural research to inform policy, of which the last 5 have been focused on the energy sector. She has previously worked for the ESRI and holds a PhD in Neural Dynamics from the University of Bristol. 

Hannah will be part of the Women in Energy Panel on Wednesday, April 22nd at 4:30pm

James Hickey is Site Manager for Evergreen Agricultural Enterprises’ 110GWh biomethane plant in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare—one of Ireland’s flagship renewable gas projects. Having been on-site throughout construction, he has overseen delivery and coordinated key stakeholders as the project advances toward full operation. With a background in agriculture and Business Information Systems, James combines practical farming insight with data-driven project management expertise.

Hear from James at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Seán Kinsella is head of the Renewable Heat Delivery Section within the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.   The section leads on the implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy, the development of the Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme, and has policy responsibility for the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat.  The section also has responsibility for funding and the development of the district heating sector in Ireland.

Hear from Seán at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Seán Finan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA). He is a Chartered Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons) Degree from National University of Ireland, Galway. Prior to joining IrBEA, Seán worked in the construction sector and held the role of 35th National President of Macra na Feirme, the young farmers representative organisation, from 2015 – 2017. Seán leads IrBEA and its members to a sustainable future in bioenergy and to strategically position the biomass, biogas, biofuels, biochar, wood fuels and energy crop sectors to play a key role in Ireland’s renewable energy roadmap.

Hear from Seán at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 Session on Wednesday 22nd April

Valerie Hands works with Bord Gáis Energy, where she has spent the past 18 months establishing the company’s One Stop Shop and developing its Retrofit team and associated services. Previously contracted to SEAI, she worked on retrofit project development and contributed to programmes including the Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme, Better Energy Communities, and the Warmer Homes Scheme. Her professional background is in project management and audit compliance.

Valerie will be speaking at the Women in Energy Event on Wednesday 22nd April at 4.30pm

Owenroe has worked in the area renewable energy and energy efficiency for over 20 years, specialising in bioenergy technology. He has held roles in business development, plant operations, and research in the public and private sector in Spain and Ireland. At SEAI he is part of the Heat Decarbonisation Team and works on policy analysis, as well as contributing to progress the research agenda where bioenergy and bioeconomy innovations can play a role supporting the fulfilment of Ireland's renewable energy and climate action commitments.

Owenroe will be speaking at the Bioenergy Developments and Opportunities in 2026 session on Wednesday 22nd April

Tom Culhane has been the SEAI’s Programme Manager for Quality and Standards since June 2023, having come from a background of management roles in Quality, Continuous Improvement and Production in the Food and Engineering Sectors, and a period serving SMEs primarily as a process improvement consultant.

Tom will be leading the Efficient Retrofits: How New Contractor Standards Can Drive Better Business Session on Thursday 23rd April

Steven Burns is the Managing Director of Breffni Insulation, an SEAI-registered One Stop Shop since December 2024. The company has been delivering sustainable living solutions across Ireland for more than 20 years and continues to provide fully managed home energy retrofit services through the One Stop Shop, WHS and BEH schemes. Steven oversees strategic direction, programme governance and operational delivery, ensuring strong compliance, high-quality standards and a positive customer experience across all retrofit projects.

Steven will be speaking at the 'Pathways to Becoming a One Stop Shop' session on Wednesday 22nd April