MEET THE TEAM - #MakingItHappen

Breda Fox - Head of Enterprise

Breda was CEO at the Galway County & City Enterprise Board since 2010, and has led the LEO office as Head of Enterprise since it was established in 2014.  Since she took up her role with the enterprise board, Breda has been consistently driving a client focused service where start-ups and small businesses can come for help, assistance and guidance. Breda is key to the supportive environment that has developed to promote entrepreneurship in business and within schools and colleges. She has a 20:20 vision for the Galway LEO brought from her experience in both Entrepreneurial and Multinational businesses in the private sector. Breda uses this experience to help drive economic development for Galway County & City.

She and her team are continually working to find new ways to reach and help clients, while working hard to forge and develop strong relationships with local businesses in order to support and encourage them.

Breda Fox on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bredafox/

Caroline McDonagh – Enterprise Development Officer

Caroline has a background in philanthropy, festival organisation, marketing and Public Relations. Caroline is a Marketing Mentor and runs our networking sessions, specifically organised for the Craft, Food and I.T/Tech sectors, she goes to great trouble to make sure the topics, speakers and subjects are of interest to the clients. She is also involved in many of the Local Food & Craft Fairs, Food Festivals, GMIT and NUIG Strategy competitions that the LEO subsidises.

Valerie Kelly – Senior Enterprise Development Officer

Valerie has a background in business consultancy, banking and finance. She is a qualified financial advisor, and in the LEO, she provides advice and guidance to people that come to us who are starting their own business, already running an existing business or simply just have a business idea. Valerie also assesses clients’ business plans with their applications for financial assistance and present our recommendations to the committee level for sanctioning. Her role also involves event coordination, strategic development of enterprise activities and fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in Galway city and county.

Eoin Connaire – Assistant Business Advisor

Eoin is the longest serving member of the team, having worked with the Galway County and City Enterprise Board. Eoin looks after our client base organises many of the administration functions of the office.