List of Sales & Marketing Mentors
Aisling Foley is an accomplished marketing professional with 30 years international marketing experience. She has lived in London, Brussels, Dubai and Dublin, specialising in marketing across all geographical regions. Aisling’s marketing experience includes market strategy, research, product marketing and marketing communications. Aisling has enjoyed expanding her industry range from early specialisation in technology to a wide range of industries including retail, professional services and health. She brings enthusiastic, professional and focussed energy to all her clients. Before 2007, when she set up her consultancy, Aisling worked with international companies including BT, Sabre and i2. She was based in London, Brussels, Dublin and Dubai, marketing to EMEA, Middle East, Asia and North America. As a consultant, Aisling has worked with approximately 50 companies including Irema, Trilogy Technologies, Zinopy, Ubotica, Continuum Commerce, and Enterprise Ireland and mentored around 500 clients. Aisling has a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).
Aisling Hurley has over 10 years experience of creative leadership, with a comprehensive understanding of global market dynamics (co-founder teamwoodcraft.com). Has led creative projects and teams for international brands such as Laurence Lewellyn Bowen, British Airways, HSS, Menarini, Covalen. Pioneer in fusing AI with creative processes, enhancing innovation and efficiency. She has designed digital marketing campaigns that resonate across diverse cultures and is experienced in fostering cohesive team development through the strategic use of technology and creative methodologies. In her role as a design strategist, Aisling has developed numerous industry-focused initiatives that drive growth and innovation across a broad spectrum of companies, from start-ups to multinationals. Her expertise includes shaping strategic direction for the implementation of business, product, and service innovations for industry partners. She lectures in various universities including SETUs MBA where she leads programmes that apply strategic design methodologies and her designer’s framework to stimulate innovation and creative problem-solving. She is also the host of The SME Community Podcast. Key Skills - Digital Marketing Science, National & International Markets, Innovation & Creativity, Business Strategy, Emerging Tech Trends including AI, AR, XR, Corporate Governance.
Caitlin O’Connor is a mentor since 2005, retained by Enterprise Ireland, European Commission and LEOS. Her focus is on scaling, growth and export with continuous improvement (LEAN qualified) aligned with exporting. Her core areas are around commercialisation, export, digital, transformation, strategic vision, innovation, new market & new product and sales and marketing, all aligned with revenue generation. Sectors include ICT/Digital/Shared-economy/Telecommunications/ Agri-tech, SMART cities & aviation. She acts as a catalyst to scale, grow & develop export capability aligned with strategic vision. She also delivers value via her product “Strategy Away Days”. Caitlin was instrumental in the launch of ESAT with de-regulation & was core to the launch of Irish Broadband. As global marketing director of Point (CRM) Caitlin created an international brand with Ireland retained as the development centre. Caitlin focus’ on growth & export with domestic/international growth aligned to customer strategies, sales/marketing, strategic development, innovation & revenue combined with export gap analysis. Value proposition is also an area of focus. Caitlin holds university qualifications in Marketing, Direct Marketing Project Management, Coaching, Leadership Leaning Methods & LEAN green belt. Caitlin is also an adjudicator on grants and guides scaling companies through this process.
Caroline Nesbitt is an exceptional brand consultant and project manager who brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the areas of branding business, social media and digital marketing, and in the food & beverage and craft & creative sectors. Caroline established her creative agency ‘Designedly’ in 2017, which is now regarded as one of the leading brand agencies in the country. Throughout her career, Caroline gained extensive experience working on brand projects across various industries. She collaborated with clients ranging from small businesses to large corporations, creating visually captivating campaigns, literature, packaging, point of sale and digital solutions across web and social media. With an in-depth understanding of design principles and her ability to think strategically, Caroline consistently delivers design that conveys the desired message to target audiences. Caroline is a Brand Mentor with Local Enterprise Offices is Counties Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Louth, Monaghan, Wexford and Kilkenny, mentoring SME’s across varied sectors in brand acceleration, digital marketing and online presence.
Colm Reilly. Dr. Colm Reilly is an experienced professional with a track record of significant outcomes and international experience in SME Development, R&D, International Trade and Entrepreneurship. In the past 15 years, Colm has worked as a senior executive in a global consulting organisation where he has been responsible for delivering the commercial results. In this role, he was asked by clients to create new operations that he has operated for many years. Many of the operations he created were the first of their kind with no existing template – These and other projects have required new strategies and solutions, within existing organisational structures, to new and developing challenges of significant complexity that have required a blend of people, process, and commercial skills. Colm has also founded three SME companies – Aviareto, Eureto and BiotherapeuticsMD which still currently operate.The operations created are known for their innovation and creativity but more significantly the delivery of the results expected whilst operating within existing constraints and a changing, and uncertain, external environment. Colm has worked with SME programmes in the USA (Virginia, Georgia), Italy, Germany, and Spain in developing practical approaches to business challenges recognising the real constraints of time, money, size and human capacity. This experience has informed Colm that in an accelerated technological environment, it remains people who matter most – whether this is in large corporations, SMEs, or start-up organisations. He believes that this is the essential ingredient in connecting strategy and implementation. Whilst processes create conformity and technology seems to have no limitations, it is the deployment with people that makes the difference. Colm has constantly worked on improving his communications skills and currently operates supporting SMEs in bringing their intentions and strategies into operational reality in terms of what people do, how they are motivated and the appropriate technology they use to do this. He is the author of three books on SMEs – The Information Paradox (how SMEs need to use Information Technology), Managing Value Price and Profit and No Frontiers – How SMEs can export (2025).
David Callanan is an experienced business mentor and the founder of Wellmarkit (www.wellmarkit.com). Wellmarkit specialises in helping health and wellness business owners start, grow, and optimize their business / practice. With a proven track record in mentoring entrepreneurs, David combines his expertise in business startup, growth, marketing, websites, digitization, business process automation using technology to deliver practical, results-driven solutions. David is passionate about empowering small business owners to overcome challenges such as funding, client acquisition, operational inefficiencies, selling and scaling. David has a lot of international multinational experience with nearly 20 years at large companies including Expedia, Rio Tinto, GE & The Bill Gates Foundation. David’s empathetic and innovative approach is grounded in a deep understanding of the unique challenges facing small businesses. Whether you're a startup seeking clarity or an established business aiming for growth, David provides the tools and insights needed to help Healthcare & Wellness businesses thrive.
Denise Moroney currently runs Business & Marketing Strategy Consultancy, Brand Dynamics. Denise holds a BA in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Business Studies from UCD and a Post Grad in Digital Marketing. Denise’s career includes Senior Management roles such as: Head of Marketing at The Irish Times, Marketing Manager of Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland and Divisional Manager of Bristol Myers. Her extensive and relevant expertise and experience lies in Business Strategy, Research and Analysis, Breakthrough, Brand Development, Digital Marketing and Mentoring. Denise provides mentoring to entrepreneurs and micro-businesses by assisting in the development of innovative business and marketing strategies to either transform businesses or bring new products/brands to market. Denise works with clients across a range of sectors in identifying opportunities, embracing digital transformations & industry disruption and developing customer-centric strategies to improve market performance and build customer loyalty.
Derek Hannick has over 70 Green for Business assignments delivered across a variety of business sectors for Local Enterprise Offices throughout Ireland. He is SEAI Partnership Support Manager for Public Bodies to assist their energy management and decarbonisation goals. He is also cost and sustainability project manager in private industry since 2006 prior to setting up Lean Green Services in 2015.
Dermot O’Reilly is a purpose driven individual with over twenty-five years management experience in a variety of different sectors, from manufacturing to arts management. His specialities are in innovation, entrepreneurship, business model development, strategic planning, design thinking, management development, experiential management, and the application of lean tools. He holds an MBS (marketing), a Higher Diploma in Service Design and Innovation, a Post Graduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and an Honours Degree in Applied Economics. Since 2014, Dermot was a founder member of Solutions Consultancy Ireland, working with organisations at every stage of development in a wide range of industries ranging from food to manufacturing to tourism to technology and services, dealing with a diverse range of clients at all stages of developing their enterprise, from idea to product development and launching and growing their business model.
Gráinne Walsh is the founder of Whitefield Bay Consulting, a boutique consultancy practice that provides mentoring and coaching services to SMEs across Ireland and beyond. With over 20 years of experience, Gráinne brings a unique blend of expertise to the table, having held technical leadership roles at multinational companies like Amazon, and also having founded her own microbrewery business in 2011. Since exiting that business in 2022, she has worked extensively with early-stage and scale-up companies in the start-up ecosystem. She brings her hands-on understanding of what it takes to build a business from the ground up to help her clients focus on the right priorities in order to get things done and achieve their goals. As well as a postgraduate diploma in enterprise development, Gráinne also holds bachelor's and master's degrees in the sciences, giving her a broad and robust technical grounding which allows her to tackle a wide variety of challenges. She's a born problem-solver, and is motivated by helping others to succeed.
James Burke started his Food and Retail career working part-time in Supervalu Bantry. He subsequently studied Retail Management in DIT and joined Superquinn in 1984. He holds a degree in retailing and wholesaling from Stirling University in Scotland. In his current role as Business Consultant, James provides strategic advice and business planning for some of Irelands best known companies within the food and retail sectors. James Burke has worked in the food sector for over 40 years and his specific areas of focus are topics like food startups, route to market planning, product costings, food and drink marketing etc. His core expertise lies around helping food and drink producers to grow their business. He is also expert in cross sector retail from fashion to food, and the foodservice sector e.g. café, restaurants etc.
Jill Lush, CEO of Lush Marketing, a Marketing Agency based in Wicklow, specialising in strategic marketing, training, mentoring and outsourcing. Jill has over 25 years in various leadership, business and marketing roles within the business community, including Corporate experience. We provide actionable marketing strategies, tailored to SMEs, their budget, the growth plans and their capacity. Jill is passionate about marketing and leadership and is a talented board member, practicing her leadership and strategic learnings. Jill is over seven years in business and brings her learnings and challenges to help other business owners to strive for success. Jill is passionate about many topics including female entrepreneurship, being a busy mum herself and juggling all of the challenges that being an entrepreneur, mother and board member throw at her! As a mentor I am excited to leverage my experience, passion, and commitment to foster an environment where businesses can flourish.
Joan Pask helps businesses move forward and offers value to your company, whether you are a new start up or want to grow your business by improving internal efficiencies and external effectiveness to achieve competitive edge and become a market leader. This is achieved by collaborating with you in either planning or reviewing your business direction to achieve clarity and focus for success by using a structured approach to validate your strategy, ‘teasing out’ potential to achieve clarity, awareness and accountability. She is experienced in running her own business and has worked throughout Europe and North America holding senior executive positions in small, medium and large companies. This has given her an international perspective and strong grasp of all facets of business from strategic planning and delivery to business development, market research, marketing communications, digital marketing, customer services, financial management and new product development. She is a skilled project manager, practiced in Prince2 and Accelerate project management methodologies. Joan will take the time to get to know your business and market and will quickly become a trusted and valued advocate, a good sounding board, able to give and take constructive feedback with a strong commitment to imparting her experience and skills to help your business succeed.
Dr. John Collier and Foodovate Consulting is a Food-Innovation consultancy helping companies design and develop new products for the retail/food service markets. This is built on over 20-years’ experience in industry. We work in Innovation and Innovation Capability, Market Intelligence, Strategy & Business Models, Export Plans & Models, Nutrition & Health Claims, New Product Development, Digital Marketing for Food and Training. We are experts in Design Thinking and innovation models to help you bring your ideas to life. We also work with companies to secure funding for start up formation, feasibility, and growth. John has owned and managed several food companies over the past 20 years and has worked in every aspect of the industry. He has direct experience with beverages, prepared meals, horticultural products, pharmaceuticals, meat products, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, savoury, and sweet snacks.
John Haran. An engineering graduate with an MBA in International Business, John has spent the last 35 years, mostly overseas, in a variety of sales and leadership roles. After graduate training and production experience in Med tech, he established a marketing consultancy business (HMC) and spent 12 years in Asia managing a trade and investment team, following by similar assignments in London and New York. Returning to Ireland, he has taken several CEO roles with local technology companies and managed both to successful trade sales. HMC now employs 15 people, with offices in London, New York and Shanghai. Our clients include LEOs, local authorities, state economic development agencies, along with a range of commercial clients across many sectors.
Joy Redmond has been working in the web industry since 1996 in marketing, research and design roles. Her specialties include helping clients pinpoint what benefits they offer (research), communicating those benefits through effective messaging, copywriting and branding (marketing), developing quality collateral, case studies, white papers (content) and spinning all of the above into an attractive media pitch (PR). She is also hired to build, manage, or advise on website projects from a business analysis/UX and marketing point of view. Her experience as both a founder and a start-up marketer has taught her what can be achieved with limited resources – a clear understanding of the difference between ’nice to have’ and ‘must have’. Joy holds undergraduate degrees in both Marketing and Design & Technology, Postgrads in Enterprise Development and Service Design and is currently engaged in further study in Data Visualisation. Joy has been a mentor with LEO Wexford since 2009 and various Partnerships in Dublin.
Justin Kearns is a business and digital technology consultant with 12+ years experience in technology & entrepreneurship across multiple sectors and is skilled in identifying and developing market opportunities for new products, services and business models. He leverages his experience in establishing startups to help clients validate market opportunities for their concepts, assess the feasibility of their projects and assist them as they bring their concept to market. He has lived experience of developing and bringing to market innovative products and services both in Ireland and export markets and has a wide range of knowledge across market research, funding, brand building and business strategy. Justin has a Post Grad in Innovation and Enterprise from TCD, and has participated in industry leading innovation programmes, startup accelerators and entrepreneurial development programmes. For over a decade he has been mentoring Local Enterprise Office clients and has a comprehensive understanding of support available to clients
Karen Sommerville is the owner of Call Focus, specialists in “effective customer communications”, by helping companies develop greater customer relations, maximise opportunities & increase sales by focusing on how engage and communicate with their customers. With over 25 years’ experience, Karen has worked in many areas of sales and marketing extending across a wide range of industry sectors for both the business and consumer markets. She is especially known in the area of cold calling, telesales, customer service and direct marketing. As a mentor and trainer, her delivery style is very energetic, practical, and interactive; with all exercises and discussions focused around participant’s real life situations and business needs. As a result, Karen regularly achieves satisfaction ratings exceeding 85% on many of her training programmes. Karen’s holds qualifications in business, marketing, training and mentoring. She works with many different groups including Skillnets, LEO’s, Business Associations and educational bodies as well as several private clients.
Kate Hickey is a Business Consultant and Executive Director of the Ireland Canada Business Association and Director of the Valentia Cable Foundation. As a Consultant to Department of Trade Newfoundland for ten years Kate provided strategic trade consultancy services to over 95 Canadian SME’s. Previously Marketing Manager with Laura Ashley, Kate has proven skills in retail marketing, branding, PR strategies and buyer engagement. As Experienced Marketing Director and Consultant for Enterprise Ireland Kate works with CEO’s of early stage companies focusing on Strategy and Export Market Development. Equipped with an MBA from Smurfit School of Business Kate works with clients in implementing market entry and sales strategies and is a mentor and trainer with DCCI.
Keith Feighery. Keith is a leading Digital Expert with over 20 years’ experience creating digital marketing programmes, developing enterprise software applications, and building successful online retail businesses. Keith is currently the Director of Digital Strategy with Digital Insights, a digital consultancy, where he works with clients developing Digital Solutions across a range of sectors and technologies. Keith works with Local Enterprise Office’s across Ireland mentoring businesses in Digital Technologies and Marketing, as well as providing training and consultancy for Digital for Business clients. Keith lectures on master’s Programmes in Digital Marketing with the Trinity College Dublin and Michael Smurfit Business School. He also delivers MBA modules for Digital Strategy with ESSEC Business School and HEC in Paris. Keith has trained over 7500 businesses, either directly or with established training partners such as Digital Marketing Institute, SureSkills, Dublin Business School and Griffith College Dublin. He holds a 1st Class MA in Digital Media Technologies.
Mags Boland-Murphy. In 2011, after over 20 years working in executive and management roles in the commercial arena, Mags established Bofin Consultancy to help businesses and professionals with development, operational challenges, marketing, operations, specific business challenges, scalability, profit planning and strategy. A business mentor with Enterprise Ireland, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Intertrade Ireland, the LEO network nationwide, an approved mentor for Fáilte Ireland and is accredited with the International Authority of Business mentors. All Star awarded, accredited and experienced tourism & hospitality consultant, national event manager, business sales, marketing & media professional; working with clients nationwide in Ireland, UK and Sweden in the following sectors: Tourism & hospitality, food, retail, construction, media, sports, manufacturing, professional services, SMEs, start-ups, public sector and business support organisations. The business provides professional business growth, advisory and consultancy services including; training, scaling for balance, leadership, business development, business mentoring, sales, marketing, tourism consultancy and tailored solutions
Micheal O’Neill. If you’ve been wondering, “Can I turn my knowledge and expertise into a digital product, membership or subscription that I can sell online?” the answer is absolutely YES. Building an online business that sees you profit from the value you provide—rather than the hours you work—isn’t just possible; it’s easier than you might think. But many people struggle to get started and are worried that they will waste time, effort and money trying to figure it out. That’s where I come in. As Ireland’s only dedicated digital business growth specialist, I’ve helped hundreds of business owners like you across the world turn their expertise and knowledge into a profitable online course, membership, subscription, or coaching programme. I will guide you every step of the way — from growing your email list to crafting your online offer, building your product, and launching it to national and international audiences. You don’t need to figure it out alone. Let’s work together to launch your digital offer so you can experience the joy of leveraged recurring online income.
Website: https://michealoneill.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michealoneill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lead2launch
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lead2launch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michealoneill/
Muireann Fitzmaurice is a seasoned marketing consultant and coach, bringing over 20 years of expertise in helping businesses achieve growth through effective branding and marketing strategies. As the founder of MarketingCoach.ie, she specialises in guiding SMEs to build strong, marketable brands and implement strategies that drive tangible results. Muireann’s approach is practical and results-oriented, offering tailored mentoring to businesses at all stages of development. Her experience spans various sectors, including tourism, retail, and professional services, making her advice highly adaptable and insightful. In addition to her extensive marketing expertise, Muireann is a certified leadership coach, supporting business owners and teams to maximise their potential. She is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in competitive markets. A recognised thought leader, Muireann has also spoken at conferences like Digital West, where she delivered impactful talks on AI and marketing innovations for SMEs. She recently launched a Green Sustainability online programme for SMEs. She is passionate about helping people, organisations and planet to flourish
Nadia Pallas Pettitt. Nadia is a passionate Marketing & PR professional who thrives on building strong, lasting relationships with brands and helping them achieve their goals. With over 15 years of experience, she works closely with clients to understand their unique needs and create marketing and sales strategies that maximise their budget and drive success. Having worked across various sectors and with brands including Marks & Spencer, Diageo, Brittany Ferries, Milano, and Value Retail, Nadia has developed a deep appreciation for the power of PR in shaping a brand's story. She believes that effective public relations isn’t just about media coverage—it’s about creating meaningful, authentic connections with audiences that ultimately fuel growth and loyalty. PR, when strategically integrated with marketing, can amplify a brand’s voice, elevate its reputation, and drive long-term success.
Noreen Tierney – Digital Marketing Mentor. With a Master’s in Digital Marketing and practical experience as a small business owner, Noreen Tierney combines academic excellence with real-world expertise to deliver actionable, results-focused advice. She understands the challenges entrepreneurs face and the importance of optimising digital marketing strategies to drive growth and streamline success. Her passion for digital marketing inspired her to complete multiple courses and pursue a Master’s to deepen her skills and knowledge. Noreen specialises in helping small businesses craft impactful social media strategies, improve online visibility, and navigate digital tools with confidence. With a clear and practical approach, she empowers entrepreneurs to unlock the potential of digital marketing and achieve their goals. Her commitment to delivering tailored solutions makes her a trusted partner for business owners striving to excel in today’s competitive landscape. I look forward to helping the clients of Wexford Local Enterprise Office and supporting their growth through practical, results-driven digital marketing strategies.
Norma Quinsey brings extensive experience in marketing with a specialized focus on tourism, having worked with and consulted for numerous attractions in the South East. Her expertise in marketing of the sector has made her a leader in driving visitor engagement and fostering strong community connections with the customer experience the main priority. Passionate about training and development, Norma actively shares her knowledge through industry bodies and committees, supporting sustainable growth and empowering others in the tourism sector.
Paula Ronan is an award-winning marketing consultant with over 27 years’ experience in marketing in the UK and Ireland. Her experience in developing strategic, effective marketing and brand solutions for blue chip companies such as Coca-Cola, Sky TV and BT in the UK and Today FM and Done Deal in Ireland as well as numerous successful SME’s means she can offer unrivalled insights and advice to business owners and managers. The effectiveness of Paula’s work is proven - please see her LinkedIn profile - www.linkedin.com/in/paularonan/ for over 50 recommendations received from clients including: “Paula has helped us with marketing in DoneDeal for many years. She delivered a lot of really creative and cost-efficient campaigns, events and ideas. She has great experience from all types of marketing, and I highly recommend her for anyone that needs help with marketing.” – Fred Karlsson, founder of DoneDeal. “Paula is one of the best “ideas” people I have ever come across. Her energy and enthusiasm is very impressive” Sarah Falconer, Today FM. Paula’s academic history includes the study of marketing at the College of Marketing and Design, Dublin, the Institute of Sales Promotion London, and the successful completion of the miniMBA in Marketing with Professor Mark Ritson. She is also a validated member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland. Paula helps businesses to compete and grow by developing bespoke brand and marketing strategies and finding practical ways to implement them.
Ruth Larkin is a serial industry entrepreneur, having founded and scaled multi-million euro businesses in a number of sectors including, international distribution of luxury consumer products and manufacturing and global sales of municipal vehicles. Her focus is on market validation, market entry strategy, commercialisation, expansion, management and strategy. She has extensive experience in professional services, consumer goods, retail and distribution, design and manufacturing, health, fitness and wellbeing, fintech and cosmetics.
