SPEAKERS' BIOGRAPHIES
To view the programme, the speakers and book the conference, please visit the Annual Conference 2026 Homepage.
MARK BARRETT is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) with RDJ. He has worked in tax roles in both industry and practice and has advised Irish and multinational clients on a wide range of tax matters. Mark is also a past President of the Irish Tax Institute and a member and past chairman of Main TALC. Mark is co-author of the Institute's publication, Revenue Audits and Investigations – The Professional’s Handbook.
MARIE BRADLEY is Managing Director of Bradley Tax Consulting. She has broad experience in advising personal and corporate clients having trained and worked in small and medium sized practices prior to spending over eight years working in the taxation departments of PwC and KPMG advising Irish and foreign multinational companies. She is a highly experienced tax professional having particular expertise in the areas of Irish and international corporate acquisitions, reconstructions and reorganisations, foreign direct investment into Ireland and cross border tax planning for Irish companies expanding abroad. Marie also provides succession and estate planning advice to owners of small and medium sized businesses. Marie is a Fellow and Past President of the Irish Tax Institute. She is joint author of the Irish Taxation Institute’s publication, Capital Allowances and Property Incentives and presented on the nationwide Finance Bill tour organised by the Irish Tax Institute and the main accountancy bodies for many years. She was also co-author of Finak, an annual publication that explains the legislative provisions included in each Finance Act.
IAN COLLINS is Partner & Head of the National Innovation Incentives tax practice at EY in Ireland with responsibility for overall management and quality assurance of Irish R&D, Knowledge Development Box, capital allowances, and Digital Games tax credit claims. Ian is a founding member of EY’s Global Incentives network, and heads up a team of engineers, scientists and tax professionals. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Ian conducts training seminars and workshops on these various incentive regimes, and acts as tutor/speaker for the Irish Tax Institute, including keynote speaker at the Irish Tax Institute Annual Conference 2016. Ian serves on the Council of the ITI and on the ITI Policy and Technical Committee.
JIM CONNOLLY, Head of Pensions Technical, rejoined Goodbody in 2023, having held many senior roles in the industry. He is widely recognised as one of Ireland’s leading pension consultants and specialises in developing funding, exit, and retirement strategies for high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Jim has held Pensioneer Trustee since 2004 and now lectures for the Institute of Bankers, where he is module coordinator in Retirement Planning as part of their Master’s syllabus.
SARAH CONRY is a Director within the Global Employer Services (GES) Group of Deloitte. She currently advises a wide range of multinationals in relation to their global mobility function, employment tax obligations and compensation strategies. Sarah has extensive experience in the design and implementation of appropriate policies which support an organisation's overall corporate strategy, compensation structuring and the design and implementation of tax-effective reward strategies. She works with clients to help them manage their employment tax obligations from payroll through to ERR and in managing Revenue Interventions. Sarah is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).
JOHN CUDDIGAN is Head of RDJ’s Tax Practice and specialises in the provision of corporate and business tax advice to corporates and individuals. He has advised on all aspects of Irish direct and indirect taxation for companies and individuals and has significant experience in the areas of corporate restructuring, property development and investment transactions and restructuring, remuneration strategies and tax structuring of businesses in Ireland. John also has extensive experience in taking of tax appeals before the Tax Appeal Commission and the High Court. John has lectured extensively and presented seminars on various tax matters for the Irish Tax Institute and the Law Society of Ireland and is the current Chairman of the Taxation Committee of Law Society of Ireland. He was co-author of the Institute publication on the Irish Finance Act (Finak) from 2008 to 2014. He is also a member of the taxation committee of the CCBE (Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe).
JOSEPH KEANE is a Tax Director at Deloitte, specialising in advising high-growth companies (primarily Irish domestic, family-owned groups) on Real Estate Tax, mergers and acquisitions, as well as broader corporate and international tax matters. He has extensive experience providing tax advisory services to large real estate groups, including conducting tax due diligence and advising on the utilisation of Irish companies within international structures. Joseph’s expertise encompasses a wide range of strategic and compliance issues, including withholding taxes, Investment Undertaking Tax, Irish Real Estate Fund Tax, and the acquisition and disposal of real estate assets. Joseph holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from University College Dublin (UCD), is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), and a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
ETHNA KENNON is a Principal in KPMG Ireland’s Indirect Taxes – VAT, Customs and Excise group. She has over 20 years' experience advising clients on Irish and international indirect tax issues across a range of sectors including; real estate, renewables and energy, retail, financial services, technology, and cross-border supply chains. She also lectures extensively on indirect tax matters for the Irish Tax Institute and other professional bodies. Ethna is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).
JILL LEAVY is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and Registered Dietitian, combining a professional services mindset with evidence-based nutrition. Jill is passionate about workday energy and performance and shares practical, realistic strategies to help busy professionals avoid the post-lunch slump and stay sharp through the afternoon.
ANNE LESLIE is the Cloud Risk & Controls Leader for the EMEA region at IBM. She is a renowned expert in risk management, cybersecurity, and operational resilience, particularly in the context of cloud, AI, and post-quantum readiness. Her focus is on guiding organizations to securely adopt advanced technologies as a lever for enhancing their business and resilience outcomes. Anne is also known for being a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology. Prior to joining IBM, Anne's career spanned the intersection of financial services, European regulatory policy, blockchain and IT in leadership roles in both sales and advisory. Bilingual in French and English, she holds an Executive MBA from HEC Business School in Paris and the CCSP in Cloud Security from (ISC)² in addition to multiple technical security platform certifications.
GEMMA TUGWELL is a Tax Director in Tax Risk and Controversy in Grant Thornton having joined them in May 2025. Gemma has over 18 years’ experience in tax from starting her career in Revenue where she spent over 10 years working in the areas of Revenue Legislation Service (RLS) and Revenue audit and compliance, dealing with High-Net Worth Individuals in LCD pre re-alignment. Then moving to PwC for 7 years where she worked with companies in assisting them with Revenue Compliance Interventions and pre audit health checks. A short stint in Bord Gais Energy as the inhouse tax lead then gave Gemma the commercial insight into how companies operate on the ground. Gemma is Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).
JOHNNY WICKHAM is a Tax Partner who leads PwC Ireland’s Tax Technology and Transformation offering and has extensive experience leading large-scale international Tax Technology assignments. PwC Ireland’s Tax Technology and Transformation offering is focused on designing and executing tax technology strategies, optimising ERP and tax engine systems, and implementing advanced data extraction, transformation, and AI solutions. Johnny is dedicated to delivering commercially focused, innovative solutions that harness the latest advancements in generative and agentic AI, cutting-edge tax technology, and automation. His approach is centred on driving operational efficiency, enhancing compliance, and creating measurable value for clients. His expertise spans both professional practice and industry, complemented by international secondment experience within the PwC network. He holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Dublin City University and is ACA qualified and a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).