Elections at the recent AGM saw several new members of the ICS Council joining returning members. Council is the governing body of the Irish Computer Society, setting the organisation’s direction.
The ICS Council is composed of:
- Tiziana Margaria, President
- Sean Brady, Vice-President
- Clare Harney, Secretary
- Kevin Thomas, Treasurer
- Mary Sharp
- Declan Brady
- Fintan Swanton
- John Ward
- Pádraig Farrell
- Mary Cleary
- Paula Carney-Hoffler
Seán Brady
Dr Seán Brady is an Executive Technology Consultant focused on the governance of emerging Digital Technology. He is a former Senior IBM Executive with 40 years’ experience in the technology sector and a proven track record of technology strategy, transformation and delivery to some of the world’s largest companies
Seán holds a BSc and MSc in Computer Applications from Dublin City University and a Professional Doctorate in Information Technology (DProf) from Middlesex University, UK where his thesis was on ‘Professionalising the IT Industry’.
Seán is an Advisory Board member of the Industry-University partnership and is an Adjunct Faculty Staff at Trinity College Dublin, leading the International Consulting Module in the MSc International Management. He holds a Diploma in Corporate Governance and is a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Ireland. He is a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society.
Clare Harney
CIO of the Year 2023 recipient and Fellow of the Irish Computer Society since 2023, Clare is currently Principal Consultant with Santegic following acquisition of her company, HD Health. Clare provides digital health strategy, compliance and go-to-market strategy services, specialising in digital health transformation, business development, healthcare process optimisation, intelligent automation, and AI and digital software compliance to the Data Governance Act, GDPR, EU MDR and EU AI Act.
As part of this she lectures on Leading Digital Health Transformation and the Internet of Health Things (IoHT) at Postgraduate level at the RCSI. Prior to this, Clare has worked in various senior digital health and governance roles across industry and the health service, in the Department of Health, HIQA, and the HSE as National Programme Manager for the Acute Medicine Programme. Clare holds an MSc in Health Informatics, Postgraduate qualification in MDR and IVDR compliance, and a Bachelor of Information Systems.
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas is the Managing Director for Hellios Ireland, with 30 years’ experience working with technology companies.
Kevin has had a number of roles in areas ranging from software development to systems design, and software architecture, but in the last 20 years, he has been in senior management and leadership roles where he managed large technology teams and projects.
He has a B.Sc.(Hons) in Computer Science from Technological University Dublin, an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Staffordshire University, and an MBA from Imperial College London.
Prior to joining Hellios Kevin was Chief Technology Officer with Sportdec, and was also Chief Technology Officer with MMX, Data Electronics and Voice Logics.
Declan Brady
Declan is a graduate in Computer Science from the Dublin Institute of Technology (now the Technological University of Dublin) and has an MSc in Computer Applications from Dublin City University (where he lectured in Computer Programming and Algorithms), and more recently in IT Management from Maynooth University. His career of some 30+ years in the field of ICT has included roles with ICL, Ingres, Computer Associates, Hoskyns and Fujitsu, where he was awarded Distinguished Engineer. He was also a Principal Consultant with Expleo Group, specialising in Service Capability, Data Protection and Risk.
Declan served on the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) Board in various roles from 2003 to 2022. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing CEPIS facilities in Brussels. He was the initiator and chair of the Professionalism Task Force, which has steered CEPIS’ strategy and raised its profile throughout Europe and beyond, through EU projects, conferences and establishing links with other bodies. More recently he has focused on professional ethics.
Fintan Swanton
Fintan Swanton is a Data Protection Officer, consultant, auditor and trainer, as well as the managing director of Cygnus Consulting Ltd.
He is a Fellow of ICS, having been a member as an IT professional for many years, including serving as President of ICS from 2009 to 2012. His move to the data protection profession was made in collaboration with ICS, through his leading of ICS Certified Data Protection Practitioner and European Certified Data Protection Officer training courses, and by serving as the Chairman of ADPO.
Fintan’s qualifications include a Master of Laws (LL.M.), European Data Protection Law, Master of Science (M.Sc.), Computing for Commerce and Industry, and Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.), Software Engineering.
John Ward
Educated at St. Mary’s College, UCD, and Trinity College, John has been a member of the Irish Computer Society since 1990 and was first elected to Council in September 2004. John served as President of ICS from 2012 to 2015.
Now retired, John is an experienced fintech leader with many years of experience in the ICT sector, initially in software engineering and later in fintech leadership roles. His most recent role was as the former IT Director and iCTO for the Fiserv Merchant and Acquiring platforms for the EMEA Region.
Mary Cleary
Mary Cleary is an experienced ICT and business leader with a track record in education, certification, professional development and standards. She is the current Chair of CEN/TC 428 (ICT Professionalism and Digital Competences), and the former Secretary General of the Irish Computer Society (ICS), where she oversaw the ICT professionalism and digital inclusion policy and initiatives, running a series of annual national conferences, and managing the professional and advocacy activities of the ICS.
She initiated the Irish Digital Jobs and Skills Coalition and has extensive experience representing the IT profession in Ireland, Europe and globally, advising on European and national skills policy, standards, and professionalism with particular interest in eHealth.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Education, and is an accredited company director (Institute of Directors (Ireland)). She has worked on several national education initiatives, promoting ICT as a teaching and learning tool, as well as being a partner in numerous EU funded projects. She is a delegate to the NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) ICT SCC, and a director of the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS).
Paula Carney-Hoffler
Paula Carney-Hoffler, FIICM Dip Law, IAPP CIPP/E, CIPM ADPO CDPP, is a founding member of the IDPAA Limited and has worked in the risk information sector for over 24 years. She currently operates as an independent Data Protection Officer and Consultant for multiple companies in Ireland across various sectors.
She holds qualifications in data protection, credit risk management, international trade finance, company law, criminology and forensic psychology, and mediation for business and communities.
Paula has held numerous voluntary positions such as President, Vice President, and Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Irish Institute of Credit Management, for which she served on the Board of Directors for over twelve years. As a Director of IICM, she has also published many articles on credit risk management in the Sunday Business Post, and supported the setup of the Prompt Payment Portal, under the direction of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. Paula also served on the Board of Directors of County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce from 2017 to 2022. During her tenure she held the position of President for four years.
Paula now holds a position on the executive committee of the Association of Data Protection Officers (ADPO). She is the chairperson of the ADPO Training Committee and produces the ADPO monthly newsletter. She has also recently been appointed as Board Member to Chambers Ireland.
Paula has delivered presentations on risk management and data best practice in many countries and cities throughout Europe as an international speaker at the invitation of the European Commission on the Cross-Border Credit & Claims Program. She has also participated as a content expert in the review of the Late Payment Directive on behalf of the European Commission and presented on the Directive in Brussels in 2018.