At The Convention Centre Dublin our heartbeat comes from our people. We are very proud of our dedicated team of professionals, who help bring our venue to life.
You can also find out more about our Board of Directors or meet The CCD Sales team.
Chief Executive
Stephen was appointed Chief Executive of The CCD in February 2017. Stephen leads our passionate and experienced team in realising The CCD’s visions and goals, delivering inspiring events and exceptional service to clients and delegates. An honours graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology, Stephen has over 20 years’ experience working in five-star venues across Ireland, the UK and Europe and, most recently, held the position of General Manager Bewley’s Cafés Ireland. He began his career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts working across all departments in Dublin and London, before taking up the role as General Manager of the award winning Nimb Hotel and related facilities in Copenhagen, where he was responsible for a team of 280 people managing the hotel with six high end restaurants and bars, delivering events up to 4,000.
Sales Director
Paul joined The CCD in December 2011 as Sales Director. He is responsible for setting and delivering sales strategies across our business and developing an industry-leading sales team. Paul has over 25 years’ experience gained through sales management and business development roles, including interim Sales Director at The ICC Birmingham. He has worked across a diverse range of industries, particularly in IT and telecoms at Vodafone as Head of Corporate Sales, and Siemens and Cable & Wireless as Sales Manager. His extensive career experience means that he understands not only the venue business but also different client groups.
Finance Director
Barry joined The CCD as Finance Director in November 2021. He is responsible for finance and reporting and also oversees the Business Information Systems functions and ICT functions. Barry was previously a member of the leadership team in the Joe Duffy Motors Group and Head of Finance with the NTMA (National Treasury Management Agency) where he worked for 12 years. He started his finance career over 25 years ago working in accountancy practice both in Ireland and the UK, as well as Vice President for Credit Suisse’s Corporate Services. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science (Management) degree from Trinity College Dublin and has been a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland since 1999.
Director of Event Operations
Alan joined The CCD team as Director of Event Operations in June 2017 and is responsible for driving event operations strategy and leading the Events, Technical and Hospitality teams. Alan previously worked in Croke Park Stadium where he was part of the Senior Executive Team as Head of Stadium Operations and played a pivotal role in many ISO accreditations and national and international industry awards. Holding a first-class honours Bachelor of Engineering (NUIG) and a Master of Business Studies (Smurfit Business School), Alan has also served 15 years as a commissioned officer in the Defence Forces and reached the rank of Captain.
Director of Marketing and Communications
Suzanne joined The CCD in March 2016, having worked in a range of marketing roles in Bank of Ireland and AXA Life Invest and, subsequently, as a marketing consultant. A member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, Suzanne is responsible for developing integrated marketing and communications strategies and plans, managing the brand identity, public relations, communications, in-house digital media and all promotional activity. Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Business Studies, an International MBA (DCU and Reims Management School) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Corporate Treasury from DCU.
Director of People and Culture
Debbie joined The CCD in 2013 with 16 years’ cross sector experience in HR Management working in multinationals, Irish and not for profit organisations. She is responsible for planning and implementing an HR strategy that meets business needs, as well as overseeing the training function within the organisation. Debbie is passionate about impacting organisational performance through Human Resource Management, employee engagement and maintaining the excellent company culture and values that exist within The CCD. She has a degree in HR Management from The National College of Ireland, and has been a Chartered Member of the CIPD since 2007.
Head of Events
Declan joined The CCD as Head of Events in December 2021 and is responsible for leading The CCD’s successful events team and working with clients ranging from large associations and corporate events to national conferences and public events. Declan has many years of experience across a range of properties including the Four Seasons Hotel NYC, The Metropolitan Club, The Regency Hotel and Sleepy Hollow Country Club. He also spent several years in live event production with Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging, with career highlights including events at the White House during the Obama Administration. Declan has also provided events and hospitality consultancy for clients on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a founding member and current Chapter Secretary of the WIPA Ireland Chapter (Wedding International Professionals Association).
Facilities and Infrastructure Director
Paul joined The CCD as Building Services Contracts Manager in October 2009. A qualified electrician, Paul has almost 40 years of experience in facilities and maintenance management, having previously worked with Irish Estates Management and PricewaterhouseCoopers. As Facilities and Infrastructure Director, Paul is responsible for all facilities, maintenance and cleaning of The CCD, overseeing infrastructure projects and the general upkeep of the building.
Executive Head Chef
A Cathal Brugha Street trained chef, Leonard joined The CCD team before opening in 2010, where he still resides as Executive Head Chef, continually driving the food innovation concepts at the venue. Leonard started his career in the world-famous Boca Resort and Club hotel in South Florida, where he worked with the renowned chef Jean Mergen, gaining vast experience. After some years, he moved back to Ireland where he worked as Chef and Head Chef in restaurants such as Ernie's in Donnybrook and, Conrad Gallagher's in Baggot Street and South William Street, as well as opening the Fitzwilliam Hotel with Gallagher's flagship restaurant, Peacock Alley. Leonard joined Fitzers Catering in 2003 and went on to transform event and conference catering at prestigious venues such as Slane Castle, Croke Park and Titanic Belfast.
Head of Conference Sales
Adrienne joined The CCD in August 2013 having worked with the RDS, The Royal College of Physicians and a number of leading hotel groups. An active member of the Irish tourism industry, Adrienne currently sits on the Venues Committee, having previously sat on the Fáilte Ireland Business Tourism Committee and she also held the position of President for the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) in Ireland. Adrienne is responsible for successfully leading The CCD’s sales team to target and secure association and corporate events on a national and international scale. Many of those already hosted at The CCD include international association conferences in the areas of biomaterials, nutrition, thrombosis and haemostasis and quaternity research.
Head of Technical Client Services
Gareth joined The CCD at the start of 2011. Having previously worked in production for a broad range of venues, and both indoor and outdoor events, he brought with him over 20 years’ experience in the events and entertainment industry. In his role at The CCD, Gareth manages CCD Technical, a team of dedicated and experienced technical production managers and event technicians who work hard to ensure that the technology behind every event is delivered to world-class standards. Along with maintaining the Technical department’s high level of customer satisfaction, Gareth is also tasked with ensuring that The CCD has all the necessary equipment and support to remain at the forefront of the event industry.
Head of ICT (Information Communications Technology)
Craig joined The CCD in June 2016, having previously worked as a manager in a number of ICT companies in areas such as security, disaster recovery and high-level networking. Craig is responsible for managing all ICT services and equipment for events and across the entire venue. His extensive experience to date means that he understands what is involved in providing ICT support to organisers, delegates and staff.
Building Services Contracts Manager
Aidan joined The CCD as Facilities Manager in July 2017. He is responsible for managing the building service delivery contracts and the facilities, capital and lifecycle projects for the business. Aidan has almost 20 years of experience in facilities and project management, having previously operated as Group Chief Engineer for Starwood Hotels and Resorts across London. He also worked on the construction handover of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) schools bundle project and mobilising the facilities management function for the contracts. Aidan as won many industry leading facilities management and sustainability related awards throughout his career, including second place for the Irish Engineering and Construction Professional of the Year in 2018.
Health and Safety Manager
Ann joined The CCD in January 2017 to lead the Health and Safety function having previously worked as Quality Assurance Manager for the Q Café and Head of Health, Safety and Environment Ireland with Compass Group. She was also part of the Compass Group executive team. Ann started her health and safety career over 20 years ago by obtaining a Bsc. in Occupational Health and Safety before living and working in New Zealand and Australia for eight years. Ann has worked in various national health and safety and food safety roles across many sectors and has a very strong background in ISO management systems, behavioural safety and risk management. She is also a member of the National Irish Safety Organisation and IOSH.
Financial Controller
Louise joined The CCD as Financial Controller in January 2011 and is responsible for managing the company finance, financial planning and budget management functions. This involves overseeing the daily operations of the finance department and providing information and analysis to support the business. Louise previously worked at IT company, System Dynamics for six years, firstly as a Financial Accountant, before being promoted to Financial Controller. Louise trained for three years with Deloitte, has a BComm from University College Dublin and a Master of Accounting from the University’s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.