Meet our 2026 Keynote Speakers

Denis McCarthy

Denis brings 18 years of experience in the energy sector, specialising in energy efficiency and cost management for industrial and commercial energy users. He joined Kore Energy in 2017 as an Energy Analyst and was subsequently promoted to Commercial Energy Consultant, and later to Senior Commercial Energy Consultant. In this role, he oversees key client relationships to effectively manage their risk and minimise their exposure to volatile energy markets.

Before joining Kore Energy, Denis worked as an Energy Service Engineer with Energia’s energy efficiency team, before advancing to Key Account Manager in Energia’s Large Energy User department, a role he held for five years. Denis holds an Honours Degree in Electrical Services and Energy Management, along with a Diploma in Engineering Maintenance Systems. He also shares his expertise as a lecturer on energy procurement and risk management courses at Technical University Dublin (TUD).

Lorna McDowell

Xenergie Consulting delivers accelerated business change via an award-winning approach for game changing how leaders develop their strategy, roles and teams to embrace a new world which requires shifts in operating models. We work with leaders across sectors - notably in medical devices, financial services, professional services and digital technologies as well as government and education. We believe in sustainable business - that meets both short and long terms needs and generates cultures that inspire and attract passionate and talented staff. We energise leaders to shift their "seeing, being and doing" land create better business outcomes. Based in UK and Ireland, and recently launched in Australia.

Séan Dowd

With a solid background in project management and a PMP certification, my focus at Boston Scientific has been on spearheading comprehensive campus development and championing sustainability initiatives. Leading a robust team and managing extensive contractor relations, we've made significant strides in energy management with a goal to achieve a carbon-neutral footprint by 2030. Our efforts are set to eliminate over 8.5k tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Paul Lundy

Paul Lundy is an experienced energy lead with over 8 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing sustainable energy strategies that have resulted in significant cost savings and reduced carbon emissions. Paul is an expert in energy management, process efficiency, and energy procurement. He has a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process and has successfully implemented energy-efficient measures and technologies in the Ballytivnan site. Paul is passionate about sustainability and is committed to helping pharmaceutical companies reduce their carbon footprint.

Paul Boylan, Decarbonisation & Sustainability Specialist

Beyond Paul’s core background in engineering, project management, building services and operational leadership, his professional focus over recent years has increasingly centred on energy optimisation, sustainability and practical decarbonisation delivery.

Niamh Breslin

Niamh manages the development and implementation of IDA Ireland’s foreign direct investment Sustainability strategy, with a focus on decarbonisation of the FDI industry, and delivery of IDA Ireland’s commitments to the National Climate Action Plan.

Niamh has significant international experience and has successfully led teams in Dublin, London, Paris and Frankfurt. Niamh has a degree in Computational Linguistics from Dublin City University and a diploma in Business Management from University of Galway.

Gerry Shannon

We are Utility-scale power developers. We specialise in solutions around providing Virtual Power on the Grid for Datacentres, resulting in reduction of Load and consequent MIS with the DSO.

Michael White

Experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the design, construction and service of commercial and industrial buildings. Skilled in HVAC, Electrical & Instrumentation, Energy Efficiency, Building Management Systems, and Contract Management. Strong business development professional graduated from the Irish Management Institute.

Tony O’Keeffe

Chief Operations Officer at OPNBuildings. Leads business and product development of the analytics platform. Holds an MBA from Trinity College Dublin Business School. An M.Sc in Energy Management from Technological University Dublin and a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from Cork Institute of Technology. He is an active member on the board of ASHRAE Ireland and current Vice-Chair of the Chapter Technology Transfer Committee.