THE CEIFIN CENTRE

Who's in Charge? - Towards a Leadership of Service

Speakers at the 2009 Conference

Rachael English, CHAIR

Rachael English has worked as a presenter and reporter on most of RTE radio's leading news and current affairs programmes. She is currently the presenter of Saturday View and The Late Debate on RTE Radio One. Prior to this she was, for six years, the presenter of the evening current affairs show, Five Seven Live. She also presents RTE's main Saturday and Sunday morning programmes when Marian Finucane is away.

Rachael has a degree in Communication Studies from Dublin City University. She is from Shannon in Co. Clare and started her career with Clare FM radio in Ennis

Fr. Harry Bohan

Fr. Harry Bohan, Chairman of The Céifin Centre, qualified as a sociologist in the University of Wales, and is currently Director of Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Killaloe, and Parish priest in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. In 1973 he founded the Rural Housing Organisation based on the concepts of family and community, to revitalise rural villages and small towns and to counter the growth of large, soulless housing estates. Through its activities 2,500 houses were built in 120 communities in 13 counties.

In 1998 he founded The Céifin Centre for Values-led Change to reflect, debate and direct valuesled change in Irish society. He has written extensively on Christianity, spirituality, economic development and on understanding change. His publications include Ireland Green, and Community and the Soul of Ireland. Fr. Harry is recognised as one of the leading social commentators in Ireland today. He has broadcast widely on national radio and television and was appointed to the Task Force on Active Citizenship by An Taoiseach in 2006. He is also well known for his involvement in sport, and Clare Hurling in particular.

Philip Lowe

Philip Lowe was born in Leeds in 1947. He read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at St John's College, Oxford and has an M. Sc. from London Business School. Following a period in the manufacturing industry, he joined the European Commission in 1973, and held a range of senior posts as Chef de Cabinet and Director in the fields of regional development, agriculture, transport and administration, before becoming Director General of the Development DG in 1997. He took up his current appointment as Director General of the Competition DG in September 2002

Jim Power

Jim Power is a graduate of University College, Dublin. He is Chief Economist at Friends First Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eureko, one of Europe’s largest insurance groups. He previously worked as Chief Economist at Bank of Ireland Group and Treasury Economist at AIB Group. He teaches Finance and Economics on the Local Government MBA at Dublin City University and Economics on the Executive MBA at the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business in Ireland. He is a regular speaker at economic and financial conferences both in Ireland and overseas. A frequent contributor to media, he appears regularly on radio and television both in Ireland and overseas. He also writes a weekly column in the Irish Examiner and contributes to numerous other newspapers and magazines on an occasional basis. He is editor of the Friends First ‘Quarterly Economic Outlook’, which has become established as one of Ireland’s leading economic commentaries on the Irish economy.

Ray Kinsella

Ray Kinsella is Professor of Banking and Financial Services, UCD. He is widely published in the areas of financial institutions, insurance and corporate governance, including a number of written or edited books and numerous journal articles. He was previously an economist at the Central Bank of Ireland and Economic Advisor to the Minister for Trade.

Michael Rodgers

Michael Rodgers, SPS, Founder and Director of Tearmann Centre, returned to Ireland after twenty years missionary service to serve on his congregation’s leadership team. During this time he began to explore his own roots, a journey that led him eventually to mystical Glendalough. In 1993 the old An Oige hostel was converted into self-contained apartments, and Michael eventually occupied them all to provide comfortable and pleasant accommodation for a series of retreat experiences lasting from one day up to one month or more. Michael offers a quiet, respectful space for people to reflect on their life and faith story in an environment that holds its own story. He encourages an experiential approach that incorporates history, legend, spirituality, Christian tradition and awareness of nature and the environment. Michael is the co-author of the following books: with Marcus Losack: Glendalough, A Celtic Pilgrimage. With Gill McCarthy: Glendalough, A Celtic Soul Journey.

Cathy Halloran

Cathy Halloran is a native of Dublin. She began her career as a journalist with the Connacht Tribune newspaper in Galway. She has worked for RTE as a news journalist for 22 years, the past 16 years as Mid West Correspondent based in Limerick, covering news events in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary.

Cathy lives in Limerick with her family; partner Nicky and son John Michael. She loves travel, reading, walking, the good company of family and friends and living beside Thomond Park of course, rugby!

Paula Downey

Paula Downey is a partner at downey youell associates, creators of CultureWork - a living systems approach to organisation and change. In these challenging times with the world in transition, CultureWork is a unique resource for leaders and change agents interested in real and lasting change. Paula has served a broad spectrum of blue-chip national, multinational, semi-state and local government organisations, as well as religious communities and social enterprises. She has a Distinction in Communication Studies, a Masters with Distinction in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath, and has studied Making Policies Work: Systems thinking in government and management at the Open University. A former award-winning film maker and published author, she is a frequent speaker and writer on the challenges and opportunities of system change.www.dya.ie.

Fr Michael Drumm

Fr Michael Drumm has been appointed Chairperson of the recently established Catholic Schools Partnership. This new body will provide support for all the partners in Catholic schools in a changing Ireland. Previously, a Lecturer in Theology and Director of Mater Dei Institute in Dublin, he has published numerous books and articles on the role of religion in Irish society.

Dearbhail McDonald

Dearbhail McDonald is the Legal Editor of the Irish Independent. A former news correspondent with The Sunday Times, Dearbhail has won a series of awards for her legal affairs coverage and is also a former Young Irish Medical Journalist of the Year. She is a member of the Law Council of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and holds an LL.B (Law) from Trinity College Dublin as well as a Masters Degree in Journalism from Dublin City University. Dearbhail, who frequently participates in current affairs broadcasting, is a board member of Media Forum, a non-profit organisation working to advance the cause of Media Literacy Education in Ireland. A national judge for the European Young Journalist of the Year and the European Commission’s “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” Awards, Dearbhail also cofounded the Roberta Gray Feature Award for aspiring feature writers. Dearbhail is currently working with Manresa, the Jesuit Spirituality Centre in Dublin, developing an alternative leadership programme for young and emerging leaders.