Judges

Jill Downey

Chief Sponsorship and Sustainability Officer, Core and Chair of the Judging Panel.

Jill is Chief Sponsorship & Sustainability Officer at Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company. In Core, Jill is responsible for leading the ESG strategy, while also working with brands on their sustainability strategies. She has over 24 years’ experience in marketing communications and has a member of Core’s strategic management team for 14 years.

Jill leads the Sponsorship Practice in Core, working with brands and rights holders to maximise the potential in sponsorship and using more data to informed smarter decision making. Jill is involved in some of the most impactful sponsorships in the market including as Sky’s award-winning sponsorship of the Women’s and Men’s National Football Teams among others.

Jill is chair of the Commercial Committee of the Federation of Irish Sport and has been listed as one of the 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport for the past 7 years. Jill is a founding member of ESA Ireland and is Commercial Director for DLR Waves Football Club (Volunteer).

Rob Hartnett

Founder and CEO of Sport for Business.

Established in 2011 as a ‘meeting point between sporting bodies and commercial partners,’ it has grown to be an influential and important part of Irish sport’s commercial world.

Part publisher, networker, event manager and host, he has built it to a point where it has over 300 organisations as members and a monthly readership of over 50,000

He is Chair of the Dublin City Council Sport and Wellbeing Partnership, former chair of the Federation of Irish Sport Sport Industry Awards; he serves on the Gender Equality Commission of the Olympic Federation of Ireland and on the Board of Special Olympics Ireland.  In 2024, he was given a Lifetime Contribution Award at the Irish Sponsorship Awards.

Elma Beirne

Associate Director, Talent Marketing & Representation of Wasserman Ireland.

Elma is tasked to grow the commercial & sponsorship side of the business across Wasserman’s athlete, brand, rights holder and agency relationships. Elma has a wealth of both commercial & sporting knowledge and the educational background having worked for the last fourteen years in Leinster Rugby, Football Association for Ireland, PRO14 Rugby, UEFA and Line Up Sports.

Elma has a first-class honour in Rugby Management from UCD as well as degrees from WIT in Sport and Recreation. Elma has lectured in UCD on the Sports Strategy module of the Sports Management Degree over the past two years and is a regular guest lecturer for WIT, UCD and DCU in the undergraduate and postgraduate sports courses. Elma is also on the Board of the Federation of Irish Sport. Elma is no stranger to advising and mentoring having qualified as a Life, Business and Executive coach and is also an addiction coach.

Elma opened her own coaching practice in 2021 where she works with clients from Managing Directors to athletes on how to best achieve their goals and future ambitions.

Stephen Bradshaw

Head of Marketing, Close Brothers Motor Finance.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, Stephen has had the opportunity to work alongside some of Ireland’s most respected brands and sports organisations. His career has centred around building meaningful partnerships, developing commercial strategies, and delivering sponsorships that create real value.

Stephen has supported governing bodies, rights holders, athletes and brands across the sports landscape, offering a grounded perspective shaped by leadership roles in both agencies and industry. He brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to every project, with a strong belief in the power of sport to connect, inspire, and deliver results.

Maeve Buckley

Director of Leading Sport.

Maeve has had an impact on European sport over a long period, and has worked with iconic teams, organisations and major events such as Ryder Cup, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Man City, Arsenal, FIFA and UEFA.  Maeve specialises in sports strategy development on behalf of international federations, the development and commercialisation of international sports events, as well as advising city and national authorities, and sport governing bodies on development work.  She has a deep understanding of the European sport industry and the most successful initiatives happening across that landscape.

Maeve specialises in performance and grassroots sport and has worked with FIFA, UEFA, FIBA and the IRFU amongst others. Maeve is a previous Board Member of the Sport Ireland Campus and the Federation of Irish Sport and is regularly voted one of the Most Influential Women in Sport (sportforbusiness.com).

She previously worked in international marketing roles with Orange, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bord Bia, based in Amsterdam, Milan and Madrid.  She holds an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid and has a BA (Hons) degree from University College Cork, and speaks French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Shane Califf

Head of the Organisational Development & Change Unit at Sport Ireland.

Shane Califf is a senior leader within Sport Ireland, the national agency responsible for sport in Ireland.

Currently leading the Organisational Development & Change Unit, Shane supports Sport Ireland-funded bodies in the area of organisational development, learning and development and workforce strategy. Prior to this, Shane served as Director of Governing Bodies, overseeing major partnerships and funding relationships across the sector.

With deep expertise in public policy delivery, large-scale grant management, and governance, Shane holds a broad suite of professional qualifications in areas including Business Administration, Sports Law, Governance, Human Resources, Mediation, and Executive Coaching.

Brenda O Donnell

CEO in Active Disability Ireland.

Brenda has always worked and being involved in disability sport and physical activity, creating equal sporting and recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She is a graduate from the Institute of Technology Tralee, (now Munster Technological University) and in 2001 graduated with a BSc in Health, Fitness and Leisure Studies.

Through her role Brenda aims to increase the profile of Active Disability Ireland, building on the strong foundations and its vital partnerships across the sport, disability, health and community sectors. She promises to continue the strong connections and relationships that have been established over the years with all of Active Disability Ireland’s funding and supporting partners. Working closely with all team members within Active Disability Ireland her role will focus on operational effectiveness aligned to the organisations strategy, continued leadership through example under good governance, continued Influencing and challenge of local and national policy and strengthened support of the creation of choice and opportunity through direct engagement with people with disabilities.

Ronan McCormack

Group Marketing Manager – Planning & Sponsorship | Marketing at Dalata Group Hotel.

Ronan has over 20 years’ experience working in managerial roles across marketing and sponsorship. Currently Planning and Sponsorship manager with Dalata Hotel Group, Ronan

has previously worked for HEINEKEN Ireland and Sony PlayStation.  He has managed several high-profile sponsorships across various sports, working with leading organisations like EPCR, World Rugby, UEFA, and the GAA.

Catherine Tiernan

Commercial Director of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

Catherine Tiernan is the Commercial Director of the Olympic Federation of Ireland. Catherine previously owned her own mobile phone company creating a nationwide network of 26 telecommunication stores employing 120 staff which were subsequently acquired by O2. In 1996 Catherine won young Businesswoman of the year. She then went on to work in the area of Commercial Sponsorships, National /International contract negotiations and strategic planning. Over 30 years’ experience serving the Corporate sector including working with O2, the GAA, the FAI, the European Tour and IRFU. Catherine is an accredited commercial and civil mediator. Catherine prides herself on always going the extra mile to achieve results for her clients and team.

Tom Fox

Co-Founder of 53Six.

Tom is the Co-Founder of 53Six, a Dublin-based sports marketing agency that helps rights holders and brands connect with fans and drive growth.
Before 53Six, Tom led the sports and mobile verticals at Twitter for the UK and Ireland.

Geraldine McTavish

Disability in Sport lead at Sport Ireland.

Geraldine McTavish is the Disability in Sport Lead at Sport Ireland, a role she assumed in early 2025 to advance inclusive sport policies and participation opportunities for people with disabilities across the country. Her appointment aligns with Sport Ireland’s Statement of Commitment and Action to Disability Inclusion in Sport, which underlines leadership, accessibility, and capacity-building within the sector .​

Prior to this, McTavish served as Outdoor Recreation Manager at Sport Ireland, following a five-year tenure as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at the GAA. In that role, she led initiatives promoting inclusive participation in Gaelic Games family, including programs for individuals with disabilities, intercultural engagement, and LGBTQI+ inclusion. She was instrumental in expanding the GAA’s “GAA for All” initiatives, such as Wheelchair Hurling and Camogie, and the “All Stars” inclusive club program .​

McTavish’s earlier career includes development roles with Special Olympics Ireland, Dublin Gaelic Football, and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association. Her leadership in inclusive sport has been recognised with her inclusion in the Sport for Business “50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport” lists in both 2021 and 2022 .

In her current role, McTavish is tasked with implementing Sport Ireland’s disability inclusion strategy, collaborating with national governing bodies, local sports partnerships, and community stakeholders to foster a more accessible and equitable sporting environment for all.

Ronan Donagher

Former Head of Games Systems.

With more than 20 years shaping the technological landscape of premier global competitions like the Olympics and Rugby World Cups, Ronan joins the Irish Sport Industry Awards judging panel with extensive expertise. Their background spans technology infrastructure, systems development, operations, sports technology, and broadcast integration. Beyond the technical, Ronan’s experience in programme management, risk assessment, change management, and stakeholder engagement demonstrates a rigorous analytical approach and a holistic understanding of the entire sporting ecosystem. This comprehensive viewpoint, honed across numerous high-pressure events, equips Ronan to effectively evaluate the multifaceted nature of achievement recognized by the Irish Sport Industry awards.