Our Board

Managing Director of JJ Field & Co in Skibbereen employing over 200 staff between its supermarket and independent bakery. John is well known for his support of local and indigenous food producers throughout West Cork and beyond. He developed and chairs the Belling awards celebrating quality and innovation in food production. John is also a director of West Cork Distillers based in Skibbereen, who now employ over 70 people in Skibbereen.

Fields of Skibbereen has received numerous awards over the years such as Best Fresh Large Supermarket in Ireland (2012), Most Creative Fresh Food Retailer In Ireland (2013), Best Deli In Ireland (2014), SuperValu Ireland Fish Counter of the Year 2018 and SuperValu Ireland Cheese Counter of the Year 2018

Accomplished International business leader with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and success in complex EMEA environments. Expertise in B2B and B2C business technology. Skilled in leading diverse teams through transformation and change, resulting in profitable growth. Strong communicator adept at managing stakeholders and building relationships. Experienced in business development, delivering complex projects within timeframes, budget, and quality. Thrives in fast-paced, innovative industries. WeQual winner 2022 EMEA.

Anne has just finished a 12month term as President of Dublin Chamber and is currently the Chairperson of the Irish-based international aid charity, GOAL, a humanitarian aid agency dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

A Cork native, Anne champions well-being and diversity in the workplace and has spearheaded Vodafone securing a position as one of Ireland’s top ten Great Places to Work and achieving the Business Working Responsibly mark.

Professor John O’Halloran is the Interim President and Registrar at University College Cork. Since taking up the role, John has led the development of the university’s first academic strategy, which sets out an ambitious plan for reimagining the curriculum, connecting diverse learning experiences and developing graduate attributes to position UCC students and graduates for their future work.  Having previously served as Vice-President for Teaching & Learning, and as Vice-Head of the College of Science, Engineering & Food Science, John is an academic leader with an ambitious vision for the future of Higher Education.

In his leadership roles, John has led the transformation of Higher Education provision at University College Cork including the modernisation and enhancement of teaching and learning; the development of online learning; curriculum enhancement; the growth of adult and continuing education; staff development; engagement; and globalisation. John is the founding Director of UCC’s Quercus Talented Students’ ​Programme. He is the Chair of the Green Campus Forum at UCC which has received many awards in recognition of its efforts to promote the Green Agenda, including the first green flag ever awarded to a university.

John is a zoologist, and was awarded a PhD for his research in 1987, and a DSc for his published works in 2009 by the National University of Ireland. He has published over 200 research papers and a number of books in the areas of ecology, ornithology, ecotoxicology and biodiversity. He was previously Head of School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UCC, where he holds the Chair in Zoology. He is Vice-President of the British Trust for Ornithology, Chair of Ireland’s Countryside Bird Survey Steering Committee and an advisor to the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen.

Adam Walsh is General Manager at J.J. Field & Co. in Skibbereen and a founding member of Ludgate Hub. A specialist in digital transformation, Adam has led Field’s evolution into a data-driven, tech-enabled retail operation—introducing online shopping, omni-channel marketing, customer loyalty systems, and mobile technologies for real-time stock and delivery management.

Before returning to West Cork, Adam spent seven years at Microsoft’s European Product Development Centre in Dublin as a Localisation Test Manager. Bridging global technology and local enterprise, he continues to champion innovation and digital adoption across rural Ireland.

Kevin Buckley is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and community-builder based in West Cork. With an Honours Bachelor of Science in Commercial Software Development from Waterford Institute of Technology (W.I.T.), he co-founded Spearline in 2003—growing it into a global leader in telecoms-audio quality and assurance services.

In 2016, Kevin became one of the founding board members of Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen—helping to establish the town’s digital-innovation ecosystem and drive rural regeneration through technology.

His leadership reflects a deep commitment to combining business growth with place-based impact: building international technology scale-ups from rural Ireland, while actively investing in the local infrastructure and community that enables them.

Katherine O’Sullivan is a Chartered Accountant and seasoned senior manager with a strong track-record in leading teams, driving change, and enabling high-performance business environments.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, where she contributes her financial acumen, governance expertise and strategic insight to support rural digital innovation and regional enterprise development.

Her professional credentials include membership in Chartered Accountants Ireland and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Selling (Merit) from Technological University Dublin

Brian McCarthy founded FEXCO in 1981 and is based in Killorglin, Co Kerry.   FEXCO is Ireland’s most successful multinational financial and business solutions provider, with operations in 29 countries worldwide.  It currently employs over 2,500 people globally.  Brian has been instrumental in the development and growth of the company over the last 37 years.

Brian worked with Allied Irish Banks from 1963 to 1981.

He was honoured in 2002 with receiving the Ernst & Young International Entrepreneur of the Year award.  He also received the Sean F. Lemass award for Excellence in Marketing in 1987.

Married with 5 children, Brian is involved in a number of charitable organisations including the Irish Pilgrimage Trust.

He has a keen interest in a wide range of sports and other hobbies include music, reading and fishing.

A business leader with over 16 years experience in Digital Marketing and Sales, Marie Davis is Head of Retail and Lead Generation for SMEs across the UK and Ireland with Google. Leading a team of 75 digital specialists, she is passionate about supporting businesses of all sizes to succeed and grow online.  Marie joined Google in 2006. In a prior role as Head of Google Ireland SME Sales, Marie was responsible for bringing digital education to businesses across Ireland via a series of ‘Grow with Google’ roadshows. She sits on the boards of Ludgate Digital Hub and Skibbereen Arts Festival. She is passionate about helping and enabling Irish businesses to go global with Google.  Marie is an advocate for flexible work and focused on creating a culture where everyone is included.  In her spare time she enjoys sea swimming, all water sports,  yoga, music and spending time at home in Lisheen just outside of Skibbereen.