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Board of Directors
An introduction to SpunOut.ie's Board of Directors.
Aonghus Sammin – CHAIRPERSON
Aonghus Sammin is the principal of Bradán Consulting based in Galway city. He is a qualified accountant with 15 years business experience ranging from small practice clients to multi-national companies. Originally from Mayo, he completed his training in Galway in the 1990's before working overseas for several years, most notably with Diageo where he was responsible for implementing systems and organisational change programs. He set up Bradán Consulting in 2006 and the firm acts as a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) for a number of companies as well as specialising in the following key areas: Strategic Business Planning, Financial Planning and Control, Business Performance Management, Sourcing Finance, Risk Management. Aonghus also sits on the Board of COPE Galway and chairs its Finance and Operations Committees. COPE Galway is a charity that provides services for people affected by homelessness, domestic violence and the elderly.
Suzanne O'Toole
Currently working as HR Manager within the television integrated business division of RTÉ, with responsibility for providing a comprehensive HR service offering advice and guidance in all areas of HR policy, procedures and practices including recruitment, management reporting, employee relations, compensation and staff development. Graduate member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Damien Mulley
Damien Mulley owns Mulley Communications who consult and train companies in online communications, specialising in online marketing and PR and runs the Irish Web Awards and Social Media Awards. Website link: http://www.mulley.ie
Janet Gaynor
Currently working as the Assistant Health Promotion Manger in the Health Service Executive West. The focus of her work for over 20 years has been with children and young people. While interested in the very broad based issue of health and well-being, her particular interests are in SPHE (Social, Health & Personal Education), Youth Participation & Sexual Health. She has been a trainer/facilitator for over 20 years, providing training for teachers who deliver SPHE. She co-partnered the Donegal County Council in setting up the Donegal Youth Council and had an active involvement in the early development of SpunOut.ie. She has facilitated groups of young people through schools and in the out-of-school setting and has worked with young people in YouthReach on creating a personal development programme. She has always worked with young parents. Most recently she has been involved with young people in Milford in setting up a Sexual Health Reference Group and with young people in Letterkenny in setting up an Agenda Day run by young people to create a dialogue between young people on making Letterkenny a better and safer place for all to use. She believes in creating opportunities for bringing young people to a place where they make the decision regarding their own lives. In addition to this, she is a practicing LifeCoach and she is a mother of three young people aged 15 to 22 years.
Julian Davis
Julian Davis is a founder-Director of Fleishman-Hillard, and has worked in public relations for over 18 years. Prior to that, he was a senior sports editor in RTÉ. Julian has won numerous Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) Awards for Fleishman-Hillard including two Supreme Awards for the Budweiser Frogs and Lizards campaign and the 2003 Special Olympics World Games. While specialising in consumer and brands public relations, Julian is the firm’s expert in social marketing and corporate and social responsibility PR. He works on projects ranging from sports marketing, product PR and brand development. He was part of the bid team to bring the 2003 Special Olympics World Games to Ireland and headed up the entire media and broadcast relations programme for the World Games, which saw unprecedented coverage throughout Ireland and the rest of the World including the transmission of the Opening Ceremony in 40 countries. Julian also guest lectures on sponsorship and cause related marketing for the Public Relations Institute and DIT.
Sara Burke
Sara Burke is a journalist and health policy analyst. She has a weekly health slot on RTE Radio 1's Drivetime programme. Her writings appear in national daily newspapers, political and health sector magazines. She has written a book on the Irish health system called 'Irish Apartheid. Healthcare inequality in Ireland'. She is currently doing a Phd in health policy. From 2004 to 2006, Sara worked as managing editor in Village magazine, a weekly political magazine edited by Vincent Browne. She has worked in, researched and written on inequalities in public health and the health services for over ten years. From 1992 to 1997, Sara worked an outreach streetworker for Focus Ireland with homeless teenagers in Dublin's city centre.
Andrew Gibbons
Andrew joined SpunOut.ie as a contributor in 2005, and since then has been involved in the ongoing development of the website, as well as promoting and representing SpunOut.ie at various events around Ireland. He has a strong interest in economic, social and political issues, and holds a degree in Public and Social Policy from NUI Galway. He participated in the National Economic and Social Development Office's 'FuturesIreland' project, and was shortlisted for Volunteering Ireland's 'Volunteer of the Year 2008' in the Arts, Media and Culture category. He is currently involved with community radio broadcasting, and recently graduated with an M.A. in Public Advocacy and Activism, with a focus on the potential use of new media as a tool for youth advocacy.
Paddy Duffy
Paddy Duffy is a 25 year old writer, facilitator and broadcaster. He's been involved with SpunOut.ie for seven years, first as a writer and editor and now as a director. He's been involved in youth participation and advocacy for over a decade, working closely with the Donegal Youth Council (to which he was first member elected in 2002) and Youth Participation Project as an administrator, facilitator, trainer and mentor. He's used this experience to help numerous youth groups set up across the country, and represented Ireland on an active citizenship project to Israel and Palestine in 2009. His work in the media has seen him covering EU affairs for the European Youth Press, writing articles for the Irish Times and Irish Examiner and contributing to several websites regularly including Irish Central and his own website, What Kind Of Week Has It Been. As a commentator on TV radio he's featured on RTE, BBC and Al Jazeera, and has worked on a number of TV shows behind the scenes.
