Meet the Judges

To guarantee transparency of process and unbiased results the judging is carried out by two separate panels: Preliminary Judging Panel and Final Judging Panel.

Both panels include experts in the fields of disability management, corporate and business affairs, equality management as well as people with disabilities. The Judges decision is final.

Final Judging Panel

Chair: Denis O’Brien, Communicorp

Jim Barry, Chief Executive, NTR
Patricia Callan, Director, Small Firms Association
Norah Casey, Chief Executive, Harmonia
Frank Cronin, Chief Executive, Newstalk
Patricia Curtin, Assistant Director General, FAS
Mary Davis, Chief Executive, Special Olympics
Martin Dewhurst, Director, McKinsey & Company
Clare Duignan, Managing Director, RTÉ Radio
Des Geraghty, Former President General, SIPTU
Danuta Gray, Chief Executive, O2 Ireland
Gar Holohan, Chief Executive, Aura Holohan Leisure Group
Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times
Danny McCoy, Director General, IBEC
Michael McDonnell, Managing Director, CIPD Ireland
Kieran McGowan, Chairman, CRH
Kathleen McLoughlin, Chief Executive, Irish Wheelchair Association
Senator Feargal Quinn, Non Executive President, Superquinn
Professor Gerard Quinn, Director, National University of Ireland (Galway)
Gina Quin, Chief Executive, Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Lochlann Quinn, Chairman, ESB
Maura Quinn, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors in Ireland
Dr. Mary Redmond, Consultant, Arthur Cox
Tina Roche, Chief Executive, Business in the Community
Declan Ryan, Co-Founder and Chairman, One Foundation
Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive, Employers’ Forum on Disability

Preliminary Judging Panel

Liz Carroll, Training and Development Manager, Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association
Carol Ann Casey, Managing Director, CA Consulting
Pat Clarke, President, Down Syndrome International
Marion Courtney, HR & Corporate Services Manager, Chambers Ireland
Derry Durand, Engineering Manager, Mircosoft
Niamh Hayes, GET AHEAD Project Co-ordinator, AHEAD
Ann Healan, Executive Director, AHEAD
Emma Killeen, Managing Director, Aura Sport & Leisure Management
Feargal Kinsella, Tax Manager, BDO Simpson Xavier
Tina Lowe, Disability Officer, UCD
Christy Lynch, CEO, KARE
Peter MacCann, General Manager, The Merrion Hotel
Donal McAnaney, Senior Consultant, Work Research Centre
Avril McDermott, HR Director, Hewlett Packard Manufacturing
Finola McDonnell, Senior Social Policy Executive, IBEC
Shira Mehlman, Director Curriculum and Quality Assurance, FAS
Martin Naughton, Disability Federation of Ireland
Linda O’Sullivan, Senior CR Consultant, Business in the Community
Michele Ryan, HR Director, McDonalds
Sinead Smith, Corporate Responsibility, O2 Ireland
Sarah Togher, National Coordinator, Irish Association of Supported Employment
Tony Ward, Accountant
Margaret Webb, General Manager, EVE Limited
Maurice Whelan, Head of Customer Services, Sage

The Judges base their decisions on both the entrants’ completed applications forms and the consultant’s assessment reports. Each entrant is assigned a number to protect confidentiality and guarantee impartiality throughout the judging process. At each stage of the O2 Ability Awards process, organisations are judged against strict sets of assessment criteria.