Our Team

The Steering Committee is elected at our annual AGM. Its role is to provide policy, governance and oversight. A non-executive committee its members are not remunerated for their services.

Alan Robinson

As Alan Robinson has worked in the Docklands for 8 years and lived in the area for five, he now considers himself a Dockland native, a south side one. Passionate about enterprise and evangelical about all the positive possibilities of Docklands, Alan has been a member of the Docklands Business Forum since 2009.

He served two consecutive years as Chairman from 2011 to 2013. Honoured as the Docklands Business Person of the Year in 2012, in December of the same year he was appointed the Forum’s first Chief Executive Officer. Alan has brought a number of initiatives to the Forum including the Docklands Volunteer Clean-Up and the Docklands Business Awards. He has also written many of the Forum’s policy papers including its observations to Dublin City Council on the Strategic Development Zone, its response to the introduction of a Public Service Broadcasting Charge and the Forum’s vision for the future of the Docklands business district ‘Joining Up the Docks’. All these documents are available for download from the Forum’s website. Author of the Docklands Business Forum’s Opening Statement to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture & the Gaeltacht, Alan lead the Docklands business delegation before the committee. Not bad for a south side Docklander.

Laura Shilling

I’ve been in finance for most of my working life and was looking for something different. I was recently approached about a new role in Savvi Credit Union which intrigued me. For me, credit unions were never on my radar, despite the fact that I’ve been working in finance for so long. It was always somewhere my parents used,

a place for the last generation and one that wasn’t suited to the needs of a modern generation, but how wrong I was! I have learnt so much in the last year being here and to me, Savvi Credit Union is the best kept secret. We are very much about the community and I am very excited about being more involved with the community we work in both through work and the Docklands Business forum. I now have over 20 years’ experience in the Financial Services Sector in Banking and Credit Insurance. I have worked in GE Money, PayPal, RSA and Euler Hermes. I have seen a lot of changes and to me the future is here. I am a firm believer of “Carpe Diem”. Life if short. Enjoy it while we are here

Dan Boyd

Dan Boyd is a Chartered Surveyor with more than 25 years of property management experience in both the United States and Ireland. He has worked in the Docklands for the past 13 years – as the Estate Director of Spencer Dock and in his current role as the Head of Occupier Services for Hibernia REIT.

He has extensive experience in the office, retail and residential property markets, having worked with a number of companies over the years including: Burlington Real Estate, Savills, JLL, Green Property and Spectacor Management Group. Dan is a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the British Council of Offices and the Urban Land Institute. He is also a co-author of the SCSI/RICS Code of Practice, Service Charges in Commercial Property (published 2020).

Brian Smyth

Brian works in Accenture’s Strategy practice specialising in Business Strategy and Transformation in the Technology, Communications and Internet industries. Brian has extensive experience in corporate strategy, operating model design, customer experience, digital strategy, innovation methodologies and open innovation.

Brian also has strong experience in corporate finance and valuation working with C-level executives to prioritise investment opportunities, develop value focused business cases, valuation scenarios, M&A due diligence and operational transformation e.g. supply chain, shared services, AI/automation etc. Brian is passionate about sustainable business and joined the Docklands Business Forum CSR and Environment sub-committee in 2009. Since then he has worked on numerous DBF CSR/Environment projects including the Dublin Bikes petition, the ‘Going Green and Saving Money’ publication and he helped to organize the flagship annual clean-ups which have had a dramatic impact on the docklands area. Brian’s favorite thing about being part of the Docklands Business Forum is helping to contribute to the vibrancy and sustainability of the docklands area. Outside of Accenture and DBF commitments Brian is National President of Junior Chamber International Ireland where he works closely with business leaders, government Ministers and leaders of civic society to provide development opportunities to empower young people in their 20s and 30s to create positive change. He is also a board member of the DCU Alumni Council which represents DCU’s 45,000 alumni worldwide.

Catriona Maye

Catriona Maye is the Bank Manager in BOI IFSC. Catriona has over 16 years working in Financial Services holding the QFA and a Degree in Business. She is an Experienced Retail Banker specialising in Personal and Business needs and requirements. “’I am extremely passionate about growing and sustaining relationships

with my Personal and Business Customers. I am a dedicated Relationship Manager and allowing my customers to thrive is something I take great pride in. Delivery in what I promise to achieve is the key to success and ensures my Customers receive top quality service. Being a point of contact at the very beginning and throughout all stages of their business and personal growth is something I am very passionate about. Catriona joined the Docklands Business Forum In June 2019 and is delighted to represent BOI in this thriving Community.

Michael Noel Harte

Michael Noel Harte has been working in the Docklands for the last fifteen years. Michael Noel is one of the founder members of the Docklands Business Forum. He has been appointed Chairman since 2016 and more recently as Director.

Michael Noel is also Managing Director of Mail Boxes Etc, a Docklands logistics company which offers Pack & Ship, Storage and Shredding services.

Jack Daly

Jack Daly is AIB’s Docklands Manager responsible for the AIB IFSC and Grand Canal Dock Branch Outlets in the Docklands. Jack is tasked with implementing the vision of a unified approach to the unique requirements and demands that this growing community and workforce on both sides of the Docklands command,

with a concentrated dedication to the Mortgage business needs. Having considerable experience in FMCG Retail Jack moved to AIB with responsibility for a team in the amalgamation project of IBRC’s Deposit book to AIB From here Jack spent 4 years as Development manager and ultimately as Manager of AIB’s international acclaimed concept store “The Lab” In Dundrum town centre.- Awards and allocated include: CNN naming The Lab as one of the “Most Beautiful Bank of the Future” EFMA Global Banking Distribution Marketing Innovation Award in the category “Physical Distribution”. Awarded Silver Design Award in the category of “Interior Space and Exhibition Design” and finalists with the Retail Excellence awards. Jack is entirely customer-centric and is passionate about and the creation of environments and customer journeys that are conducive to this ideology. Work experience has focused on Customer Experience, Business Development, Strategic planning and implementation, Co-creation and Technological adoption. With an Educational background in Marketing with Event Management, QFA/Diploma in Financial Advice and further qualifications including “Banking in a Digital Age”, “Customer Experience Management” and “UX” User Experience testing with further professional qualifications in progress. Jack is keen to be a visible and an active member of this vibrant community representing AIB to support our customers Business and Personal needs.

Betty Ashe

Betty is the local community representative on the Forum Steering Committee. Betty has been involved in the local community in a voluntary capacity for the past 46 years. She considers her involvement as a member of the team of St. Andrews Resource Centre uplifting, working to improve quality of

life for local people. Betty was instrumental in setting up St. Andrews Job Centre and trained in the Dutch Method of Job Placement. Psychology, Counselling and Facilitation followed and brought her into a wider arena of interests. Betty’s appointment to the Board of the Dublin Inner City Partnership was valuable in sitting on a Board with Public Agencies and Employers and making decisions in the interest of empowering people to up skill and to take necessary actions for their communities around the areas of infrastructure, education and employment. It was a natural transition to then be appointed to the Counsel of Dublin Docklands Development Authority representing the Dublin 2 area community which she has continued to do for the past 16 years. Betty now works as External Liaison Co-ordinator making connections with agencies operating in the area including Waterways Ireland, Dublin City Council, Dublin Port, Trinity College and the Docklands Business Forum, proactively promoting local cohesion in the interest of developing a sustainable neighbourhood where we can live, work and welcome visitors and take a pride in playing a role.

Johnny McElhinney

Johnny is Managing Partner of John McElhinney & Co., Chartered Accountants, est. in 1961. He was awarded the Chartered Accountants Ireland Diploma in Forensic Accounting, passing with Distinction. This further enables him to provide helpful and practical advice and information to clients in relation to matrimonial

disputes, companies needing forensic accounting expertise or personal injury cases. He is active in the affairs of Chartered Accountants Ireland and served as the Chairman on the Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society for 2012/2013. And, was a member of the Education, Training and Life Long Learning committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland from 2009 to 2012 as well as chairman of the ACA Professionals Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland for 2008/2009 and has served on the Members Services Committee. He is currently a Director of Accounting Technicians Ireland. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants In Ireland, he is also a Fellow of the Institute of Accounting Technicians in Ireland and a member of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland. Johnny is Treasurer of the Forum and represents the Forum on the Audit Committee of the Dublin City Council.

Lauren Walsh

Lauren Walsh has been working in the Docklands for the last eight years. Currently, Lauren is Head of Online Performance for Google Ireland. She works with the largest businesses in Ireland, helping them to drive success through online performance marketing utilizing Google Technology. Prior to that Lauren spent four years

in the National College of Ireland Business Incubation Centre working with Eventovate, a technology Start-Up and before that Lauren worked with the Irish Hotels Federation as part of their Online team.

Robert Colleran

Rob is a Director of Development Land in CBRE and handles a large portfolio of development land sales in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Rob has 17 years’ experience as a commercial property agent in Ireland and the greater Dublin area, specialising in development land sales & consultancy, office & retail agency.

Rob has been involved with several Dublin Docklands properties including Barrow Street (Google), the Grand Canal Docks (Waterways Ireland), Grand Canal House, Portview House, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay (State Street Bank), North Wall Quay (Former Anglo Irish Building – Project Wave site), Macken House on Mayor Street and Castleforbes Road and the South Bank site in Ringsend. Rob has worked directly for Liam Carroll, one of the largest landlord’s and developers in Ireland and was involved in site acquisition in the Dublin Docklands and managed the lettings process of a very large portfolio of commercial properties. This included 54 acres of land in the Dublin Docklands, plus managing and assisting a team of over 10 different estate agents throughout the commercial lettings process. Rob also has a proven track record in development land sales and commercial lettings

Joe McCann

Our Community representative on the Steering Committee is Joe McCann, a retired businessman, motor mechanic, production fitter, bicycle repair and retail shop owner. Joe was involved in local community work throughout his working life and threw himself in with more energy and enthusiasm when he retired. Currently Chair of Bath Avenue

and District Residents Association, he is also a community representative on the AVIVA Community Fund, and Google’s Covid 19 Rapid Community Grant Fund. Joe is also a former Chairman of the Docklands Seniors Forum. Working since he was 15 years old Joe is enjoying every minute of community work and engagement.

Catherine McGovern

Catherine McGovern is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, situated in the heart of Dublin’s Docklands. She has over 25 years’ experience within the hospitality industry, having held sales positions in companies including Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, Tinakilly House Hotel, Ryanair and CityJet.

Catherine is a fellow of the Sales Institute of Ireland.

Michael Farrell

Michael Farrell is employed by Aramark Property as the Estate manager at Capital Dock. He a wealth of experience in Operations and Project management having worked for 20 years within the Retail I.T., Facilities, and Property industries in Ireland and throughout the EMEIA area as a Regional Operations Manager

for Mobile Technologies Inc. Michael has worked on both Public and Private projects managing contracts for the Food Safety Authority, Web-Summit, Applus+ NCT centres and MTI/Apple product rollouts. Michael has also been Board member and company secretary for the Meath County Child Care committee over the last 3 years.