About Women@SIMI

This year's Women@SIMI event in conjunction with our sponsor, Bank of Ireland, took place on Friday 28th April 2023.

The aim of this event is to provide a platform for professionals within our industry to come together to network, exchange experiences and create business contacts

Our Guest Speakers 

Mary Kennedy 

Mary Kennedy, one of RTE’s most popular broadcasters, will once again host Women@SIMI. Mary came to national prominence presenting the Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 and since then has presented many programmes including People of the Year, Up for the Match, and RTE’s Christmas Carols. Mary has recently published “Journey to the Well - Connecting to Celtic Ways and Wisdom” with her sister, Deirdre. 

For TG4 Mary has presented the second series of “Moving West,” highlighting people who swapped city life for the West of Ireland, and “Fad Saoil,” an hour long documentary on health ageing.

Louise Grubb, CEO of Trivium Vet

Louise Grubb is a serial life science entrepreneur. Driven by innovation Louise is currently working on her third successful start-up, TriviumVet. TriviumVet develop innovative veterinary therapeutics, working with veterinarians and specialists around the world to formulate, develop and commercialise medicines and diagnostics to treat diseases in companion animals. 

She previously founded NutriScience, a veterinary nutraceutical business that was acquired by Swedencare in 2009 and Q1 Scientific, a stability storage solutions provider for the life science industry which was acquired by Cambrex in June 2022. A graduate of Trinity College, Louise holds a BSc and MBS and Chairs the board of Tangent, Trinity College Dublin’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub. From concept through to commercialisation Louise has a track record in delivering innovative, life science products and services, holding several publications and patents. 

She is an advocate for promoting women entrepreneurs encouraging people of all backgrounds to consider starting their own business and to this end she created a podcast “The Science of Business” where Louise meets with some of the people behind successful businesses who share their own career paths and interesting business stories

Norah Casey

Broadcaster, entrepreneur and human rights campaigner Norah Casey was formerly a Dragon in the popular television series Dragons’ Den and is a well-known radio and television personality. The 2nd Edition of her book Spark! was recently published by Penguin and her TEDx talks include The Cure for Grief and The Courage to leave (her own testimony of domestic violence). 

Her digital learning platform Planet Woman seeks to empower women, and much of her pro-bono work is devoted to mentoring female founders globally. She serves on the European Board for Vital Voices, established in 1997 by Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She is a founder of the London- based Women’s Irish Network and is a member of The International Women’s Forum. Norah is currently serving on the Irish government Forum on a Family Friendly and Inclusive Parliament. 

A journalist and former nurse, her awards include: Woman of the Decade Award from the Women’s Economic Forum in Delhi; Ireland’s Philanthropist of the Year award; five times Publisher of the Year; and Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year. Her work to highlight domestic violence was recognised with a Safe Ireland SÍLA Leadership Award and she received the 2019 Lord Mayor Of Dublin Award. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and received the Honorary Graduate Award for 2018 from BFEI. 

As well as owning Harmonia Publishing Ltd, Norah is an experienced broadcaster and producer. She was the Ambassador for Dublin Honours Magdalenes and executive producer of the 2022 television documentaries Ireland’s Dirty Laundry. Norah’s business expertise is extensive having acquired and grown multiple businesses to multi-million euro global success stories, as well as a wide range of business investments in Ireland and internationally. She has mentored leading global business leaders, politicians and public figures. Her corporate expertise includes leadership, corporate teambuilding, mentorship, innovation and strategy.

2023

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Previous Women@SIMI Events 

Previous Guest Speakers  

Our Previous guest speakers have come from a variety of backgrounds to share their own personal stories and insights as to how they became leaders within their chosen profession. 

  • 2023 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Louise Grubb CEO TriviumVet, Norah Casey Broadcaster, entrepreneur and human rights campaigner 
  • 2022 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Sharon Keegan, founder of Peachylean Athleisure wear, Lucy Gaffney, founding director of the Digicel Group
  • 2019 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Breege O’ Donoghue Executive Director, Penneys, Alison Comyn , Award Winning Journalist
  • 2018 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Francesca McDonagh, Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland, Geraldine Herbert, Editor & Motoring Journalist, Gerry Hussey, Performance Psychology Consultant
  • 2017 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Anna May McHugh, Managing Director National Ploughing Association (NPA), Paula Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Fitzsimons Consulting, Michelle Spillane, Director of Global Marketing, RTÉ.
  • 2016 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Moyagh Murdock CEO of the Road Safety Authority, Penny Ferguson, Founder of the Living Leader and Regina Doherty, Government Chief Whip, and Minister of State in the Department of An Taoiseach. 
  • 2015 Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Louise Phelan, Business Speaker, PayPal VP Global Operations EMEA, Mary O’Rourke, Former Government Minister and writer, Gráinne Cronin Former Aer Lingus Pilot. 
  • 2014 Inaugural Women@SIMI Guest Speakers; Katie Taylor, Olympic Gold Medalist, Nicola Byrne, CEO and Founder of Cloud 90, 11890 and Stenics Media, Lynne Cantwell, Ireland's most capped women's rugby player, Aifric Campbell, Novelist and former MD of the trading floor at Morgan Stanley, Rosemary Smith, the legendary rally ace and SIMI Irish Motor Industry Award Winner.

 Event Information   

Contact: Jane O'Sullivan

  

Gallery

Women@SIMI 2019
Rita Keane from Kia Liffey Valley, Cathy Comerford from Carzone, Xiao Ting from Kia Motors Ireland
Pamela Dempsey, Nicola Feehan, Dolores Tobin from Hugh Boggan Motors Wexford
Louise McDonnell, Sharon Hendron, Orla McGuinness of M50 Truck & Van Centre
Mary Kennedy, Master of Cermonies
Leanne Geraghty CDK Global and Elaine O'Rourke TPI
Volkswagen Group Ireland
Guest Speaker Alison Comyn Award Winning Journalist, Broadcaster and Communications Consultant
Mary Kennedy interviews Guest Speaker Breege O'Donoghue
2018 Women@SIMI
2018 Guest Speakers (L-R): Francesca McDonagh, Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland, Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Journalist and Editor, Gerry Hussey, Performance Psychology Consultant & Motivational speaker, Anne Cassin Master of Ceremonies 
Pictured L to R: Antonia Hendron M50 Truck & Van Centre and Lauren O’Flaherty, MSL 
Pictured L to R: Roseita Burke - Mitsubishi and Kelly Berkely, MMC Commercials
Pictured L to R: Aoibhin Kiely, Emma Regan and Debora Machado,  Kevin Egan Cars, Sligo
Pictured L to R: Rosemary Smith and Geraldine Herbert Motoring Journalist and Guest Speaker 
Pictured L to R: Sinead McCann and Shauna Mulholland, Cars Ireland.ie.
2017 Women@SIMI
Guest Speakers (l-r): Mary Kennedy MC, Anna May McHugh, Managing Director National Ploughing Association, Gavin Hydes President of SIMI, Michelle Spillane, Director of Global Marketing, RTÉ, Paula Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Fitzsimons Consulting.         
Mary Kennedy, Master of ceremonies with Guest Speaker Michelle Spillane Director of RTÉ Global & TV Marketing  
Jennifer Rosney, Louise Murphy and Paula Czerwinska from Citroen & DS Ireland  
    Guest Speaker Anna May McHugh, with     Mary Kennedy     
Guest Speaker Paula Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Fitzsimons Consulting
SIMI President Gavin Hydes
2016 Women@SIMI
Mary Kennedy interviews Guest Speaker Regina Doherty, Government Chief Whip, and Minister of State in the Department of An Taoiseach
Guest Speaker Penny Ferguson, Founder of the Living Leader
Mary Kennedy and Guest Speaker Moyagh Murdock CEO of the Road Safety Authority 
Windsor Motor Group
Colm Quinn BMW
SIMI President Alan Greene & his wife Marian
2015 Women@SIMI  
Louise Phelan Vice President of Global Operations PayPal 
Mary O'Rourke, Former Politican and Author
SIMI 
Gráinne Cronin, First Female Pilot Aer Lingus
2014 Women@SIMI
Katie Taylor, and Mary Kennedy 
Alan Nolan Director General SIMI
Rosemary Smith, legendary rally driver interview with Mary Kennedy
Siobhan Denning, Denning's Cars, Marian Byrne, Frank Byrne Crash Repairs, Wendy O'Rourke, Ferrybank Motors
Guest Speaker Aifric Campbell, Novelist and former MD of the trading floor at Morgan Stanley
Guest Speakers; Lynne Cantwell, Ireland's most capped women's rugby player and Katie Taylor, Olympic Gold Medalist
Guest Speaker Nicola Byrne, CEO and Founder of Cloud 90, 11890 and Stenics Media
Rowena Dooley, Dooley Motors