Rebecca Sheridan – Founder
(Board of Management)
Rebecca is an experienced and dedicated manager with over nineteen years’ experience working across several areas/disciplines within the non-profit sector. Since the inception of Gerri’s Place Rebecca has completed Mental Health in the Community in UCC, graduated from the Ideas Academy run by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and Rethink Ireland Social Enterprise Course and is about to commence a certificate course in Personal Medicine Coaching with Pat Deegan in September. Rebecca is passionate about making positive changes within the mental health and wellness sector. Her advocacy with her mother Gerri and ongoing learning have given her a unique insight into the sector.
Michael John Norton – Mental Health/Research/Advocacy
(Board of Management)
Michael John Norton is a National Engagement and Recovery Lead with the HSE mental health services in Ireland and a lecturer with University College Cork. He has spent the last few years being an advocate for mental health and recovery through his research and voluntary activities. He is involved in numerous working groups nationally looking at areas such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning, family recovery, the next iteration of the “National Framework for Recovery in Mental Health” and trauma informed practice. He is also an early career researcher with lived experience of mental health challenges whose research interests include co-production, mental health, peer support and recovery.
Shirley Kiernan- Business, Marketing, HR
(Board of Management)
Shirley has over 20 years’ experience spanning Marketing, Sales and HR. Shirley is Director of Business Operations within the Pharmed Group, a healthcare services provider employing over 250 employees across Ireland and the UK. She is responsible for managing the HR and recruitment division of the Group. Prior to this Shirley spent over 5 years as Marketing Manager for Innocoll, a specialty global Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices company, and was part of the team that led the company through the IPO. She also worked as a Manager in the HR Department of the Central Bank of Ireland. Shirley is a member of the Board of Management of the Mullingar Chamber of Commerce.
Louise Cornally – Business, Finance and Compliance
(Board of Management)
Louise is SVP Finance & Business Affairs with the award-winning animation company Brown Bag Films, where she is responsible for the finance, compliance, and business affairs. Prior to this, she worked as Business Affairs Executive with Element Pictures where she managed the financing for several feature films and TV projects. Louise qualified in 2004 while at Deloitte and Touche, and after a number of years moved to London where she worked in banking at Credit Suisse. Louise sits on the board of Animation Ireland, the representative body of animation studios in Ireland.
John Brogan – Marketing/Analytics
(Board of Management)
John is a marketing professional with over ten years’ experience in marketing and data analytics across small and large businesses. John led a volunteering and fundraising group within one of those businesses for five years, working with charities across Ireland like Solas Project, Age Action, Daisyhouse and CASA. It is this experience that drove him to get involved with Gerri’s Place and that, in turn, he brings to the organisation.
Áine Crotty – Risk, Audit, Compliance
(Board of Management)
Áine is a Chartered Accountant and an experienced risk management and internal audit professional. She has 10 years of experience in her field having initially trained with KPMG in their Financial Statement audit practice. Áine is a member of Paralympics Irelands Audit and Risk Committee of the Board, as well as being an active member of Chartered Accountants Ireland Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Charity & Not for Profit working Group. Áine is passionate about mental wellbeing and equal access to supports for all, this is what brought her to the Board of Gerri’s Place.
Shelly Farrell – Senior Web Developer
(Volunteer)
Shelly is a Web Developer with over 20 years’ experience in both the corporate and charity sectors. Starting out as a graduate software developer with Ericsson, she moved to An Post’s software house as Web Developer, where she stayed for 5 years. From there she spent nearly 9 years as Senior Web Developer with Eircom and became involved in several high-profile projects. She is currently working at Harvey Norman as a Frontend Developer working on enhancing their desktop and mobile websites via HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3.
Deirdre Ruane – Nursing, Social Prescribing
(Volunteer)
Deirdre is a qualified nurse with significant experience in the Health Sector. It was her experience working in Rwanda after the genocide that has shaped her life. On her return from Rwanda, she worked in Saint Francis Hospice Raheny as a palliative care nurse. She currently works as Social Prescriber in Tallaght. Deirdre has seen first-hand the value of taking a holistic approach to health and well-being and she is passionate about ensuring the person is at the centre of all decisions in relation to their health.
Michael Dillon – Grants / Online Community
(Volunteer)
Michael is a Communications expert with strong experience in policy development and implementation. He has qualifications in Economics and Human Rights and Equality. He has experience working with Caring and Sharing Association developing their Marketing and Communications Strategy. Michael has worked in the Civil Service for over five years. He has worked in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and had significant involvement in developing the Public Appointments Service first ever Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy. He currently works for the Department of Transport developing policy and legislation.
Harry Conway – Non-Profit Management/Neurodiversity/Inclusion
(Volunteer)
Harry recently retired from Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland where he was the CEO for the past 10 years. Prior to becoming the CEO, he was a volunteer with the charity. Harry’s expertise lies in neurodiversity and inclusion and has linked up with research universities such as ‘Macmaster’s ‘in Canada and the ‘University of Wales’ and brought top researchers on ‘Neurodiversity’ to Ireland to share their knowledge to professionals and parents. Harry was also the ‘Environmental, Safety and Production ‘Manager for an Irish branch of an international chemical and coatings company for 30 years. Harry is also involved with a small Irish Charity ‘The Acre Project’ who runs workshops, events in the environmental area engaging also with neurodiverse adults, teens, and children.
Kirsty Kirkwood – Chief Executive Officer – Living Life Counselling
Kirsty joined the board of Living Life in 2006. She held a previous directorship with Investor Fund Services as well as being a Vice President of Human Resources for State Street. Kirsty qualified as a psychotherapist with Turning Point. She holds an MA in Strategic HRM from Coventry University and an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling from DCU. She is a Fellow of the CIPD and an accredited psychotherapist and supervisor with IACP. In September 2011 Kirsty took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of Living Life Counselling.
Angela Keegan, CEO – Threshold Training Network (TTN)
Angela has over 30 years professional experience across healthcare, social care, business and public sectors.With an initial qualification in Physiotherapy she worked as a clinician for 8 years in Ireland and the US. Then returning to college she completed a Masters in Business Administration which pivoted her career into management. Subsequent work roles have included Hospital Business Manager, Change Projects Manager, Head of HR and Administration and Management and Leadership Specialist. For the last 12 years she has worked in mental health, as CEO of a not-for-profit supporting adults with mental health difficulties.She has worked with statutory fund providers, a volunteer board, staff and clients to embed a philosophy of personal mental health recovery as the bedrock of the organisation. She is an advanced WRAP facilitator, an Anamcara Apprentice and a Certified Forest Bathing Guide. She is passionate about providing people with safe, compassionate spaces so that they can embrace their own uniqueness and nurture their connections with others.
Paul Brown, Social Prescriber South Wicklow
Since 1990 Paul, enjoyed a very fulfilling teaching and research career in the area of stress management/work life balance and mindfulness in the School of Business in University College Dublin from which he is presently on career break. In 2004 he branched out into a career in health & wellbeing. He has studied in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Greece and China and is qualified in a range of therapies including acupuncture, craniosacral therapy and health & wellbeing coaching. Over the last 10 years he has also facilitated many courses on stress management, wellbeing and mindfulness both for organisations and for groups of individuals. He is passionate about promoting and coaching people to better health and a better quality of life and has been working as the Social Prescribing and Wellbeing Coordinator in South Wicklow since January 2020.
