Our Board

Chairperson

Tom Coughlan

Former Chief Executive, Clare County Council (2009 -2016).

Tom Coughlan has extensive senior management and leadership experience having retired as Chief Executive of Clare County Council following a career in local government. He has wide experience in the public sector having served as chairman and director of various committees and boards at national and local levels. Tom is Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority and Chairperson of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. He is also a non-executive Director of EirGrid plc and Failte Ireland.

Employer Nominees

Padraig Somers

Non Executive Director

Padraig Somers is an experienced biopharma executive recently retired out of a country leadership role with responsibility for global manufacturing and supply operations serving EU, US, Japan and RoW markets on behalf of the Swiss based Helsinn Group.

He is currently Chairman of the Steering Committee of the EI/IDA funded Pharmaceutical Technology Centre hosted by the University of Limerick, and a non exec board member of Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd.  Prior to joing the board of the HSA, Padraig was Chairman of IBEC ‘s Occupational Health and Safety Policy Committee since 2016 and a member of its National Council. Previously he held positions as: an industry member of Enterprise Ireland RD&I Funding Committee; Chairman to the Swiss Irish Business Association; Chairman, Pharma Chemical Ireland (Sector Association part of IBEC); and held Irish affiliate lead roles with ISPE and IChemE professional associations.

Padraig graduated in Chemical Engineering  from UCD and  also holds an MBA, from Dublin City University; and the Diploma in Company Direction, from the Institute of Directors.

Paul Kelly  

Director Food Drink Ireland.

Paul Kelly is Director of Food Drink Ireland (FDI) which is part of Ibec, the group that represents Irish business. FDI is the main trade association for the food and drink industry in Ireland and is committed to ensuring an environment exists that is conducive to the success and further growth of the food and drink industry. He started his career in risk management with the Insurance Corporation of Ireland before joining Ibec. He held a number of roles across Ibec before taking up his current position in 2005. He holds a B Eng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Limerick and a Diploma in Safety, Health and Welfare at Work and a Masters Degree in Applied Science (SHWW)  from University College Dublin.

Frank Kelly

Director Walls Construction. 

Throughout his career with Walls Frank has managed high profile construction projects including the Westin Hotel and Trinity Biosciences buildings, both based in Dublin city centre locations and the Central Bank of Ireland new headquarters building on Dublin’s North Wall Quay. He has significant experience in the industrial, commercial, public, healthcare and hospitality 5sectors. Frank brings a pragmatic and logical approach to his work, he leads by example and he understands that our success is largely based on having the right players on his team, well managed and playing to the best of their ability.

Employee Nominees

David Hughes

Deputy General Secretary INMO

David Hughes, MA. Deputy General Secretary, INMO and Executive Council Member ICTU. Experienced Trade Union Official. Previously served with ITGWU, LGPSU, CPSU and Impact. Member of the Occupational Safety and Health committee ICTU.

Deirdre Mac Donald

ASTI Past President

B.Sc. and H.Dip.Ed from UCD and  MA (Health Promotion) from University of Wales, specialising in mental health. She has a  Post Graduate Higher Diploma in Conflict and Dispute Resolution from TCD. A science background coupled with an interest and experience in education and health, led to involvement in many health promotion initiatives and activities in a variety of settings. Deirdre's area of expertise  and experience in occupational health and workplace health promotion has involved her in national and European research, initiatives and work in this area. She has presented at National and European level in these areas.  She has worked with a number of national organisations in training in mental health promotion and education. Deirdre’s experience in the trade union movement including working with other national stakeholders at  the highest  level has informed her approach to collaboration, strategy development and implementation. She is a member of the ICTU Health & Safety Committee and is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland. Deirdre has also recently been appointed to the Council of the National Council for Curriculum & Assessment.

Michelle Quinn

Deputy Chairperson, Sector Organiser Services Division SIPTU

Michelle Quinn is a Sector Organiser in the Wholesale Retail Distribution Sector of the Services Division, Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) With extensive industrial relations experience in both private and public sector she has also built up significant knowledge on effective employee engagement and workplace innovation and the contribution that makes to employee well- being and sustainable employment. While in the Manufacturing Division Michelle has also worked closely with the SIPTU IDEAS Institute, which is tasked to identify ways in which new thinking and new services can be introduced into work places for the benefit of employees and the enterprise as a whole. Michelle's passion for effective representation, affective employee engagement and innovation and her strong advocacy on OSH, is combined with her academic background. She holds an Honours Degree in Business and a Master's Degree in Mediation and Conflict Resolution, as well as qualifications in Industrial Relations, Equality Studies and Training. This combination equips her to deliver results through affective advocacy, and leadership with, and on behalf of, the members she represents. Michelle is Secretary of SIPTU's OSH Advisory Committee, a Member of the ICTU Health and Safety Committee and the ICTU OSH Strategic Committee. She is an ICTU nominee to EU OSHA Irish Focal Point and also coordinates annual Health and Safety Seminars for SIPTU in conjunction with other Trade Unions. Michelle is also Chair of the ICTU Disability Committee and a member of the SIPTU Disability Committee, and is a strong advocate for the rights of those with a disability.

Ministerial Nominees

Deirdre Cullivan

HR Consultant

Deirdre Cullivan is a science graduate with extensive experience working the pharmaceutical sector. She is working as an HR consultant, having held the post of HR director at Pfizer Healthcare (2003 – 2008). She is a serving board member with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (where she is a serving Finance Committee member) and has completed a professional Certificate in Corporate Governance with the IPA. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.


Stephen Curran

Stephen Curran is a Principal Officer in the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) with responsibility for Workplace Health and Safety and Chemical Regulation. He has over 30 year’s managerial experience in a variety of business environments within both the public and private sectors. His previous responsibilities included the Industrial Relations Policy Unit, the Inward Investment, North/South Unit and the Tax Policy Unit in DBEI. He was the Ministerial representative on the Board of Shannon Development while working on the restructuring of the company and the formation of the new Shannon Group.

Prior to joining DBEI he held the position of General Manager Business Strategy and Marketing in Ordnance Survey Ireland managing the business and supply departments. He was also a board member of An Post Geodirectory.  

Stephen holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from Queens University and worked for a number of years as an industrial chemist in Ireland and Southern Africa. He also worked for a multinational German chemical manufacturer for several years in the area of sales and marketing. His other qualifications include an MBA in international business from the University of Ulster and a Diploma in Corporate Governance from UCD.

Bríd De Buitléar

Bríd is an IT and Business Operations leader with a 30 year career in the Multinational Tech Sector. Bríd graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology from DCU before taking up employment with Accenture as a Management Information Consultant. Most recently Bríd spent 24 years at Microsoft Ireland where she rose to Director/Principal level and had a successful track record of delivering as a leader at European and Global levels.

Bríd is a PMP certified member of the Project Management Institute and has completed the Professional Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation at the UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. She is a member of the Institute of Directors and is currently enrolled in the Institute of Directors Chartered Director Programme. Brid also serves as a board member/trustee with Sage Agvocacy clg a not-for-profit organization whose mission is "To promote, protect and defend the rights and dignity of vulnerable adults, older people and healthcare patients".

Mary Coyne

Mary Coyne is a Qualified Accountant and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA). She has 40+ years financial management experience across a wide spectrum of industries including broadcasting, tourism & food.

She was Director of Finance & Business  in TG4, a public service broadcaster, up until her retirement in 2019. Mary has 20 years experience in financial management and corporate governance in statutory bodies and public sector companies. She is a member of the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta, where she also serves on the Audit and Risk Committee. She is an external member of the Audit Committee of NUIG. She serves as an external member of the Audit and Risk Committee of GRETB and is a director  of Ealaín na Gaeltachta. Mary has a Diploma  in Advanced Management  Performance from the Smurfit Business School,  UCD  where she also completed the Director Development Programme “Governance for State Bodies” She studied Accountancy in South West London College and Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology.

Ciaran Roche

Ciaran is the Risk Manager and also the Company Safety Manager for FBD Insurance. He is a chartered health and safety professional with over 20 year’s experience in the field of risk management. Currently he manages and develops FBD Insurances risk management policies, strategies, technical training, surveying program and safety campaigns. He has extensive experience in many working environments including agriculture, food, retail, waste, manufacturing and construction industries. He has been a member of the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee to the Health and Safety Authority in all its formats since 1999.

Qualifications which Ciaran holds include a Bachelor of Agricultural Science Degree from UCD, a Postgraduate Diploma in Fire Safety Practices (Buildings and other Structures) from Trinity College and a Higher Diploma in Safety, Health and Welfare at Work from UCD.