Future Talent Forum 2025

• Understanding and addressing critical and emerging skills to support, attract and develop top talent and leadership capacity building.
• Building talent development roadmaps to address demand for new skills when skillset demands are constantly changing.
• Leveraging and navigating AI to unlock potential.
• Maximising impact through learning investment.
• Creating a blended learning strategy that incorporates diverse learning formats.
• Fostering a culture of continuous learning, supporting upskilling and professional growth to strengthen retention, enhance adaptability, and foreground learning as a strategic driver of organisational success. 

Steve Cadigan, Talent Strategist and LinkedIn's first CHRO

Steve Cadigan is a globally recognized talent strategist, board member, and thought leader in the future of work. As the founder of Cadigan Talent Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based consultancy, Steve provides invaluable counsel to a diverse array of innovative organisations, including tech giants, sports clubs, and financial institutions.

Steve's expertise stems from over 25 years as an HR executive across various industries. His career culminated in his role as the inaugural Chief Human Resources Officer at LinkedIn from 2009 to 2012, where he guided the company through its IPO and laid the foundation for its current success. For the past three years, Steve has been consistently recognised as one of the top 100 thought leaders in the world of Talent and Human resources.

Throughout his career, the teams, cultures, and organizations he has led and helped build have been recognised as exceptional, "world-class" performers by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine.

Steve serves on the Board of Directors for three companies, advises several progressive organisations, and  collaborates with leading venture capital and consulting firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Greylock Partners.

Steve is a frequent speaker at international conferences and a guest lecturer at prestigious universities. His work has been recognised by: Stanford University, which developed a graduate-level course based on his cultural innovations at LinkedIn. Major media outlets, including regular appearances on Bloomberg West, CBS, and CNBC.

Published "Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working" in August 2021, which became a #1 Amazon Hot New Release, Delivered commencement speeches at the University of San Francisco and Stanford University in 20211

Having lived and worked in South Africa, Singapore, Canada, and the United States, Steve brings a unique, global viewpoint to talent strategy. His experience in interviewing, hiring, coaching, and mentoring thousands of professionals across various industries and geographies sets him apart in discussions about the future of work. 

Further, Steve helps a wide range of industries from construction to education to healthcare to technology and even to the public sector, he is regularly retained by a wide range of industries for his expertise.

Steve resides in California with his family, which includes four sons and two stepdaughters. When not engaged in professional activities, he enjoys coaching basketball, playing tennis, body surfing, and supporting his children's endeavours.

He holds a BA in History from Wesleyan University Master's Degree in HR & Organisation Development from the University of San Francisco

Steve Cadigan continues to be at the forefront of shaping the future of work, leveraging his extensive experience and insights to help leaders and organisations build compelling talent strategies for the evolving workplace landscape.

Danny McCoy, CEO Ibec

Danny McCoy is Chief Executive Officer of Ibec, Ireland’s largest business representative organisation and one of the largest in Europe. He has been CEO since 2009, Ibec has doubled in size to be a €50 million turnover business, with 330 employees over ten locations and owning 39 trade brands.

He is a graduate in Commerce from the University of Galway  and postgraduate in Economics from University College Dublin. He has held lecturing posts at University College London, University of Oxford, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University. He has been senior economist at the Central Bank of Ireland and the Economic & Social Research Institute as well as being a consultant to the European Commission in Brussels and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. 

Danny is a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, Member of the Royal Irish Academy, Honorary Doctorate in Economics from University of Galway, Honorary Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, Adjunct Professor Trinity College Dublin Business School and Vice President of the Statistical & Social Inquiry Society of Ireland and Independent Non Executive Director of Iput Real Estate.

He is currently the Employer Lead on the tripartite Labour Employer Economic Forum, Executive Committee of BusinessEurope, member of the National Competitiveness & Productivity Council, advisory committee member of the Marine, Resource and Energy Institute (MaREI), member of both the State Trade Advisory Group and the Balance for Better Business group.

Helen McMahon, Skills Policy and Strategic Partnership Lead, Enterprise Ireland

Helen McMahon, leads on skills policy and strategic partnerships at Enterprise Ireland, engaging directly with senior leaders in government departments, agencies, and key stakeholders to address the skills and talent needs of Irish enterprises. Her work involves informing stakeholders about skills and talent issues impacting the growth of Enterprise Ireland's client companies, influencing the development of skills policies, and forging strategic partnerships to support the talent requirements to accelerate the growth of sustainable Irish businesses.
 
Before joining Enterprise Ireland, Helen was the Senior Executive for Business and Enterprise Skills Development at Screen Training Ireland (Screen Ireland). With over 26 years of experience in the screen industries, she has been instrumental in driving industry development and growth.

Helen possesses extensive expertise in strategic company development and has an in-depth understanding of the screen sector, having worked across various domains including film, television, animation, sales, distribution, exhibition, VFX, and the games industries.

Ailbhe Roche, Enterprise Academy Manager, TU Dublin

Next-Gen Workforce: Leaders Building Talent for Change

How can organisations stay ahead in a world where skills - not job titles - define success? Join us for an compelling panel discussion where talent leaders and education partners share how they are reimagining workforce development through real-time skills intelligence, AI-enabled learning, and long-term collaboration. This conversation will explore how embedding continuous learning into the workplace and co-designing  and accrediting programmes with institutions like TU Dublin is helping to build agile, inclusive, and future-ready workforces. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how you can build talent for change and shape the future of work.

Hear from:

• Dr. Claire Mc Bride, Head of the Enterprise Academy, TU Dublin (Panel Chair)

  Dr. Claire Mc Bride has considerable experience in international business, education and industry collaboration, leads the Enterprise Academy team and drives its focus on co-developing the talent and innovation pipeline needed to support enterprises and learners in achieving their strategic growth ambitions.  

  Prior to joining academia, Claire worked in the global technology sector, holding senior positions in innovation, sales and international partnership development with AT&T, BT and Avaya based in London, Paris, Dublin, and Amsterdam. Claire joined the Faculty of Business at the Dublin Institute of Technology in 2005. As a senior lecturer, she specialised in teaching and research in Innovation and Technology Management, alongside a substantial commitment to industry engagement. Claire led the co-development of university-enterprise and industry-based partnerships building a portfolio of postgraduate, masters and CPD programmes which has enabled the upskilling, reskilling and professionalisation of hundreds of enterprise-based students, primarily in Ireland’s export and technology sectors.  

  As part of her commitment to developing Ireland’s innovation productivity, Claire is on the NSAI/TC 045 committee working to define, maintain and promote the ISO 56000 series of standards for Innovation Management.   

  With an honours degree in European Business Studies (Ulster University) and a Maitrise in International Trade (University of Caen), Claire achieved a dual master’s in Business Administration and Informatics (Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University) and was awarded a PhD in Innovation Systems by the University of Warwick in 2015. In spring 2022, she completed a Leading Innovation Executive Program at MIT Sloan School of Management.  

  
  
  

• Steve Cadigan, Talent Strategist & LinkedIn's first CHRO

  Steve Cadigan is a globally recognised talent strategist, board member, and thought leader in the future of work. As the founder of Cadigan Talent Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based consultancy, Steve provides invaluable counsel to a diverse array of innovative organisations, including tech giants, sports clubs, and financial institutions.

  Steve's expertise stems from over 25 years as an HR executive across various industries. His career culminated in his role as the inaugural Chief Human Resources Officer at LinkedIn from 2009 to 2012, where he guided the company through its IPO and laid the foundation for its current success. For the past three years, Steve has been consistently recognised as one of the top 100 thought leaders in the world of Talent and Human resources.

  Throughout his career, the teams, cultures, and organizations he has led and helped build have been recognised as exceptional, "world-class" performers by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine.

  Steve serves on the Board of Directors for three companies, advises several progressive organisations, and  collaborates with leading venture capital and consulting firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and Greylock Partners.

  
  
  

• Helen McMahon, Skills Policy and Strategic Partnership Lead, Enterprise Ireland

  Helen McMahon, leads on skills policy and strategic partnerships at Enterprise Ireland, engaging directly with senior leaders in government departments, agencies, and key stakeholders to address the skills and talent needs of Irish enterprises. Her work involves informing stakeholders about skills and talent issues impacting the growth of Enterprise Ireland's client companies, influencing the development of skills policies, and forging strategic partnerships to support the talent requirements to accelerate the growth of sustainable Irish businesses.
   
  Before joining Enterprise Ireland, Helen was the Senior Executive for Business and Enterprise Skills Development at Screen Training Ireland (Screen Ireland). With over 26 years of experience in the screen industries, she has been instrumental in driving industry development and growth.

  Helen possesses extensive expertise in strategic company development and has an in-depth understanding of the screen sector, having worked across various domains including film, television, animation, sales, distribution, exhibition, VFX, and the games industries.

  
  
  

Learning that Works – A Lifecycle Approach to Collaborative Talent Development

Hear from:

• Dr. Róisín Murphy (Panel Chair) Senior Engagement Manager at TU Dublin’s Enterprise Academy

  Dr. Murphy is Senior Engagement Manager at TU Dublin’s Enterprise Academy, a multidisciplinary business unit taking an innovative approach to collaborative talent development for workplace learners. In this role, Róisin works with enterprises of all sizes to co-create talent development solutions in the Engineering, Construction and Built Environment sector.

  Prior to joining the Enterprise Academy, Róisín was a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and brings over 25 years of experience in the development, design, delivery and management of education and training programmes.

  Róisín earned her BA (hons) in Economics and History from University College Dublin before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurial Studies and Master of Business Studies in UCD Smurfit School. She obtained an MSc in Strategic Focus and Doctor of Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University. Her doctoral thesis focused on Strategic Planning in Irish Quantity Surveying Firms.

  Throughout her career, Róisín has worked closely with industry stakeholders to identify future skills needs for the sector and in her capacity as Senior Engagement Manager, will continue to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the development of innovative solutions to meet those needs.

   

• Gráinne Barry, SVP Global Operations at Stats Perform & Co-Founder / Director of SportsTech Ireland
  

  Gráinne Barry, Senior VP of Global Operations at Stats Perform and Co-Founder / Director of SportsTech Ireland is a entrepreneurially spirited, commericially minded and delivery focused leader revolutionising sports data and intelligence with AI. Gráinne is a passionate advocate for SportsTech and HealthTech, her strategic vision, coupled with a deep understanding of the sector's evolving skills demands and talent development needs, actively driving initiatives like the new Postgraduate Diploma and Masters in Sports Analytics, Technology and Innovation at TU Dublin with Technology Ireland DIGITAL Skillnet, aimed at fostering a community of Irish SportTech leaders. 
  
  

• James Burke, Founder and Senior Consultant in Food and Retail Sectors

  James started his Food and Retail career working part-time in SuperValu Bantry. He subsequently studied Retail Management in DIT and joined Superquinn in 1984. He holds a degree in retailing and wholesaling from Stirling University in Scotland.
   
  In his current role as Business Consultant, James provides strategic advice and business planning for some of Irelands best known companies within the food and retail sectors. 
  
  James Burke has worked in the food sector for over 40 years and his specific areas of focus are topics like food startups, route to market planning, export strategies, product costings, food and drink marketing etc.
   
  His core expertise lies around helping food and drink producers to grow their business. James is also expert in cross sector retail from fashion to food, and the foodservice sector e.g. café, restaurants etc.
  
  

• Lily Ellis, Director of Workplace Experience, NetApp

  Lily Ellis In her role as Director of Workplace Experience, EMEA & APAC at NetApp. Lily leads a dispersed and diverse team in curating workplace experience to support flexible, hybrid, people centred workplaces of the future.  

  A Property Economics Graduate with an MBA in Construction Real Estate, Lily is a Chartered Surveyor and Fellow of SCSI/RICS and Board Member of SCSI.  
  
  She was recognised by her peers as a Top Workplace Leader in 2025 and has consistently led her teams to win and retain industry accredited awards year on year.
  
  

This event is free but you must register your place on Eventbrite. Click on the link below to reserve your spot.

The purpose of the Future Talent Forum is to forge transformative partnerships through innovative enterprise-led engagement and foster a community of talent development professionals from across enterprise, public policy and academia to:

• Showcase TU Dublin’s critical position and impact in shaping Ireland’s workforce.  
• Equip Learning & Development leaders with practical strategies for workforce transformation.  
• Provide networking opportunities for Learning & Development professionals 
• Facilitate industry-academic partnerships for talent pipeline growth.

The event is located in TU Dublin Grangegorman in the East Quad on the First Floor in the Concert Hall. Registration will take place in the lobby on the ground floor.

Where are we located?

The University's Grangegorman Campus is located in Dublin 7, about 1 km from Dublin City Centre. The campus is surrounded to the south-east by Smithfield, to the west by Stoneybatter, north by Cabra, to the north and east by Phibsborough / Broadstone. Our Eircode is D07H6K8. View our location on Google Maps.

Download Grangegorman Wayfinding Map

Parking in Grangegorman

About TU Dublin Enterprise Academy 

The Enterprise Academy is a multidisciplinary business unit at TU Dublin taking an innovative approach to Collaborative Talent Development. It offers a single-access point for enterprise to partner with TU Dublin on their talent development and long-term skills strategy. We work with enterprises across all sectors and business types to create flexible, scalable, accredited solutions that address sector-specific, cross-sector and transversal skill needs. Our work is informed by the latest research on future skills and relevant frameworks such as micro-credentials, mentoring, Work-Based Learning and Recognition of Prior Learning, as well as key drivers of change such as sustainability and digital transformation.

The Enterprise Academy is supported by Convene, a collaborative project with TU Dublin and UCD funded by the Irish Government’s Human Capital Initiative under Pillar 3 – Innovation and Agility.