Conference Speakers
Click here to view the day one speaker programme.
Click here to view the day two speaker programme.
Conference sessions included:
- Adoption of MMC at Government Level
- Kit of Parts Approach to Standardisation
- Offsite in Action – Challenges & Opportunities
- Technical Performance and Regulatory Compliance
- Carbon Count, Sustainability & Building Performance
- Procurement and Supply Chain Capacity
Read more about our conference speakers below!
Kevin Masters – Director, Major Projects Advisory, KPMG
Kevin Masters is a director of KPMG’s Major Projects Advisory team and heads up Construction Innovation. Kevin has 20+ years of experience deploying various derivatives of MMC across the private and public sectors. He works with clients to design business cases and delivery strategies to embed MMC into everyday operations. Kevin’s forward-thinking mindset and diverse stakeholder perspective drives his focus on sustainable, future-proof infrastructure solutions.
Anne Daw – Head of MMC Delivery, HLM Architects
After completing her Master of Architecture degree at MIT, Anne worked with architectural practices in Boston and San Francisco, before moving to the UK and joining HLM Architects. With her technical background and award-winning design skills, Anne has spearheaded HLM’s commitment to modern methods of construction (MMC) and was appointed Head of MMC Delivery in 2022. She now leads HLM’s business strategy to improve knowledge and uptake of offsite delivery methods and DfMA, improving outcomes for clients and significantly reducing carbon use. Anne is actively involved in research projects with both industry and government partners and is a regular speaker at offsite industry conferences.
Mila Duncheva – Business Development Manager UK & Ireland, Stora Enso Building Solutions
Mila builds new collaborative industry-government relationships, influences policy decision-making and provides thought leadership on sustainable Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). She aids building designers and all construction stakeholders in the technical aspects of mass timber design to grow the Sylva™ kit of parts market in the UK on behalf of Stora Enso. Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. Dr Duncheva is the Vice-Chair for Industrialised Construction at the Construction Leadership Council (HM Government), a Member of Thematic Group 2 Regulations, Standards and Compliance at the Timber in Construction Steering Group (Government of Ireland) and a Governance Board Member at Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (Scotland).
Des Riordan – Associate Director, Clancy Construction
I have 30 years’ experience working on projects globally from both contracting and client side. I have an MBA in Project Management and an MSc in Quantity Surveying. I was introduced to Lean Construction during my studies and in practice when working in Vietnam. When I returned home I joiner Clancy where Innovation, Lean principles and Collaboration are pervasive within the Organisation. We are founding members of MMC Ireland and pride ourselves at being at the cutting edge of MMC in all its facets. I lead the internal Innovation Centre of Excellence in Clancy and thrive on exploring innovative products, processes and procedures for the betterment of all concerned.
Stephen Barrett – Whole Life Carbon Lead, Irish Green Building Council
Stephen is leading the INDICATEDATA project in Ireland, a project that aims to develop a national Whole Life Carbon Assessment methodology aligned with Level(s), and an agreed national database of carbon impacts for generic materials for use when EPD data is not known. Having one methodology and set of background data as opposed to several will afford greater comparability of project proposals, help us understand our baseline position for construction in Ireland today and set measurable targets for the future.
Tom Gregory – Senior Architect, Bryden Wood
Tom is an architect with demonstrated experience of designing and delivering projects across a range of sectors. He currently leads a multidisciplinary Bryden Wood design team designing and realising a flexible manufacturing facility in Cologne, Germany, as part of a wider client campus.
Tom joined Bryden Wood in 2017 and has worked within and led multidisciplinary design teams across a range of scales, sectors, and work stages. This experience enables a detailed understanding of construction techniques, technology, and materiality to inform the design of truly integrated spaces.
Throughout his time at the company Tom has been involved in several aviation projects, designing elegant architectural solutions that respond to budgetary and time pressures within a restricted airside environment. He has also been involved since 2020 in the design and delivery of a large industrial facility in Cologne, Germany, where he leads a multidisciplinary Bryden Wood design team designing and realising a flexible manufacturing facility as part of a wider client campus.
Trudi Sully – Industrialised Design & Construction – UK & Europe Lead, Mott MacDonald
Trudi is the UK & Europe Lead for Industrialised Design & Construction at Mott MacDonald, where a rapidly growing team is delivering integrated utilisation of industrialisation, DfMA, MMC, and platform approaches to unlock greater social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
Her eclectic career journey spans a broad range of industries, but with a common theme of engaging with leaders – from SMEs to multi-nationals and government departments – to tackle challenges and support transformation.
Prior to joining Mott MacDonald, Trudi spent 4 years as a director of the Construction Innovation Hub, working with government and industry to develop tools and approaches that enable improved productivity, performance, and resilience – including overseeing the production of the Product Platform Rulebook and the Value of Platforms report.
She now champions the adoption and deployment of these approaches to support the efficient delivery of a more sustainable built environment.
Dr Dáithí Downey – Policy Analyst, National Economic & Social Council (NESC)
Dr. Dáithí Downey joined NESC in 2023 from Dublin City Council. He has over 25 years’ experience working as an analyst and practitioner in senior management roles in housing, planning and community development. His research interests include planning and sustainable development, social and affordable housing systems and finance, affordability and the economics of housing markets, housing needs and homelessness, inclusion, migration and relationships between the built environment, health inequalities and wellbeing. Dr Downey is a member of the International Advisory Board to the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CACHE) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS).
Tony McLoughlin – Managing Director – Planning, Design, Manufacturing & Operations, Glenveagh
Tony is a highly experienced and accomplished professional with over 20 years in the construction industry. He holds a degree in Structural Engineering from DIT and has a strong track record in managing complex construction projects from pre-construction planning to final handover. He has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the industry, with a particular focus on financial and project management.
Tony has a diverse project portfolio that includes residential, commercial, industrial, and heavy civil works, as well as hotel renovations, distilleries, and luxury spa fit outs. He is also experienced in developing and implementing project and financial strategies that drive growth and profitability for organizations.
Tony joined Glenveagh Properties PLC (previously Bridgedale) in 2015 and was appointed as Head of Construction in 2019 before taking on his current role of Managing Director – Planning, Design, Manufacturing and Operations in 2021. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the full development process including planning, preconstruction and off-site manufacturing.
Tony holds membership as a chartered structural engineer with the Institute of Engineers Ireland. He sits on the Irish Home Builders Association, Property Industry Ireland, and Modern Methods of Construction Ireland boards.
Scott Tacchi – Head of MMC, Sir Robert McAlpine
Scott Tacchi joined Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) in Oct 2022 as Head of MMC. Prior to this Scott was with the Department for Education (DfE) as Head of the ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ programme, the £3bn off site schools’ framework.
His focus is to bring all the benefits of time, quality, safety and cost savings that can be generated through the ‘integrator’ model of offsite construction and manufacture to SRM and their clients .
Prior to joining in the DfE Scott spent 20 yrs. in Consultancy, latterly as Regional Director for PM & QS practices in the Southwest (Ridge, Mott MacDonald and Mace).
David O’Brien – Senior Construction Adviser, Office of Government Procurement
David is the Chair of the Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC) and senior adviser on public works and construction services procurement. He is leading the ongoing review and reform of the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) which will move decision making on public works projects away from capital cost to total cost of ownership.
He is a member of the Construction Sector Group established under the National Development Plan to promote regular and open dialogue between the public sector and key segments of the construction industry.
Prior to his current role he worked with the National Building Agency where he was a lead architect on social housing and urban regeneration projects.
Katie Rudin – Housing & Residential Sector Lead, Akerlof
Katie is the Housing and Residential Lead at Akerlof – an award-winning, B Corp accredited consultancy specialising in ESG, MMC and Cost Consultancy for the Built Environment. With over ten years experience in the residential sector, she brings award-winning experience as a former client, developer (L&Q, Berkeley Homes, Hill) and trusted advisor.
She has a pivotal role in translating policy into practical application, with an excellent industry network and reputation for driving positive change. Her passion for improving the quality, affordability, and inclusivity of housing, combined with activities at the forefront of innovation in construction, helps her to deliver betters for the industry.
Carol Tallon – CEO, Property District
Carol Tallon, Director with Property District, with a background in law, specialises in project communications and public consultation for the built environment. With over 20 years of experience spanning the planning, construction, real estate and proptech sectors, Carol has been actively involved in mentoring startups focused on driving climate-responsive innovations since 2015. She serves as an international judge for the Global ESG Awards (MIPIM) and the Leading Cities (Smart Cities) awards. Together with the Property District team, she works with MMC Ireland, the industry representative body for those involved in the procurement, design and delivery of offsite and other modern methods of construction.
James Young – Director of Engineering Services, Evolusion Innovation
James Young has 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, primarily focussing on the MMC sector throughout his professional career. He has pioneered the independent design consultancy offering to MMC manufacturers across Ireland and the UK, working on a significant number of projects in this time. He has worked on MMC projects across the globe, including in Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, Middle East, Asia and South America, in sectors including residential, commercial, healthcare and education. James has spent the last 10 years working with Assigned Certifiers, Design Certifiers, designers and manufacturers within the Building Control (Amended) Regulations (BCAR) process.
Sarah Jane-Pisciotti – Innovation and Design Director, SISK
As Innovation & Design Director for Sisk, Sarah-Jane is responsible for the service delivery of Integrated Sustainable Solutions (ISS) to all Sisk sectors and geographies, reducing embodied carbon and driving design optimisation, programme reduction and cost savings. She directs the Sustainable Design, Carbon Engineering and Design Management function at Sisk and is responsible for the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Strategy. Central to her role is cross-disciplinary collaboration to support identification and scaling of sustainable innovation working with operations, procurement and the design and construction supply chain. She is a Board member of MMC Ireland and Construct Innovate.
Pia Feeney – Director, Government & Infrastructure, EY
Pia is a Director in EY’s Government & Infrastructure team, focused on real estate and housing. She has 17 years’ experience as an asset-backed financier and strategic advisor during a career that spans the UK, US and Ireland.
Pia’s focus is on improving the quality, inclusivity and sustainability of social infrastructure, working with government agencies, non-profit housing providers, local authorities and the private sector. She is active across different levels of government advising on the use of MMC to accelerate housing delivery. She has broad experience of infrastructure debt structuring in the bank and capital markets across sectors, currencies and geographies.
Ronan Lonergan – Design Lead – Pre-Construction + Innovation, Cairn Homes
Ronan Lonergan is a Design Lead for Cairn and heads up the Innovation and Pre-Construction Team, where he has focuses on determining how Cairn design, build and what that will look in the future. This includes evaluating new timber construction methods, digital construction, offsite construction and decarbonising the designs, along with project managing each development through the preconstruction stages.
Ronan formally worked as an architect for TAKA Architects and with John Sisk , on awarding winning projects Middleton Park Lodge, Wembley’s Quintain Lands and Le Chéile Education Centre, among others. He completed his architect registration exams in TUD, and is also chairman of the technical working group for MMC Ireland.
Orla McAvoy Corr – Director, Mac Zero Modular Buildings
Orla McAvoy Corr is the Co-Founder and Director of Mac Zero Modular Buildings, which she established in 2021 with brother and co-founder, Conor McAvoy.
A former shareholder, Executive Chair and Business Development Director of The McAvoy Group Limited, Orla is the current serving Pro-Chancellor of Queen’s University, Belfast
Orla graduated in 1988 with a BSc and Diploma in Accounting from Queen’s and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1992.
In 2011, she was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the construction industry in Northern Ireland.
Seán Armstrong – Head of Unit, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Seán Armstrong is responsible for Climate & Construction Innovation within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. He leads and develops policy related to climate action, construction industry regulation, modern methods of construction, residential construction cost reduction, the transposition of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB). He also has responsibility for the legislation which places the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) on a statutory footing and for registration of construction professionals.
Martin Searson – National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), MMC Agrément Certification overview
Martin Searson is the Head of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) with NSAI (National Standards of Ireland) within the Certification Division. The MMC Certification team, specialises in providing inspection and certification services, including technical assessments for Modular Construction solutions, to current Building Regulations under the NSAI Agrément certification scheme. Services include dealing with new MMC enquiries, processing new MMC Applications, reviewing Technical Documentation submitted for assessment and engaging further with MMC Stakeholders for Agrément certification, coupled with both offsite and onsite MMC Inspections, Factory Production Control (FPC) and Surveillance audits.
Martin currently holds a Masters in Quantity Surveying, an Honours Degree in Applied Science from Trinity College Dublin, Diploma in Quality Management and a Certificate in Instrumentation & Controls.
Éadaoin Ní Fhearghail – Architectural Advisor, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Éadaoin is an Architectural Advisor with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Climate and Construction Innovation Unit. She works on delivery of actions under Housing for All related to Modern Methods of Construction, construction innovation and research, and construction costs. She is a registered Architect, with an MSc in Town Planning and a Professional Diploma in Housing Studies. She has previously worked in private practice on the design and delivery of medium and high-density housing schemes.
Daniel McCrum – Assistant Professor, UCD & Construct Innovate
Daniel is currently an Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering and Director of the Modern Methods of Construction Research Group (MMCRG) (ucd.ie/mmcrg/), University College Dublin, Ireland. Daniel is a Co-PI of the €5m funded Enterprise Ireland Construct Innovate Technology Centre (constructinnovate.ie), Ireland’s National Research Centre for Construction Technology and Innovation. Within Construct Innovate, Daniel leads the pillar theme challenge on Productivity, Affordability & Cost, which relates directly to modern methods of construction. Daniel is a member of NSAI/TC15/SC3 Eurocode Steel Committee, the newly formed NSAI/TC150 on Prefabricated Buildings and CIRIA P3279 Buildoffsite Performance Specification Guidance for MMC Advisory Group. Daniel’s research focuses on developing structural design guidance for MMC through testing and computational modelling. His research group also focuses on certification, standardisation and perceptions of MMC.
Arthur O’Brien – Managing Director, CW O’Brien Architects
Acutely aware of the importance of an architect’s design expertise, Arthur understands the value of
design, and driving commercial design opportunities, to best effect. He brings a wealth of local knowledge and international experience to every project, resulting in innovate solutions benchmarked against global solutions.
He has run the Dublin office with his team for over 15 years, has also been heavily involved in the London office and has delivered a number of substantial projects in many sectors. Arthur works as part of a dedicated team and places tremendous value on the expertise of the people around him. He has a proven track record that illustrates his experience in developing international business, creating focused growth and client cultivation and retention.
Arthur has vast amounts of experience in MMC with a particular focus on volumetric modular. He has led the practice in its transition to become the leading Architectural practice in Ireland focusing on Modular Construction.
Dick Clerkin – Managing Director, Clerkin Consulting
With over to twenty years of experience, working with many of Irelands and the UK’s leading companies and brands, Dick Clerkin, Managing Director of Clerkin Consulting, is one the leading voices in the Construction Products Manufacturing and MMC industries.
With extensive experience and proven industry credentials in areas including Strategy Deployment, Operational Excellence, New Product Development, Project Management, Leadership Coaching and Organisational change, Clerkin Consulting provides their clients with high value support that is vital when supporting improvement projects, that encompass a wide range of disciplines.
Allied to his professional credentials, Dick is one of Irelands best known GAA pundits, working with both the Irish independent and Sky Sports GAA, following a 17-year career playing senior intercounty football with Monaghan.
Such experiences have developed Dick into an accomplished and trusted communicator with a strong team-centred approach when working within organisations.
As chairperson of MMC Irelands Education and Awareness working group, along with endorsements and partnerships with organisations such as Lean Construction Ireland and CP Skillnet, Dick is very well regarded and respected in the wider built environment community.
Ian Lyndon – Managing Director, Hines Ireland
Ian joined Hines in March 2015 . Ian leads the masterplan, planning permits, land sales and infrastructure roll out for the 380 acre Cherrywood development in Dublin. Ian is also responsible for the development projects at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in West Dublin. Ian has over 24 year’s experience in real estate and has managed the feasibility, design, planning, construction and handover stages of projects in the commercial, residential, rail, highway, pharmaceutical and higher education sectors.
Declan Wallace – CEO, Evolusion Innovation
Declan Wallace is the founder and CEO of Evolusion Innovation, an international multidisciplinary engineering consultancy providing structural engineering, building physics, product development and project Mgt of third-party certification of construction products and systems. Evolusion specialises in high-level MMC consultancy in the design and development of 2D panellised Cat 1 and 3D volumetric/modular Cat 2 and traditional building product led site labour reduction/ productivity improvements Cat 6. With over 20 years in MMC Declan is recognised internationally as a leading expertand has been instrumental in developing a range of MMC products currently in the Irl and UK market, and he is also acknowledged Building Regulations expert. In 2022 Declan was a founding member of MMC Ireland and is the chairperson on the board of MMC Ireland.
