Speakers
List of Speakers over both days
Trevor Vaugh is Transformation Policy Design Lead with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, where he leads work to embed design and transformation approaches across the Irish public service. He has played a leading role in the development of Ireland’s Better Public Services Transformation Strategy and the Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services, helping organisations deliver more user-centred, effective and inclusive services. At TECHConnect, Trevor will share insights into the national reform agenda, current priorities under Better Public Services, and what they mean for local government and digital transformation across the sector.
Emer Darcy is Head of the Strategy and Reform Directorate at the Courts Service, where she leads organisational transformation, reform, innovation and continuous improvement initiatives across one of Ireland’s most complex public service organisations. With extensive experience in public sector reform, she has played a key role in driving modernisation programmes, advancing service improvement and supporting the delivery of change across the justice sector. At TECHConnect, Emer will share insights from the Courts Service’s Modernisation Programme transformation journey and explore how individuals and teams can influence, enable and deliver meaningful change within their organisations.
Gar Mac Críosta is Chief Adventurer at Bealach and a recognised leader in digital transformation, strategy and architecture. He has played key roles in a number of major national digital health initiatives, including MyHealth@IE, the Shared Care Record Programme and Ireland’s COVID Tracker App, and has extensive experience supporting organisations to design and deliver large-scale transformation programmes. More recently, Gar has been involved in Digital Services Transformation initiatives, helping organisations explore new approaches to service design, innovation and change in an increasingly digital environment. At TECHConnect, Gar will lead the workshop From Problem to Rapid Prototype Using AI, where participants will explore how AI can be used to rapidly move from identifying a challenge to designing, testing and refining practical solutions.
Ritam Das is a Technology Specialist with Microsoft, where he helps organisations apply emerging technologies, including AI, to solve business challenges and accelerate digital transformation. Working across innovation and solution development, he supports teams in turning ideas into practical, scalable outcomes. At TECHConnect, Ritam will co-facilitate the workshop From Problem to Rapid Prototype Using AI, helping participants explore how AI can be used to rapidly design, test and refine solutions to real-world challenges.
Carmel O’Hare is Director of Corporate Services and Innovation at Monaghan County Council, where she leads digital transformation, innovation and technology-enabled service improvement. Recognised as Digital Leader of the Year at the 2023 Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards, Carmel has played a leading role in advancing shared digital solutions, including MyCoCo, and driving collaboration across the local government sector. At TECHConnect, Carmel will share insights from Monaghan’s digital transformation journey, including lessons learned from delivering innovation, building momentum for change and scaling successful digital services.
Danny Lynch is Head of IT at Longford County Council and has led a range of award-winning digital transformation initiatives spanning connectivity, digital skills and innovation. A driving force behind Longford’s digital journey, Danny has helped position the county as a recognised leader in digital transformation and community engagement. At TECHConnect, he will share practical lessons from Longford’s experience of turning digital ambition into real-world outcomes.
Sean Garvey is the GIS Officer for Roscommon County Council and is responsible for the council’s GIS services and geospatial strategy. Previously, he worked with Esri Ireland as a GIS Consultant, Technical Lead, and Project Manager, delivering enterprise GIS solutions across Ireland. Sean holds an MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing and a BSc in Town Planning and has extensive experience in spatial data management, GIS technologies, and digital transformation within the public sector.
