ICBE Annual Conference 2025 Agenda

8:45 AM

Registration & Tea/Coffee

9:15 AM

Opening Address

Anton Savage
Facilitator

Anton Savage

9:20 AM

Panel Discussion – Answering the Call to Lead: Future Leader Perceptions, Motivations, Skills & Needs

Mary Ann Fleming Square
Panellist

Mary Ann Fleming

President
Penn Engineering, Galway

kieran noonan
Panellist

Kieran Noonan

Chair and Director of the ICBE
Global ID Opex and Strategy Lead, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics

Members of the Board of ICBE discuss how Leadership is evolving and share their insights, referencing recent research carried out by ICBE/UL

9:50 AM

Using advanced technologies to boost sustainability and increase productivity

In 2023 Coca-Cola’s operation in Ballina was named as one of the world’s most advanced manufacturers by the World Economic Forum. The site has become one of 18 international sites added to the WEF Global Lighthouse Network, a platform that recognises facilities using advanced technologies to boost sustainability and increase productivity.

Michael will share the journey of how Coca-Cola Ballina became the first Beverage company globally to attain this accreditation for its digital transformation journey.

Michael Gogarty
Speaker

Michael Geraghty

Vice President of manufacturing & Site general Manager 
Coca Cola Ballina

10:15 AM

Sustainability - Future Proofing your business – how to build resilience and unlock value

Aislin Ryan
Speaker

Aisling Ryan

Global Strategist, Sustainability and Public Affairs Adviser

Panel Discussion

Environmental Sustainability Projects with Positive Financial Impact on Organisational Goals

JamesA
Panellist

James Atherton

Sustainability and Utility Director at WuXi Biologic

11:00 AM

Networking Break
Tea/Coffee

11:20 AM

Case Study Penn Engineering & EY - The Impact of AI Across Functions

Eoin O'Reillly
Speaker

Eoin O’Reilly

Head of AI and Data at EY Ireland together with ICBE member, Penn Engineering

11:45 AM

Session: AI4LABOUR - Exploring AI’s impact on the future of work, new occupations, and emerging skill sets

Elena-Montiel-Ponsoda
Speaker

Dr. Elena Montiel-Ponsoda

Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics to Science and Technology 
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain)

Speaker-Luis-gasco
Speaker

Luis Gasco

Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Avature

In her talk, Elena Montiel-Ponsoda will provide an overview of the European project AI4LABOUR, a collaboration among several institutions studying the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the labor market, in particular task automation. She will focus on how companies can effectively identify employees' training needs in an ever-changing environment.
Building on this, Luís will present how Avature develops its AI solutions to help companies in their recruitment processes. He will explain how the R&D strategies are informed by a commitment to transparency, unbiased methods, and ensuring that humans remain in control of decisions, resulting in tools that foster fairness, efficiency, and a people-centered approach to recruitment.

12:10 PM

Open Session for Participants Table Discussions

12:40 PM

Lunch & Networking

1:20 PM

Decarbonisation as a Driver for Technology, Collaboration & Innovation

Brian Holliday
Speaker

Brian Holliday

Managing Director for Siemens Digital Industries and Chairman of Siemens Digital Industries Software

1:50 AM

Case Study: Leveraging AI Technologies - Combining data-driven strategies with practical process improvements to drive operational efficiency

Laurent Blanchet
Speaker

Laurent Blanchet

Director of Business Excellence 
EssilorLuxottica

Over the past seven years, Laurent has focused on leveraging AI technologies, including advanced analytics models and robotic process automation, to transform business processes and drive commercial effectiveness and operational efficiency.

2:10 PM

Keynote Speaker - Getting the Best Out of Yourself and Others

Damian Hughes
Speaker

Damian Hughes

Liquid Thinker

Damian combines his expertise in sport, organisational development, and change psychology to help organisations create high-performing cultures.

3:00 PM

Dissemination of Table Discussion Findings

3:20 PM

Company of the Year Acknowledgement

3:30 PM

Closing Remarks

3:45 PM

Conference Close

We look forward to welcoming you to a day of inspiring conversations and impactful networking at ICBE Conference 2025.