Governance & Board

Adam was appointed Chairman of HUGG in December 2019. Prior to taking on this role Adam worked for almost 40 years in the ICT industry. He was appointed Engineering Director and a member of the Cisco UK and Ireland Operations Board from 2012 to 2017 and Country Manager of Cisco in Ireland from 2012 to 2017. Adam also has several years’ experience working as a Non-Executive Director on commercial and not-for-profit boards including The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) and Fast Track to Information Technology (FIT) Ltd. Adam is a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors in Ireland.

Fiona is the CEO of HUGG. She lost her 11-year-old daughter Milly to suicide in 2016. Driven by her own need for peer support, she set up the first HUGG support group in Dublin in 2017.  Since then, she has advocated for support, education and research into the needs of those bereaved by suicide. She launched HUGG as a charity on what would have been Milly’s 15th birthday in 2019. 

Fiona has a strong background in sales and marketing, formerly running her own publishing company; and working with the commercial radio station Today FM and in Alumni Relations with UCD. She has an MSc in Loss & Bereavement from RCSI, which she was awarded in 2018.

Catherine has an established track record of formulating, implementing and refining strategy, coproducing and delivering training programmes, adept at event organization as well as managing the professional development of staff. In 2001, in a voluntary capacity, Catherine co-founded and co-ordinates Turas Le Cheile which provides support for those bereaved, including those bereaved by suicide, and the provision of Psychological First Aid to communities in the aftermath of tragic incidents. Catherine is also a Director of Alcohol Action Ireland.

Among Catherine’s portfolio are qualifications in nursing, project management, events management, executive coaching, QQI in Training, Delivery and Evaluation and certification in Charity Law, Governance and Trusteeship with the Law Society. 

Michael is a Chartered Accountant, who holds a BComm and an MSc. in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Process Technology.  He is currently Chief Financial Officer at Lafferty Design Group who provide Project Management and Architectural Services. In addition, Michael is a Director at Hal Software Limited, a software company he co-founded that provides engineering design software. He is also a Director at Woebot Labs, who use AI to provide digital mental health solutions.

Laura has over 15 years of marketing experience, encompassing digital marketing, brand building, PR and communications, international marketing and stakeholder relationship management. She has a strong track record of building brands, most notably Keelings, Bewley’s and, most recently, as the head of a global marketing department for the Irish sports apparel business, Horseware Ireland. She holds a Masters in Marketing and is a Member of the Marketing Institute in Ireland.

Gaby Murphy is the Founder and Managing Director of Purplegrass Consulting, which provides strategic fundraising and management consulting to the charity sector. She has worked for over 25 years in the non-profit sector in Ireland and the UK, in fundraising and senior leadership roles, was Development Director of Barretstown and a founder member of Fundraising Ireland, now Charities Institute Ireland. Gaby has an MBA from the UCD Smurfit School of Business and a Certificate in Charity Law and Governance from the Law Society of Ireland. She is currently Interim CEO of Boardmatch, which runs the largest database of Charity Board roles and volunteer candidates.

Ronan Gallagher is a Corporate Trainer in the areas of Negotiation, Communication, and Emotional Intelligence. He has delivered and designed executive, masters and diploma courses in negotiation and dispute resolution, working with Ireland's largest training providers and corporates. Ronan started his professional life as a Barrister in Dublin, Ireland in 2006. Ronan left legal practice at the end of 2019, to focus on corporate training. He has written a book named 'Stop Being Your Self', which is currently in press, about personality types, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. He is currently writing a second book 'Stop Being Your Self- in Negotiations'. Ronan is also a listening volunteer with the Samaritans and a home visitation volunteer for St. Vincent De Paul. 

Lisa is a qualified Company Secretary with many years of extensive experience in the provision of company secretarial services to all varieties of Irish corporate entities, structured finance entities and investment funds. Lisa has a vast knowledge of company formations, re-registrations, winding up and restoration, and annual compliance. She mainly specialises in the coordination of and attending director and shareholder meetings, the preparation of minutes, communicating with the boards of directors on all aspects of company secretarial, Irish company law and corporate governance matters. Lisa is a member and Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and holds a BA in Commerce and German from the National University of Ireland, Galway and a BA in Law from the Dublin Institute of Technology.