Please email governance@ipa.ie for further assistance.
Modern organisations, be they public, state, non-profit or private entities, require the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of key stakeholders, including clients/customers/service-users, staff, delivery partners, funders/sponsors and sectoral and community stakeholders. No two stakeholder types are necessarily the same, and so communicating and engaging with impact requires skill and a range of approaches and formality.
In addition, many of those in leadership and governance roles now need to be more media “savvy” and have a greater awareness and understanding of social and other media channels and the potential positive and negative impacts on brand, reputation and reach.
This Forum event will explore key issues in respect of communicating and engaging with impact, with the help of three highly experienced practitioners. It will consider questions such as:
How do we effectively carry stakeholders with us, especially through significant change?
What lessons, if any, can we learn from the pandemic, in terms of communicating and engaging with impact?
How can we ensure that our message is heard and understood and what common pitfalls should we avoid?
What are the pros and cons of modern communication methods including social media and how do we best leverage the ‘pros’ and mitigate the ‘cons’?
What kinds of questions should senior team and board members ask, and what assurances should they seek?
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions or angles in advance, and can do so via governance@ipa.ie
Our three experienced guest speakers are:
Mary Regan, Political Reporter, RTÉ
Paul McGarrity, Director, Octave Digital
Prof. Hugh McGlynn, Munster Technological University Director
Speakers
Mary Regan
Mary is an award-winning journalist who has covered politics for both print and broadcast for more than ten years. She currently works as political reporter for RTÉ News and contributes reports and analysis to a wide range of programmes for the broadcaster.
From Galway, Mary has a BA in Journalism from DCU and an MA in European Politics from UCD. She joined RTÉ from the Sunday Business Post where she held the positions of News Editor and Public Affairs Editor. She was previously Political Editor for the Irish Examiner and for UTV Ireland. In 2012 Mary was invited by the US State Department to take part in the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Programme for emerging young leaders and was awarded and Edward R. Murrow professional scholarship.
Prof. Hugh McGlynn
Hugh is Munster Technological University (MTU) Director, leading the change management process from the MTU Transformation Office. He was previously the MTU Project Director for the merger of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT), leading to the MTU's establishment on 1st January 2021. Effective stakeholder engagement, both internally and externally, has formed, and continues to form, a key aspect of the change process at MTU.
Hugh has had extensive experience in managerial positions in the UK and Ireland in both academia and industry. He holds a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology from UCD; an MBA from the Kemmy Business School, UL; and a MA in Strategic Studies from UCC.
Paul McGarrity
Paul is a digital and social media marketing consultant and trainer with over 20 years’ experience in the UK and Ireland marketing sector. As Director of Octave Digital, he delivers expert consultancy advice, effective campaigns and impactful training to a wide client base that includes Tipperary County Council, Johnsons Solicitors and Cavan Tourism.
Paul is also an experienced and successful speaker and trainer on social media. Since 2014 he has served as the Chair and key presenter at Social Media Dublin – the largest social media seminar in Ireland. Prior to starting Octave Digital, Paul gained a wide range of experience in Public Relations and Communications, working as a PR manager in both in-house and agency roles from 2000 – 2009.
