Employee Share Ownership Day 2025 takes place on October 16, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, advisers and employee ownership advocates to explore the future of share ownership in Ireland and beyond.
The theme ESOD25 is From Uncertainty to Opportunity, and we have a great line-up of speakers to provide insight into current and future trends across the industry’s landscape in Ireland and beyond. The agenda will cover economic outlooks, case studies, practical guidance on share plans, and panel discussions.
Here’s is the speaker line-up for ESOD25 …
Prof Aidan Regan
Aidan Regan –Professor of Political Economy at UCD’s School of Politics and International Relations
ESOD25 Topic – Trumpism, Protectionism, and the End of Certainty: What It Means for Ireland and Europe
Aidan has published ground-breaking research that explores how globalisation, taxation, housing, and welfare reform shape modern democracies and everyday life. He has written extensively on wealth and income inequality, the consequences of austerity, and the challenges facing European economies as they adapt to digital transformation, climate change, and shifting patterns of work.
Aidan believes economics is, first and foremost, a social science with direct relevance to policy and society. His work often asks challenging questions about whether democracies can respond effectively to the economic and social pressures of our time. He argues that many of the economic measurements and concepts that underpin Irish and European policymaking today are no longer fi t for purpose, and need radical reform Alongside his academic role, Aidan regularly contributes to Irish and international media, bringing clarity to debates on Europe’s economic future and the choices facing individuals, businesses, and governments.
An active member of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, Aidan has a PhD in Public Policy.
Phil Norton
Phil Norton FGE – Associate Partner, Head of Legal Incentives UK, Aon
ESOD25 Topic – Turning Shrugs into Shares: How to Engage Employees on the Mundane but Meaningful
Phil is an Associate Partner at Aon and has more than 25 years’ experience and specialises in the advisory and implementation aspects of incentive arrangements including in connection with mergers and acquisitions and IPOs. His clients span a significant sector spread including financial services, life sciences, tech, retail, energy and resources, real estate and professional services.
Phil drafts equity plans in the UK and within the EMEA region and assists companies looking to roll out their equity arrangements in multiple jurisdictions.
Prior to joining Aon, Phil led the shares and incentives practice at a leading international law firm.
Phil is a Fellow of Global Equity, part of the Global Equity Organisation UK and Channel Islands Chapter and the ProShare’s Global Issues, Tax Advantaged Share Plans, Financial Services and Corporate Governance Focus Groups.
Phil graduated from the University of Auckland with a BCom LLB (Hons) DipCom and is a Chartered Tax Adviser holding the Advanced Diploma in International Taxation. He is dual qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand and a Solicitor in England and Wales.
Ryan Ludden
Ryan Ludden – VP of Sales, Sprintax Dividends
ESOD25 Topic: Turning Shrugs into Shares: How to Engage Employees on the Mundane but Meaningful
Ryan Ludden has been supporting organizations across the world with non-resident tax compliance for over eight years at Sprintax. During that time he has delivered more than 500 tax workshops and webinars to employers and global employees on varying topics of cross border taxation, as well as assisting organisations with overall tax compliance and process optimisation.
Rosaleen Boyle
Rosaleen Boyle – Incentives, Senior Advisor, A&L Goodbody
ESOD25 Topic – Look back to look forward: notes and observations from the last 12 months
Rosaleen Boyle is A&L Goodbody’s incentives specialist. Rosaleen advises on all aspects of employee share incentives, in particular the regulatory, tax and legal implications of various share-based incentives for companies, and on the establishment and operation of Revenue approved and unapproved plans. She also supervises the fi rm’s trust and administration services for share incentives operated by clients in Ireland.
Rosaleen has over 20 years’ experience in the Irish market and works with both private and listed Irish companies, as well as multinational companies, on the design and implementation of all types of Revenue approved and non-tax approved plans. She also advises regularly on the share incentive aspects of corporate transactions.
Rosaleen has presented at a number of conferences both in Ireland and abroad on the topic of employee share incentives, often in conjunction with the Irish ProShare Association and the Global Equity Organisation (an international non-profit forum for equity professionals), of which she is the Dublin Chapter co-ordinator.
Sarah Long
Sarah Long – Head of Share Plans, WEALTH at work
ESOD25 Topic – Centrica Case Study: The biggest comeback since Oasis!
Sarah joined WEALTH at work in 2021 and is Head of Share Plans based, from her home in Yorkshire. Sarah has extensive experience in financial wellbeing, pensions and share plans both broad based and executive compensation plans on an international level and has over 30 years’ experience in the equity plans/pensions/employee benefits market and most recently she is proud to have been appointed as a Global Equity.
Organisation Board Member. She is passionate about all aspects of wellbeing in the workplace and in particular financial wellbeing to help improve people’s lives. A keen runner having participated in many marathons and is proud to have raised over £28,000 for Breast Cancer charities. In her spare time Sarah is also a Rugbytots coach.
Jennifer Rudman
Jennifer Rudman – Industry Director, Employee Share Plans, Equiniti
ESOD25 Topic – Centrica Case Study: The biggest comeback since Oasis!
Jennifer has worked at EQ for 37 years, including 26 years specialising in employee shares plans, with responsibility for enhancing employee share plan services. She is an influential and trusted member of the share plans community and is a member of a number of employee plans working groups, liaising with HMRC and industry bodies.
Alex Brooks
Alex Brooks – Managing Director, Computershare Communication Services UK
ESOD25 Topic – Boosting understanding through more accessible best practice comms solutions
Alex joined Computershare in 2011 to head up the company’s Communication Services division in the UK. In 2019, he took over the running of the US business and moved to Chicago. With more than 25 years’ experience in the marketing and transactional communications industry, prior to Computershare Alex has held senior positions in some of the largest communications companies, including Communisis Plc and St Ives Plc.
Karen Maguire
Karen Maguire – Founder, Relinea
ESOD25 Topic – Future proofing through Employee Ownership
Karen Maguire is the founder of Relinea, a GRP design and manufacturing company established in 2005 and based in Crumlin, Northern Ireland.
Under her leadership, Relinea became an industry leader across Ireland, the UK, and Europe, known for its innovation, quality, and customer-first approach. Karen built the company with a focus on listening deeply to client needs, fostering a team culture that challenges conventional thinking, and embracing innovation even through market uncertainty.
In 2022, she led Relinea’s transition to employee ownership – making it the first manufacturing company in Northern Ireland to adopt this model. Karen now serves as Chair of Employee Ownership Ireland, where she champions employee ownership as a resilient and people-centred solution for business succession and long-term sustainability. She works closely with business owners, advisors, and policymakers to grow awareness and support for the model across the island of Ireland.
Marie Flynn
Marie Flynn – Tax Director, PwC & Chairperson of IPSA
ESOD25 Topic – Future proofing through Employee Ownership
Marie is a tax director in the private client team of PwC Dublin with more than 20 years’ experience in UK and Irish taxation, both in practice and with HMRC in the UK. She specialises primarily in advising management teams on all aspects of share incentivisation (including share valuations) and high net worth individuals/families and partnerships on a variety of planning/ structuring projects.
Marie is a member of both the Irish and UK Institutes of Tax and has written articles and presented in Ireland and the UK on a variety of topics including management incentivisation, tax issues for non-domiciled individuals, professional partnerships, real estate etc.
Marie is a member of the PwC European Management Shareholder Network, the PwC Deal Reward Network, and the PwC International Private Wealth Network. Marie is also the current Chairperson of the Irish ProShare Association. Marie is also the author of the Irish Tax Institute’s 2023 publication Valuations for Tax Purposes.
Peter O’Connor
Peter O’Connor – Tax Director, EY & Vice Chairperson of IPSA
ESOD25 topic – Panel discussion: The challenges and opportunities of share plans in uncertain times
Peter is a tax director in EY’s People Advisory Services (PAS) team, based predominantly in Cork. Peter has over 17 years’ experience providing tax advice regarding global mobility and advisory, international social security and global employment tax services including advising on the Irish tax treatment of share and stock option plans/schemes.
Peter previously spent seven years working in the Mercer Share Schemes department, working mainly in the Approved Profit-Sharing Scheme (APSS) space.
Peter has a degree in Government and Public Policy from University College Cork and is a Chartered Tax Advisor with the Irish Tax Institute. He is currently Vice Chairperson of the Irish Pro-Share Association.
Marie Flavin
Marie Flavin – Employee Shareholder Relationship Manager, PM Group
ESOD25 topic – Panel discussion: The challenges and opportunities of share plans in uncertain times
Marie has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services and corporate governance sectors. Currently at PM Group, she brings deep expertise in shareholder engagement, compliance, and strategic communication.
PM Group, a 100% employee-owned company, has been a global leader for more than 50 years in the design, construction, and commissioning of high-tech facilities. In her role, Marie oversees the delivery and management of employee share schemes across multiple jurisdictions – ensuring that share ownership, a cornerstone of the company’s culture, continues to foster a strong sense of engagement and alignment with corporate values. Each year, she supports and connects with more than 2,000 employees and shareholders.
Marie holds an MSc in Finance from the National College of Ireland and a Bachelor of Business in Accounting from Waterford Institute of Technology. Recognised for her collaborative leadership and dedication to continuous improvement, she brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to every initiative she leads.
Clíona Farrelly
Clíona Farrelly – Deputy CFO, Fenergo
ESOD25 topic – Panel discussion: The challenges and opportunities of share plans in uncertain times
Clíona is a finance leader and Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) with deep experience in international finance, capital markets, and strategic transformation. She is Deputy CFO and Head of Spend Optimisation at Fenergo, where she leads financial strategy, operational efficiency, and equity management, including oversight of the company’s equity programme and cap table.
Clíona began her career with PwC in Dublin and the UK before spending a decade in London in senior finance roles at CIT Group and Golar LNG, dual-listed on Nasdaq and Oslo Børs. She has also held leadership positions at Melior Equity Partners, Zutec, and Dita Eyewear, driving finance transformations, governance frameworks, and growth strategies.
She holds a BA in Business & Economics from Trinity College Dublin and a Professional Diploma in Accounting from DCU.
Jane Smyth
Jane Smyth – Senior Reward Manager, AIB
ESOD25 topic – Panel discussion: The challenges and opportunities of share plans in uncertain times
Darren Smith
Darren Smith – Head of Business Development, UK and Ireland, J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions
ESOD25 MC
Darren has worked in the share plans industry for more than 20 years. During this time, he has worked across all operational teams including management, relationship management and most recently, business development. Darren is a regular industry host and speaker on topics including share plans, financial education and financial wellbeing, bringing a fun and engaging style to events. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions as Business Development Director, he held the position of UK National Sales Manager at YBS.
