Brian Keyes is the Editorial Operations Director at Iconic Newspapers Ltd. . A graduate of College of Commerce Rathmines, he is a native of Goresbridge and lives in Kilkenny City.  Brian has extensive media experience, having edited two regional newspapers. He has worked at a number of newspaper titles throughout his 25-year career including the Kilkenny People, and was Editorial Director with Johnston Press Ireland.

Colin Ahern is a native of County Limerick and has been living in Kilkenny with his family since 2006. He has been a Hotel General Manager for over 15 years, working in 4 and 5-star hotels in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and mainland Europe and he has been General Manager of the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel since 2009. A graduate of TCD and DIT, Cathal Brugha Street, Colin is completing a Diploma in HR Strategy at the IMI.

Colin is a current board member of Kilkenny Tourism, BITA, and Trail Kilkenny and is a member of the IBEC Regional Executive Committee in the South East. He has previously served on National Council of the Irish Hotels Federation and was Chairman of Kilkenny Tourism from 2013-2016.

Gordon Murphy is originally from Sutton in Dublin, and lived in Meath for 20 years before moving to Kilkenny in 2013 when he joined Glanbia Ingredients Ireland (GII) as Chief Financial Officer.  GII is the milk ingredients business of Glanbia in Ireland with a turnover of over €1 billion and employs over 700 staff in four milk processing plants, two of which are in Co. Kilkenny (Ballyragget and Belview).  Gordon previously worked as Finance Director with RPS Group (an engineering and environmental consultancy group), before which he was Finance Director with Bord na Móna plc, and prior to that was Group Financial Controller with Kingspan Group plc.  He trained as an accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Dublin office.

Marion Acreman is the Centre Manager at MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre in the City. She comes from a background of commercial property and retail management. She has worked in the City for over 20 years. Marion, a graduate of University of Commercial Estate Management (UCEM), Carlow IT and UCD  and is a co-director of her husband’s business Kilkenny Fast Fit Service Centre. Marion enjoys spending time at home raising two sons. She is a member of RICS (Assoc), ICSC and SCAMI (Shopping Centre Managers Association Ireland).

Her focus is on enhancing the customer journey and leading a strong staff team. Her long term objective is to help carry the City forward and improve the overall retail experience and offer to customers in the County and surrounds as well as enhancing the attractiveness of Kilkenny as a retail destination for domestic and overseas visitors.

Michael Brannigan is native of Kilkenny and Executive Chairman/ Director of the PRL Group Limited, specialists in logistics and supply chain solutions. The business was founded in 1932 and since its foundation it has become one of Ireland’s most successful supply chain logistics companies. He is a member of the Brannigan family who have been involved in the road haulage and distribution business for many decades in Kilkenny. The PRL Group specialise in the fmcg (fast moving consumer goods) specialising in chilled frozen ambient and pharmaceutical sectors providing multi-temp Warehousing, multi-temp Distribution, Retail Sales Services including van selling and cabinet management, Re-packing /Co-packing and Added-Value Management services. A private company, founded in 1985, and are entirely Irish owned and managed. The PRL GROUP was formed from the amalgamation of Roadload Distribution, Packaging Resources, Brannigan’s Warehousing and Distribution, and Roscastle Logistics.

Gary Graham is originally from Rathfarnham in Dublin, Educated in St Marys College CSSP Rathmines, came to Kilkenny in 1982/83 and did the ICES in Thomastown. He went to College of Marketing and Design in Parnell Square. He served his time in the shoe trade in Limerick, before returning to the family business in Dublin working with his father. Gary opened his first concession in 1989 at the Monster House in Kilkenny and then opened his first branch of Graham Shoes in 1992 on High Street follow by Friary St in 1994, Carlow in 1997, Naas in 2004 and Clonmel in 2007, He now has 7 stores employing 30 people and runs the company with his brother Steve and sister Jenny. Gary is married with 4 children and was co-opted onto the board of the chamber in 2011.

Tom O’Connor was Managing Partner of O’Neill Foley for over 20 years. He joined the practice in 1978 having previously worked with BDO Binder Hamlyn (now BDO Simpson Xavier) in Dublin. Tom has extensive experience in advising clients in the agricultural, retail, leisure, property, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. He also has a proven track record in delivering value for clients. As Managing Partner, he was responsible for increasing the size of the practice to a position whereby it is now the largest independent firm of accountants in the South East of Ireland and employs over 40 staff. Tom now runs his own business and management consultancy, Poto Consulting Ltd.  He is the longest serving member of the Board going back to the eighties.

Gavin’s career has spanned multiple industries. From Insurance, Education and working for Intel in both Ireland and the US. Gavin took this experience and formed BITS in 2001, focusing exclusively on businesses in the South East of Ireland. Gavin is currently the CEO of BITS and the driving force behind taking the company from strength to strength.