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HMI Annual Conference 2026

22 October (08.30 – 15.30)


The Concert Hall

RDS

Dublin 4

System Leadership–Driven Modernisation of Health and Social Care

Speakers

Dr Claudine Kearney

Dr Claudine Kearney

Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Strategy and Programme Director for the MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare at the RCSI, Graduate School of Healthcare Management

Dr Claudine Kearney is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Strategy and Programme Director for the MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare at the RCSI, Graduate School of Healthcare Management. Claudine obtained her MBS and Ph.D at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and Post Doctoral Fellowship at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA.

Prior to joining RCSI as a faculty member, Claudine was Assistant Professor at UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Claudine held a number of faculty positions including a Visiting Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands in 2012. Additionally, she has lectured and researched in seven countries across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Claudine’s research area of specialism is Leadership of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare and Science. Claudine has published in leading international academic journals such as, British Journal of Management, Small Business Economics, International Public Management Journal, Journal of Technology Transfer, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Journal of Health Organisation and Management, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, in addition to books, book chapters and conference papers, she is also a frequent contributor to HMI. Claudine also serves on a number of editorial boards. Currently she is working on her fourth book: ‘Leading Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare: A Global Perspective’, 2nd Edition which is due for publication early 2027, Edward Elgar Publishing.

Claudine also represents RCSI as the University Champion for INTRE (Ireland’s Network for Teaching and Researching in Entrepreneurship). INTRE provides access to a dynamic community, collaborative opportunities and resources designed to help thrive the field of entrepreneurship as an educator, researcher, or practitioner.

Breda Crehan Roche

Breda Crehan-Roche

Healthcare and Social Care Systems Management Consultant 

Breda is a highly accomplished and uniquely experienced healthcare executive and healthcare systems subject matter expert with over 35 years’ experience as a healthcare professional and senior executive at all levels of the Irish healthcare ecosystem.

Breda took early retirement from her most recent HSE position as Chief Officer of Community Healthcare West/CHO2 where she lead out on major transformational and reform programmes under Sláintecare across Primary Care, Disability, Mental Health, Older Persons Services and Health and Well-Being Services across counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. With a keen interest in integrated health system reform across complex healthcare services, Breda has a particular specialist interest in Disability Services and Community Care Services having worked as Chief Executive Officer of Ability West between 2005 and 2019 and also held a number of senior management positions, including senior roles In the Midland Health Board, as Assistant CEO of Community Care Services, Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and for a short time as Assistant National Director of Social Inclusion in the newly formed Health Service Executive.

Breda is a Registered Nurse, Montessori Teacher, has an MSc in Economics and Healthcare Management from the University of Wales, a MBS from University of Limerick and a Certificate in Charity Law, Governance and Trusteeship from the Law Society. Breda continues to provide her expertise and health systems consulting services to a range of stakeholders across the healthcare system where the depth and breadth of her experience as a senior healthcare manager and commissioner provides invaluable insights and guidance to parties seeking to meaningfully participate in and to support the healthcare system to increase access to care and services and to ensure patient and service user centricity is the focal point for all initiatives.

As President of HMI, Breda is committed to the consolidation of networks and  the provision of solid sounding boards to support healthcare managers in their pursuit of continuous professional development through synergies and reciprocal learning opportunities across Ireland and through the European Association of Healthcare Managers.

Dr John-Paul Byrne (JP)

Dr John-Paul Byrne (JP)

RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management (GSM)

Dr John-Paul Byrne (JP)is a Lecturer at RCSI Graduate School of Healthcare Management (GSM) where he leads modules within Masters programmes in Leadership and Innovation, and in Healthcare Management. A sociologist with expertise in ethnographic and qualitative methods, JP’s research explores the intersection of work and health; with a particular focus on structures and conditions that shape the work experiences, well-being and retention of healthcare workers. His research has informed national and international health workforce policy, and been cited by organisations like the World Health Organisation and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

Prof Alexandre Lourence

President, EAHM

Lucy Nugent

Lucy Nugent

CEO, Children’s Health Ireland

Lucy took up the role of CEO of Children’s Health Ireland on the 20th of January 2025. Prior to this, Lucy was the CEO of Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) since 2019. Lucy’s previous roles in TUH included that of COO and DCEO. Before joining TUH she worked in the HSE in the Acute Hospitals Division as Head of Quality Assurance & Risk Management and Clinical & Patient Services Manager in the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street.

Lucy has worked in a number of nursing roles as a registered general and children’s nurse and holds a BSc, MSc, RCPI Diploma in QI & Leadership and is a graduate of the IESE Business School Advanced Management Programme, Barcelona. She is a Past President of the Health Management Institute of Ireland and is currently the President of the European Association of Hospital Managers and is the first female to hold this role since it was founded in 1970.

Justin Ralph

Justin Ralph

Chief Technology Officer, RCSI

Justin Ralph joined RCSI in 2017 as Group Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he leads RCSI’s Digital & Technology Services, with responsibility for shaping and delivering the University’s digital strategy, embedding artificial intelligence into core activities, and ensuring cybersecurity resilience across the College. He plays a central role in advancing RCSI’s mission through the application of innovative technologies that enhance education, research, and healthcare delivery.

Before joining RCSI, Justin spent more than a decade at BearingPoint as Business Transformation Lead, where he successfully directed large-scale, complex transformation programmes across multiple sectors. His earlier career included roles with KPMG in the US, UK, and Ireland, giving him extensive international experience in strategy, finance, and technology.

Justin’s academic background bridges business, finance, and technology. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Strategic Management, earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology from NUI Maynooth in 1993, and completed an MBA in Finance at Boston College in 1996. He also qualified as a Certified Public Accountant, having passed the Massachusetts CPA examinations in 1998.

Damien McCallion

HSE Chief Technology and Transformation Officer and Deputy CEO 

Damien McCallion is the HSE’s Chief Technology and Transformation Officer with responsibility for technology, information security, data governance and digital development. Damien is the HSE Director for the Sláintecare Programme, overseeing the HSE’s medium to long term transformation programmes. Damien is also the lead for the HSE’s Organisational Change Unit, overseeing reform and transformation in the HSE, and the HSE’s National Productivity Unit. Damien is also Deputy CEO of the HSE.

Damien was the HSE’s Chief Operations Officer from mid 2022 to June 2024, responsible for oversight of day-to-day health and social care operations in the HSE and over 100,000 staff.

He took on a lead role in the COVID-19 pandemic response as the head of the successful Vaccination and Test &Trace programmes, a key part of the nation’s public health response to the pandemic. He held a variety of roles prior to this within the HSE, from Screening Services, Head of the National Ambulance Service, Head of ICT, National Director for Emergency Management and Special Delivery Unit, and an Area Manager for Health Services in the North West. He has also had a lead role in cross border health programmes, as Chair and Director General of CAWT, and the organisation Safefood as Deputy Chair, for a number of years.

Prior to working in the Health Service he worked for ten years in the airline industry. Damien originally qualified from Letterkenny IT in computing and subsequently completed an MSC in Innovation Management from University of Ulster and Letterkenny IT.

Tadhg Daly

Tadhg Daly

Chief Executive, Nursing Homes Ireland

Tadhg Daly is Chief Executive of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), the representative organisation for the private and voluntary nursing homes sector.

NHI is a lead representative organisation within the Irish health sector and its Members play a key role in care provision.  Over 400 private and voluntary nursing homes deliver specialist care and support to 27,000+ persons in a ‘home from home’ and account for 90% of all long term care beds in the country, directly employing more than 35,000 staff. A strong and sustainable nursing home sector is a vital part of Ireland’s health and social care system. To sustain this, NHI will continue to advocate on behalf and be responsive to the needs of our members, nursing home residents and the sector.

Tadhg is a regular contributor to policy debates, conferences and media on matters relating to care and support of our older population. Tadhg is a ministerial appointee on the board of Coru, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council.

Tadhg is a passionate advocate in care of the older person, outlining that as a Society we need to celebrate the fact that people are living longer, develop a continuum of care and ambitious policy for our the care of ageing demographic.

Anne O’Connor

Anne O’Connor

CEO, Health Service Executive

Anne took up the role of CEO of the HSE on Monday March 23rd, 2026. Having trained and worked as an Occupational therapist in the UK prior to commencing her career with the Irish Health Service, she has since worked in a wide variety of clinical and management roles.

Anne has worked at a National Director Level in the HSE from 2014 when she took on the role of National Director Mental Health. In early 2018 she became the first National Director for Community Operations and was within a few months appointed Deputy Director General/ Chief Operations Officer in May 2018, leading the National Senior Operations team.

From March 2020 she led the HSE’s national operational response to the COVID pandemic and the Conti Cyber Attack of 2021.

Anne joined the Vhi in August 2022 as Managing Director of Vhi Health & Wellbeing DAC and subsequently also took on the role of interim Group Healthcare Officer. In this role she led the development and delivery of healthcare services to Vhi members.

Anne left Vhi to take up the role of CEO of the HSE in March 2026.

Anne is a Board member of the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick and of Páirc an Chrócaigh CTR (Croke Park).

Martina Queally

Martina Queally

Regional Executive Officer HSE Dublin and South East

Martina Queally was appointed Regional Executive Officer for HSE Dublin and South East in January 2024. As Regional Executive Officer, Martina oversees the delivery of healthcare services to communities across Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Dublin South East and Wicklow. Since her appointment, she has established the region’s Executive Management Team and driven the implementation of the Integrated Service Design, marking a significant step forward in the delivery of integrated care.

With over 30 years of experience in health service leadership, Martina brings extensive expertise in strategic change management within public services, as well as in integrated service delivery. From 2015 to 2024, she served as Chief Officer for HSE Community Healthcare East, where she was responsible for the planning and delivery of community health services across Dublin South East and Wicklow. She also oversaw the delivery of several national programmes and led a combined HSE and voluntary workforce of almost 4,000 staff.

Throughout her career, Martina has successfully led a range of transformation, change and crisis management initiatives. Notably, she oversaw the Area Crisis Management Team during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rollout of the vaccination programme. Earlier in her career, Martina played a key role in restructuring health services—amalgamating three community health services with an acute hospital network in 2011 as Integrated Services Area Manager for Dublin South East and Wicklow, and leading the establishment of the Local Health Office structure in Kildare and West Wicklow in 2005.

Martina began her career as a Registered General Nurse, later qualifying as a Midwife and Public Health Nurse. She holds a Master of Science in Health Services Management from Trinity College Dublin (2002), where her research focused on developing strategic, integrated approaches to health promotion within the Irish health system. She has also undertaken further study in quality and service improvement and is a qualified executive coach and mentor.

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