Aaron Reilly
Client Executive
Aaron is a Client Executive at Drury working with the Public Affairs and Regulatory team.
At Drury Aaron works across multiple accounts to support and assist clients in understanding the Irish political landscape providing guidance on various policy areas and key political stakeholders.
He works closely with clients in the housing, transport and health sectors, supporting them to execute and deliver on their public affairs and public relations strategies.
Prior to joining Drury, Aaron gained experience working for several large multinationals in sales and customer service and is committed to client service excellence.
Aaron’s passion for Irish and global politics led him to pursue a degree in International Relations at DCU, where he graduated with Honours.
Alan Sweeney
Interim Financial Controller
Alan is the interim financial controller at Drury having previously held finance positions at ION Group and Irish Life. He also spent several years in Melbourne, Australia working as a senior accountant with Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT.
Alan holds a Masters in Accounting from NUIG, is ACA qualified and is also a chartered tax advisor. He has over 10 years’ experience in finance and tax which enables him to provide advice on a wide range of matters to support strategic decision-making. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and innovative problem-solving abilities, Alan has a proven track record of enhancing financial efficiency and reducing risk.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Alan is a big sports fan and cycling enthusiast, which contributes to a well-rounded and balanced professional life.
Alan’s commitment to excellence and his proactive approach makes him a valuable asset to Drury.
Anne-Marie Curran
Chief Executive
Appointed Managing Director of Drury in June 2010, Anne-Marie has over 20 years’ experience in the public relations industry. Anne-Marie combines her management role with strategic client support across a range of corporate, multinational and public sector clients, not-for-profits and publicly quoted companies. She specialises in strategic counsel, reputation management, change management, employer brand, leading campaigns and partnerships’, achieving thought leadership through strategic media relations, targeted digital and social media engagement, and has extensive crisis management experience.
Anne-Marie is a graduate of University College Dublin (U.C.D) with a B.A. International in French and German. She subsequently obtained an MA in Public Relations, has studied law at the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and is a qualified executive and business coach. She recently completed diplomas in Corporate Governance with the Institute of Directors and in Digital Marketing strategy with the Marketing Institute. She is currently studying Cyber Psychology.
Anne-Marie serves on the boards of the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, the Gate Theatre, and the advisory council of the RDI Hub. She is a former trustee of the Irish Heritage Trust and board member of the Dublin International Film Festival. Anne-Marie was the Runner-up in the CEO category of the Image Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2016. She is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
Billy Murphy
Chair
Billy Murphy co-founded Drury Communications in 1989 and has been Executive Chairman of the business since 2004.
Billy is one of Ireland’s foremost communications consultants specialising in C-Suite counsel, financial situations, business & society, litigation and crisis management.
Over 30 years, he has been a trusted advisor of boards and management of Ireland’s leading companies and organisations across the development, protection and enhancement of corporate reputation, offering solutions to the communications’ challenges they face.
He has worked on an extensive range of capital market activities including IPOs, transactions, restructurings, activism and a variety of corporate litigation projects. He has been pivotally involved in supporting organisations through complex or critical scenarios. Together with his Drury colleagues, he has an exceptional network of working relationships with other Irish and international professional services firms and corporate advisors.
In a fast-evolving world, where digital connectivity is firmly embedded and the premium on timely judgement is greater than ever before, the right mix of experience and expertise is essential.
In recent years, Billy has advised the boards and senior management teams of: CRH plc, Flutter Entertainment plc, Cairn Homes plc, Irish Life Group, Green REIT plc, Mediahuis, Outsourcing Inc. Bain Capital, Doyle Hotels (Holdings) Group, KKR, Openet, PM Group, Greencore olc Activate Capital, MML Capital Ireland, Crownway Investments and Ulster Bank.
Billy is President of Leinster Rugby and a member of the Leinster Management Board. He is also a member of the University College Dublin RFC Management Group. He is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
Cathal Barry
Managing Director of Financial Communications
Cathal leads the Financial Communications team at Drury and draws from over a decade of experience working in media and public relations to provide strategic integrated communications counsel to some of Ireland’s biggest and best-known companies.
Cathal specialises in capital markets and transaction communications, helping clients to communicate their company’s strategy, growth ambitions and financial strength. He works closely with clients including CRH plc, Flutter Entertainment plc and HealthBeacon plc, advising on how to optimally communicate around financial calendar reporting, M&A transactions, IPOs, and shareholder activism.
With a background in print and broadcast journalism, Cathal also specialises in media relations and has been involved as an advisor on some of the most high-profile Irish business stories in recent years. He plays a leading role in proactive storytelling as well as crisis and issues management for clients including Musgrave, John Sisk & Son, Kepak, Henkel and Java Republic.
Cathal holds a Diploma in Advertising, Marketing, Sales and PR as well as Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. He has also completed a Diploma in Capital Markets and Investments.
In 2019, Cathal was named on the Young Communications Professional of the Year shortlist by the PRII and PRCA and was an Early Career Awards finalist in the Marketing and Communications category.
Cian Doherty
Director
Cian is a Director at Drury where he works with a range of clients across both private and public sectors, helping them to protect and enhance their corporate reputation through effective media relations, information PR and issues management. Cian currently advises clients including Musgrave Group, the Road Safety Authority, CRH plc, UPS, and Tourism Ireland. Working with clients across varied sectors has allowed Cian to develop strong relationships with media in key publications.
A goal-orientated communications consultant, Cian specialises in media relations and strategic issues management where he uses his experience with media engagement to help his clients achieve the stated outcomes of their communications campaigns.
Cian recently completed a diploma in Public Relations with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Dublin City University and a previous qualification in journalism.
Claire Fox
Client Director
Since joining Drury in April 2021, Claire has displayed a proven track record of building strong working relationships and excellent knowledge of media relations and digital communications. Claire has excellent written communication and social media skills following her background as a journalist at the Irish Independent where she worked as an agriculture and rural affairs journalist for three years.
Claire works collaboratively with a range of clients including Road Safety Authority, Kepak, Enterprise Ireland, Love Irish Food and Amazon Web Services using her in-depth knowledge of the media landscape in Ireland to deliver traditional media and digital engagement campaigns to amplify the client story.
Claire graduated with an MA in Journalism from Dublin City University in 2017. She also holds a BA in English and French from University College Cork. Claire is currently completing a Professional Diploma in PR and Social Media from Fitzwilliam Institute. Claire was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2020 AgriGuild PR and Journalism Awards.
Claire Rowley
Director
Claire is a Director at Drury and holds experience in corporate reputation, public information PR, financial PR, and issues management. She advises a variety of public and private sector clients including Musgrave Group, Cairn Homes, CRH Plc, Science Foundation Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Irish Life. She is a results-driven PR practitioner with a strong focus on media and client relationships. Working with a wide variety of clients has allowed her to develop strong relationships with key business, consumer affairs and news media.
Claire brings strategic thinking and insights to her work to deliver impactful communications campaigns and advises clients on best practice approaches to public relations.
Claire has a proven track record in devising and implementing strategic reputation management programmes for clients. She has a strong understanding of how to engage media and consumers to support the delivery of effective communications campaigns.
She collaborates closely with both the client and the wider Drury team to plan communications activity, roll out client campaigns, secure media coverage and monitor campaign activity. She has experience helping clients tell their story across channels including creating engaging content for digital and social channels. In addition, Claire assists companies in managing their online reputational challenges beyond traditional media.
Claire joined Drury in 2016 upon completion of an MA in Public Relations from Dublin Institute of Technology. In 2021, she completed a Graduate Certification in Business Management from Dublin City University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Culture and Society from Dublin City University.
Conor Mulligan
Senior Client Executive
Conor is a Senior Client Executive with Drury’s Financial Communications team and across a broad range of public and private clients including CRH, Flutter, Kepak and Sisk.
A graduate of the MSc Marketing course at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Conor is a keen consumer of business and current affairs media. Prior to his Master’s degree, he completed a BA in International Business and Spanish at Technological University Dublin (formerly DIT). This undergraduate degree included an Erasmus year where Conor lived in Bilbao for six months while working as an English Language Assistant.
Conor has very strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication, leadership and collaboration qualities.
Dawn Burke
MD Corporate and Reputation
Dawn is Managing Director of the Corporate & Reputation team, bringing over two decades of communications experience in the agency landscape to her role. Her expertise is wide-ranging spanning corporate, consumer, environmental, media, automotive, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors.
Dawn is a grafter with a passion for supporting clients to reach their communications goals while protecting and enhancing their brand reputation. She works with a range of clients including RSA, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Research Ireland. Dawn specialises in integrated communications strategies blending earned, owned, shared and paid media to deliver maximum impact, targeting audiences and amplifying engagements for clients.
Her experience extends to media relations, strategic counsel, issues management, creative content development along with social media and influencer strategies as well as partnership management and media buying and planning.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Technological University Dublin, a certificate in PR & PR Writing from the Irish Academy of Public Relations and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute.
Deirdre Sheahan
Senior Client Manager
Deirdre joined Drury in January 2022, and works with a variety of clients in the private and public sector, providing strategic support across public affairs, media relations, and stakeholder management.
Deirdre has a strong understanding of the media and political landscape, and works with clients to maximise their media exposure, develop relationships with key media and political stakeholders, and promote their organisation’s reputation.
Prior to joining Drury, Deirdre completed an MSc in Political Communication at the University of Glasgow and was involved in several Green Party policy and communications initiatives. She also holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and previously completed an internship in the European Parliament.
Deirdre currently works across client accounts that include Amazon Web Services, ESB, Fexco, Mars, SEAI, and Wind Energy Ireland.
Erin Fox
Senior Client Executive
With experience and qualifications in journalism and digital marketing, Erin is passionate about telling businesses’ stories across multiple platforms. Prior to joining Drury, Erin worked six years with StoryLab, managing and creating social media campaigns for a range of clients.
Since joining Drury in December 2021, she has been working on clients such as the Road Safety Authority, Science Foundation Ireland, Henkel, Ballygarry Estate, Hotel and Spa, providing support with media relations, social media, and event management.
Erin is currently studying for a Master’s in Social Media Communications with Dublin City University, where she is researching social media’s impact on society, behaviours, habits and identities, its role in the spread of disinformation, and its increasing domination in the media and communications field.
In 2019, she was nominated for the Content Marketing Rising Star Award in the Irish Content Marketing Awards. Erin also holds a BA degree in Journalism from DCU, and a diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute.
Evelyn Vaughan
Office Manager
Evelyn joined Drury in 2022 as Office Manager where she works closely with the Finance and Leadership Teams. In this fast-paced office environment, she is responsible for overseeing and implementing all administrative activities, IT support, induction of new hires, and coordinating office administration procedures for maximum effectiveness, efficiency, and safety.
Prior to this, Evelyn spent four and half years as the Health and Well Being Coordinator in Ballyroan Community and Youth Centre with responsibility for implementing the Centre’s Health and Well-Being strategy across a wide range of projects including its Active Retirement Group, Men’s Shed and Meals on Wheels Projects.
She holds a master’s degree in Public Relations and a master’s degree in Sociology and spent almost a decade working in PR in Fleishman-Hillard’s Corporate and Financial team in Dublin.
Gavin McLoughlin
Director, Financial Communications
Gavin McLoughlin is a Director in Drury’s financial communications division.
An award-winning broadcaster, he has almost a decade’s experience as a business journalist across print and broadcast media.
Gavin helps a wide range of clients to develop simple, interesting and effective messaging. He specialises in making technical concepts easy to understand, while scrutinising material with journalistic rigour.
Prior to joining Drury he was deputy business editor at national radio station Newstalk, winning ‘Business Podcast of the Year’ at the 2021 UCD Smurfit School Business Journalism Awards. He was a regular contributor to programmes including ‘The Pat Kenny Show’, ‘The Hard Shoulder’ and ‘Newstalk Breakfast’, and a regular presenter of ‘Breakfast Business’. Gavin draws on his extensive experience to help Drury clients prepare for media interviews.
He has also worked as business news editor of the Irish Independent and business correspondent at the Sunday Independent, where he focused on unearthing stories from his network of contacts.
Gavin has also previously been shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Bracken Bower prize, for best business book idea by an author under 35.
Gerry Naughton
Director
A native of Dublin, Gerry has a wealth of experience in the public affairs arena, straddling the political and public sector environment. He advises clients on messaging and communications strategies across all channels.
Gerry was Political Director with Fine Gael from 2003 to 2009 where he worked closely with the party leadership and contributed to the party’s political recovery. He retains close contacts across the political spectrum.
During a 20 year career in the civil service he served as an Adviser and Private Secretary to a number of Ministers. Gerry was Director of Government and Media Relations at the Institute of Chartered Accountants from 1997 to 2002 and he was responsible for Communications at PIAB before he joined Drury.
Gerry advises a large number of clients on policy and political issues and developments He also provides strategic advice to clients who want to develop or sharpen their message. He is a highly experienced media trainer and has assisted some of Ireland’s leading figures, from business, the state sector, NGOs and politics to prepare for major interviews.
Grace Cooney
Director
With over eight years’ experience in Public Relations, Grace’s knowledge of the media is extensive – in both traditional and digital. She is an expert in the area of media relations, supporting both proactive media engagement and reactive press office services for a range of clients.
At Drury, Grace has worked with clients including the Road Safety Authority, Musgrave, Enterprise Ireland, Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, National Gallery of Ireland, Three Ireland, Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, Amazon Web Services and Workhuman. Prior to returning to the business in 2022, Grace held the position of Public Relations Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland. While there she was responsible for the development and execution of seasonal consumer campaigns, leadership team media engagement and the day-to-day management of the press office.
Grace has a keen understanding of delivering client’s messages. Through her experience in a variety of sectors, Grace has developed key contacts and relationships with journalists across the Irish media landscape. She is trusted by clients and journalists alike to identify a good news hook and work collaboratively with both sides to tell the client story.
Grace holds a BA in New Media and English from the University of Limerick and a MA in Journalism and Media Communications. She also holds a Certificate in Online Marketing and Digital Strategy from Griffith College Dublin. She recently completed a PRII Certificate in Public Affairs.
Michelle McCoy
Managing Director, Digital
Michelle spearheads the Digital and Content team, developing integrated communications campaigns across the full client portfolio at Drury, with a focus on digital strategy for brands, organisations, and business leaders.
With over fifteen years of international experience, she specialises in guiding business leaders and empowering senior executives to master brand positioning in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Prior to joining Drury, Michelle was Managing Director at Get Broadcasting a video and content agency, and a Partner with 360 FINN Partners for 7 years, managing the Digital and Creative team. She has worked in the start-up community in London, and with the New Zealand Government in Wellington, as a communications advisor.
She has deep expertise in the technology, FMCG, insurance, medical, telecoms and consumer sectors, advising leading organisation such as Flutter, Zendesk, ALDI, ComReg, Irish Hospital Consultants Association, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, European Innovation funding body EIT Health and AVIVA.
Michelle is a graduate of University College Dublin (U.C.D) with a B.A. International in French and Economics. She also holds an MA in Public Relations from Technological University Dublin.
Morwenna Rice
Director
Morwenna is a Director with more than 13 years’ communications experience in corporate, public information and B2B PR.
Having extensive expertise in developing and delivering communications strategies, Morwenna advises her clients on reputation, issues and crisis management, B2B communications, senior management counsel and public information engagement.
She devises, implements and delivers communications strategies across owned and earned platforms, developing integrated campaigns and multimedia content. Her clients include Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Cairn Homes plc, the Road Safety Authority and Irish Life.
She has a proven track record in executing effective PR strategies and has been involved in a number of campaigns that have won PRII Awards of Excellence. Morwenna led the Science Week team that won Gold for Smartest Content Strategy category in the An Post Smart Marketing Awards in 2019.
Morwenna is passionate about the importance and role of effective communications in delivering on an organisation’s business objectives. She is a former member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland’s National Council.
Morwenna holds an honours degree in Geography and Sociology from UCD and a diploma in PR and event management from Fitzwilliam Institute.
Orla Carr
Accounts Assistant
Orla is an Accounts Assistant at Drury, she joined the team in 2019 having previously worked at major multinational corporations including Ixia Technologies and Live Nation Entertainment where she was responsible for credit control and invoicing.
Orla has experience working in finance across a range of different sectors. This experience has enabled Orla to work with the Drury finance team in accounts receivable and payable, professional fees invoicing and monthly accounts reconciliation.
Her diligence, organisational skills and keen eye for detail ensure Orla consistently delivers precise results in a reliable and efficient manner.
Orla has achieved her Accounting Technician Ireland qualification and is currently pursuing her ACCA qualification. She previously attained a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Computing.
Paddy Hughes
Executive Director
With three decades’ experience in corporate and financial public relations, Paddy Hughes has advised and worked with the boards and senior leadership teams of foremost national and multinational companies across a range of sectors. He advises clients in relation to a broad range of corporate reputation related activity specialising in C-Suite Counsel, Financials Situations, Restructuring, Litigation and Crisis Management. He does so, collaboratively with clients, to develop strategies that are executed in a planned and integrated manner across traditional, digital and social channels.
In recent years Paddy has worked with the Boards and leadership teams of clients such as: Applegreen Plc, Aurivo, ESB Group, FBD Insurance, Henkel, Irish Cement, John Paul Construction, Kerry Co-Op, Ornua, McCauley Pharmacy Group, Sisk Group and Tourism Ireland.
Having worked for a number of years as press officer with a major multinational, Paddy joined Drury in 1996 and was appointed to its Board in 2005. In past years, Paddy has led the firm’s corporate communications practice and has led the firm on a number of occasions as Managing Director in an acting capacity. In August 2020, Paddy along with the firm’s Managing Director, Chairperson and Finance Director undertook an MBO of the business, acquiring Drury from Omnicom, the global marketing communications agency. Paddy is a former board director of the Public Relations Consultants Association, a Fellow and former President of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII).
Ronan Lowther
Client Manager
Ronan is a Client Manager on Drury’s Public Affairs and Regulatory team. He works closely with clients to support and assist them in understanding Ireland’s developing political and regulatory landscape, through providing guidance and advice on policy and key political stakeholders.
Ronan currently works on client accounts across the med-tech, healthcare, retail, energy, housing and entertainment sectors.
Prior to joining Drury, Ronan completed an MA in Political Communications at Dublin City University (DCU) and worked as the Communications Officer for Ireland’s largest private hospital. Ronan also holds a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Social Policy from Trinity College Dublin and has previous experience working in service provision and policy across the non-profit and voluntary sector.
Rowena Crowley
Digital Director
Rowena is a Digital Director and brings over 15 years of experience in building corporate reputations through digital channels. She helps clients navigate the complexities of the digital landscape and supports them in positively influencing their corporate audiences. Her expertise spans external and internal channels, and includes corporate websites, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media, employer brand, content strategy, analysis and measurement.
Prior to joining Drury, Rowena worked in WPP and Aura agencies in London for over 10 years. She supported FTSE 100 clients, including Diageo, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Tesco, in understanding their audiences’ requirements and delivering tailored digital communication strategies that aligned with business objectives. She built communication strategies and editorial plans, created high impact content and improved the performance of digital channels.
Rowena has worked in-house as the Digital Manager in Westminster City Council where she led the council’s digital strategy and managed its high-traffic website. She began her career in Google, helping clients with online advertising and supporting the EMEA internal communications team. She also has a background in journalism, having contributed feature and travel articles to the Irish Independent.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin, a Masters in Management from UCD Michael Smurfit Business Graduate School, and a Postgraduate Diploma from the London School of Journalism.
Sadhbh O'Donovan
Client Executive
As part of the Financial Communications team at Drury, Sadhbh excels in creating strategic communication that help her clients build trust, manage reputation, and engage effectively with their audiences.
Before joining Drury, Sadhbh worked on successful financial literacy campaigns and educational programs, creating content that empowered consumers to make informed financial decisions. Sadhbh’s background in marketing and content strategy further allows her to craft messages for a diverse portfolio of clients.
Sadhbh holds a BA in Communications Studies from Dublin City University. She is a keen consumer of all media, with a passion for current affairs.
Sinead Birt
Finance Director
Sinead has over 20 years finance and commercial leadership expertise. Prior to joining Drury in 2007, Sinead held finance positions in the banking and energy sectors in Ireland. Sinead is the Finance Director, and Company secretary along with oversight of the support services of the business including IT and HR.
Sinead’s understanding of the role of communications in business makes her a valued support to our clients as well as guaranteeing the excellent financial performance of Drury.
Sinead holds a BSc in Finance from Queens University Belfast, is ACCA qualified and a fellow member of the ACCA. Sinead holds a Certificate in the Chartered Director Program with the Institute of Directors and is a Non-Executive board member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute. Sinead is a member of the management team that completed the MBO of Drury in 2020.