Helen Russell is a Research Professor and head of the social research division at the Economic and Social Research Institute and an Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. Helen holds a D.Phil. in sociology from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on social inequalities in access to resources and in key outcomes such as education, employment and housing. Helen is a co-author of the Poverty, Income Inequality and Living Standards in Ireland: fourth annual report, published in partnership with the Community Foundation. She has recently published a study comparing child poverty in Ireland and Northern Ireland and another examining the effects of family separation on the economic vulnerability of children and their families based on the Growing Up in Ireland study.
Show more
Head of Skills and Social Policy acts as strategic advisor and support on diversity and inclusion, skills and labour market policy and practices to Ibec member organisations across multiple sectors. Role includes lobbying and developing policy positions at a national and European level, developing tools and guidelines, and representing business at stakeholder forums across the breadth of skills and social policy issues from gender pay gap reporting and human rights to labour market activation and immigration. With Ibec since 2008, specialist in strategy development and implementation, public and regulatory policy, business representation and stakeholder engagement.
She is the Chair of the Employment Working Group of Business Europe, a member of the External Group of Experts of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), a member of the Labour Market Advisory Council and Board member of the Open Doors Initiative. An organisational psychologist, formerly HR manager in industry with lecturing experience at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive level.
Ronan Harbison is the Executive Director for Generation in Ireland, an Irish charity that supports people facing barriers to employment into life-changing careers, while at the same time providing Ireland’s tech and green sectors with a diverse pipeline of entry-level talent for roles that employers have typically found difficult to fill. In Generation, Ronan has worked with private and public sector partners alike to scale the charity and support >630 graduates back into life changing careers in just over four years.
Over the last decade Ronan was Commercial Director of Mentors, Founder of European Business Connections, Ireland Country Manager for Bayern International and Deputy-CEO of the German-Irish Chamber of Commerce. Previous to that Ronan was in mid-senior management in the FMCG and Hospitality sectors. He is past-President of the NGO humanitarian organisation Rotary International Dublin Central Club and the Rotary International Committee Chair for Rotary Ireland 2022-2026.