People on the move at Bord Gais Energy, it@Cork and SSE

People starting new roles with Bord Gáis Energy, SSE, it@cork, Diaceutics, Royal London and the Irish Seed Trade Association.

New roles: (top row, left to right) Emma Burrows, Stephen Gallagher, Gillian Bergin; (bottom row) Yvanka Gilliam, Karen Gallagher, Brigid Quigley.

Emma Burrows has been appointed as legal, regulation and corporate affairs director with Bord Gáis Energy. She also joins its executive management team. Emma takes over from Joanne Ross who is now chief of staff to the CEO of BGE's parent company, Centrica. Leading the legal team since 2017, Emma joined Bord Gáis Energy in 2012 from private practice with Lavelle Coleman. She was previously in private practice with Lavelle Coleman. She also spent six years with A&L Goodbody where she qualified as a solicitor in 2002. Emma is also a keen supporter of Bord Gáis Energy’s Focus Ireland partnership to tackle family homelessness in Ireland and has been part of the steering committee for the past couple of years.

Stephen Gallagher has been promoted to director of customer strategy and business development for energy company SSE's energy customer solutions division. He will oversee delivery of the cleaner, greener journey to net-zero, ensuring activities are aligned with the overall strategic ambition in the Irish and GB markets. With the group for the past 14 years, his prior roles include head of finance, programme director for retail transformation in the UK and director of business energy. Prior to joining SSE, Stephen worked for KPMG Dublin and then H&K International in a group finance role. A trained chartered accountant, he holds a Bachelor of Business & Legal Studies from UCD, and a Masters in Business Practice, Strategy and Leadership from UCC.

Gillian Bergin has been announced as the new chair of it@cork, the IT sector representative group. A senior consultant in global business transformation at Dell Technologies, she takes on the honorary role from outgoing chair, Anthony O’Callaghan, chief information officer atThe Carbery Group. She said: “As we look optimistically to a post-Covid-19 environment, the potential for Cork as a tech hub is immense with possibilities. I am excited and energised to continue the mission of leading it@cork into its next phase of positive growth.” it@cork is an independent, not-for-profit business organisation representing the interests of the tech industry throughout Cork and the South West region. The tech sector employs around 30,000 people in the region. it@cork recently welcomed three new member companies from Malta - Cybergate International, CBS and 56bit.

Yvanka Gilliam has been appointed as VP of Operations for Asia Pacific with Diaceutics, the life sciences company in Dundalk. Yvanka will manage business development and operations, developing partnerships within the APAC region. She has a strong track record managing the delivery of real-world insights for evaluation by regulators, payers and clinicians. She previously worked as a senior client partner with Kantar Health, conducting high-quality research. She has also worked with IQVIA Asia Pacific and as a senior medical science liaison at AstraZeneca. She holds a doctorate in Pharmacy from University of Michigan, a degree in Biology and Chemistry from Grambling University in Louisiana and an MBA in International Business from Rutgers University Singapore. She is widely published in medical journals.

Karen Gallagher has been named as interim head of proposition with insurance firm Royal London. She will be responsible for Royal London Ireland's protection proposition strategy, planning, implementation, budget allocation and leadership of the Proposition Department which includes the pricing, marketing and product development functions. Karen is also a member of the Royal London Ireland executive committee. She is an experienced product director with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Her previous roles in the insurance industry include working as a protection director with Aviva for two years; prior to that, she was product director, group, and individual protection with Friends First for 22 years. She holds a Masters in Strategic Human Resource Management, and is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA).

Brigid Quigley has been appointed as general manager of the Plant Variety Development Office (PVDO) and the Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA). From a farming background in Co Laois, Brigid is joining from Macra na Feirme, where she most recently worked as training network manager for the Macra Agricultural Skillnet. She will assume full operational responsibility for the day-to-day activities of PVDO and ISTA as well as developing and implementing a longer-term strategic plan to promote the aims of both organisations. The PVDO is the national organisation in Ireland responsible for the administration and collection of cereal seed royalties on behalf of seed breeders. The ISTA represents the seed trade and licensed seed assemblers in Ireland.