PRII 2026 Internal Communications Conference

Paul Cawley

Head of Communications, Boots Ireland

Paul Cawley is Head of Communications at Boots Ireland, where he leads internal and external communications, colleague engagement and events.

Paul began his career in technology before moving into communications, and has since held communications roles across construction, financial services and retail.

His work has been recognised at the HR & Leadership Awards, where Boots Ireland won Most Effective Use of Internal Communication in 2024. He was also recognised internally with the Boots Ireland Inspiring Leadership Award in 2025.

Paul holds an MA in Political Communication from Dublin City University and is a Certified Member of the Institute of Internal Communication.

May Flanagan MPRII, CIIC

Change Communications Consultant & Facilitator, Flanagan Communications (FC)

May Flanagan MPRII, CIIC is a change communications consultant, facilitator, and Full member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC), and Learning & Development Institute (L&DI), as well as the IoIC Network Lead for Ireland. She brings 14+ years of global experience in marketing and communications, specialising in change communication.

May has worked with clients such as Deloitte Ireland, Standard Life (Phoenix Group), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Grow Remote (in partnership with LOETB). With expertise in digital transformation, hybrid working, and stakeholder engagement, May's style is practical, inclusive, and focused on empowering learners to implement insights from day one.

Rob Hitchcock

Internal Communications Senior Manager, PwC

Rob leads PwC's internal communications team, helping connect colleagues with the organisation's strategy, culture and vision.

With over 15 years’ experience across communications, change, learning and colleague engagement, Rob has built his career through a variety of leadership roles in the UK and Ireland. He is a people-first leader known for his collaborative, authentic and empowering leadership style, with a strong focus on building high-performing teams, developing talent and creating environments where people can thrive.

Passionate about the role of communication in driving culture and engagement, Rob brings practical experience of leading teams through change while delivering meaningful outcomes for both colleagues and organisations.

Sarah Horgan

Director & Strategy Lead, Springboard Communications

Sarah Horgan is Director & Strategy Lead at Springboard Communications, where she advises organisations on strategic communications, reputation, stakeholder engagement and employee communications.
With over 17 years’ experience across agency and in-house roles, including senior communications positions with Vodafone and Aer Lingus, Sarah brings a practical understanding of the challenges involved in communicating with employees during periods of change.
Her work focuses on helping organisations build trust, connect leaders with their people, and create communications that support culture, alignment and community. Sarah leads Springboard’s Dublin office and works with clients to develop communications strategies that resonate with both internal and external audiences

Emily Maher

Marketing Lead, Museum of Childhood Ireland

Emily Maher is a strategic communications leader with deep experience across internal communications, storytelling and narrative, employee engagement and purpose-led communications. Emily has advised the most senior leaders in industries including professional services, financial services and the public sector. She has established, led and grown strategic internal communications functions at Deloitte, KBC Bank Ireland and An Garda Síochána. She is currently Marketing Lead for the Museum of Childhood Ireland, a voluntary Board-level position.

Pádraig Walsh

Chartered Behavioural Psychologist, Founder , ChangeAble Behaviour Solutions,

Pádraig Walsh is a Chartered Behavioural Psychologist and founder of ChangeAble Behaviour Solutions, one of Ireland's leading behaviour change consultancies. Over the past fifteen years, he has advised some of Ireland's and the UK's largest corporate and not-for-profit organisations, delivering award-winning communications campaigns. He has also leads multi-year behaviour change programmes in regional economic development and continues to partner with one of Ireland's largest financial institutions.

As one of Ireland's most recognised voices in behavioural science, he regularly contributes to The Six O'Clock Show, RTÉ News, RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime and Newstalk, where he translates complex psychological research for a national audience. 

Through a creative consulting approach, Pádraig works towards usable, effective and engaging behaviour change strategies translated for simplicity and lasting impact.