PRII National Conference 2026

Stuart Bruce Chart.PR, FPRCA, FCIPR FAMEC

Co-CEO, Purposeful Relations

Stuart Bruce, The PR Futurist, is known as an international innovator in public relations, communications and corporate affairs. He works globally advising in-house communications leaders and PR agencies on AI adoption, AI as a stakeholder (GEO/AEO), social licence for AI and the measurement and evaluation of communications and reputation.

 

He’s on the Executive Committee of the Davos World Communication Forum Association and the PRCA PR and Communications Board where he leads its AI working group. His company has advised clients such as the OECD, Google, Nestlé, Rolls-Royce, Sanofi, Sage, NICE, Network Rail, National Grid, SEA-LNG, European Commission and the Ukrainian government.

James Dunny

Founder and CEO , Reput8ion Dynamics

James Dunny FPRII is a senior strategic communications adviser with over three decades' experience working at the highest levels of Irish and international business. He is the Founder and CEO of Reput8ion Dynamics, where he advises boards, CEOs and leadership teams on reputation management, stakeholder engagement, crisis and issues management and organisational change — increasingly at the intersection of communications strategy and artificial intelligence. James previously served as External Communications Director for Kerry Group and was Head of Crisis Management for EMEA at FleishmanHillard, advising global organisations on complex reputational challenges. A Fellow of the PRII, PRII Award winner, mentor and committed advocate for ethical practice, James is widely respected for his judgement, discretion and leadership, and for his ongoing contribution to strengthening communications as a strategic leadership function in Ireland and internationally. He is a keen advocate for the responsible adoption of AI in professional communications practice.

Edel Fitzgerald

Partner, Reputation Inc

Edel Fitzgerald is a Partner at Reputation Inc, Ireland’s leading stakeholder intelligence and advisory company. Founded in 2002, Reputation Inc has spent more than two decades helping organisations understand the stakeholders who shape trust, reputation and long-term success.

 

Edel advises clients across a broad range of reputation, stakeholder engagement and corporate communications challenges, with particular expertise in the highly regulated pharmaceutical, medtech and healthcare sectors. She also leads major reputation intelligence projects across a wide range of industries, helping organisations navigate complexity, manage risk and make stronger strategic decisions.

 

Having worked in EU public affairs in Brussels and in food marketing in Amsterdam, Edel brings a strong international perspective and a deep understanding of stakeholder engagement across markets. She has led a number of international advocacy and communications campaigns and has extensive experience supporting trade associations and representative bodies.

 

Before joining Reputation Inc, Edel held roles with a range of organisations including MedTech Europe, the European Cancer Organisation, Bord Bia and the German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce. She holds a BA in European Studies from the University of Limerick and an MA in European Integration and Public Policy from Queen’s University Belfast.

Sonia Harris Pope

Founder & MD, Harris PR

Sonia established Harris PR in 2009, following a decade in agency PR and three years as a journalist with the Sunday Independent.  Her vision is to provide a truly people centric service, delivering standout creative work that moves the dial, while acting as an extension of client teams.
While taking an active role in client work, alongside running the business, Sonia is responsible for strategic counsel, creative oversight and KPI delivery.  She has advised multinationals, start-ups, NFPs, and more over the course of her career and is deeply committed to advancing the PR industry by investing in talent and building an agency culture rooted in fairness and inclusivity.

Sonia is committed to advancing DEI in the PR Industry, and recently commissioned research and prepared the first benchmark report and toolkit for employers on the state of DEI in PR Ireland.  An active member of the PRII, and co-founder of the DEI PR Bursary now in its third year, Sonia has recently joined the board of the PRCA, and is committed to driving more inclusive hiring and workplace practices throughout the industry.

Ciarán O’Connor

Senior Analyst, Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

Ciarán O’Connor is a Senior Analyst at ISD, working in the Research and Policy unit. Ciarán leads ISD's work in Ireland, where he has co-authored reports and investigations into extremism, disinformation and hate. He was a lead coordinator and researcher on Uisce Faoi Thalamh, the country’s first landscape study of the online ecosystem where mis- and disinformation and conspiracy theories thrive in Ireland. He has represented ISD on multiple parliamentary committees and appears regularly in Irish and international media.

Adebola Olomo

CEO, Zent AI Labs

Adebola Olomo is an AI and marketing strategist working at the intersection of technology, communication, and business transformation, helping organisations navigate the opportunities and challenges of the digital age.

She is the CEO of Zent AI Labs, an artificial intelligence infrastructure and training company that helps organisations build the foundations required to adopt and scale AI responsibly.

Adebola is also the founder of Deefrent Media Agency, a marketing and communications consultancy she has led for over a decade, advising organisations on digital transformation, storytelling, and brand strategy.

She serves as a Director within the global leadership of Women in AI, where she contributes to initiatives advancing responsible innovation, inclusion, and the future of work in an AI-driven world.

Adebola is the author of Marketing with AI and Marketing Across Borders, and regularly guest lectures on artificial intelligence and international marketing to postgraduate students. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Marketing.

Neil Sands

Founder, Halo

Neil Sands is a technology entrepreneur, AI strategist, and former Salesforce executive working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, risk, and digital systems. He is the founder and CEO of Halō, a predictive AI platform transforming how risk is priced, monitored, and managed across insurance and regulated industries.

He previously founded Salesforce Ignite in Silicon Valley, where he spent a decade leading innovation and product development programs for organisations including Disney, Ticketmaster, and the NHS, and has worked with partners such as Forbes, Deloitte, Guy Carpenter, and Markel to build next-generation data and intelligence platforms.

Through his commercial work in Halō, Neil is leading the development of Unmask, an AI platform focused on digital accountability and de-anonymizing harmful actors online. This work is informed by his landmark legal case against the operators of Tattle Life, now a high-profile example of how anonymous platforms can industrialise and monetise online harm. His work explores how AI, law, and system design can be combined to restore accountability in digital environments, and is currently being utilised by legal and law enforcement bodies at the federal level in the United States and beyond.

Neil is previously a 4th generation officer of the Irish Defence Forces, and graduated from NUI Maynooth with a degree in mathematics and statistics, and an MBA from UCD's Smurfit School of Business.

Amy Seigenthaler Pierce

Managing Partner, U.S. and Ireland, FINN Partners Communications

Amy is managing partner for FINN Partners U.S. and Ireland, bringing extensive experience in national and international strategic communications, crisis management, public affairs and diplomacy to the firm's clients. She advises organizations across multiple verticals, from health to professions services to the arts. In addition to her duties at Finn, Amy represents Ireland as Honorary Consul to the state of Tennessee, forging deeper economic and cultural ties between the two communities. 

Prior to her career in communications, Amy worked in the U.S. diplomatic corps as Special Aide to U.S. Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith at the American Embassy in Dublin during the Irish peace process. She began her career as a journalist at regional newspapers in the Boston area. 

Amy serves on the Boards of Music City, Inc., the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Foundation; US-Ireland Alliance; and American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. She also is the Ireland country representative to Sister Cities International. 
 
Amy holds a B.A. in English and minor in American Studies from Boston College and studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, England.
 

Mike Sheridan

Journalist, filmmaker and broadcaster

Mike started his career as a film critic and journalist, before going on to edit Ireland’s leading entertainment and news websites (Entertainment.ie, Joe.ie, Buzz.ie). In 2012, Mike featured in the ultramarathon documentary Challenge 126. In 2013, Mike trained with acclaimed MMA coach Owen Roddy for three months before taking part in his first MMA fight. The journey was documented in the film Barbaric Gentlemen, featuring appearances by Conor McGregor and Dana White. Mike launched The Delve, a podcast interview series, in 2018, featuring guests ranging from Keanu Reeves and Bill Burr to Jordan Peterson, John Bolton, and Amanda Knox, amassing 12 million views across three seasons. Amplified is Sheridan’s directorial debut.

Barry Winkless,

Head of the Future of Work Institute, Cpl Group

Barry is a global thought leader on the future of work, change & evolution. Over the past 25 years he has worked globally with some of the world’s most respected organisations. A frequent author and speaker at numerous client and external events he leads the Future of Work Institute- a multidisciplinary team working globally to question, explore and design future work solutions with organisations. So, he isn’t just a speaker but is actively pushing the frontiers of the future of work every-day in the real world. Recently voted by Onalytica as one of the top 50 global influencers on the future of work, he is also head of the future work world network & host of the future work world podcast.