As a not-for-profit charitable status company, the Marie Keating Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors

The Marie Keating Foundation is a registered charity in Ireland (ROI company number 342695, Charity number CHY 12916 RCN 20038953) with our headquarters at Workways, Office 26, Block 5, High Street, Dublin 24.

The Board of Directors meets six times a year to guide the Foundation through strategic decisions and planning, as well as financial and organisational assessments. The Board of Directors also sets pay rates for senior staff.

Chairperson of the Board

Derek McKay

Derek McKay, BBS, Chartered MCIPD, is an experienced Human Resource and Employment Law practitioner who has worked extensively in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

Derek McKay, BBS, Chartered MCIPD, is an experienced Human Resource and Employment Law practitioner who has worked extensively in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

Since founding Adare Human Resource Management in 2003, Derek has overseen the growth of the business to become one of Ireland’s leading HR, Employment Law and Industrial Relations Consultancies. In 2022, Derek changed roles from Managing Director to joining the Board of Directors. Derek regularly speaks at seminars for companies and associations throughout the country on HR and Employment related topics and contributes to numerous publications in this area also. Prior to setting up Adare Human Resource Management, Derek worked in the Human Resource Departments in a number of multinational organisations.

Derek is currently a member of the CIPD National Committee and a member of Workplace and Skills Taskforce with Chambers Ireland.

Derek is married to Evelyn and has three children.

Director

Annette Hickey

Annette Hickey is PayPal’s Vice President of Global Operations for EMEA & English Speaking Markets. She leads a large and diverse team of passionate customer champions, as well as PayPal’s Global Partners who serve customers around the world.

Annette Hickey is PayPal’s Vice President of Global Operations for EMEA & English Speaking Markets. She leads a large and diverse team of passionate customer champions, as well as PayPal’s Global Partners who serve customers around the world.

Her teams strive to deliver effortless customer experiences and are trailblazers when it comes to developing and enhancing PayPal’s customer support solutions. A firm believer in the importance of reward and recognition, Annette has devised a number of reward programmes to help increase employee engagement and encourage innovation.

Annette is a huge advocate for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and was instrumental in launching PayPal’s LGBTQ+ network, PayPal Pride, and ‘D&I Week’ as an initiative within the organisation. She chairs PayPal’s EMEA Total Inclusion Roundtable, helping to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging throughout the region. She also sits on the boards of PayPal Europe and the PayPal Charity Board ‘PayPal Gives’

Throughout her career, Annette has been a creative and influential leader, and a driving force behind many successful initiatives, transformations, and growth initiatives at PayPal. In recent years, she has received recognition for her individual and leadership contributions, including ‘Industry Professional of the Year’ and ‘Contact Centre of the Year’ from the Contact Centre Management Association of Ireland.

Prior to PayPal, Annette worked at Vodafone and Eir where she established a reputation for delivering value by placing both the customer and the employee at the centre of decision-making and business strategy.

Outside of work, Annette enjoys tennis and Pilates. She is a mum to two boys and an avid Dublin GAA fan.

Claire Power

Director

Claire is a Director at KPMG, specialising in audit and assurance for financial services clients in insurance and asset management. With over 15 years at KPMG, she is passionate about supporting women leaders and entrepreneurs.
Like many others, having experienced cancer within her immediate and extended family, Claire was motivated to join the Board and supports the MKF vision. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reformer pilates, spinning, and travelling.

Assistant Chairperson of the Board

Dermot Nolan

Dermot founded Moondance Business Consultants in 2011, specializing in strategy, marketing and project management. Previously, he was an Executive at Bank of Ireland, spending 20 years across a variety of roles, including marketing, digital marketing and online channels.

Dermot founded Moondance Business Consultants in 2011, specializing in strategy, marketing and project management. Previously, he was an Executive at Bank of Ireland, spending 20 years across a variety of roles, including marketing, digital marketing and online channels.

Dermot has served as a Non-Executive Director for the Irish Payment Services Organisation (now part of BPFI), the UK Payment Council, the Irish Internet Association and Vita, an Irish charity working in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

His qualifications include an MBA from UCD, a Marketing Degree, a Post-Graduate certificate in Digital Marketing & Social Media from Harvard University and a Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership from UCD.

Dermot is the proud Dad of Ben (15) and Tom (12); he is also an avid Leinster supporter and occasionally plays golf (badly). With his wife Ann, they has visited over 50 countries and dream of visiting 50 more.

Director

Kathy O’Donnell

Kathy joined Gong in September in 2021 shortly after they established their EMEA Headquarters in Dublin. She is helping to scale up European operations and promote the revenue intelligence platform to enterprises across Europe.

Kathy joined Gong in September in 2021 shortly after they established their EMEA Headquarters in Dublin. She is helping to scale up European operations and promote the revenue intelligence platform to enterprises across Europe.

She has over 20 years’ experience of B2B marketing in the tech industry at Dropbox, Progress Software and IONA Technologies.

Kathy grew up in Donegal, studied International Business and languages at University of Ulster and has worked in 7 countries. Kathy lives in Dublin with her husband, Stephen.

Director

Gavin O’Flaherty

Gavin is a partner in the Corporate Department of M&A Ireland and has extensive transactional experience over 24
years. He has an extensive practice area in advising on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, venture capital and private equity investments. Within his general corporate and M&A practice Gavin has a particular sectoral focus on advising emerging, technology, agri-food and healthcare companies.

Gavin is a partner in the Corporate Department of M&A Ireland and has extensive transactional experience over 24 years. He has an extensive practice area in advising on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations, venture capital and private equity investments. Within his general corporate and M&A practice Gavin has a particular sectoral focus on advising emerging, technology, agri-food and healthcare companies. Gavin has extensive experience of advising on joint venture and shareholder agreements. He also regularly advises on all aspects of foreign direct investment into Ireland and establishment of corporate operations in Europe.
Working closely with his taxation colleagues, Gavin uses his legal and taxation expertise to advise on all aspects of intra-group reorganisations, restructurings and transformations.
Gavin also acts as standing counsel to large foreign corporates on their Irish legal needs such as Virtus Health, Pollen Street Capital and Avery Dennison and also to Irish corporates such as Arachas Corporate Brokers and Planet Payment.
He also regularly advises directors, companies and public entities on matters of corporate governance and obligations under legislation including, in particular, the Companies Act 2014 on which he has advised the boards of several listed companies. He is a very active member of the Business Law Committee of the Law Society where he is leading the Committee’s revision of esignature and its effects.
Director

Michelle Condell

Michelle brings over 25 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and is currently a Senior Director at Takeda. Her career spans a range of roles across Ireland and Europe, working closely with cross functional teams to support clear decision making and effective leadership. She brings a values driven approach to governance and leadership, with a strong focus on enabling teams to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Michelle brings over 25 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and is currently a Senior Director at Takeda. Her career spans a range of roles across Ireland and Europe, working closely with cross functional teams to support clear decision making and effective leadership. She brings a values driven approach to governance and leadership, with a strong focus on enabling teams to deliver meaningful outcomes.

A dietitian by profession, qualifying from Trinity College Dublin in 1995, Michelle holds postgraduate qualifications including a BA in Business Studies, a Diploma in Health Economics, and most recently a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.

Both professionally and personally, Michelle is deeply committed to patient engagement, empowerment, and improving health outcomes. As a cancer survivor, advocacy for patients and continued improvement in cancer services are particularly close to her heart. The Marie Keating Foundation’s values and mission strongly align with Michelle’s own personal values.
Michelle is married to Mark and is a mum to two teenagers, Ben and Rebecca.

Director

Andy Mc Farlane

Andy founded Lumina Advisory in 2025, specialising in providing advice to clients on governance, strategy and outsourcing.
Prior to that, Andy spent 3 years as the Chief Operating Officer of Allied Irish Bank, and has over 25 years experience working primarily in the financial services sector in banks and management consulting firms.

Andy founded Lumina Advisory in 2025, specialising in providing advice to clients on governance, strategy and outsourcing.
Prior to that, Andy spent 3 years as the Chief Operating Officer of Allied Irish Bank, and has over 25 years experience working primarily in the financial services sector in banks and management consulting firms.
His international career has spanned Canada, Australia, England and Ireland, and he has held posts in Accenture, Payments Canada and Bank of Ireland
Andy holds a Bachelor of Business (Banking & Finance) and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Andy has been partnering with Marie Keating Foundation since 2022 - when in AIB, 2 groups were established to focus on employees returning to work after fighting cancer, and to support AIB staff dealing with cancer in their family - these groups were formed and operate with the support of MKF.
Andy is married to his wife Leonie, and has 3 kids - Emily, Michael and Jamie.
Director

Gary Keating

Gary Keating is the Managing Director of GK Events and PR and Keating’s Cards. With extensive experience in the entertainment industry, Gary is known for his expertise in event planning, negotiation, customer service, advertising, and business development.

Gary is also a co-founder of the Marie Keating Foundation, which was established 26 years ago following the tragic passing of his mother, Marie, from breast cancer.

Gary Keating is the Managing Director of GK Events and PR and Keating’s Cards. With extensive experience in the entertainment industry, Gary is known for his expertise in event planning, negotiation, customer service, advertising, and business development.

Gary is also a co-founder of the Marie Keating Foundation, which was established 26 years ago following the tragic passing of his mother, Marie, from breast cancer. The Keating family set up the Foundation in Marie’s name and it is passionately committed to ensuring that access to free, lifesaving cancer information and support is available to all people in Ireland. The Foundation, our Board and the Keating family remain committed to this goal.

Gary holds a Business Degree focused in International Business from Iona College in New Rochelle, NY.

In his personal life, Gary is married to Valerie and has two sons Dylan and Josh.

Patron

Ronan Keating

Ronan Keating is the youngest of Marie Keating’s five children. He is a recording artist, singer-songwriter, and musician, who toured the world alongside his four band mates as the lead singer of Boyzone starting in 1994. He has also had a successful solo career and released 9 albums.

Appointed May 2001.

Ronan Keating is the youngest of Marie Keating’s five children. He is a recording artist, singer-songwriter, and musician, who toured the world alongside his four band mates as the lead singer of Boyzone starting in 1994. He has also had a successful solo career and released 9 albums.

Ronan has worked tirelessly for cancer awareness since founding the Marie Keating Foundation in his mother’s name alongside his siblings and father in 1998, and launching the Foundation’s mobile units in 2001.

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