Change by Degrees

Madeleine spent six years in academia tutoring, teaching, writing and researching as an archaeologist in the School of Archaeology UCD and the National Museum of Ireland. She worked for many years as an Archaeological Manager in the private sector. Madeleine is an expert in employee sustainability engagement, and narrative crafting and messaging, and is passionate about helping businesses create and tell their sustainability stories. She was runner up in the Sustainability Champion of the Year category at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2024. Madeleine has a Diploma in UX Design making her the first Irish sustainability adviser to use sustainability and UX as a problem-solving tool for business.

Tara spent 20 years as an international climate change negotiator and communicator, and special advisor to Mary Robinson Foundation. She is Chair of the Board of the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED), a board member at Enterprise Ireland, and a member of faculty for the visibility stream of Homeward Bound, a global leadership programme for women in science. Tara was awarded STEM Woman of the Year 2024 and PwC/Business Post Sustainable Business Leader of the Year 2024. She is a science communicator, broadcaster and TV presenter, seen on BBC, RTÉ and Channel 4. She is the proud author of ‘How to Save Your Planet One Object At A Time’ published in April 2020 by Simon and Schuster.

Ciarán is a lecturer in Enterprise and Sustainability in the School of Marketing at Technological University Dublin (TUD). He spent 12 years working in London and Dublin in sustainability strategy development, reporting and communications for organisations including PwC, L’Oréal and ActionAid. He has a PhD in chemistry having worked with Teagasc to develop new technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and a certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge. Ciarán is a board member at Screen Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland.