Partners & Associates
Declan Naughton
Biography
Declan is an experienced HR practitioner with over 35 years’ practice, having worked within the public sector in the Central Bank of Ireland and in the Local Government Management Agency and in his own HR consultancy practice.
Declan has considerable experience of working in the public sector and has particular skills in the areas of Equality and Diversity Management, Dignity and Respect in the Workplace, Performance Management, Recruitment and Selection, Leadership, Learning and Development, Workplace Partnership, Grievance and Disciplinary procedures and Conflict Resolution. He has developed relevant policies and procedures in the public and private sector and has also provided relevant training in those areas.
Declan facilitated the development of the Performance Management Development System in the local authority sector and coached Human Resources Managers on its introduction in the sector.
Declan has worked as a Mediator and Investigator and has extensive experience in mediating and investigating in all types of workplace issues.
Career History
Declan set up his HR Consultancy business in 2005 and has a number of public and private sector clients. His clients include: Tipperary County Council, HIQA, ESB, Teagasc, Comptroller and Auditor General, Office of Government Procurement, Department of Transport, Waterford Institute of Technology (now SETU), Bord na Mona.
He has designed and delivered many training modules on Strategic Human Resources Development, Employment Law, Equality and Diversity Management, Workplace Partnership, Performance Management Systems, Interviewing Techniques, Grievance and Disciplinary procedures, People Leadership and Report Writing.
Declan facilitated the roll out of Performance Management in Waterford Institute of Technology for all staff from Director, Heads of School, Heads of Department, Managers and to all staff. He also provided training in the implementation and operation of Performance Management for Tipperary County Council, Kerry County Council and Bord na Mona. He provides leadership and management training and always includes a performance management module as he believes that performance management is an integral part of the leaders role in providing leadership to workers.
Education & Professional Bodies
- BA Public Administration IPA 1986
- NUI Diploma in Training and Education on Equality and Diversity in the Workplace, 2004
- Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management since 2005
- Diploma in Business Studies 1979
Vera Costello
Biography
Vera is a Work and Organisational psychologist who specialises in helping individuals navigate work transitions, whether they are returning to work after a period of absence, changing careers, or seeking new opportunities. Using a collaborative and strength-based approach, vera partners with clients to provide personalised career counseling, job search strategy development, interview coaching, and onboarding support.
Vera leverages her 20 years track record in running a successful business in a highly regulated environment, and her academic qualifications in psychology and business studies to optimise the service that she provides to clients.
Vera's professional experience spans career transition consultancy, project and programme management in the public sector, and team leadership. Having completed her undergraduate in psychology in the 1990s, Vera went on to set up and lead two daycare facilities with flexible cover for 100 children with 30 staff that used the synergy of staff knowledge to become a respected creche in the community.
The skills that Vera has finessed and drawn on throughout here business career have been business development, market strategy and research, budgeting, motivational coaching, leadership and change management, cross-functional interpersonal communication, and analytical and problem-solving skills. Teamwork skills, assessment and selection of staff communication, and relationship-building skills with staff, clients, and government bodies were also day-to-day activities. Managing the ongoing performance and personal and professional development of her team, were pivotal in the success of her business, as well as all subsequent teams she had led.
Education and Professional qualifications
- MSc in Organisational Psychology - Dublin City University
- Advanced diploma in personal, leadership and executive coaching - Kingston College
- Certificates in Psychometric Assessment, B.P.S. - Enact
- Postgraduate Diploma in Business Studies - Smurfit Business School
- BA Arts in Psychology - University College Dublin
- Emotional intelligence self-report administration - Rochemartin
- Quintax
- Certificate, Training, Delivery, and evaluation - Open college
AFFILIATIONS
- Psychological Society of Ireland
- PSI conference committee, and DWOP committee.
- Member of EMCC.
- British Psychology Society, Professional women’s network.
Jackie McCann
Biography
Jackie is a Learning & Development specialist and entrepreneur. Following a 30 year career running a successful office services and supplies business, 21 years of which included running a busy post office, Jackie has moved in to freelancing as an expert facilitator and educator since 2022. Throughout her business career, Jackie pursued her passion for education and development as an educator with the education and training boards, where she taught and facilitated a broad range of topics from elementary IT skills to customer relations and retail skills.
Jackie has a wealth of knowledge in the area of digital platforms and AI to agument learning and development, and she uses these skills to good effect to create highly interactive and participative virtual and in-person training programmes. Jackie has experience facilitating to the broadest range of audiences, from participants engaging in adult education programmes, to country directors of humanitarian aid programmes.
The skills that Jackie has honed through the years are, general business management and development, marketing, budgeting, financial control, leadership and change management, analytical and problem-solving skills. Team leadership, recruitment, training and ongoing performance management & development of staff. Relationship-building with staff, clients, and professional bodies alike.
Education and Professional Qualifications
- Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design
- Online-Digital Learning institute. Accredited through Glasgow Caledonian University
- 2009 – 2010 Honours Degree in Education and Training
- 2008 – 2009 Diploma in Education and Training
- 2000 - 2001 JEB - Certificate in Computer Training.
Continuous Professional Development:
- 2021 DigCap PD Certified - Associates level- Training tutors to deliver quality online digital classes using the Microsoft office 365 platform and other online apps.
- 2021 Eportfolios – Pilot scheme for selected tutors to help develop the concept of submitting end of year assignments and exams digitally using OneNote and ClassNotebook.
- 2020 Adobe InDesign – Via eCollege, PD course for IT tutors
- 2014 Advanced ECDL -ICS Skills, Balsbridge, Dublin.
- 2014 IPAD - Training for teachers (course run by KWETB).
- 2013 Smart VET – Interactive White Board training for teachers
- 2010 “Digital Cre8or” Trainers Cert; FAS / IADT.
- 2008 ECDL Trainers Cert; ICS Skills, Balsbridge, Dublin.
Tina Dullaghan
Biography
Tina spent 17 years in the pharmaceutical industry, 5 years in sales and then 12 years as a learning and development consultant. Tina has been lucky enough to have travelled the world with her various roles, working with leaders in many different marketplaces.
In 2017 set up her own business in coaching and development to fulfil a desire to help and support individuals explore and be their best self. Tina uses evidence-based research, especially in the field of Positive Psychology and evaluation to measure the effectiveness and sustainability of her programmes.
Tina started her career in the Royal Air Force where she was in the RAF police. Away from the office, hockey plays a large part in her life and although no longer playing Tina is the Team Manager of Wimbledon Women’s 1st Team. Tina lives in West London and also spends a lot of her time in the Lake District.
Tina is certified in a wide range of psychometrics and practices:
- Executive Coaching Diploma § (ICF) ACC
- LEGO Serious Play Facilitator
- Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner
- Insights Discovery Accreditation
- Emotional Capital Report 360 Accreditation
- Engage Coaching accreditation
- Systemic Team Coaching certificate
Anna Connolly
Biography
Anna is a Chartered Work and Organisational psychologist with a strong background in learning and development in both the corporate and public sector.
Prior to training as an organisational psychologist, Anna worked in senior management roles with Ericsson in learning and service delivery. Combining her business background and psychological knowledge, Anna is passionate about delivering practical and evidence-based solutions to managers and employees to create a sustainable business advantage.
Anna currently delivers coaching, training and consultancy services to both public and private sector companies and is currently chair of the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Division of Work and Organisational Psychology.
Anna’s interests include
- Human behaviour and decision making and how it impacts us in the workplace.
- Building creative, innovative, diverse and inclusive workplaces.
- Coaching to facilitate people to reach their potential in leadership, technical and sales roles.
- How managers can positively impact employee performance and well-being, the psychology of work-related stress ( incl. bullying and harassment) and resilience
- Psychology of consumer decision making
Dermot Rush Chartered Psychologist B.P.S / APSI
Biography
Dermot has over 30 years professional experience in a career spanning working as a psychologist in education & health; working as a General Manager in the NHS, UK; running SHL Ireland an Occupational Psychology professional services firm; leading an organisation psychology consulting company The Performance Partnership
As a Consultant:
Dermot is particularly good at quickly understanding the critical success factors for an organisation, business, team or individual and then figuring out what the consequential performance and people management issues are. Dermot's background in managing commercial businesses, general management and strategic HRM all contribute to his business understanding. This also helps Dermot in proposing credible business focused solutions.
As a Psychologist:
Dermot is Level A & B trained and accredited to use Saville Consulting, SHL, BarOn EQ and the Hogan Assessment Questionnaires. Dermot has extensive experience of designing ACDC interventions, custom designing high level management exercises and simulations. He also hasextensive experience of executive assessments and 360 interventions.
As a Trainer:
Dermot has experience of delivering a wide range of management training and he is particularly strong in the areas of Creative & Group Problem Solving, High Performance Teams, Coaching, Change Management, Appreciative Inquiry and Performance Management & Development Techniques. Dermot also specialises in designing customised assessment & development exercises and Managers Self Development Guides
As a Coach:
Demort provides coaching to senior managers and executives using a range of coaching models and techniques to suit the coaching context. This coaching works on a continuum from developmental to problem solving coaching. Dermot provides training to organisations on the development of in-house coaching culture and capabilities. This includes organisation development interventions as well as training managers and team leaders in basic coaching skills.
As a Manager:
Dermot has both business management and people management skills. He managed a HRM consultancy with 40 staff as well as a health service division [NHS- UK] with a significant direct and indirect head count and a multimillion pound budget.