In the wake of 2020 International Women’s Day, our next Accreate Invites event will pose the questions:

1. Are we in danger of gender diversity fatigue?
2. Has it been talked to death with little real impact?
3. What effect does being female have on our careers?
4. Is it leading to ‘Identity Threat’?

Accreate is hosting a small gathering of industry leaders for an evening of discussion in the company of our distinguished panel:

1. Breege O’ Donoghue
2. Orla Mitchell
3. Caroline Littleton

as they talk about their lived experience of being female in their careers - did it help or hinder? What has their experience been of gender balance and parity within their own organisations? What measures or programmes have they developed or witnessed that worked/didn’t work?

Our panel will share their insights on the evening followed by open peer-to-peer consideration and discussion (Chatham House Rules apply).

Breege O’Donoghue

Breege has until recently been a Board Member & Group Director for Business Development & New Markets at Primark, and after 37 years, now continues in an ambassadorial role, is a trustee of Primark Better Lives Foundation, and a trustee of the Primark Pension Plan.

A graduate of UCD, and a Chartered Director, Breege is currently Chair of the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group, Chair of Real World Analytics, Chair of The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, Non-Executive Director of Fáilte Ireland, Non-Executive Director of Shaw & Sons Ltd, a board member of the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Irish Advisory Board, and a member of the Outside Appointments Board (Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour).

Breege has held government-appointed positions on the board of a number of state companies including An Post, Aer Rianta, Chair of Shannon College of Hotel Management, Chair of the Labour Relations Commission, and has been a Trustee and a Council Member of the National Executive of IBEC, and was the first Chairperson of Retail Ireland, a specialised retail structure within IBEC.

Most recently Breege has been honoured as follows:

2019

• RDS Gold Medal Award for Enterprise
• The Irish Times Top 1,000 Distinguished Leader in Business Award

2017 – UCD Business – Smurfit Patrons of Excellence

2016

• Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa), Dublin Institute of Technology
• Fashion Retailing Personality of the Year, Drapers UK
• Irish Tatler Women of the Year, Hall of Fame Award
• Ireland’s Most Powerful Women, Top 25, Davy Business Leaders Award
• Chevalier of The Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur by President François Hollande
• Iconic Businesswomen of the Decade’ at the Women Economic Forum, New Delhi

2015

• UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School, New York Honoree
• UCD Quinn School ‘Alumna of the Year’ Award, Dublin

2014 – The Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award IMAGE

2011 – Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Business Award

Caroline Littleton

Director Talent, Leadership & Inclusion, Kerry Group

The Kerry Group is a global leader in taste and nutrition employing 25,000 people, working in operations across 140 locations around the world. Since joining the Kerry Group in 2017, Caroline has been working to develop and embed strategic talent management practices and build organisational skills and core capabilities to enable continued growth and future success for Kerry. Caroline is passionate and committed to fostering a great place to work, where people can be at their best, develop their potential and contribute to shared success.

 

Prior to joining Kerry, Caroline was Head of People and Organisational Capability in Vodafone Ireland, where she worked for over ten years. She spent the early part of her career in consulting working with clients in the public and private sector across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Caroline is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and qualified Business and Executive Coach. She is currently co-chair of the Agri-Food Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, a Bord Bia initiative in partnership with AON and the 30% club, working to promote diversity and inclusion in the Irish Food and Drinks sector

Orla Mitchell

Orla Mitchell is a seasoned international businesswoman and Marketer with a career characterised by working on many of the world’s best-loved brands and across multiple geographies and cultures.

Following her education in UCG and Masters in International Marketing in UCD, Orla spent a few years in consulting before starting her Consumer Goods career with Nestle Ireland followed by Kerry Foods. Orla joined Mars Inc in 2001 and worked with this world-leading business for 18 years before leaving them last summer. From local markets to global teams, the Petcare category to Food and then Confectionery Orla is known for her strategic clarity, unwrapping brand stories and innovations to delight consumers and sustainably drive business growth and value. In her last role with Mars Inc Orla was Global President of the Gum & Mints Business Unit for Mars Wrigley based in Chicago. She led the strategic development and growth of some of the World’s most loved brands from Orbit, Extra, 5, Doublemint, Skittles to name a few. Orla was also a key member of the global Leadership team for Mars Wrigley, the world’s leading Confectionery company and previously sat on the Global Food Leadership team and Global Marketing CMO team that led the transformation of Mars Marketing to its current world-class status as evidenced by business performance and multiple global Marketing awards from Effies to Cannes Lions, including Mars consistently being the most awarded company for creative excellence and marketing effectiveness. Orla has a passion for business legacy and people development being very conscious of the positive impact she seeks to leave on business but importantly her teams.

After taking a few months off and driven by a desire to return home to Ireland Orla joined WaterWipes as Chief Brand Officer in February 2020. “I am really excited to be home and look forward to giving something back to Irish business and brands by being part of an exciting family-owned company with a phenomenal recent Global growth story. I am proud to become part of the exciting next chapter on a disruptive brand born from passion and purpose which is not afraid to disrupt its category with agility and authenticity. Of course, along the way through being the only female member of the Executive Team and Board and leading by example, I hope to be a positive voice and role model for not only the women in the business but business and leadership capability for those at exciting and earlier stages of their careers”