To celebrate International Women’s Day on Wednesday
March the 8th 2017, Villiers School is hosting a breakfast
conference themed BE BOLD FOR CHANGE. A series of presentations will be given
by inspirational female leaders from the Limerick region in the areas of
business, health, academia and the arts. We are delighted to welcome Professor
Colette Cowan CEO UL Hospital Group, Ms. Rose Hynes CEO Shannon Group, Ms. Judi
Curtin, Author and Dr. Wynette Redington UL Governing Authority.
Conference Speakers
Professor Colette Cowan was appointed
Chief Executive Officer of UL Hospitals Group in November 2014. She leads an
organisation providing services to some 400,000 people in the Mid-West and with
a workforce of approximately 3,500 staff spread across six sites in Limerick,
Clare and Tipperary.
Colette brings to the role 29 years of
experience in the health services.
Colette is
adjunct professor of nursing and midwifery at NUI Galway. She has a MSc in
Business and Management at the Institute of Public Administration.
Rose Hynes was appointed as Chairperson of
the Shannon Group Board on its incorporation on the 29th August 2014. She
chairs Shannon Group’s Remuneration Sub-Committee and Property and Investment
Sub-Committee. She was appointed to the Board of Shannon Airport Authority as
Chairperson Designate in November 2012 and was appointed Chairperson in January
2013. Rose is also Chairperson of Origin Enterprises plc and is a non-executive
director of a number of other companies in various sectors including Total
Produce plc and One Fifty One plc. Rose is a lawyer and was a member of the
senior management team in GPA for many years. GPA was one of the world’s
largest lessors and financiers of aircraft. She is also a former Chairperson of
Bord Gais/Ervia and former non-executive director of Bank of Ireland, Fyffes
plc and Aer Lingus. She is a law graduate of University College Dublin and is a
native of Clare. Rose was awarded the Davy Business Leader’s award in the Most
Powerful Women Top 25 Awards 2016. 
Judi
Curtin is the best-selling author of the 'Alice and Megan' series, the 'Eva'
series and several other books. Judi's new series, beginning with Time After
Time, is about Beth and Molly, accidental time-travelling best friends.
She is a graduate of UCC, where she studied English and German. From
there she went to St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, to train as a national
school teacher. She taught in Cork, Portlaoise and Limerick. Her first novel, Sorry, Walter was published
by Tivoli in March 2003. This year Julie was
chosen to write a special book for World Book Day Book 2017. Fast Forward,
featuring her characters Molly and Beth, joins other WBD titles including work
by Jacqueline Wilson, David Walliams and Enid Blyton.