H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Japanese Ambassador to Ireland
The Ireland Japan Association would like to acknowledge the gracious support of our Patron, Japanese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama.
Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair/ATTS
Catherine established ATTS Travel Representation Solutions in 2002. The company provides a portfolio of cost-effective international services including sales, marketing, PR, finance and IT to the travel and tourism industry. Aviation is part of her DNA having had a successful career in management with international airlines such as British Airways, Qantas, SWISS and the Lufthansa Group.
Catherine graduated from Trinity College with a B.Sc. Management, M.A. and also holds a H.Dip. in Management Law (TU Dublin), Cert. in Marketing (UCD), H. Dip. Digital Marketing (DCU) and in 2022 completed a Dip. In Aircraft Leasing and Finance (Law Society of Ireland).
Catherine has a strong interest in Japan including its cultures and traditions since she spent three months studying in Japan and has visited the country on several more occasions. Catherine has been a Council member for two years.
Tsugumi Yamamoto
Tsugumi works in Japanese renewable energy startup, Exergy Power Systems, as a Financial Controller. She is a Japan Certified Public Accountant with advisory experiences to Multinational Corporations. Prior to joining Exergy group, Tsugumi worked in Deloitte Tokyo and Grant Thornton Ireland, gaining a wide range of experience in Audit, IPO and Process improvements.
Tsugumi holds a MBA from University College of Dublin. A strong believer in the power of learning, Tsugumi regularly joins book club and conversation club to learn by books and by people. As a working mum to a little girl, Tsugumi aims to balance family, personal and work life.
Raymond Hegarty
Raymond is a company director and IP (intellectual property) strategist. He is the first Irish person to be recognized by Intellectual Asset Magazine as one of the world’s Top 300 IP strategists.
He has lived and worked in Japan for 5 years and has had a long involvement with the Ireland Japan Association on cultural and business subcommittees as well as Council membership and several terms as chairperson.
Raymond has a BE, MBA and a postgraduate diploma in European law from the National University of Ireland as well as an LLM in intellectual property law from the University of Strasbourg (France).
Azumi Uchitani, ElectroRoute
Azumi is a global business & communication consultant, with over 25 years of experience in international business development, specializing in bridging the cultural gap between Japan and the West. Currently works at ElectroRoute in Dublin.
In addition to her career in business, Azumi is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, educator and public speaker. She was a founder of Japanese SALON art & culture in the Netherlands. She is an active member of the art & culture community in New York and across Europe, Her expertise and insights have been shared with audiences around the world through her TEDx talks and her YouTube channel "5 minutes on Japanese wisdom”.
Azumi has lived in several countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, and now enjoys living in Dublin again. Azumi is delighted to be a part of Ireland Japan Association.
Brian Marconi, JTI
Brian is Communications and Community Investment Manager with Japan Tobacco International in Ireland, a role which includes managing the company’s internal and external communications and corporate philanthropy programme. He joined JTI in 2014 after holding a number of roles in communications and media in Ireland, before which he gained a BA from Griffith College Dublin and an MA from University College Dublin.
In 2011, Brian fulfilled a long standing ambition to visit Japan during a stint working in South Korea. This interest continues today, leading him to the IJA via his current role with JTI.
Eva Reavley, Individual Member
Eva has been fascinated by Japanese culture since childhood. Proving she could learn Italian was a gateway to studying International Business and Japanese at UU. A student scholarship to Sapporo resulted in a love for Hokkaido, and a thesis on the deregulation of telecom industry, and a return to Asahikawa City Hall as a CIR on the JET program. Promoting Ireland was part of the role, with another mission to Japan with Tourism Ireland and as a tour leader on a cruise of the inland sea with Stanford and Smithsonian. An interest in entrepreneurship led to doing a course in New Venture Mechanics at the University of Texas.
Currently an aspiring novelist and travel content writer.
Darina Slattery, Unique Japan Tours
Darina first joined the council of the Ireland Japan Association in 2008 and subsequently sat as chairperson from 2009-2011.
Her passion for Japan began in her teens, where she graduated with a BA in Business Studies and Japanese from University of Ulster in 2000, of which one year was spent at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo. She continued her education at the Smurfit School of Business and graduated with an MBS in International Marketing in 2003 which soon after, led to her setting up her own companies, Japan Ireland Travel (JIT) & Unique Japan Tours (UJT).
UJT are now Europe’s leading Japan travel expert company offering holidays of all types (groups, tailor-made, independent) for any nationality going to Japan while JIT welcomes Japanese people into Ireland on private, individual, and tailor-made holidays all over Ireland. 2017 will mark the celebration of Darina and her team’s 10 years in business.
Hiro Ino, Individual Member
Hiro Ino is a Practising Solicitor, qualified in both Republic of Ireland and England and Wales as well as a Notary Public in Ireland. Currently Principal Solicitor of his own firm, Hiro Ino & Co. Solicitors, which is a general practice with a speciality in Immigration Law from Irish and European Union law perspective.
Hiro has been residing in Ireland for over 30 years, initially arriving as the family member of expatriate in Kilala, Co. Mayo and went through the Irish educational system, eventually qualifying as a Solicitor in 2011. He has been pro-active within the Irish-Japanese relationship scene by being previously the Council Member of the Ireland Japan Association for 9 years as well as a Vice-Chairperson of the Japanese Business Society of Ireland. Also, Hiro has been involved as a committee member of the Experience Japan event for 7 years to date.
Settled in Skerries, Co. Dublin with his Irish wife (from Co. Kerry) with their two children, Ireland is firmly his “home".
Jonathan Kelly, Individual Member
Jonathan‘s interest in Japan blossomed after studying medieval Japanese history at university. Following the completion of his primary degree, he was accepted onto the JET Programme in Japan. Through this programme he was able to call Kanazawa City his home for 3 years. Following a brief return to Ireland, he headed back to Kanazawa to work in tourism for one year. With the onset on of the pandemic, he returned to university to obtain a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy.
Jonathan will relocate to Tokyo for an exciting role with Enterprise Ireland in late 2022. His personal interests include (road bike) cycling, reading, and entrepreneurship.
Laura Goonan, Dillon Eustace
Laura is an Associate in the Asset Management and Investment Funds Group of Dillon Eustace and is a graduate of UCD, TCD and the Law Society of Ireland. Laura is qualified as a solicitor in Ireland and acts for a number of Japanese financial institutions with respect to financial services regulation in Ireland.
In December 2000, Dillon Eustace opened its first overseas office in Tokyo to support its Japanese client base. Since its establishment, Dillon Eustace has consistently been the law firm of choice for the majority of Japanese financial institutions seeking to use Ireland as a gateway to Europe. Dillon Eustace has also advised Japanese companies on property, construction, aviation, employment and corporate issues in Ireland.
Pamela Connell, BOI Corporate Banking
Pamela is an Assistant Vice President of the Foreign Direct Investment team within Bank of Ireland. Pamela is a graduate of the University of Limerick with a Bachelor of Business Studies.
Bank of Ireland’s Foreign Direct Investment team specialise in supporting international companies in setting up their European operation in Ireland. Bank of Ireland has been the bank of choice for FDI customers working with 2 out of every 3 international companies coming to Ireland including a number of Japanese customers.
Pamela has always had a keen interest in Japan and Japanese culture, and was able to travel to Japan in 2019 where she visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya.
Paula Kelly, Individual Member
A graduate of Carysfort College, U.C.D. and Trinity College, Paula is a qualified Primary School teacher. She is Deputy Principal in St. Anne’s N.S., Shankill. She has a Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics.
Paula’s connection with Japan began when she worked in Kusatsu City in Shiga Ken as a JET programme participant, working in three high schools. She also worked for a year at Tsukuba International School, as Principal Teacher. Upon returning to Ireland, she joined the Irish branch of JET Alumni Association and was Chairperson for a number of years. She represented Ireland at the international conferences and served as the first Chairperson of IJETAA.
She joined the Ireland Japan Association and served as Chairperson for three years from 2004 – 2007. She has an avid interest in Japanese language and culture and has been a member of IJA’s study committee since 2015.
Stephen Mullin, Cpl Resources
Cpl Resources is a Global Irish company founded by CEO Anne Heraty. It is a recognised leader in temporary and permanent recruitment and has offices all over the island of Ireland as well as multiple locations across the globe including the US, UK and Europe. Cpl Resources has 41 offices in 11 different countries. Stephen Mullin, Group Sales Director, works with International and Irish companies across the Cpl Resources Global network.
Stephen actively supports companies setting up EMEA Operations in Ireland and across Europe. He has special responsibility for FDI Clients working on extensive ramp ups as well as start-up entities. Stephen has been with Cpl Resources for six years and prior to that headed up International Corporate Banking Teams in two different international Banks. His Team work with Domestic and International clients across the entire Cpl Group creating bespoke talent solutions tailored to their needs. Cpl Resources was acquired by the Japanese Headquartered Firm Outsourcing Inc (OSI) in January 2021 and is a 100% subsidiary of the OSI Company.
Verity Swan, Individual Member
Verity, who is a teacher by profession, was Deputy Principal of a large girls’ secondary school in Dublin. Subsequently she undertook educational research in Trinity College Dublin receiving her doctorate in 2010 in the area of leadership and learning.
As a member of Rotary International, she was the first female to be District Governor of Rotary Ireland (2013/2014) actively promoting Rotary International’s work in peace initiatives, humanitarian projects and educational opportunities. In 2009 Verity was asked to lead a Rotary Group Study Exchange Team to Matsue, Japan. The experience of Japanese life and culture which the five-member team (Verity and the four non-Rotarians who were in the first years of their careers) enjoyed, has led in each case to a life-long interest in Japan.
On return to Ireland, Verity became a member of the Ireland Japan Association, and having served for three years on the IJA Council (2015 - 2018) is pleased to have been elected for a second term. Having re-visited Japan in 2016, she hopes to make a third visit in 2020.
Yasuyuki Ozeki, JETRO
JETRO, or the Japan External Trade Organization, is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Originally established in 1958 to promote Japanese exports abroad, JETRO’s core focus in the 21st century has shifted toward promoting foreign direct investment into Japan and helping small to medium size Japanese firms maximize their global export potential. In Ireland,
Yasuyuki Ozeki works for JETRO. On a personal level, Yasuyuki is known for his epic cycling journey from Japan to Ireland in 1998.