ULI Ireland Annual Conference 2025

When

2025-05-14 - 2025-05-15

Choose Your Calendar

    Where

    Townhall,1WML Will open in a new window Windmill Lane 2 Dublin IRELAND
    The conference offers two registration options: Dinner & Conference (May 14–15) and Conference Only (May 15). Please note that dinner capacity is limited; places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The fees listed on the website are for the Conference-only option. Click the registration button to view all fee options or contact [email protected] for more information.

    The ULI Ireland Annual Conference will take place on the 15th of May to foster open dialogue, feature keynote presentations, and offer thought leadership sessions with real estate and urban development leaders from Ireland and beyond, backed by the ULI global network of over 45,000 members.


    The theme of the 2025 annual conference is "Delivering Ireland's Future - The Role of Capital Markets & Technology in Delivering Vital National Infrastructure".

    Join ULI members alongside a professional community of developers, investors, urban planners, designers, public officers, and other influential figures as we shape the future of the built environment to drive transformative community impact worldwide.

     

    Full Programme Here.

     

    PROGRAMME

    14 May | Pre-Conference Leadership Dinner | 19:00 - 22:00 

     

    Kindly hosted by

     

    15 May | Main Conference Day | 07:45 - 13:30

    07:45 Registration & Welcome Coffee

    08:30 Welcome Address

    08:40 Opening Address

    09:00 Setting the Scene - Putting Ireland in Context

    09:20 Capital Markets Discussion - European Overview & Ireland's Relative Attractiveness as an Investment Location

    10:00 Fireside Chat on Planning and its role in delivering change

    10:30 Coffee Break

    11:00 Ireland's Vital National Infrastructure Requirements - Challenges & Opportunities

    11:40 Case Studies' - Two Inspiring Projects

    12:05 Leveraging technology for delivering Ireland's infrastructure needs - session led by ULI Ireland's Young Leaders.

    12:50 Closing Remarks

    13:00 Networking Lunch

    13:30 Close

     

    Kindly hosted by

    For partnership or sponsorship inquiries, please reach out to us at [email protected].

    Payment Terms:

    - All bookings must be paid for in advance of the event - Invoice payment terms strictly 30 days from the issue date of the invoice - If your booking is less than 30 days before the event or payment has not been received by this date, you will be asked to settle the account before being permitted to enter the event - Please ensure that your accounts team is aware of our terms to avoid any delays to your on-site registration

    Cancellation/Refund Policy:

    - Written cancellation and refund requests received at ULI at least 30 days prior to the event will be awarded a full refund minus a €50 processing fee - No refunds will be given for cancellation requests received from 14 April 2025 - Registration may be transferred to another member of your organisation who is eligible to attend. If necessary, fee adjustments will be made based on ULI membership status - Verbal requests for cancellations and refunds will not be accepted: all requests must be made in writing to [email protected]

     

     

    Townhall,1WML Windmill Lane IRELAND

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    Speakers

    Keynote Speaker

    Marie Dormeuil

    Head of the Green Street Market Analytics in Europe, Green Street Advisors

    Marie Dormeuil is the head of the Green Street Market Analytics in Europe which produces macro, sector, and city-level commercial real estate research and data solutions. Marie has a long track record contributing to pan-European office real estate REIT research and analysis, as well as being expanding Green Street retail coverage analysis since joining Green Street in 2015.

    Marie Hunt

    Head of Research, IPUT

    Marie is a chartered surveyor and a property industry specialist. Prior to joining IPUT Real Estate Dublin to lead their research and thought leadership function, Marie set up and headed CBRE’s Research and Consulting function in Ireland.

    Moderator

    Jamie Cudden

    Executive Manager, Corporate Services and Transformation, Dublin City Council

    Jamie established the regional Smart Dublin program in 2015, an award-winning urban innovation programme which embraces new and emerging tech opportunities. As the Smart City lead in Dublin City Council, he has a record of accomplishment in bringing together partners from industry, start-ups, academia, and public agencies to accelerate deployment of innovative ideas using the ‘city as a testbed.’ He won the Civic Innovator of the Year Award (2021) in Europe from Harvard’s Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre (TECH) for his role in scaling up the Smart Dublin programme and an accelerated district approach. In 2021 he guided Dublin to runner-up position for Europe's Innovation Capital (I-capital) Awards. He was recognised by Trinity College Dublin as Innovation Partner of the Year 2022 for his pioneering work on Smart Docklands.

    Speaker

    Laura Carrara Cagni

    Founding Director, Cagni Williams Associates

    Laura Carrara-Cagni is a Founding Director of Cagni Williams Associates and Cagni Williams Energy. She leads the design of projects using her strong management skills and has extensive experience of projects in the civic and culture, education, health and residential sectors. She is a committed champion for the development of better future healthcare and life science as member of the Urban Land institute (ULI), as Co-Chair of the ULI Europe Life Science and Healthcare Product Council after a six year membership of the ULI USA Healthcare and Life Science Product Council. Laura speaks at universities and conferences, has been a juror for architectural and contemporary art awards and serves as executive board director of the Business Club Italia in London. Over the course of her 30 year career she has delivered many important projects for Cagni Williams including housing in Stratford, East London, and the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Birmingham. In 2019 she joined the Midland Metropolitan Arts Committee, Birmingham. Some of her other major healthcare, cultural and residential schemes around the globe include Le Musée des Beaux Arts and the GSI Engineering University building in Nancy, Le Musée Andre’ Malraux, Le Havre in France, two new colleges and the implementation of the south residential colleges masterplan for Rice University in Houston Texas, USA, a residential development in Dubai, UAE, and the new La Spezia Hospital in Italy, while working with Laurent and Emmanuelle Baudouin Architectes in Nancy and later with Hopkins Architects in London as Project Director. Laura received a EU COMETT scholarship in 1993, an International Laboratory of Architecture and Design(ILAUD) scholarship in Siena in 1991, and her Architecture Diploma in 1992 at Genova University in Italy. Laura speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish.

    Speaker

    Anne Kavanagh

    ULI Europe Chair, Urban Land Institute

    Anne Kavanagh is a senior advisor to residential and mixed-use developer Telford Homes a Trammell Crow Company, and the company’s former CEO, transitioning in July 2024 to focus on her non-executive roles. Her roles now include Chair ULI Europe and ULI Global Board, Crown Estate Commissioner, and advisor to the Investment Committee at Trinity College Cambridge. At Telford Homes, one of London’s leading sustainable developers, she focused on designing and delivering highquality homes and build to rent communities across the capital. During her career, Anne was also a Board Member at international businesses including PATRIZIA where she served as CIO, and at AXA Real Assets where she had headed up Asset Management, Development and Transactions globally. Anne has been an active member of ULI since 2001 and has served on the ULI Global Board of Directors since 2019. She has also been a Global Governing Trustee since 2011 and is a member of the European Living Concepts Council. She previously served as the UK National Council Chair, as well as on many committees, including the ULI Europe Executive Committee.

    Panelist

    John Ruane

    Partner, Ares Management Ltd.

    Mr. Ruane is a Partner and Co-Head of European Real Estate in Ares Real Estate. Additionally, Mr. Ruane is a member of the Ares Real Estate Global and Debt Investment Committees. Prior to joining Ares in 2013, Mr. Ruane was a Partner at AREA Property Partners. Previously, Mr. Ruane was in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley, where he focused on Mergers and Acquisitions. Mr. Ruane holds a Bachelor of Commerce, with first class honours, from the University College Dublin, and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics in Finance and Accounting.

    Speaker

    Cliodhna O'Connell

    Vice President, KKR

    Cliodhna O’Connell is Group Financial Controller at Henderson Park, an International private equity real estate manager operating across Europe, the UK and the U.S.. Prior to joining Henderson Park, Cliodhna worked at BCP Capital, a real estate investment and development firm, where she led the finance and tax functions and worked on prominent commercial, retail and hospitality developments in Dublin. Before that, she was a Financial Services Tax Consultant at PwC, focusing on tax structuring of real estate investments into Ireland and using Irish tax structures for International real estate investments. Cliodhna holds an LLB Law & Business degree from Trinity College Dublin, an MSc in Law & Finance from the University of Oxford, is an ACA qualified Chartered Accountant and a CTA qualified Chartered Tax Advisor.

    Panelist

    John O'Driscoll

    Global Co-Head Real Estate, BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts.

    John is Global Co-Head Real Estate and sits on the AXA IM Alts Management Board and Global Investment Committee. AXA IM Alts is a global leader in alternative investments, with €186+bn in assets under management across Real Estate, Infrastructure, Alternative Credit, Private Debt, Private Equity and Hedge Funds. AXA IM Alts employs more than 980 professionals located in 17 offices, serving the needs of more than 640 clients globally. AXA IM Alts has an established position in real estate equity (#1 real estate investment manager in Europe, #10 worldwide)[1] and debt (#1 CRE debt capital raiser globally)[2]. As Global Co-Head of Real Estate he oversees the sourcing, selection and execution of transactions undertaken each year on behalf of clients. As part of his role, John chairs the Strategic Investment Committee, a key forum for setting investment strategy and sectorial convictions. John is also a member of the Management Board of AXA IM Alts. John joined AXA IM - Real Assets in 2018, from global real estate advisory services firm JLL, where he was CEO of Corporate Finance and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for the EMEA region since 2014. Prior to JLL, John spent eight years at Deutsche Bank where, having joined as an Associate in 2006, he was promoted through to EMEA Head of Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging M&A. John joined Deutsche after four years in the EMEA Real Estate Investment Banking team at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. John has over 22 years of experience in the international real estate investment banking and advisory industry.

    Deirdre Nagle

    Senior Planning Lawyer, Mason Hayes & Curran

    Deirdre is Head of our Planning and Environment Law team. Her extensive expertise includes advising on the planning aspects of major state infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector. Deirdre practises in both contentious and non-contentious planning and environmental law. She has extensive experience in advising and acting for state bodies on major projects relating to all aspects of the consenting process including compulsory acquisition. Clients value Deirdre’s pragmatic and practical style of legal advice. Prior to joining the firm Deirdre worked for a state body responsible for the development of energy infrastructure

    David McAuley

    Founder and CEO, Bitpower

    David is founder and CEO of Bitpower, a consultancy supporting the sustainable evolution of digital infrastructure in Ireland. Bitpower develops market insights for investors and operators of data centres while also supporting innovation their innovative projects. Bitpower is a recognised independent source of information on Ireland’s digital infrastructure. David has extensive experience in Irish industry and the public sector. He worked at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland with roles including national delegate to the EU Commission on Energy research and supporting Ireland’s largest energy users implement energy management in the mid 2000’s. He worked across government enterprise agencies before immersing himself in the data industry in 2017. His knowledge of energy and climate policy has proved especially useful in supporting industry groups to shape energy policy. Davis is a qualified mechanical engineer and lives in Dublin, Ireland.

    Speaker

    Stephen Seymour

    Head of Asset Management, Irish Water

    Stephen Seymour is a Chartered Engineer with 40 years experience in the construction industry working for construction companies, local authorities, consulting engineers and Uisce Eireann. He has worked in Ireland, the UK and far east with 27 years of his career in the water and wastewater area. He has spent the last 10 years in Uisce Eireann delivering projects and programmes of work before moving to his current position as Head of Asset management.

    Speaker

    Jack Chambers

    Minister, Department for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform

    Jack Chambers is the Fianna Fáil T.D. for Dublin West and Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, in the Government of Ireland. Minister Chambers is responsible for leading the Department in its mission to provide better public services, improve living standards, drive infrastructure delivery for the people of Ireland and to support the digitalisation of our economy and society. Minister Chambers previously served as Minister for Finance, the Government Chief Whip and was also Minister of State for Sport, the Gaeltacht, Transport & Defence. He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt in the 2016 General Election and was re-elected in the 2020 and 2024 General Elections. Before entering the Dáil, he served as a Fingal County Councillor and as Deputy Mayor. He has previously served in a range of positions including frontbench Spokesperson for Defence, Communications, Climate Action & Environment. He was an active member of a number of Oireachtas committees including Climate Action and Justice & Equality. He is a medical doctor having studied at the RCSI and he holds an honours degree in Law & Political Science from Trinity College.

    Speaker

    Lorcain Egan

    Managing Director, Co-Head of Europe, Starwood Capital Group

    Lorcain Egan is a Managing Director and Co-Head of Europe for Starwood. Mr. Egan is responsible for Starwood’s international lending platform covering Europe and Asia. Since joining Starwood in 2013, Mr. Egan has structured and executed financing transactions and secured financing for Starwood’s equity acquisitions across Europe and Asia. Prior to joining Starwood Capital, Mr. Egan was a Vice President at Barclays Bank where he worked in their Structured Property, Debt Finance team based in London. In this team, Mr. Egan focused on originating, structuring and executing real estate debt opportunities for Barclays. During his time at Barclays Bank and Allied Irish Bank Mr. Egan has worked across a variety of areas of specialist asset based financing including trade, working capital, M&A, corporate finance and structured real estate financing. Mr. Egan received a degree in Law & Economics from the University of Ulster.

    Speaker

    Charlotte Sheridan

    Founder, Sheridan Woods Architects & Urban Planners ltd

    Charlotte is an architect, town planner, and founder of Sheridan Woods Architects + Urban Planners. With 20 years’ experience providing services to private and public sector clients, she provides advice in a range of areas from policy formulation and development appraisal to coordinating multi-disciplinary project teams. She has experience in large and small-scale residential and mixed-use residential and commercial schemes and mixed-use and cultural projects. Additionally, she has expertise in forward planning, leading the completion of development plans, local area plans, historic landscape characterisation studies, design statements, architectural conservation area statements and guidance documents for a variety of local authorities. She also provides technical advice to Regeneration Committees and effective short, medium, and long-term development management plans for heritage groups. An occasional lecturer in the Department of Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin at master's and primary degree stages, she acts as studio director in the Local Planning Study module. A guest visitor to the School of Architecture, Dublin Institute of Technology, she is an Examiner in Professional Practice for the School of Architecture's Professional Diploma in Architectural Practice, and an Assessor in the RIAI Professional Practice Admission to the Register / RIAI Membership.  She has an innovative approach to the preparation of development programmes and was shortlisted and received awards in the biannual Irish Planning Institute National Planning Awards in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, and in the Property Industry Excellence Awards in 2015 and 2019. She was commended and awarded winner in the RIAI Architecture Awards in 2011 and 2015.

    Speaker

    Martin Graf

    Program Manager, GeoData Operations, Google Ireland

    Martin has managed a wide range of Google Maps operations for the last 12 years, spanning Local/Places, Escalations, User Generated Content, Metrics/Measurement, Navigation and Automobile Integration. Prior to Google Martin established the Asia Operations of the video game service provider Keywords Studios in Tokyo. He holds a Master's degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Aachen, Germany.

    Speaker

    Val Cummins

    Chief Impact Officer and Portfolio Director, Simply Blue Group

    Dr Val Cummins is Chief Impact Officer (CIO) and Ireland Portfolio Director in Simply Blue Group. Simply Blue works with the oceans to address climate change and biodiversity. In her capacity as CIO, she is responsible for the environmental and societal impact of Simply Blue’s projects globally. She leads a Joint Venture partnership with EDF to develop the Emerald and Western Star floating offshore wind projects off the Cork and Clare coasts. Val’s move to industry from academia in 2020 was inspired by a desire to have an impact on the energy transition and to lead blue growth initiatives in a company that is dedicated to Sustainable Development Goals for the oceans and seas. This followed 21 years in University College Cork, where she developed a track record in the field marine resource management. She received the inaugural President’s Award for her leadership in building research capacity in marine science. She played a leading role in the establishment of the MaREI Centre, a national centre of excellence in marine and energy research, supported by Science Foundation Ireland; and was the Director of the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster. Val currently Chairs the Wind Energy Ireland Floating Offshore Wind Committee; is a council member and non-executive director of the Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA); and has served as a council member of Wind Energy Ireland. Val is an Eisenhower Fellow and has participated in Women in Leadership executive training at Harvard University. She was co-editor of the Coastal Atlas of Ireland, published in 2021 and winner of the An Post Best Irish Published Book of the Year. A career highlight was to serve as co-chair of Future Earth Coasts from 2016 to 2020, facilitating the development of a community of scientists and practitioners, including young scientists, from around the world with a vision to support transformation to a sustainable and resilient future for society and nature on the coast. In October 2022 she received the SEAI Chairmans award for ‘an outstanding contribution to sustainable energy in Ireland’. In 2023, her work was recognised by Engineers Ireland, when she was distinguished by being awarded with an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute. That year she was also appointed as an Honorary Counsel for the Netherlands in Ireland. She was awarded Image Magazine PWC Business Woman of the Year – Sustainability Champion in 2024. Val serves on a number of Boards – as an Executive Director on the Board of Simply Blue Group; and as the Chair of the Ursuline Secondary School in Blackrock. She is married with three young daughters and relishes living in Cork Harbour where she rows and sails.

    Speaker

    Mark Foley

    CEO, Mark Foley Strategic Solutions

    Mark Foley is an independent consultant specializing in Strategy, Infrastructure and the Energy System. Mark retired from EirGrid Group as Chief Executive in April 2024, where he led a major transformation in the business and organization in a critical period where the State’s climate action ambition was transformed in terms of both policy and legislation. Previously Mark held the role of Managing Director of Land Solution in Coillte over 10 years where he led the development of new businesses in renewable energy, telecommunications and land development. Before that, from November 2000 to August 2008, Mark was Director of Capital Programmes at Dublin Airport Authority. In this role he was responsible for master planning, permitting, planning and delivery of c. €1.5bn in airport infrastructure at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports. Prior to that Mark held several senior executive roles with multinationals in the Specialty Chemicals and Electronics sectors over an 18-year private sector career. Mark has a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Degree from University College Dublin, a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from University College Dublin and has attended Executive development courses in Penn State University and IMD Business School in Lausanne. Mark was recently appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the Ordre national de la Legion d’Honneur by the President of the Republic of France for his role in leading and supporting collaboration between Ireland and France in the field of energy.

    Speaker

    Daniel Wikstrom

    Senior Software Engineer, Real-time 3D & Interactive Media, Bentley Systems

    Daniel Wikstrom is a London-based Senior Software Engineer specializing in real-time 3D technologies and XR (VR/AR). With a strong background in Unreal Engine and Unity, Daniel has contributed to projects across the automotive, gaming, and infrastructure industries. His work blends technical expertise in advanced visualization, Digital twins and creative coding tools, focusing on building immersive and interactive experiences. Passionate about the intersection of software and spatial computing, Daniel pushes the boundaries of technology-driven storytelling and design.