Paul Crosby

Born in Belfast in 1971, Paul has Honours Degree in Hospitality and Business Management.

Paul commenced his career in 1988 in Belfast and then decided to move to the United States where he spent 4 years working for Hilton International in senior roles gaining a working knowledge of the 4 and 5 star hotels market from New York, Chicago and L.A.

On his return to Ireland, Paul went to work with the 5 Star Mount Juliet estates and for over two years took the opportunity to work at two Irish Open Golf Championships. He then was on his travels again to London to work with the 5 Star Conrad International before returning to Ireland to work for the Jury’s Doyle Hotel Group.

Over the last twenty years Paul has also held senior roles with in Campbell’s Catering, Compass Catering, Fitzer’s Catering and other stand alone properties where as with all his senior roles he has had controls on budgets, costs, sales and marketing, capital expenditure, customer service programmes, training and development, P&L and strategy reviews on new openings and loss making properties.

Paul is currently the lead partner in Leading Edge Solutions.

Mairead Crosby

 Born in Kilkenny in 1972, she has qualifications in Hotel & Catering, Life & Business Coaching and she graduated from D.I.T with honours in Human Resource Management.

Mairead started her career in Mount Juliet, Kilkenny where she under took the Cert Trainee Management Course for four years.  On completion of the programme, Mairead moved to London to work for the Four Seasons Group within the HR Department.

On her return to Ireland she joined Jurys Hotel & Towers Ballsbridge where she held the position of Assistant HR Manager and subsequently HR Manager.  During her five years with the group, Mairead also worked as HR Manager for the Berkeley Court Hotel.  She then progressed into retail and worked for 4 years with Brown Thomas, Grafton Street and then Dixons Stores Group (comprising Dixons, Curry’s & PC World) in 2004 as Group HR Manager.

Mairead has had extensive knowledge of Employee Relations, Recruitment & Selection, Industrial Relations, Training and Development, Coaching, Employment Law and People Strategy.

She is currently a partner in Leading Edge Solutions.

Brian O’Farrell

Born in Kilkenny in 1977, Brian Graduated from Shannon College of International Hotel Management in 1998.

Brian went on to Forte Post house where he was for over a year working from restaurant manager up to hotel catering manger running the 100 seat restaurant and conference and banqueting, catering for up to 250 persons.

Brian moved to the Jury’s Doyle Hotel Group where he has spent the last 10 years working in a variety of different properties across the U.K and Ireland gaining a vast knowledge of the working of different styles of Hotels. In these years Brian has held senior roles where he had controls on Budgets, costs, sales and marketing, capital expenditure, customer service programmes and training and development.

Within the last two properties Brian has had to undertake Strategy reviews on the rates P&L and costs focus to bring the business (properties) back in line with the company’s long term goals.    

Matthew Dillon

Born in Wales in 1975, Matt graduated from Pontypool College South Wales in 1995.

Matt under took this opportunity to travel extensively over the coming 2 years to learn about food, wine and service in different countries.

In January of 1997 Matt decided to settle in Dublin and became the Bar Manager for La Stampa Bistro. Matt’s time was spend wisely at La Stampa  putting together a new stock control system and maximizing gross profits on beverage sales.

As time moved so did Matt, to become Conrad Gallagher’s head waiter, Sommelier at the 0ne Michelin Star Peacock Alley.  This was a time to express Matt’s true understanding of Food and wine, costs and maximizing gross profits under the watch full eye of Conrad.  Matt moved to Conrad’s award winning Lloyds Brassiere as Head Waiter for a year before moving to London. To the two Michelin Starred Lindsay House Restaurant in London for two years before returning to Dublin.

On returning to Dublin Matt has been General Manager of some of Dublin’s best known Restaurants, Bruno’s of Kildare Street, Fado Restaurant and Jacobs Ladder. Matt over the last number of years has also been the Food and Beverage Manager of the 5 Star Dylan Hotel where as with all his roles he uses his experience of customer building, food and beverage cost control, maximizing targets, training and development to enhance the property he is involved with.  

Tom O’Hare

Born in Wicklow in 1968.

Tom has been in the building trade all his life, learning from old trades men that in his words, (showed the right way).After Tom’s apprentice ship he spend a number of years on property facilities learning the up and downs of capital expenditure on properties and finding the right contractors set at budgeted targets and times.

Tom decided to take his knowledge and experience and set up his own company in 2002 that specialized in core drilling, from the small beginning Tom company have carried out core drilling and facilities projects more some of the biggest developers in the country over the last six years.

Tom is currently undertaking the core drilling for a number of road projects in the South east of the country.

Myles Moody

Born Wicklow in 1967, Myles Graduated from Cathel Brugh Street with Honours.

Myles is currently Group Executive Chef for Compass Ireland Sports and Leisure Division. This position gives Myles overall responsibility for all food related areas, of the division,

This also includes menu design, implementation, innovation, costing & health & safety. Sports and Leisure is a new venture into Ireland for Compass and is a growing area, it currently includes Race Courses (Leopardstown & Fairyhouse) and also the new Aviva stadium (Landsdown Road).

Previous to this Myles was Group Executive Chef for the Business & Industry Division of Compass Ireland for 5 years, these involved 160 sites of varying sizes and contract types and as with all Myles roles they are hands on operational management roles.

Myles over the years has build up a number of operational achievements and site mobilisations’ from the N.I assembly, Brown Thomas, Bank of Ireland, Creative, Carlow I.T and over 50 other sites. He has also been responsible for new concept development, auditing site development and part of the business tender team.

Myles is currently part of the following panels, and received the following rewards.

• President Panel Of Chef’s of Ireland
• Member of Failté Ireland N.A.P Committee
• Member FSAI industry forum
• Honoury Member Emirates Culinary Guild
• Committee WACS world congress Dublin 2004
• Life member American Culinary Federation
• Recipient ACF Presidents Medal 2008
• Member Craft Guild U.K.
• Member AAA National Board ,( England ,Ireland, Scotland, Wales )
• Silver Medal Winner World Culinary Olympics 2008
• Continental multi medal competition winner