Our People

Anne-Marie’s ethos in business and life is fairness and energy. Her mission is to lead the Drury team and to stay close to what her clients want. Over ten years in the PR business, Anne-Marie brings a strategic eye and PR polish to every situation. A specialist in corporate and financial PR, Anne-Marie has been at the coal-face of many of Ireland’s top corporate deals including the €175 million acquisition of Pallas Foods by Sysco Corporation on behalf of Sysco Corporation and Hellman & Friedman’s €228 million acquisition of Web Reservations International on behalf of WRI. She has worked with Ireland’s leading plcs, semi-states and Government and industry bodies. Her work with her favoured charities, the Oesophageal Cancer Fund and Orbis has seen her make a dress from lollipops and run 10k in Ethiopia. There’s a theme of three with Anne-Marie. She hails from Meath, Donegal and Kerry and she holds a DIT Masters in Public Relations, a Kings Inn Diploma in Legal Studies and a Diploma in Life Coaching.

In heading our standalone Market Research division, Barry brings a completely different set of skills that complement the rest of the team. It isn't just that he runs a different division though; Barry has an insatiable appetite to probe and find the story behind the story. Although born a stones throw from our office, his travels and business activity have brought him all over the world. He has worked in North and Central America, Australia and along the way found time to visit and observe many countries, the highlight of which was a three month stay in a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. Barry joined Drury in 1999 from Behaviour and Attitudes, and has been successfully leading our market research business since 2002 specialising in qualitative and quantitative business to business, pharma, public sector and employee research. A qualified counselling psychologist Barry also has a Masters degree in marketing and works as a guest lecturer at the Michael Smurfit Business School to the MBA and MBS students.

With almost 30 years experience, Billy has been at the forefront of the PR industry in Ireland since he co-founded Drury in 1988. Always a calm voice, Billy has a unique ability to challenge situations and viewpoints whilst offering balanced, unbiased perspectives of his own. He has worked with and counselled some of Ireland’s most influential businesses and their leaders and is much sought after as an advisor in the most difficult corporate challenges. Billy’s personal philosophy is to live for today – fitting for a person who works in an industry that throws up new challenges, and opportunities on an hourly basis. Billy is passionate about sports, music, family and food, and is also the chairman of UCD Rugby Club.

Iarla Mongey's career has taken many varied turns but it has led him to the point where he is one of the most insightful advisers to corporate Ireland on the Irish political establishment. Born in Mayo, he attended University in Limerick and NUI Galway , and subsequently worked over a period of years in Limerick, Galway and Dublin as a teacher, journalist and broadcaster (with INN and RTE), a senior political advisor to Government before finally entering the Drury fold in 2005. Having filled a role for the previous 5 years as Head of Government Information Services and Deputy Government Press Secretary to former Tánaiste Mary Harney, Iarla brings a discrete but informed, connected and streetwise perspective on the workings of Government, the Oireachtas and the Public Service. When he's not in the Dáil, the classroom or the broadcasting booth, Iarla can most likely be found somewhere fairly close to open water with his family either sailing, swimming or cycling.

It's a lot more than ‘it's a job – somebody's got to do it' but Karen would agree that it's not easy being green. Karen is on a personal mission to change that. When she's not unplugging mobile phone chargers and costing low-energy light bulbs she's putting her own high energy into her corporate and public affairs clients including Bord Gáis, Bóthar and HP. Since joining us in mid 2006, Karen has become a key part of our corporate and issue management team… and the key player on our tag rugby team. Karen holds a first class honours degree in Public Administration and a masters in Peace and Development Studies. She originally hails from Tipperary but has spread her wings far and wide having worked abroad in Switzerland, Belgium, Australia and South Korea.

Laura Mannion: adventurer, eco chic and consumer extraordinaire. Laura loves the instant gratification that comes with seeing her clients in the media, knowing the planning, passion and pure grit that it took to achieve. She is passionate about running, food and is full of the Donegal gab. Laura worked in the heart of Ireland's fashion industry before joining the Drury team in 2006, which is why she is a perfect fit for consumer clients including Nike, The Doyle Collection and Vodafone. Laura holds an honours degree in English and Media Studies from the University of Ulster and an MA in PR from DIT.

From Leinster House to the White House, Martha is fascinated by politics and will never miss out on a keen discussion, debate, or downright barney on her favourite subject. A specialist in the areas of public affairs and corporate communications, she approaches each project with determination and dedication, and thrives on the prospect of learning something new each day. Her love of cultures led her to study French and German at DCU as well as complete a Masters in International Relations. And whilst Martha is a walking TripAdvisor when it comes to Paris, not even the joie de vivre of the French can replace home county Wexford as her favourite place in the world.

Megan has a passion for finding innovative solutions to clients and is especially interested in the creative method, from facilitated brainstorming to motivating people to see their worlds differently. Her PR experience has brought her far and wide, from promoting arts, theatre and dance production large and small, to mass public awareness campaigns for her healthcare and consumer clients. She has an honours degree in communications studies and is proud to be from Chicago, home of the blues, the footlong hotdog and some guy called Barack Obama.

Having joined the research team in 2008, Michael works across a wide range of healthcare, corporate and government clients.  Having completed an MBS in Marketing in Waterford Institute of Technology, he is never one to shy away from a challenge and is currently taking a night course in Japanese to infuse his Wexford roots with a bit of Asian zing!   He likes to stamp his individuality on everything he does and likes to push himself to "colour outside the lines". When faced with a demanding situation, he gets a kick from using his imagination and creative thinking to overcome obstacles. 

What gets Myra out of bed in the morning? A latté, and an insatiable thirst for the world around her. Myra is a news and current affairs junkie who finds escape in literature, theatre and the arts. She brings a mixture of creativity and grounded common sense to every client situation. She looks at the media with particularly familiarity and interest, having worked with the Kilkenny People newspaper after completing a Master's in Journalism at NUIG. Though this "cat" is originally from Kilkenny, she added to her rich cultural heritage, spending time in Paris and working in Brussels for the Deputy Spokesperson of the European Commission before joining Drury in 2006.

Client Director
Orla's every contribution to our business and those of her clients reflects her fifteen years experience in sales, marketing administration and public relations.  Orla brings a considered but steely determination to every task, but always with an informed focus on what the client needs.  A specialist in financial and corporate PR Orla has been involved in some of Ireland's largest corporate transactions, merger and acquisitions and IPOs and knows intimately the many fine details that are required to communicate effectively in what are generally very complicated situations. For Orla, the relationship is key to success which is reflected in her many long standing and loyal client connections. Her young family keep her busy away from the office and she is also a keen and regular tennis player.

Driven and determined, Paddy brings a tangible sense that he cares and that it matters to every client situation he enters; with Paddy it is always ‘we'. His business focus is corporate reputation management and financial PR. An Offaly native and Kildare resident, Paddy has been part of the Drury team for almost 15 years, during which he has been a pivotal player in some of the most exciting developments in Irish business. Since 2003 he has put his commitment to PR to use as a member of the National Council of the Public Relations Institute and 2008 saw Paddy elected as National President; however he insists that throwing rose petals in his wake is purely optional.

In the language of sport, which is his main hobby, Sligo man Padraig is one of the veterans of the Drury team. In almost 25 years as a communications advisor, he has worked in nearly every sector and for every profile of company at some point. A Director of the business since 1997, he has also been a Director of Drury in Northern Ireland, managed a business in Central Europe for two years and was Managing Director from 2004 to 2010.  That has led to some grey hairs but the responsibility and the judgement required in managing the business have equipped him with a real appreciation of the needs of those that are leading and managing organisations - from big to small. He also has extensive experience of managing crisis and public issue situations for clients. For Padraig, effective communication is the oil that lubricates the machine of any organisation which if well planned and used strategically will make objectives more achievable. Whether the starting point seems positive or negative, his passion in framing strategy is to cut everything back to the core message, get a focus on who  is the key audience, and build from there. Padraig is also hopelessly curious and is an avid user of technology in his working day, a starting point from which he has built a real understanding of the tools and strategies for communication online and where and when to employ online tools.

Paula has a real passion for people, understanding the way people interact, observing behaviours and patterns, then offering communication solutions. This natural talent turned into a professional tool when she studied Psychology and Sociology in Queens University Belfast and, more recently, trained as an executive and personal coach with Executive Coaching Solutions. The passion shines through her work in PR, whether it's managing clients, dealing with media or working as part of an internal team in Drury. Her zest for all things giving is evident in her rich expertise in Corporate Social Responsibility, advising clients on developing a robust CSR strategy and how best to communicate this both internally and externally. In her own time, Paula supports a charity Zest4Kidz and recently worked on a project which involved her travelling to Uganda to help former child soldiers.

Every office needs one, and ours is Rachel. The one who turns straw to gold. Why? Because you asked. She brings a natural curiosity and enthusiasm to every project that she works on, and will never leave a stone unturned in her pursuit of results for clients. Off the pitch, Rachel loves yoga, walking, and never misses a chance to throw on her wellies and get to a music festival. Rachel holds a diploma in PR from the PRII and joined the Drury PR team in 2008 after two years as an executive in Drury Research.

Consultant
When Trish is around, you know that there will be a boundless flow of energy and enthusiasm for every single task she touches. With 25 years of industry experience across a broad range of consumer and corporate clients, she has a unique mix of knowledge of the old and thirst for the new. Addicted to current affairs, Trish is a broadcast junkie who loves to listen-to and often feature-in a heated debate on the wireless. When not planning another big campaign or advising clients on challenging issues, Trish can be found hanging out at home in Wicklow with her two young sons or trying to fit in the odd game of tennis.