OPTiM Financial Solutions (www.optimfs.com)

OPTiM Financial Solutions was founded in 2006 by two senior members of Great Southern Hotels management team. The focus of the business is to provide tailored financial solutions to the hospitality industry. It assists hotel managers and owners by providing a comprehensive range of services with detailed management information and facilitating the decision making process that is vital to their business.

Rowena Parker has over 25 years experience in the hotel industry both in Ireland and the UK where she was Assistant Financial Controller for the 550 bedroom Barbican City Hotel, Management Accountant of the London head office of Intercontinental Hotels and Financial Accountant in the 5 Star Savoy Hotel in London before taking up the position of Area Accountant in Great Southern Hotels. Hotels under her control were the Great Southern Hotel Galway; Corrib Great Southern Hotel and the City Hotel Derry. During her time in GSH she also handled the industrial relations and negotiations with the Trade Unions.

Michael O’Hare has over 25 years experience of financial management within the hotel industry. During this period, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of this complex and challenging business. Through his work with Great Southern Hotels, he has created a detailed budgeting model to assist hotels in control of their costs and analysis of revenue. Michael has a high degree of expertise in hotel internal controls and was responsible for internal audit for three years during his time with GSH and continues to advise many businesses on risk minimisation on an on-going basis. He is also very familiar with employment law as it affects hotels having been responsible for the systems administration of both payroll and personnel systems for the GSH Group. Michael has, in the past, undertaken a number of projects to improve the workflow and performance of back office systems with the use of latest technology.

Aoife Henderson Tourism Consultancy

Aoife Henderson is one of the most experienced sales and marketing professionals in Ireland with over 35 years in the Hospitality & Tourism business. Aoife provides her extensive experience to a number of clients across the marketing, sales and strategy spectrum particularly in the hospitality, tourism and heritage sectors.  A graduate of Smurfit College, Aoife has extensive experience having worked in Europe and the US. Her career has spanned senior roles in 3* to 5* hotels, brands and hotel groups

Prior to 1995, her career was spent with Forte Hotels mainly as Director of Sales for the Shelbourne Hotel and Group Director of Sales for Forte Hotels in Ireland with responsibility for inbound and outbound sales. Aoife was involved in the launch and positioning of some of the most successful hotels in Ireland including the Mespil, Cassidy’s Hotel, the Morrison, Clarion Hotels and Carton House. Aoife was Sales and Marketing Director for Clarion Hotels Ireland where she was instrumental in driving the growth of the brand. During her time in this position, Aoife was responsible for launching eight new hotels and was pivotal in the acquisition, integration and rebranding of two other properties into the group. In 2007 Aoife was promoted to the position of Director of Marketing and sales for Choice Hotels Ireland. Having spent 9 years with Choice Hotels, Aoife set up her own consultancy business which affords her the opportunity to utilise the extensive knowledge she has of all aspects of the hospitality sector.

Cronin Marketing Communications (www.croninmarketingcommunications.ie)

Catherine Cronin spent 10 years as the General Manager – Sales & Marketing for the Great Southern Hotel Group. The chain was Ireland’s leading player in the domestic holiday market and Catherine developed an extensive knowledge of the Irish consumer through the wide range of marketing campaigns that the group developed. During that time, the company opened three hotels at Dublin and Cork Airports and in Derry. Catherine was also responsible for all overseas marketing and promotions for the group. Prior to that, having graduated from Trinity College with a B.Sc. in Management, Catherine worked with the Doyle Hotel Group (now the Doyle Collection) for two years in their Group Marketing Department.

Following the sale of the Great Southern Hotel Group in 2006, Catherine set up her own company, Cronin Marketing Communications providing outsourced reservations, revenue management and marketing services to the hospitality sector. Based in Dun Laoghaire, there is a team of six at CMC and their clients include The Glasshouse (Sligo), Selfcateringireland.ie, Postbreaks, and a range of independent hotels.