Our Team

Paul Fitzgerald
CEO, Cliste Hospitality
Paul started his career with PWC where he qualified as a chartered accountant and benefited from extensive secondment experience in UK and Ireland. He then went on to hold a variety of industry-based senior executive roles across Finance, Trading & Operations. Paul's particular competencies lie in commercial insight, analysis, strategy formulation, and transaction project management.

Sean O’driscoll
CEO, The iNUA Collection
Sean’s management career started with Intercontinental & Great Southern Hotel Groups. He held the position of General Manager at the Brehon Hotel and Muckross Park Hotel and was on the management board of the Gleneagle Hotel Group for 7 years. Sean joined Cliste Hospitality in 2016 as COO, and was appointed CEO in February 2020. Sean is also National VP of The Irish Hotels Federation, former National President of The IHF and former National President of SKAL International (World Tourism Org.)

Chris Austin
Group Operations Director
Chris joined Cliste Hospitality in 2019 from Tifco Hotel Group, where as Regional Operations Manager for 7 years he managed a diverse portfolio of Hotels & Resorts. Prior to this, Chris was Operations Director at The Shelbourne Hotel and the Marriott Druids Glen Resort. Chris' international experience includes the Jumeriah Hotel Group in Dubai, senior roles at the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados, the Hilton Hotel Group, and Ashford Castle, as well as managing several restaurants and bars across the UK.

Brenda Murphy
Director of Revenue, Marketing & PR
Brenda joined Cliste in 2018 from the 5-star Castlemartyr Resort, where she was Director of Sales & Marketing for 4 years. Prior to that Brenda ran her own 70-seater restaurant for 6 years. In 2001, Brenda opened the Galway Radisson building it up to be one of the most successful hotels of its time with a turnover of €16M by 2006. Brenda commenced her career with Radisson Edwardian Hotels in London in 1991, before moving to Burlington Hotel Dublin, and opening the 5-Star Radisson St Helens Dublin in 1998.

Michael Cullen
Group Financial Controller
Michael joined Cliste Hospitality in 2019 from Entertainment Enterprises. Michael was previously Finance Director of Sprout & Co, and Financial Controller at Bewley’s UK, where over his four year tenure his streamlining of business processes with a resulting saving of circa £100k p.a. With two years as Head of Finance in Metropolis Studios, Michael rejoined Bewley’s UK as Head of Finance in 2015, returning to Ireland in 2016 as Project Lead for Bewley’s Ireland, followed by a year at Bewley’s Cafés Ireland as Financial Controller.

Deirdre Buckley
Director of People & Culture
Deirdre joined Cliste Hospitality in 2018 from the Barry Group, where she was HR Business Partner for over 3 years. Prior to that Deirdre was Regional HR Director for Dalata Hotel Group. Deirdre successfully led many programmes such as Great Place to Work, the Failte Ireland Optimus, Excellence Through People along with many communication, engagement & consultation and reward & recognition initiatives delivering significant operational efficiencies and value to both employers and employees.

David Jordan
Director of Strategy & Corporate Development
David joined Cliste Hospitality in January 2022, from the academic sector having completed his doctorate in place management, lecturing, and setting up his strategic consultancy business. Prior to that, in 2011, David co-founded the Aunty Nellie Sweet Shops, opening 16 stores throughout Ireland. The company was acquired by Hobart Enterprises Group, where David then served as Managing Director, overseeing their manufacturing setup, and assisting with further acquisitions and new product development.

Liam Minihan
Group Revenue Systems & Data Analytics Manager
Liam joined Cliste Hospitality in May 2019 from Carr Golf where he was Group Revenue Manager with responsibility for all revenue streams across their portfolio. Prior to that, Liam spent 16 years in the hospitality industry specialising in Revenue Management. Liam initially trained with the Radisson Hotel Group, going on to hold various management roles within the group, overseeing a turnover of €28.5M and managing revenue functions, pricing, and distribution for their hotels.

Emer Hallahan
Group Head of Marketing & E-Commerce
Emer joined Cliste Hospitality in June 2019 from the global e-commerce group, Yoox Net-A-Porter, where as Group Digital Manager she led web, digital, and social media strategies, and managed teams across London and Milan. Prior to that, Emer spent over 6 years as Communications Project Manager at Kering, whose portfolio of global brands includes Gucci, YSL, Stella McCartney, and PUMA. Emer previously commenced her marketing career as an intern at Vivienne Westwood.

Eugene Harrington
Head of Internal Audit
Eugene joined Cliste Hospitality in February 2018 as Group Financial Controller, and was subsequently promoted to Head of Internal Audit, reporting directly into the board of management. Previously, Eugene was Financial Controller for the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Cork for 8 years and is currently sitting on the board of the Irish Hospitality Institute.

Stefan Matz
Group Executive Chef
Stefan joined Cliste Hospitality in August 2019, leading the group's food & beverage strategies, and developing new dining concepts, as well as nuturing both existing and prospective talent through the creation of an in-house Chef Academy. Stefan was previously owner & Head Chef of the Michelin-starred Erriseack House Hotel, Galway. His award-winning career also includes 12 years as Executive Head Chef at Ashford Castle, Head Chef at The G Hotel and Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links.

Frank Askin
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Group Head Chef

Frank Askin
Group Head Chef

Seamus Preston
Regional Operations Manager - North

Brian Bowler
Regional Operations Manager - South
Brian joined Cliste Hospitality in 2022 from The Montenotte Hotel where, as General Manager for 5 years, his creation of innovative guest experiences led the hotel to become No. 1 on TripAdvisor in Cork City. Prior to this, Brian was General Manager at The Brehon Hotel in Killarney for 3 years and Hotel Manager at Carton House Resort. Brian also spent 4 years as Deputy General Manager with The Clarion Hotel Group in Cork & Limerick. Brian is the current National President of the Irish Hospitality Institute.

Geraldine Mccarthy
Director of Leisure Sales
Geraldine was appointed as Director of Leisure Sales for Cliste Hospitality in June 2019, following an internal promotion. Geraldine had previously held the role of Director of Sales & Marketing for the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Limerick for over 14 years. Geraldine holds a wealth of experience in sales strategies, as well as the contracting and management of both international and domestic group business.

Jane Jordan
Group Revenue Manager
Managing the Revenue for the group, Jane joined Cliste Hospitality in October 2022 having previously worked for 8 years with Staycity Group where she most recently led Revenue Distribution and New opening for the European Aparthotel operator. During her time Jane worked in many revenues roles and was responsible for the revenue pre-opening of a dynamic portfolio of hotels across a variety of cities. Prior to this, Jane held roles in Revenue the Fitzgerald Group. Jane holds a BA in Hotel Management from Galway -Mayo Institute of Technology and an MBA from Dublin Business School.

Christian Schmelter
Group Director of Corporate & MICE Sales
Christian joined Cliste in October 2020, after 6 years as Group Director of Sales at TIFCO Hotel. Christian's primary role is in diversifying the corporate, meeting, and events business, leading a team of 8 sales directors and 2 business development managers in actively prospecting and qualifying new business throughout the group. Christian also leads The iNUA Collection cross-selling programme, and the group’s sales strategy covering corporate and MICE.

Mark Moynihan
Group Business Development Manager
Mark Moynihan was appointed Group Business Development Manager in 2019, following an internal promotion with Cliste Hospitality. Mark previously held multiple roles within the group, including Sales Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Cork.

Siobhan Hamilton
Head of Procurement
Siobhan joined Cliste in 2022 to lead the group’s procurement strategy implementation. Siobhan is a seasoned commercial negotiator and brings with her 22 years’ experience within the FMCG Industry.
Starting her career in The Barry Group, she spent 10 years within the Trading Department managing export and Irish wholesale customers, before specialising in Alternative Sourcing Strategies within the Buying Department, and, most recently, leading a network of nationwide account managers as Head of Wholesale Sales.

Gillian Deedigan
Group Spa Manager
Gillian Deedigan was promoted to Group Spa Manager at Cliste Hospitality in 2022. Gillian brings a wealth of experience from the spa and fitness industry to this newly created role. Most recently, Gillian was Spa & Leisure Manager at Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Limerick for the past 8 years. Gillian is also a member of the Cliste Hospitality Innovation Team.

Ruth Savage
Head of Reporting
Ruth Savage was appointed Group Head of Financial Reporting in 2022, following a series of promotions within Cliste Hospitality. Ruth initially joined our group as Financial Controller for the Hillgrove Hotel & Spa, and most recently held the role of Regional Financial Controller for the North-West of Ireland, with responsibility for properties including the Hillgrove Hotel in addition to the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Sligo and the Tullamore Court Hotel.

Andrew Mullen
Group Facilities & Health & Safety Manager
Andrew Mullen was promoted to the role of Group Facilities Manager for Cliste Hospitality in 2019, having spent over 12 years prior to that as Maintenance and Facilities Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Cork. Andrew has a particular passion for sustainability and, the results achieved by his team across our portfolio, attained the Excellence in Sustainability award at the Facility Management Awards 2021.

Veronica Timlin
Project Manager
Veronica is responsible for the planning and opening of new acquisitions & management contracts for Cliste, including establishing the hotel’s operations during the initial stages. Veronica has extensive experience in hospitality as previous owner of The Mayfly Hotel in Mayo, General Manager of The Arlington Hotel, Hotel Manager of The Gresham Dublin, and Area Manager for the Wright Group where she led project management strategies.

Tracy O'Driscoll
Executive Assistant
Tracy joined Cliste Hospitality in March 2022 after spending 11 years in Personal Financial Services with Invesco ltd. She has over 20 years experience in the finance industry. Tracy held previous roles with Bank of Ireland Life and Aviva. She holds a Bachelor of Business and is a Qualified Financial Adviser from the LIA.

Trevor McCarthy
Group Learning & Development Manager
As Group Learning & Development Manager, Trevor creates, designs, and implements effective L&D programmes across our portfolio to ensure capability in our businesses through the means of our Learn, Evolve, Thrive ethos. Trevor has a wealth of experience in both the academic and hospitality sectors having joined Cliste in 2022 from the O’ Donoghue Ring Collection, and was previously Programme Leader and Lecturer at both Shannon College of Hotel Management and Limerick Institute of Technology.

André Claro
Head of Talent, Acquisition & Engagement
Responsible for promoting all career opportunities within the group and to create a sense of belonging for the whole team, André Claro joined Cliste Hospitality in February 2022, and was promoted to his current position after successfully heading the newly created International Talent Acquisition team. André has a hospitality background of over 20 years and worked with very well established companies before joining us, including The Marker Hotel in Dublin where he held the position of Assistant HR Manager and The Montenotte in Cork, where he held the position of HR Manager.

Laura Coffey
Group Talent & Engagement Executive
Laura Coffey joined Cliste hospitality in June 2021. She was recently promoted to her current position after successfully leading the HR Marketing strategy for the group. Laura brings her expertise to our People and Culture Brand with both International Hospitality experience and Business Development knowledge.

Rosemary Lane
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Group People & Culture Business Partner

Rosemary Lane
Group People & Culture Business Partner

Grace Moore
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Group People and Culture Business Partner

Grace Moore
Group People and Culture Business Partner
Grace’s role will guide the People & Culture strategy alongside the hotel leadership teams in the key areas of talent attraction, development, and retention in our properties located in the Midlands, Dublin & northeast region.

Roberta Meloni
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International Talent Acquisition Specialist

Roberta Meloni
International Talent Acquisition Specialist

Valerie Forde
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Procurement Assistant

Valerie Forde
Procurement Assistant

Mairead Hallahan
Group Marketing Manager
Mairead joined Cliste in 2019 as Group Marketing Manager. Mairead was previously E-commerce & Sales Executive at The Montenotte Hotel for 4 years and prior to that had held roles across Weddings, Sales, and Events, in Irish 4-star hotels. Mairead holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing from MTU and a Bachelor of Business Studies in International Hotel Management from Shannon College of Hotel Management.

Amy Quilter
Group Marketing Manager
Amy’s primary role is to drive, manage and co-ordinate all marketing strategies & campaigns for our four Radisson Hotels in Cork, Athlone, Limerick & Sligo along with Hillgrove Hotel & Spa, Monaghan and new acquisitions/projects as well as executing our marketing strategy. With over 13 years’ experience in sales, marketing & business development with the teams across our hotel group, The Flynn Hotel Group and various roles in marketing agencies, Amy brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the team. Amy graduated from Munster Technology University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Studies & Marketing and followed on with a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Galway.

Emma Smyth
Group Social Media Manager
Emma joined Cliste Hospitality in January 2022, with over 7 years of experience in developing and implementing social media strategies. Emma previously ran her own Social Media & Brand Consultancy, developing TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter marketing for hospitality businesses. Emma holds both a Masters of Science in Interactive Media and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University College Cork.

Samantha King
Group Web & Digital Executive
Samantha King began her role as Website and Digital Executive at Cliste Hospitality in June 2022. Prior to joining Cliste, Samantha was Digital Strategist at Blue Magnet, South Africa's leading SEO agency, for 5 years and Account Manager at Blue Thread Advertising for 6 years. Samantha has over 14 years of experience in SEO, website development, UX, and digital marketing.

David Flanagan
Senior Graphic Designer
David Flanagan began as Senior Graphic Designer at Cliste Hospitality in April 2021. With over a decade of experience in graphic design, working both in-house and in agency, for brands including Laya Healthcare, Dairygold, Green Saffron, Rachel Allen, and The Barry Group. David has a wealth of experience across video, motion design, illustration, web design, print and brand development.

Priscilla Ryan
Graphic Designer & Videographer
Priscilla joined Cliste Hospitality in November 2021 from ABC News, where as their Promotions Producer, based in Texas, she designed graphics and produced TV commercials for broadcast. With over 12 years of professional experience in digital, print publication, and TV, Priscilla has helped brands effectively communicate and engage with internal and external stakeholders by conceptualising, designing, and producing content for various communications purposes.

Ellen O'Leary
Graphic Designer
Ellen joined Cliste Hospitality as a Graphic Designer in December 2019. Ellen brings a wealth of design knowledge to her role with over 6 years of experience in branding, print, digital, and motion design. Previously, Ellen worked as an in-house Graphic Designer for the Institute of International and European Affairs, where her team was involved in designing for conferences, research reports, publications, and social media.

Anita Coughlan
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Research & Innovative Executive

Anita Coughlan
Research & Innovative Executive

Jenny McDermot
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Cluster Revenue

Jenny McDermot
Cluster Revenue

Pamela Bradley
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Cluster Revenue

Pamela Bradley
Cluster Revenue

Join Our Team
At Cliste we are committed to a workplace environment that promotes diversity and inclusion. Our culture allows all employees to feel valued and appreciated. Our aim is to create an environment with a wide range of perspectives, and skillsets, that promote innovation.