Accelerating Infrastructure: What Boards Need to Challenge, Enable and Govern

Orlaith Blaney is Executive Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at state water utility, Uisce Eireann. Her Executive leadership role is to inspire trust and confidence in the brand, formerly known as Irish Water. She leads an integrated team of strategic communications professionals across Corporate Affairs, Stakeholder Engagement, Internal Communications, Project Communications, Brand, Marketing, Digital which is fully aligned to the Uisce Éireann Corporate Strategy and to the Water Services Strategic Plan and Water Services Policy Statements. Uisce Éireann reports to its principal shareholder; the Department Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and is responsible for a capital investment plan of €12.3 billion over the next 5 years. It has significant statutory regulation responsibilities which includes its oversight by the economic regulator; The Commission for the Regulations of Utiltiies (CRU) and its Environmental Regulator, (EPA). In 2025, Orlaith led the Corporate Affairs strategy to secure essential funding and make the business case for the Water Supply Project and Greater Dublin Drainage both urgently needed to support housing and economic growth. Orlaith was formerly CEO of McCann Dublin, an integrated communications agency. She was formerly President of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) and is a fellow of IAPI and a fellow of the Marketing Institute of Ireland (MII). She is a Non Executive Director on the Board of St Vincents Healthcare Group (SVHG) and she previously held Non Executive Board positions at both Guaranteed Irish and Unicef. An advocate for female leadership, she is a member of the prestigious International Womens Forum (IWF).

Laura Magahy is Head of Public Sector Consulting at Forvis Mazars in Ireland, where she leads programmes that help public and not‑for‑profit organisations deliver transformative change. With over two decades at CEO and board level, she specialises in organisational culture audits, governance reviews, and strategic change initiatives - from client representative roles to large‑scale stakeholder engagement - across health and wellbeing, the circular economy, urban renewal, and the creative industries. She is also Executive Chair of CreativeBoardroom: Collaborate4Climate. Previously, Laura served as Executive Director of Sláintecare at Ireland’s Department of Health, guiding cross‑government health reform; founded and managed M‑CO, a multidisciplinary strategic design and project delivery consultancy; and was Managing Director of Temple Bar Properties Ltd, overseeing Dublin’s flagship urban regeneration. She also founded and directed Arran Street East, a craft and design studio. Laura is a Fellow and Past President of the Institute of Directors in Ireland, a Past President of the International Women’s Forum, an Honorary Architect of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, and a Chartered Director and IPMA Level A Certified Projects Director.