About

Career Experience:

Emmett Scanlon was appointed Director of IAF in June 2023. An architect, Emmett has worked nationally and internationally for 25 years, working across design, construction. publication, broadcasting, education and exhibition curation and delivery. In 2023, he was the Artistic and Editorial Organiser of the groundbreaking 18th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, working with Curator Lesley Lokko, leading her international design and curatorial team. Prior to setting up independent practice in 2006, Emmett was Project Director with Grafton Architects for nine years.

Skills and Expertise:

Exhibition curation, design, production; critical writing; education and learning; strategy and policy delivery.

Education and Qualifications:

Emmett is a registered member of the RIAI and was educated at University College Dublin. In 2024 he was elected by his peers as a member of CICA, the international committee of architecture critics.

Career Experience:

Breena Cooper joined the IAF in October 2024 as Head of Strategic Communications and is a member of the senior management team. She is a senior communications and creative strategy professional with extensive experience across cultural, public and commercial sectors, leading integrated communications, PR and digital initiatives. Breena also sits on the Board of Dublin Well Woman Clinic.

Skills and Expertise:

Strategic communications; c-suite advisory; audience development; campaign planning; brand positioning and organisational change.

Education and Qualifications:

Breena holds a degree in Marketing and Languages and postgraduate qualifications in creativity, innovation, leadership and AI for business.

Career Experience:

Hannah Rickard joined the IAF in April 2021 as Funding and Development Senior Manager. She oversees the organisation’s fundraising and development strategy, leading corporate, institutional, and individual giving, with a focus on long-term partnership building and aligning income generation with the IAF’s programme. She has extensive experience across the European cultural and civil society sectors, with a background in international partnerships, events, and stakeholder engagement across Brussels and Paris-based organisations.

Skills and Expertise:

Strategic fundraising and development; corporate and institutional partnerships; sponsorship and revenue generation; donor cultivation and stewardship; stakeholder engagement; EU cultural funding environments; event and project delivery.

Education and Qualifications:

Hannah holds a BA in French and Italian from Trinity College Dublin, an MA in Early Netherlandish Painting from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London.

Career Experience:

Karen Lee joined the IAF in 2019 and has over 20 years’ experience in the arts and cultural sector. She leads the delivery of the annual Open House Dublin architecture festival and develops international collaborations through partnerships including Open House Europe. Her background spans cultural programming, festival management, fundraising and development, grant management and organisational strategy.

Karen Lee is committed to advancing the IAF’s mission by building strategic partnerships and creating accessible, engaging opportunities for people to connect with architecture.

Skills and Expertise:

Festival leadership and cultural programming; fundraising and strategic partnerships; international collaboration; audience development; organisational strategy; stakeholder management; public engagement.

Education and Qualifications:

Karen Lee holds a degree in English Literature, Film and Theatre alongside qualifications in Public Relations, Event Management, Leadership and Management.

Career Experience:

Architectural researcher, writer and placemaking practitioner with experience across architecture, the built environment, cultural programming, public policy and community engagement. Dean's work focuses on designing and delivering collaborative, place-based projects that connect architecture, landscape, climate and communities through research, co-design, stakeholder engagement, temporary interventions and public participation.

Skills and Expertise:

Architecture and placemaking; cultural programming; community engagement and participation; research and public policy.

Education and Qualifications:

Dean holds an MA in Architectural History from The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, a BA (Hons) in Architecture from Ulster University, and a Diploma in International Academic Studies (Architecture) from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Saint-Étienne, France.

Career Experience:

Felix Hunter Green joined the IAF in 2022 and runs the IAF's programme of Exhibitions and Publications. Prior to taking up this role he worked in academia, teaching on masters courses in design and architectural theory at the University of Edinburgh. In 2021, he completed a PhD at the Edinburgh School of Architecture with research focusing on the history and ethics of immersive design. Earlier still, Felix worked internationally in theatre production and design.

Skills and Expertise:

Exhibition Design and Production, Project and Concept Development, Writing, Editing (publications), Strategic Thinking, Cultural Leadership.

Education and Qualifications:

PhD - Cultural Studies, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Edinburgh.
MRes - Cultural Studies and Humanities, The London Consortium, Birkbeck, University of London.
BA (Hons) - Drama and Theatre Arts, Goldsmiths, University of London.

Career Experience:

Vanessa Menegaldo joined IAF's Place work strand in 2022, managing the delivery of co‑design projects and capacity‑building activities nationwide. She is a cultural sector specialist with over twenty years’ experience in the arts and culture sector, spanning programming, music, audiovisual production and international exhibitions. She also brings five years of hospitality experience, including business management, facilities oversight and operational coordination.

Skills and Expertise:

Placemaking; community co‑design; cultural programming; exhibitions and audiovisual production; operations and facilities management; project delivery.

Education and Qualifications:

Vanessa holds a degree in History from the University of São Paulo, Brazil’s top‑ranked university.

Career Experience:

Bláithín joined the IAF in 2020 as Manager, Education and Learning. She is an architecture, art and learning professional with extensive experience in programme management, architectural education and award-winning public engagement. She has exhibited and spoken widely on her work. Blaithin was elected to the LINA European architecture platform's Governing Board in 2025, where she acts as the IAF representative.

Skills and Expertise:

Architecture, built environment, art, education and public engagement, exhibition-making, publications, programme management and curating.

Education and Qualifications:

Blaithin holds Bachelors degrees in both Architecture and Art, a Masters in Education, and a postgraduate International Curatorial Programme certification.

Career Experience:

Pauline is a qualified Accounting Technician of 30 years, gathering her experience in both the corporate and not-for-profit sector.

She has a strong commitment to community building through the arts.

Skills and Expertise:

Finance and Governance

Education and Qualifications:

Qualified Accounting Technician (College of Commerce, Rathmines) , Honours degree in Counselling & Psychotherapy (Middlesex University).

Career Experience:

Alba joined the IAF in 2022 and has been working on Open House Dublin since 2023, managing registrations and supporting the operations of tours and events across the festival. She brings experience working in international museums and heritage sites. She specialises in programme and event management, international partnerships and stakeholder engagement, with experience delivering public programmes, coordinating cross-sector collaborations and promoting accessibility and inclusive practice.

Skills and Expertise:

Festival and event management; accessibility and inclusion; international partnerships;programme coordination; public engagement.

Education and Qualifications:

Alba holds a degree in Tourism and Hospitality from University of Barcelona, a Masters degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from University College Dublin, alongside qualifications in Art History.

Career Experience:

Felicity joined the IAF in September 2021 after a first career as an academic researcher on a series of funded postgraduate and postdoctoral projects in Canada, Britain and Ireland and a period in public service. She has published in several academic journals, essay collections and encyclopedias, presented at more than 20 conferences and contributed to strategic developments in the Irish higher education system.

Felicity finds satisfaction in communicating arts, cultural heritage and research in understandable, creative and engaging ways.

Skills and Expertise:

Digital communications, campaign coordination, PR, writing and editing (in creative, research and professional contexts), event and project management, original archival research, public speaking and teaching.

Education and Qualifications:

Felicity holds a PhD in English (University of Glasgow), MAs in Medieval Studies (University of Leeds) and English (University of Ottawa), and a BA Honours in English (University of Ottawa).

Career Experience:

Oleksandr Yukhymovych joined the IAF as an intern in April 2026 before taking up his role as Assistant Manager, Production and Finance in August 2026. He has almost four years of experience in event organisation, primarily within the classical music sector, with experience spanning programme delivery, project management, research, public engagement and organisational support.

Oleksandr is interested in championing the role of architecture within the wider cultural sector and helping demonstrate that architecture is for everyone.

Skills and Expertise:

Arts and culture, event and programme management, policy and research, public engagement, organisational administration.

Education and Qualifications:

Oleksandr holds an MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from University College Dublin.

Career Experience:

Parag Joglekar was appointed Chair of the IAF in January 2026. Parag is an architect and senior development professional with over 28 years’ experience working across the private and semi-public sectors in Ireland, the UK and India. His career spans urban design, housing, regeneration and commercial development, with extensive experience leading large-scale, complex projects and multidisciplinary teams.

Skills and Expertise:

Governance and leadership, architecture and urban design, housing and regeneration, asset and risk management, innovation and policy, strategic partnerships and delivery of large capital programmes.

Education and Qualifications:

Parag holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and a postgraduate diploma in Real Estate Investment Finance. He is a registered architect in Ireland and the UK.

Career Experience:

Professor Margaret Barry holds the Established Chair in Health Promotion and Public Health at the University of Galway and is Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research.

She joined the Board of IAF in November 2024.

She has an interest in the impact of the built environment on population health and wellbeing.

Skills and Expertise:

Margaret’s research focuses on promoting mental health and wellbeing at a population level and she works closely with policymakers and practitioners on the development, implementation and evaluation of interventions and policies at a national and international level. Having published extensively on mental health promotion, she has led major international projects and held advisory roles with the WHO and a range of international and national agencies. She served two terms as a member of the European Commission Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (2013-2016; 2016-2019) and was elected Global President of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (2019–2022).

Education and Qualifications:

Margaret completed her primary degree and PhD studies in Psychology at Trinity College, Dublin.

Career Experience:

Scott has over 30 years of experience working as a designer and strategist in Scotland, London and Dublin. He is a co-founder of strategic design and innovation consultancy wove.co. Over this time Scott has led a large number of complex strategic projects for National institutions and organisations in the civic, cultural and educational spaces, as well as purpose driven and innovative businesses.

Scott also lectures on topics including design research, strategy, speculative design and design thinking. His company is a registered B Corp committed to delivering positive impact through its work.

Scott joined the IAF Board in April 2024.

Skills and Expertise:

His 20 years experience in research, strategy, brand, UX, service design and stakeholder co-design provides a unique perspective to understanding how things work and how they can work better.

Education and Qualifications:

He holds a BA Hons in visual communication from Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Career Experience:

Sophie El Nimr ​joined the IAF as a Board Member in May 2024. Sophie is an architec​t and associate planner, ​w​orking as an urban ​practitioner​ in strategic planning at a London Borough. Prior to this, ​she worked as an architect ​across housing and masterplanning ​sectors for public and private clients in London, Dublin, and Zurich.

​Her public sector role contributes to improving the quality of everyday places, which aligns with IAF's mission to empower the public across Ireland to engage with architecture by actively partaking in placemaking conversations and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Skills and Expertise:

​Architectur​e, urban design ​and regeneration​​; development management and statutory planning processes​; design review and ​p​lacemaking advisory​​; strategic planning and design policy interpretation​; stakeholder engagement​; publications.

Education and Qualifications:

​Sophie ​e​arned ​a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Cities with Distinction ​from Central Saint Martins​, University of the Arts London and has a Bachelor of Architecture​ (B.Arch) Degree from the Dublin​ Institute of Technolog​y. She is an​ ARB Architect and a RTPI Associate Planner. ​

Career Experience:

Francesca Ferguson, CEO of Make_Shift gGmbH is a critic and advisor on urban change management. She is Founding director of MakeCity - www.makecity.berlin - the biggest international trans-sectoral festival on architecture and urban alternatives in Germany. She was director of the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel. Her expertise is process management - designing cultural re-use projects and developing mixed use concepts in cooperation with municipalities. Managing multiple stakeholders: architects, planners, the civic initiatives and city administrators to rethink and solve the urgent issues of empty real estate and to reactivate urban districts.

Francesca joined the IAF Board in May 2024.

Skills and Expertise:

Architecture and urban design, adaptive re-use strategies, strategic communications, EU partnership management, process design and management, curatorial development.

Education and Qualifications:

Francesca holds a Master's degree in Modern History, is a journalist and producer trained at ABC News, and expert in systems change and sustainable practice.

Career Experience:

Claire specialises in narrative environments – spaces that tell stories – and has spent over 15 years shaping world-class visitor experiences and destinations. Her career spans design, strategy, placemaking, public engagement and spatial and experiential design, with extensive experience creating projects that bring together people, place and story. Alongside her practice, Claire teaches Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins (UAL) and NCAD.

Claire joined the IAF Board in April 2022 and is Chair of the IAF House Working Group.

Skills and Expertise:

Creative direction, narrative environments, spatial and experiential design, placemaking, cultural strategy, cultural infrastructure, public engagement, curation and programming, multidisciplinary team leadership, strategic partnerships, writing, research.

Education and Qualifications:

MA Narrative Environments with Distinction and BA (Hons) in Arts, Design and Environment (Architecture) from Central Saint Martins, UAL.

Career Experience:

Andrew was appointed to the IAF Board in March 2026 and Chairs the Finance and Audit Committee. He is a Chartered Accountant and senior corporate finance advisor with over 16 years experience in mergers & acquisitions, capital advisory and financial audit. Andrew now specialises in advisory services to leading developers, investors, lenders and State bodies active in the Irish real estate sector. He is currently the Head of Real Estate Corporate Finance in KPMG Ireland.

Skills and Expertise:

Governance and leadership, investment appraisal and debt/equity fundraising, financial reporting and risk management, housing policy.

Education and Qualifications:

Andrew is a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and holds a bachelors degree in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin.

Career Experience:

Laura's career comprises over 15 years working in the built environment, in both Ireland and the UK. She has worked across development, planning, masterplanning, placemaking and the urban design of large, complex mixed use development sites and historic environments. She has extensive experience of stakeholder engagement and consultation relating to development and other built environment projects.

Laura joined the IAF Board in May 2024.

Skills and Expertise:

Planning, Masterplanning, Architecture and Urban Design, Placemaking, Strategy, Stakeholder engagement and consultation, Public-private partnerships, Writing and presenting, Planning and urban design in historic environments, Communications.

Education and Qualifications:

Laura holds a Masters degree in Real Estate, Planning and Urban Design from University College London, and a Post-graduate diploma in Applied Building Repair and Conservation (with Distinction), from Trinity College Dublin.

Career Experience:

Terry O'Malley was appointed to the Board of the IAF in July 2026. Terry is a Solicitor working in private practice and has extensive experience in all areas of real estate law. Over the last 15 years, he has advised institutional investors, private investors, banks, lenders, developers and public sector bodies on residential and commercial property transactions.

Skills and Expertise:

Governance and leadership, asset and risk management, innovation and strategy.

Education and Qualifications:

Terry holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Legal Studies and he is a qualified Solicitor for over 15 years.

Career Experience:

Zbyszek Zalinski is Head of Diversity and Inclusion at RTÉ, where he has worked since 2007 in roles spanning presenting, reporting and radio production before taking up his current post in 2019. He has almost twenty years’ experience across strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and inclusive programme development. His work has focused particularly on widening participation, representation and access, including through initiatives such as the award-winning RTÉ Internship Programme and JumpStart, a programme supporting young people from underrepresented communities. He brings this experience to the IAF’s public and cultural mission, alongside a longstanding personal interest in architecture and modernism.

Zbyszek joined the IAF Board in May 2026.

Skills and Expertise:

Diversity and inclusion, widening participation and access, strategic communications and public affairs, audience development and engagement, stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships, inclusive programme design, organisational change, media policy and facilitation.

Education and Qualifications:

Zbyszek holds a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College Dublin, focused on media policy, election campaigns and public opinion. He is currently training as a psychotherapist.