OUR DUBLIN STAFF
John has a financial education and career background and worked with HSBC in Eritrea where he established bank training programmes and completed a master’s degree on Financing for Eritrean Firms. John set up the Vita programme in Eritrea in 2000 and travelled to Ethiopia to help establish Vita’s first programmes there in 2005. He returned to Ireland in 2007 and has been CEO of Vita since 2008. John has focused on developing next generation models of development including the Irish Potato Coalition which was set up in 2014 and the Vita Green Impact Fund which was launched in 2016. Originally from Dublin, John is married to Smret with whom he has five children. John enjoys languages as well as a tune on the guitar.
John’s background is in forestry where he started his career in Ireland. He worked for 3 years as policy advisor to Kader Asmal who was Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry in post apartheid South Africa. On returning to Ireland John became CEO of Coillte Consult where over the next 10 years he worked across Africa and central Europe on a wide range of EU and World Bank development projects. John has worked with Vita as an advisor since 2009 and became Head of Programmes in 2013.
Ciara Feehely joined Vita in 2015 after having been on the board for several years. Her last position was in EirGrid as their Senior Lead Communications Specialist, she has also worked with RTÉ and the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association.
Maria has a project management background. Since 2008, she has been managing rural and urban water services projects in various countries such as Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Iraq and Bangladesh. She has experience working for both government bodies, international development organisations and aid agencies.
Emily has a background in international development and human rights. She has worked with local community development and civil society organisations in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda and has managed a child safeguarding and protection programme in these countries. Emily’s qualifications include a Masters in Globalisation & Development from University College Cork. Outside of work, she enjoys tai chi, cinema and keeping up with current affairs.
Sam is originally from Edinburgh in Scotland. He has a background in politics and sociology, which he studied it at university. Before joining Vita, Sam worked with World Vision on introducing long-term community development programmes in Sub Saharan Africa and the Balkans. Outside of work, Sam enjoys spending time in the mountains and watching soccer.
Before joining Vita, Aideen worked for Holocaust Education Trust Ireland as their Education and Programme Manager and previously was the Bookings & Events Coordinator for Glasnevin Cemetery Museum.
In her spare time, Aideen has a keen interest in Irish history and heritage and enjoys travel, music, cinema, gardening, and reading.
Gerry Murphy has involvement in strategy and partnership development within Vita. For over 30 years he worked directly in a number of senior marketing and sales management roles with Flahavan’s , Britvic, CPC Knorr and Unilever Ireland as well as dealing directly with major suppliers in Ireland, the UK, Canada and the USA.
Gerry co-managed the InterReg2 Fund on behalf of the Irish Exporters Association and he worked as the Marketing / Business Advisor for ROI with Invest Northern Ireland, In the recent past he has held Board positions with Age Action Ireland and MS Ireland. He is a Management Science graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds graduate membership from both the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and M.I.I.
Danny has a background in international development, having managed and advised on social programs in countries emerging from periods of war or civil conflict. Before joining Vita, he worked with NGO and UN agencies in countries including East Timor, Kosovo, Liberia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. His qualifications include a BA in Sociology and Masters in Development Studies. In his spare time he enjoys travel, writing and raising his children.