IFTA BOARD

• Liam Cunningham
  Actor

  Irish actor Liam Cunningham has appeared in both the highest, and second highest, grossing Irish independent film The Guard (2011) and The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006). In 2012, Cunningham joined the main cast for the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones and was nominated for an IFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and he won the award in 2018.

• Áine Moriarty
  IFTA CEO

  Áine Moriarty is the founder and Chief Executive of the Irish Film & Television Academy (www.ifta.ie) est. in 2003 which has 1,140 Members of Irish industry professionals and runs an Educational Programme of c50 events annually including the John Ford Ireland - Film Symposium. She has Executive Produced 17 x IFTA Awards Ceremonies; is a founding member of the Film Academies Network of Europe; and lectured annually at the Digital MEDIA Business School in Spain for five years. She founded the IFTN Network (www.iftn.ie) in 1995 and previously was manager of Film Ireland Magazine for 3 years. She is a member of the Audiovisual Federation of Ireland: Member of the Film Steering Group Kerry; Board Member of the Kerry Film Festival.

• Múirne Laffan
  

  Muirne Laffan has over twenty years of experience in new media technologies, evolving consumer behaviour and smart platform economics. In her previous role, she was the Managing Director of RTÉ Digital, where she worked for sixteen years, and was instrumental in setting up GAAGO, which helped bring our national games to a global audience. Prior to that, she was VP, Media Director at Universal McCann in New York, and was Chairperson of the Digital Steering Committee for the European Broadcasting Union (from 2015 to 2017). She is also a Non Executive Director of the Abbey Theatre.

• John Gleeson
  Partner - Head of Media and Entertainment, Grant Thornton

  John leads Grant Thornton's Irish, Northern Irish and International Media and Entertainment Practice. He has over 23 years commercial experience in providing tax advice and advisory services to individuals and corporates across a range of issues and tax heads - with a particular focus on the media and entertainment sector. John has particular experience in film and television projects having raised finance and advised on a broad range of transactions involving large international television series, animation series for the US market and numerous feature films including: Vikings, Ripper Street, Cardboard Gangsters, The Breadwinner, Nightflyers and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

• Nick Linnane
  Nick Linnane & Co

  Nick Linnane is Managing Director of Nick Linnane & Co which provides financial & business advice and accountancy services to businesses in Ireland and have offices in Dublin city and Westmeath. Nick works with a wide range of businesses in Ireland from media and technology to manufacturing and publishing.

• Joe Ryan
  

  Joe Ryan is Vice President at international specialist Overhaul. His expertise includes designing and implementing process improvement and developing new innovative solutions that bring better customer experiences, vertical horizontal and cultural alignment for organisations to achieve their strategic goals.