Dearbhaile Donagh, Summit Director of Executive Women Gathering, Ireland’s biggest female leadership summit, tells how the events is aimed at growing and advancing women in their leadership careers

Back in 2020, the team at www.executiveforum.ie — one of Ireland’s leading executive level business networks — noticed there was no large female leadership summit on the Dublin business calendar.

“Women face a very different set of workplace and life challenges than their male counterparts,” says Dearbhaile Donagh.

“In 2022 Executive Forum launched Executive Women Gathering. Its mission was to create a unique opportunity for women to network and connect with likeminded female executives and entrepreneurs and be inspired by a panel of experts and high achievers who could help them take their career and life ambitions to the next stage.

“Four hundred women executives attended the first gathering at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin, and were inspired by likes of Kellie Harrington, Katie Piper, and Roxie Nafousi.

“In the intervening years, some of the world’s best speakers and high achievers have appeared at the Gathering, including the likes of Steven Bartlett, Samantha Barry, Jo Malone, Joanne McNally, and award-winning composer and conductor Emer Noone, complete with orchestra!

“There has also been female CEOs speaking from the likes of Eircom, Irish Distillers, Wells Fargo International and Rodial.

“EWG ’25 will be no different, with international entrepreneur and broadcaster Vogue Williams, and Ireland’s fastest ever female athlete Rhasidat Adeleke already named in the speaker line-up.

“Further A-list celebrities and high achievers will complete the speaker line-up over the next number of weeks.

“More than 1,400 businesswomen are expected to attend EWG ’25 on March 13 at the Dublin Convention Centre — making it the biggest women’s leadership summit on the island of Ireland.

“We are also delighted that Zurich Ireland, one the biggest and most successful insurance companies in the country, are going to be headline sponsors of this years Gathering.

“If you are personally looking for an impetus to drive your career aspirations forward, or if you are an organisational leader looking for a way to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of women in your workplace, then Executive Women Gathering ’25 could be a good option.”

For more information see ewg.ie