Founding member of Organisational Creativity, a professional services firm, specialising in practical creativity research and its application. Niall graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1993, followed by an MBA and is currently completing a PhD in Organisational Creativity. Niall has vast experience with over 25 years in ICT and mechanical industry companies, including Hyster Co., Digital Equipment, Donnelly Mirrors and Hewlett Packard.
Niall's experience includes: company start ups; operations and design management, business development; and organisational design. Niall has work with a number of pharmaceutical companies improving performance through practical interventions to stimulate creative performance.
Niall has presented at many international conferences in areas such as collaboration, knowledge management, diversity in innovation, organisational climate and the effects of product life cycle on team dynamics.
Niall currently lectures on Corporate Policy and Creativity in Organisations to Masters of Business and Masters of Technology Management students.
ASSOCIATES
Ann Fitzpatrick
Ann is an independent consultant specialising in leadership and change in complex organisational environments and ex Director of Sun Microsystems R&D Centre Ireland.
Ann obtained her primary degree in engineering from Trinity College Dublin after which she spent eight years working in software development in Japan and Australia, with a four year period working as a project manager for IBM Australia specialising in outsourcing and contract management of systems software. She returned to Ireland in the early 1990s and over an eleven year period led the start-up and development of Sun Microsystems Research and Development Centre in Dublin. During this time she also held the corporate role of Director of Global Engineering responsible for developing strategy on offshoring R&D activities to maximise use of global talent. She has a Masters in Organisational Behaviour from the University of London, where her research thesis was Trust and Control in Virtual Teams.
Ann has recently developed the 'Re-Enter' Programme' on behalf of WITS (women in Technology and Science) and is currently managing its implementation. Re-enter is a pilot programme aimed at facilitating the return to a technical career for professional women in the science, engineering and technology (SET) area who have taken a career break. Ann is an experienced trainer and facilitator and is an associate of ASK Europe in the areas of Influencing and leadership.
Dave Young
Dave is a founding partner of SynNovation Works and ex VP of Hewlett-Packard Co. Dave started his educational and management journey at Purdue University where he obtained his Mechanical Engineering degree followed by duty as an officer in the US Naval submarine service. His nuclear engineering experience led him to a seven year period with Westinghouse on the development team for a research reactor, including two years in Washington, DC in the Division of Reactor Research and Development at the Department of Energy. During this period he completed his MBA at the University of Washington. The journey then shifted to begin 23 years at Hewlett-Packard in department management positions including Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement and a five year General Management role in the startup of Hewlett-Packard (Manufacturing) Ireland, Ltd. Apart from his SynNovation Works commitments Dave also teaches Operations Management in Oregon State University.
Steve is a founding partner of SynNovation Works and ex VP of Hewlett Packard Co. (US) and an accomplished business leader with global experience having managed within the functions of finance, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, sales & distribution as well as at a general manager and global business unit level. His strengths lie in strategy, integration and leadership and he brings a wide variety of non-business interests to bear on organizational endeavors including travel, photography, flying, backpacking, geology and astronomy. His passion is exploring, whether that be new business opportunities, new places or new ideas. Steve graduated from Oregon State in civil engineering in 1979 after which he spent four years in construction and construction management with the US Forest Service, earning his professional engineering license in both Oregon and Washington. Obtaining his MBA from the University of Washington in 1985 he worked 18 years for Hewlett Packard before resigning in 2003 to explore personal endeavors. A part of Steve’s on-going business consulting he frequently presents on strategic, leadership and organisational issues.
