Our Team

Declan Ryan (Co-Founder & Chairman)
Declan Ryan runs a private investment company called Irelandia Investments Ltd., which recently set up new low cost airlines in Asia (Tiger Airways) and Mexico (Viva Aerobus).

Declan was a director of Ryanair for 18 years from 1986 to 2004. He has held several senior management positions within Ryanair, including CEO. 

Deirdre Mortell (Co-Founder & CEO)
Deirdre worked in senior fundraising and communications roles within the Irish NGO sector from 1993 - 2003. She has worked with Barnardos Ireland, Oxfam Ireland and served as Chair of the Irish Charities Tax Reform Groups. 

Deirdre has a degree in business from University College Cork and a Masters Degree in Women’s Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

Emma Lane Spollen (Deputy CEO)
Emma leads Irish Investments at the One Foundation, with overall responsibility for Disadvantaged Children and Families, Youth Mental Health and Integration programmes.

Emma has over twelve years experience in both for-profit and not-for profit organisations in Ireland and abroad. From Shell International to Comhlámh (Advocacy & campaigning on International Development) as CEO (& COO). Emma has held a variety of Directorships including the Boards of Dochas, the NCCRI and the Irish Refugee Council.

Emma is a Chartered Management Accountant with a BA in History & Politics from Trinity.

Eoghan Stack (Acting Deputy CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager)
Eoghan Stack is acting Deputy CEO for the One Foundation, responsible for One Foundation’s Irish strategy, and specifically for building the capacity and effectiveness of One Foundation’s portfolio organisations through strategy development, business planning, and performance management of One’s 22 current investments. As Senior Portfolio Manager, Eoghan is responsible for leading One’s investments in youth mental health and the integration of minorities, including 2 of our largest investments – Educate Together and Headstrong.

Prior to the One Foundation, Eoghan spent eight years with 3Com’s R&D team designing integrated circuits and is an Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering graduate of University College Cork.

Vicky Brown (Portfolio Manager)
Vicky Brown is Portfolio Manager for the Disadvantaged Children & Families programme at the One Foundation. Prior to this, Vicky spent 5 years in New York, working in advertising and direct marketing for both commercial and non-profit clients. On returning to Ireland, she took a role in the retail marketing division at the Bank of Ireland, before moving to Barnardos where she held a number of senior fundraising positions.

Vicky has a degree in Psychology from UCD and a postgraduate diploma in Public Relations.

Orla Kelly (Office Manager)
Prior to joining One Foundation Orla worked with Ballymun Partnership.

Richard O'Donnell (Portfolio Analyst)
Prior to joining the One Foundation, Richard worked with the Strategic Learning and Evaluation Team in the Atlantic Philanthropies.  Richard holds a First Class Honours Bachelor of Business Studies Degree and a Master of Science in International Business from the UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business.  
 
David O'Brien (Portfolio Analyst)
David is a recent graduate from Trinity College Dublin graduating with a Bachelor of the Arts in Business and Politics.  Prior to joining the One Foundation, David held a management position in the food business sector.
 

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