The people behind the IBN
Paul Cahill
IBN PRESIDENT
Chapter head NRW
DÜSSELDORF
president[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
Paul has been living in Düsseldorf for over 30 years, where he runs his own company, Global Team. The company provides a range of corporate language services throughout Germany and beyond. He is also founder and President of the consultancy company Global Team Associates based in Delaware.
Paul Cahill
IBN President
Chapter Head NRW - Düsseldorf
Originally from Howth, Co. Dublin, Paul retains strong ties with Howth yacht club and his alma mater, NUI, Maynooth. He is also active in his adopted home, Düsseldorf, where he is a member of the Düsseldorf Jonges e.V., the largest ‘Heimat Verein’ in Germany. Paul is a founding member of the IBN e.V. in 2011 and has been President since 2015.
Jody Gannon
IBN VICE-PRESIDENT
Chapter head bERLIN
vice-president[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
Jody is the founder and CEO of the Big B animation co. GmbH in Berlin. One of the most experienced animation professionals in Europe, he has been involved in developing a number of successful European co-productions and is a partner in the New Delhi based services company WordSword Media & Communications.
Jody Gannon
IBN Vice-President
Chapter Head Berlin
Originally from Blackrock, Jody has been based in Berlin since 2008 and has been chair of the Berlin and North-East Germany chapter and Vice-president of the IBN since 2015.
Róisín Russ
IBN Secretary
Chapter head Frankfurt
secretary[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
With a background in work as well as health psychology Roisin is involved in training and development for organisations throughout Gemany. She is the founder of Akademie42, offering training and coaching in the area of work and well-being.
Roisin Russ
IBN Secretary
Chapter Head Frankfurt
Roisin hails from the original Barrytown in Dublin and has been living in Bad Nauheim near Frankfurt for more than 30 years. She has been the chair of IBN Frankfurt since 2016 and national secretary since 2018.
Mark Ennis
IBN Treasurer
treasurer[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
Mark has been living in the Düsseldorf region for 30 years and is the Transactions Director for Vonovia, the largest listed European Residential Real Estate Company.
Mark Ennis
Originally from Baldoyle, Dublin and a Chartered Accountant by training, Mark now lives with his family in Krefeld, in NRW.
Joanne Galvin
CHAPTER HEAD MUNICH (Liaison)
munich[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
Joanne is based in Munich; she has worked in various countries in Europe and Asia. Her expertise is in the automobile industry with a focus on developing global wholesale and retail organisations.
A native of the Kingdom and a graduate of the University of Limerick, Joanne has lived in Germany for 20 years.
Joanne Galvin
Liason Officer
Chapter Head Munich
She has been actively involved in the IBN Stuttgart and joined the board as Liaison Officer in 2021. Joanne has been Chair of the Munich Chapter since 2023. She is involved in various Not for Profit organisations. A keen hiker (having the Alps in her backyard) she has successfully completed the München Mammutmarsch twice!
Ailbhe Coughlan
Chapter head Stuttgart
stuttgart[at]irishbusinessnetwork.de
Ailbhe is a director of marketing at PTC, a software company headquartered in Boston. She has worked for the company, for over 20 years, in various marketing positions.
Ailbhe Coughlan
Chapter Head Stuttgart
Originally from Athy, Co. Kildare, Ailbhe has made Stuttgart her home since 1993. She is married with 2 sons and her interests include traveling, reading, theatre, and spending time with family and friends. Ailbhe has just recently taken over the chair of the IBN Stuttgart.
Hugh is a Market Executive at Enterprise Ireland, based in Düsseldorf. He specializes in supporting Irish companies to start and scale their operations in the DACH region, with a focus on the Life Sciences and High Tech Construction sectors.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Chapter Head Next Gen IBN
Originally from Dublin, Hugh moved to Düsseldorf after earning a Bachelor of Commerce International and German from University College Dublin. He is passionate about connecting with and supporting young professionals who are eager to build successful careers in Germany.