LEADERSHIP TEAM

CEO Lateralus 

Meet Olivia Breene, our dynamic President of MPI UK & Ireland. She brings energy, vision, passion, and a relentless work ethic. Highly respected as a connector and advocate for authentic leadership, Olivia is known for building relationships that turn into long-term business partnerships. Founder of Lateralus B, she has 25+ years of experience across retail, travel, production, events, and brand—working with some of the world’s leading brands on commercial strategy spanning revenue growth, marketing, sales, events, and experience curation. 

Blending MPI board experience with entrepreneurial, out‑of‑the‑box thinking, Olivia curates experiences, campaigns, and strategies that spark connection, build loyalty,  drive growth, and increase business performance—grounded in the dynamics of human interaction and in data‑backed decisions and research.

 She co‑chairs Maree Oranmore FC and mentors within global entrepreneurial networks. With our 2026 board, alongside President‑Elect Ciara Feely and Past President Brian Hand, Olivia will lead an ambitious 12‑month strategic plan to deliver added member value, promising to be bold, exciting, and jam‑packed. 

Hilary Copeland is an accomplished Event Manager with over 25 years of experience delivering high-profile corporate, cultural, and philanthropic events. Her expertise spans event operations, logistics, office operations and membership management within leading organisations. Hilary excels in high-level stakeholder engagement, efficient communication, and building strong professional networks. She brings creativity, strategic thinking, and a collaborative approach to every project she works on.

Director, Keynote Speaker & Sales Enablement Trainer

Ciara Feely is proud to step into the role of President-Elect of Meeting Professionals International UK & Ireland.

She's a passionate advocate for member growth, revenue generation, and practical leadership development. 

 She is an author (of Steps to WIN in the Meetings Market) , global sales strategist, and creator of the accredited Steps to WIN™ Programme, empowering sales leaders and their teams in hotels, destinations, technology and SAS companies worldwide to drive measurable commercial results. 

 Community sits at the heart of Ciara’s work.  

She is deeply committed to building trust, sharing practical insights, and creating spaces where people grow professionally and personally. 

 Ciara lives in a small village in the south of Ireland. She is actively involved in local community initiatives, bringing that same spirit of connection and care into her leadership on the MPI board and across the wider industry. 

 She also serves on MPI’s European Council, leading membership growth initiatives focused on relevance, engagement, and long-term value for members.

 She's delighted to drive the MPI UK and Ireland chapter, collaborating with President Olivia Breene, Past President Brian Hand and a brilliant team of VPs and Directors. 

Brian is the Founder of Eventcomms Agency, a global event and conference management company based in Dublin, Ireland. Since launching in 2021, Brian has led the agency with a client-first approach, delivering high-impact experiences for global corporate clients. With a strong focus on strategy, planning, and onsite excellence, Brian brings calm, clarity, and creativity to every project.

Brian has served on the board on MPI since 2019 and is excited to bolster his leadership skills as President of the Chapter in 2025.

Managing Director, Knightsbridge Global Representation

Nicola Byrne is proud to step into the role of Director of Membership & Community at Meeting Professionals International UK & Ireland.

She's a passionate advocate for partnership, commercial growth, and championing the highest standards of service across the global meetings industry.

She is the Managing Director of Knightsbridge Global Representation, a sales and marketing agency connecting world-class international hotels and destinations with the UK and Ireland MICE community. Through targeted representation, strategic marketing and meaningful buyer engagement, KGR helps partners build visibility, strong relationships and qualified commercial opportunities.

Relationships sit at the heart of Nicola's work.

She is deeply committed to building trust, sharing honest market insight, and creating the conditions for hoteliers, destinations and planners to do exceptional work together.

With more than 25 years of experience in international MICE and luxury hospitality sales, including senior commercial roles at Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and most recently as Strategic M&E Director for Accor's Luxury & Lifestyle division, Nicola brings deep commercial expertise, a trusted global network, and a genuinely partnership-led approach to the board.

She's delighted to support the MPI UK and Ireland chapter, collaborating with President Olivia Breene, President-Elect Ciara Feely, Past President Brian Hand and a brilliant team of VPs and Directors.

Carlo has worked in the International MICE arena for most of his career having held positions with International brands including Hilton, Edwardian Group London and Accor. Carlo worked in the UK for over 20 years returning to his home country in 2016 and is currently Cluster Sales Director for MHL Hotel Collection with responsibility for the UK MICE Market

• Why did you join MPIUKI?

I joined MPI to add value to my career and to network in a Global MICE community

Hannah works for the IMEX Group as Operations Manager (Education), leading the strategic planning and program delivery of the global Future Leaders Lab’s (previously IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum). These Lab’s support university students transitioning into the events industry and connects them with influential industry leaders to further their careers.

Hannah is also responsible for operational delivery of IMEX America's pre-show education day, Smart Monday, including end-to-end logistics, education session coordination and speaker management. She supports with speaker management for the core education programs at both IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America, working closely with international thought leaders to deliver high quality, future-focused content for a global audience.

Hannah holds a BA (Hons) in International Event Management from the University of Brighton. She began her career at a speaker bureau, gaining extensive experience in speaker logistics, stakeholder coordination and program delivery, before moving into the events team of a renowned unique hotel brand. She then transitioned into the wider global events industry, joining IMEX to focus on large scale education programs and international event operations.

Passionate about relationship building and talent development, Hannah is particularly committed to empowering the next generation of event professionals. Her professional interests include live event delivery, project management and content curation.

Hannah joined Meeting Professionals International (MPI) UK & Ireland chapter in 2020, initially volunteering for the Marcomms committee where she worked on MPI's event communication and curated their monthly chapter newsletter. She now proudly serves on the chapter's board as Vice President of Education, supporting the development of education strategy and professional learning opportunities for the MPI community.

Josh King, VP of Growth – the emc3 collective

Josh King is Vice President of Growth at the emc3 Collective, the award-winning global creative events agency trusted by leading brands including HP, Microsoft, Meta, and TikTok. Recognised for his energy, commercial acumen and deep industry insight, Josh has been instrumental in driving the agency’s global expansion, shaping strategic partnerships, and delivering sustained growth across international markets.

 A passionate advocate for purposeful, future-focused experiences, Josh co-founded the sustainability consultancy, From Now, and played a key role in achieving B Corp Certification. A three-time Salesperson of the Year and a BizBash 40 Under 40 honouree, he also mentors emerging talent and sits on advisory boards, championing a bold, commercially driven and sustainable future for the global events industry.