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.

Client focused and innovative Senior Specialist with 30+ years in Events/ Exhibitions/Production & Marketing. 

Leading high-level events, standalone conferences (Investigator Meetings), Satellite Symposia incorporating AI, product launches (roadshows), sales incentives and custom build exhibition stands across UK, Europe and Internationally.  Experience in strategic client partnering to develop meeting content and overall event design.  Speaker recruitment, contracting, briefing as well as pre and onsite management.  Ensuring excellence in delivery of key messages and achieving optimal ROI. 

Since re-joining Amex in November 2022, Laura is now Regional Client Manager, responsible for three global pharmaceutical client accounts across 14 countries and continuously developing her strategic understanding of their needs.

Laura was invited to join the board in June 2024 as VP of Marcomms.  She is delighted to progress into 2025 with a great team of experts!

Founder, High Tide Experience Management

Ali Molloy is Founder of High Tide Experience Management - a leading provider of employee and customer engagement programs to businesses of all sizes across Ireland, EMEA and North America. High Tide create bespoke activations such as partner conferences, product launches, employee & customer engagement programs, company strategic announcements, award ceremonies and company roadshows. 

Ali is a highly creative and strategically focused Experience Director with over 18 years international experience management. She brings this experience and passion into each project she undertakes with High Tide. 
High Tide are a trusted vendor who provides strategic direction and becomes an extension of your team making each experience a massive success. We thrive on being creative, responsive and experts in our field.

Ali is delighted to join the MPI Board as Director of Event Experiences and is looking forward to working alongside the board to bring many more MPI experiences to life in a meaningful way!

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

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Luxury and Business Tourism Officer, Meet in Ireland

Donna entered the business tourism sector immediately after completing college in 2004, when she landed her first position at the Dublin Convention Bureau. Since then, her passion for this industry has remained unwavering. Even after 19 years, she still finds as much enjoyment working in this sector as she did when she first started in October 2004.

Throughout her career she has witnessed various changes and encountered numerous challenges within the industry. However, one constant that has remained is the incredible individuals she has the opportunity to interact with and the dynamic nature of this fast-paced sector. Each day brings new and unique experiences, and the opportunities it has presented her, both in the past and present, makes it the most exciting and gratifying field to be a part of.

She has been fortunate enough to participate in international trade shows, engage in sales missions, attended the Irish pavilion at Expo2020 in Dubai.

She has relished the opportunity to present Irish hospitality worldwide while promoting Ireland as a world class business destination on a global scale. This truly is the job of her dreams!

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.

National Director of Sales UK&I - Specialist Sales Support Office, Hilton

With over 15+ years of hospitality experience and having worked in Sweden, South Africa, China and the UK Stijn brings a wealth of knowledge with him.
In his current role as National Director of Sales UK&I – Specialist Sales Support Office with Hilton, Stijn oversees the overall performance of some key Domestic Accounts, International markets, Business Development and industry relations servicing all the owned & managed hotels in the UK&I. Stijn is described as a culture driven, communicative, inclusive leader focussed on empowering, inspiring and mentoring others to learn more, do more and become more. Stijn continues to create a trustworthy, high energy team environment where people can excel and flourish while driving an effective, creative and result oriented team performance attitude. Equally where fun, relaxation and free time are scheduled and prioritized for everyone to thrive.

Stijn has been actively engage in the industry for many year and is thrilled to be joining the MPI UK&I board as VP, Future Leaders.With over 15+ years of hospitality experience and having worked in Sweden, South Africa, China and the UK Stijn brings a wealth of knowledge with him.
In his current role as National Director of Sales UK&I – Specialist Sales Support Office with Hilton, Stijn oversees the overall performance of some key Domestic Accounts, International markets, Business Development and industry relations servicing all the owned & managed hotels in the UK&I. Stijn is described as a culture driven, communicative, inclusive leader focussed on empowering, inspiring and mentoring others to learn more, do more and become more. Stijn continues to create a trustworthy, high energy team environment where people can excel and flourish while driving an effective, creative and result oriented team performance attitude. Equally where fun, relaxation and free time are scheduled and prioritized for everyone to thrive.

Stijn has been actively engage in the industry for many year and is thrilled to be joining the MPI UK&I board as VP, Future Leaders.