Our Team

Bernard Yore joined ESS Group in 2017, initially as General Manager of Eirdata Ltd. In 2020, he assumed the role of CEO, where he provides strategic, financial, and operational leadership across the entire ESS Group.

In his capacity as CEO, Bernard plays a crucial role on the Board, collaborating to define objectives, establish major goals, and ensure the company’s sustained focus on its direction for shareholders, employees, and the community.

With a strong background in asset management, Bernard has successfully led large-scale operations across multiple complex manufacturing plants and networks, with responsibility for all assets. His expertise spans food ingredients, Medical Devices, Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals. Bernard has been instrumental in transforming businesses through change management, leveraging a strategic vision to deliver measurable success.

His leadership is defined by a deep commitment to human relations management, team building, and people development, consistently leading teams to achieve breakthrough improvements in KPIs. Bernard’s ability to nurture high-performing teams has been central to his success.

As a mentor for small and medium-sized businesses, Bernard has been recognised globally for his innovative approach to engineering, receiving two Lean Six Sigma awards.

Bernard holds a First-Class Honours B.Sc. in Biopharmaceutical Science from Sligo IT & NIBRT (2011-2013), a Diploma in Leadership, and City & Guilds in Electrical, Electronics, Calibration, Maintenance & Computing (1999-2001). He also completed an Electrical Apprenticeship with ESB.

Bernard is a seasoned executive known for his leadership, technical expertise, and operational acumen.

Gillian Benn joined ESS in 2012 and was appointed Group Head of Training & Marketing in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Business & Marketing (Hons) Degree from MTU, with qualifications in Leadership and Train the Trainer, bringing a strong foundation to her leadership in Training and Marketing. Gillian has over 20 years in industrial roles, both in engineering and wholesale positions.

In her role, Gillian oversees the ESS Training and ESS Group Marketing Departments, ensuring alignment with the company’s business goals while delivering innovative solutions that meet industry standards and client needs. With expertise in programme development, marketing strategy, and project management, she leads ESS Group’s marketing efforts—from brand strategy to digital presence—and drives the creation of cutting-edge industrial training programs.

Gillian has cultivated partnerships with institutions such as Griffith College, Engineers Ireland, and the Institute of Asset Management, positioning ESS as a leader in technical training.

Her strong communication and leadership skills enable Gillian to make a lasting impact and build high-performing teams. An advocate for excellence and innovation, Gillian is passionate about team development, fostering collaboration and achieving impactful brand and financial outcomes that drive ESS Group’s continued success.

Pat Breen began his career as a marine electrical engineering technician with the Irish Naval Service, gaining experience both ashore and at sea, including overseas UN deployments. He progressed through various trade, military, City & Guilds and management programs before transitioning into a planner role at a start-up manufacturing company. He further expanded his expertise by completing the MSc Asset Management program at Manchester University and holding senior roles in Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering and Operations management. Pat also served as Chairman of MEETA, the Irish maintenance society of Engineers Ireland.

With over 20 years of commercial experience, Pat has supported clients across industries such as pharmaceuticals, dairy, food and beverage, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, utilities, manufacturing, and engineering. As Head of Asset Care at ESS, he trains, advises and supports clients in optimising their asset management practices.

Colm De Burca has been involved with ESS for over 20 years and officially joined the company in 2018. In 2023, he transitioned into the role of Head of Outsourcing.

With a BSc in Engineering and 30 years of leadership experience, Colm has worked extensively across manufacturing industries, primarily in pharmaceuticals, as well as packaging and FMCG sectors. He has a strong background in maintenance and project management and has successfully led teams through EPA, HPRA, and FDA regulatory compliance audits.

In addition to enhancing management systems and developing high-performing teams in established companies, Colm has a proven track record of establishing engineering operations from the ground up in greenfield sites.

Kara O’Sullivan is the Group Head of People & Culture at ESS, a role she took on in 2023. With a Bachelor of Business (Hons) Degree from SETU, a Diploma in Leadership, and qualifications as a Business Coach, Kara brings over 20 years of extensive experience in both local and global leadership roles. She brings a wealth of expertise in human resources and organisational development, with a proven track record of driving impactful change and excellence.

A results-driven and strategic HR leader, Kara is passionate about elevating HR as a true business partner, delivering sustainable solutions across diverse industries. Her strong interpersonal skills and leadership abilities have positioned her as an influential change agent, dedicated to fostering high-performance teams.

Throughout her career, Kara has consistently demonstrated the power of nurturing talent and aligning teams with business objectives to create lasting value and success.

Kevin Gallagher joined ESS in 2015 and is the Group Financial Controller, playing a key role in the senior management team. He holds a Business Degree from the University of Limerick and is a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant. With over 20 years of experience across both practice and industry, Kevin brings extensive financial expertise to his role.

He leads the finance team, overseeing management accounts, credit control, accounts payable, payroll, cash flow, acquisition accounting, and organisational budgeting. Since joining ESS, he has played a vital role in managing the company’s substantial growth. Motivated by the opportunity to drive financial stability and business expansion, Kevin is committed to supporting ESS’s continued success and development.

Colin McArthur joined ESS Ltd. in 2016 as Customer Performance Manager and developed into the role of ESS Customer Performance Director in 2020. With over 35 years of experience in operations and logistics across the service industries in the UK and Ireland, he has successfully led structural changes and driven improvements in key sectors, including food, beverage, pharma, and manufacturing.

In his role, Colin oversees the management and operations of ESS accounts, ensuring long-term, sustainable relationships between clients and employees. In his role, Colin is responsible for the Customer and Employee Relations (CER) process, supporting a seamless and impactful customer experience throughout every stage of the business lifecycle.

Colin holds a BSc (Hons) Degree in Facilities & Workplace Management. Passionate about delivering excellence and value, he is committed to continuous improvement and strengthening ESS’s reputation as a leader in asset management and reliability through people.

Bríd Gallagher joined ESS in 2002 as a Recruitment Specialist, bringing extensive experience in engineering recruitment from her time with an international telecommunications company. She holds a Degree in Business Studies (BBS), a Diploma in Industrial Relations and a Certificate in Training & Development. Now as Group Talent Acquisition Manager, she shapes and executes talent acquisition strategies to attract and retain top talent across all customer sites.

With a deep understanding of industry trends, recruitment technologies, and strong relationship-building skills, Bríd ensures alignment with the company’s business goals, supporting ESS in its mission to be “Leaders in Asset Management and Maintenance Reliability through people.” Passionate about fostering an inclusive and dynamic workplace by sourcing diverse candidates, she thrives on building strong, long-lasting relationships with both candidates and hiring managers, ensuring a seamless and positive recruitment experience.

Gerry joined ESS in 2024 and holds the position of Senior Manager, Asset Care, bringing extensive experience in manufacturing engineering management within the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. With a strong background in Lean Six Sigma, Engineering leadership, People management, predictive and preventive maintenance, and structured problem-solving, Gerry focuses on driving efficiency and quality improvements across operations.

Gerry holds a degree in engineering, a master’s degree in Six Sigma and Quality Management and has spent his career optimising processes, mentoring teams, and implementing data-driven strategies to enhance productivity. His passion lies in continuous improvement, team building, people management and empowering engineers with the tools to solve complex challenges.

At ESS, Gerry aligns with our commitment to operational excellence by leveraging his expertise to deliver impactful solutions for our clients. Certified Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, Gerry has successfully led projects that focused on team building, inspiring people, reduced waste, improved uptime, and enhanced manufacturing and people performance. Gerry takes pride in fostering innovation and helping businesses achieve sustainable growth through engineering excellence.

Simon Fitzmaurice, joined ESS in 2022 as Senior Asset Care Manager and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Reliability Engineering & Asset Management from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor of Science in Craft Management from Carlow Institute of Technology.

With over 20 years in the Pharmaceutical and Food & Beverage industries, Simon has a proven track record in developing and optimising highly skilled maintenance/engineering functions. In his most recent roles, Simon has led our ESS teams in developing maintenance & calibration packages for clients in the pharmaceutical industry, managing the holistic implementation of CMMS systems and associated maintenance information (PM’s, calibrations, spare parts etc). These projects fully support our client engineering teams during equipment qualification and ensure robust maintenance systems and procedures are in place as they progress into ongoing maintenance and operations.

An advocate for asset management excellence and optimised performance, Simon is passionate about setting maintenance functions up for success and driving continuous improvements to ensure tangible benefit is realised by all our clients.

Dzintra Klava joined ESS Group as Health & Safety Coordinator in 2022 and was appointed ESS Group Safety Officer in 2023.

She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in the Management of Occupational Health and Safety from Atlantic Technological University, graduated in 2024, and recently upgraded her IOSH membership to Certified Membership.

In her role, Dzintra is responsible for ensuring workplace safety by implementing safety policies and procedures. She has a proven track record of conducting thorough inspections, identifying hazards and fostering a safety-conscious work environment.

Her teaching diploma from Daugavpils University in Latvia enhances her ability to deliver safety training effectively. Dzintra’s approach is engaging, clear, and adaptable to different learning styles, ensuring that safety training is both impactful and easy to understand.

Carmel Boland joined ESS in 2022. In her role as Programme Manager within the Training Department, Carmel is involved in the design, development, management of comprehensive customised technical training programmes to meet the unique needs of clients.

With over 20 years of experience in supervisory and management roles across New Product Development, Process, Operations, and Project Management, Carmel has a proven track record in high-volume manufacturing. She specialises in developing capable agile teams, driving business improvements and developing people through an enterprise excellence framework.

Committed to a culture of inclusion, accountability, and performance, Carmel is passionate about delivering Leadership and Lean training, empowering teams to champion continuous improvement.

Caitriona joined ESS Group in 2023 as Talent Acquisition & HR Coordinator. She holds a degree in Health Promotion from SETU and a Diploma in HR.

With over a decade of experience in retail, customer service, administration and training, Caitriona brings a strong people-focused approach to her role. Her background has given her a deep understanding of employee engagement, career development and workplace well-being. In her role at ESS, she is committed to fostering a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued, respected and empowered to grow.

Passionate about connecting people with opportunities, Caitriona strives to attract top talent while supporting the professional and personal development of ESS employees.

Claire Cahillane joined ESS Group in 2024 as Group Marketing Executive. She holds a First Class Honours MSc in Marketing, Consumption and Society as well as a BA in English and Media & Communication.

With experience spanning education and the technology industry, Claire brings strong communication skills and a creative approach to her marketing role. She is responsible for developing and executing digital marketing strategies that enhance ESS Group’s online presence, including managing social media and content creation. Claire’s background in B2B marketing enables her to craft tailored strategies that drive results while supporting brand development, event management and collaborative marketing efforts across the Group.

Driven by a passion for collaboration and delivering meaningful results, Claire is dedicated to strengthening connections and fostering a culture of growth and success.