Deirdre Cregan

Deirdre Cregan has over 20 years of experience in the field of Human Resources. Currently, they serve as the Group Director of Talent & Inclusion at Smurfit Kappa, a leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions. In this role, they are responsible for the talent and inclusion agenda for the group, including leadership development, strategic talent management, and promoting diversity and equality across the global workforce. Prior to joining Smurfit Kappa, Deirdre held positions as a Senior HR Manager at Microsoft Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where they were involved in talent management and launching the talent management framework within the company. Deirdre has also worked as an EMEA HR Business Partner at Oracle Corporation and held HR consultant roles at PFPC International and Pivotal Corporation. Additionally, Deirdre has experience in recruitment as a Recruitment Consultant at Oracle Corporation, where they planned and implemented high-volume recruitment drives.

Deirdre Cregan's education history includes a BA in History & Italian from University College Cork in 1998. Deirdre then pursued a Diploma in Business Studies at University College Dublin's Smurfit School of Business from 1998 to 1999. In 2001, they obtained a Personnel Practice degree from Technological University Dublin, which was CIPD accredited. Deirdre later earned a Diploma in Applied Project Management from the Institute of Project Management in 2006. In 2012, Deirdre completed a Diploma in Business & Executive Coaching at University College Dublin's Smurfit School of Business. Most recently, in 2021, they obtained a Professional Diploma in Advanced Business & Executive Coaching from University College Dublin.