Patrick O’Brien

Strategic Advisor

Patrick J. O’Brien has spent more than 30 years working in all forms of the media as a journalist, educator, and public relations specialist. Along the way, he has written extensively on state and international politics, foreign affairs, finance and has won numerous awards for his work. In recent years he joined Global Investment Broker Exante, where he is currently the Executive Director. He has been a strong advocate for promoting Corporate Social Responsibility within the workplace. He understands that Malta has significant mental health challenges, including long waiting lists and outdated infrastructure, and has called for a more comprehensive, modern regime for addressing people’s mental well-being. Patrick remains Irish through the core and believes we all play an important role in building bonds and business opportunities with our European neighbours.

James Hoare

Chief Financial Officer

James is a Chartered Accountant with more than 40 years of international professional experience across auditing, accounting, digital transformation, organisational change, project management, corporate governance, and stakeholder engagement. He brings extensive cross-industry experience spanning financial services, information technology, professional services, manufacturing, mining, and wholesale and retail, providing boards with a strong commercial perspective and broad strategic insight.

His professional background includes senior roles with leading global organisations such as PwC, IBM, and KPMG, as well as advisory work with smaller professional services firms and start-ups. He is recognised for his ability to bridge strategy and execution, and for supporting boards and executive teams in delivering sustainable outcomes through strong governance, disciplined oversight, and effective stakeholder management.

Dee Maher

Chair of the Irish Business Network

Dee Maher is an accomplished board member and senior advisor specialising in legal, compliance, and corporate governance. A former Google legal counsel and M.B.A. graduate, Dee relocated to Malta in 2010, where Dee has since advised leading technology and gaming companies on strategic business development and international expansion.
Over the course of Dee’s career, Dee has successfully secured gaming licences across multiple jurisdictions, including Malta, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, the United States, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and several regions in Latin America for Tier‑1 operators.
A seasoned C‑Suite executive, Dee is recognised for deep regulatory expertise, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to navigate complex global markets. In recognition of outstanding leadership, Dee was awarded the Malta Businesswoman Leader in Management Award in 2025.

Caroline Whelan

Ambassador of Ireland to Malta

I was assigned to Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs in 2007. Prior to that, I served in a number of government departments and offices, including the Department of Health; the Adoption Board of Ireland; and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

My assignments within the Department of Foreign Affairs have included the following:
2022 – date Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Malta
2019 – 2022 Deputy Director HQ – Development Cooperation & Africa Division
2019 – 2019 Deputy Head of Mission Irish Embassy, Ottawa, Canada
2017 – 2019 Deputy Director HQ – Development Cooperation & Africa Division
2011 – 2017 Deputy Head of Mission Irish Embassy, Den Haag, The Netherlands
2007 – 2011 Deputy Director HQ – Development Cooperation Division.