Meet our team

Ciara Smullen

CEO
Ciara is from Kildare and used to work in the private sector, before deciding she wanted to do something to make the world a better place. She loves talking about Sightsavers and sharing the stories of the people we’ve helped. More about Ciara

Michael Breslin

Supporter care manager
Michael is from Kildare and joined the Sightsavers team in 2020. He decided to get involved in the charity sector as he loves helping people and wants to contribute to making the world a better place. He particularly enjoys talking to our supporters.

Craig Bodger

Senior fundraising assistant
Craig joined Sightsavers as a senior fundraising assistant in December 2022. He is based in Dublin and works between the individual giving and major donors teams, working on fundraising campaigns, event organisation and donor relations.

Wim Desmedt

Head of individual giving
Wim is from Brussels and has lived and worked in several countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa, before moving to Dublin. He’s been a fundraiser for more than 15 years, but he has never seen more generous people than in Ireland.

Emma Doyle

Key relationships manager
Emma joined the team in January 2024. She has 17 years’ experience working in the non-profit sector in fundraising roles and grants and donor care services. She is passionate about inclusive communities and helping people to make impactful gifts.

Stephanie Ann Glady

Fundraising consultant
Stephanie is a Filipino living in France. Before joining Sightsavers in 2022, she worked for an international environmental conservation organisation for eight years. She is committed to transforming lives and helping people.

Lauren Herbert

Strategic partnerships manager
Lauren is from the sunny southeast of Tipperary and joined the Sightsavers team in 2020. Passionate about gender equality and human rights, she believes in creating meaningful partnerships that can help create an equal world.

Moira Horgan

Head of strategic partnerships
Moira is from Wexford and has worked in both the corporate and non-profit sectors for more than 20 years. With a background in sustainability and diversity and inclusion, she loves the work Sightsavers does around social inclusion.

Anika Lernihan

Supporter experience manager
Anika has worked for charities for nearly nine years and is fuelled by her dedication to development and humanitarian causes. Joining us in 2023, she is inspired by the Irish public’s support. Her mission is to share programme stories with Irish donors.

Emma Murphy

Head of communications and public affairs
Emma is from Dublin and joined our team in 2023. She has worked in public affairs and communications in the non-profit and political sectors. She is passionate about equality, diversity, sustainability and inclusion, which are all at the heart of her role.

Cathal O’Grady

Governance and compliance executive
Cathal joined Sightsavers Ireland in late 2021, having previously worked for 10 years in the arts and social care sectors. He liaises with the board and senior management team and has a background in law, local government and the arts.

Meadhbh O’Rourke

Global citizenship manager
Meadhbh joined the team in 2021 as our public engagement programme manager and now manages our Irish Aid-funded Global Citizenship Education Programme. Originally from Dublin, she worked in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for many years.

Danielle Olavario

Communications officer
Danielle joined us in 2024, bringing a wealth of experience from the journalism sector. Having worked for global organisations such as Euronews and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, she uses her storytelling skills to advance our mission.

Julia Tessari

Senior fundraising coordinator
Julia is from Argentina and joined the Sightsavers team in 2021. She has been working in the charity sector since 2014 and has a passion for social causes. She believes in a fair and equitable world.

Declan White

Fundraising manager, individual giving
Originally from Wexford, Declan has been part of the Sightsavers team for more than five years.  He believes the generosity of supporters in helping to deliver our sight-saving programmes on such a large scale is what makes Sightsavers special.

Ezekiel Benuh

Programme manager
Ezekiel lives in Cameroon and works for Sightsavers in West Africa, managing our Irish Aid-funded work there. Before joining Sightsavers in 2015, he worked for a CBM-supported project in Cameroon. He has a passion for disability rights.