DEARBHAIL MCDONALD
Moderator
Dearbhail McDonald is an author, journalist, broadcaster and documentary maker. A global Eisenhower Fellow, Dearbhail has won a series of awards for her contribution on to public affairs journalism including the Outstanding Achievement Award from the UCD Smurfit Business School, the Mary Cummins Award for Women of Outstanding Achievement in Media, a Dublin City University Special Alumni Achievement award, as well as several Law Society of Ireland Justice Media Awards for her legal affairs and business coverage.
The former Group Business and Legal Editor of Independent News and Media, and author of Bust: How the Courts Exposed the Rotten Heart of the Irish Economy (Penguin), Dearbhail has consistently used her platorms to highlight a range of diverse issues at the interface of law, business, society, economics and culture.
President of the Strategy Committee of Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, Dearbhail has also served on the boards of Fighting Words, Ireland’s national creative writing centre for children and young adults, the St. Stephen’s Green Trust as well as the External Advisory Board of Maynooth University Department of Law.
Dearbhail has made a series of television documentaries for RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster, including Fertility Shock (2019), The Last Nuns in Ireland (2024) and The Last Missionaries in Ireland (2025). Dearbhail holds an LL.B (Law) from Trinity College Dublin as well as a Masters Degree in Journalism from Dublin City University.
JACQUI MCCRUM
Secretary General, Department of Defence
Mrs. Jacqui McCrum was appointed to the post of Secretary General of the Department of Defence in August 2020. She is the first female Secretary General of the Department. In her capacity, she acts as the principal policy advisor to the Minister for Defence and as the Accounting Officer for all Defence expenditure. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Shared Services Office.
Prior to her appointment, Mrs. McCrum was the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Director General and Accounting Officer in the Office of the Ombudsman, Offices of the Information Commissioner and Commissioner for Environmental Information, Standards in Public Office Commission, Referendum Commission and Commission for Public Service Appointments. She also held the position of Deputy Financial Services Ombudsman.
The majority of her career was in financial services in London and Dublin. She lives in North Co Dublin, married to Maurice with two children, Cameron and Freya.
CAMILLA MELLANDER
Director General for Trade Policy, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Camilla Mellander is the Director General for Trade Policy at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where she oversees international trade policy, the EU single market and trade promotion.
She has held several senior diplomatic roles, including Consul General in New York and Ambassador of Sweden to Vietnam, and has extensive experience from postings in Brussels and Tel Aviv.
Her career spans leadership positions within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, with a focus on trade promotion, consular affairs, security policy, and Middle East policy. She holds a master’s degree in economics from Lund University Born in Gothenburg in 1966, she is married and has two children.
RONNIE DOWNES
Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Ronnie Downes is Assistant Secretary in charge of the EU & Trade Regulation Division (EUTRD). EUTRD leads the Department’s policy engagement with the EU, promoting EU competitiveness and opening the EU Single Market. In that capacity Ronnie is a member of the EU’s High Level Group on Competitiveness and Growth (which prepares the work of the EU Competitiveness Council). EUTRD also handles export licensing (of dual-use goods etc.), investment screening and related matters of economic security.
Previously, Ronnie had responsibility for national expenditure and infrastructure policy in the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, and he worked for a number of years in the OECD’s Public Governance Directorate.
H.E. INGER BUXTON
Ambassador of Sweden to Ireland
Her Excellency Ms Inger Buxton is Ambassador of Sweden to Ireland since August this year. She was previously Head of the European Correspondent Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. 2020-2023 she served as Sweden’s ambassador to Lithuania.
Prior to that, she was the Acting Head of Department of the Global Agenda Department at the MFA. She has also served at the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU and at the Swedish Embassy in Austria.
GUSTAF BERGSTRÖM
Swedish Trade & Invest Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, Business Sweden
Gustaf Bergström is the Trade and Invest Commissioner at Business Sweden’s London office, covering the UK and Irish markets. Gustaf has been at Business Sweden (the Swedish Trade and Invest Council) for 18 years and was first appointed Trade Commissioner in 2017 by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
In addition to the UK and Ireland, Gustaf has also served as Market Area Director for Northern Europe and Eurasia. From the London office, he leads a diverse team of 10 international consultants.
ELISABETH LÖNNE
Chief Commercial Officer, Stena Line
Elisabeth Lönne has served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the Stena Line Group since 2022. She brings extensive international experience and commercial expertise from nearly two decades within the company.
Since joining Stena Line in 2005, she has held several senior commercial positions across different markets, including Trade Director for the Denmark business region. In her current role as CCO, Elisabeth Lönne leads the company’s group commercial strategy, driving sustainable growth and customer value across all routes and business areas.
CLAES BERGLUND
Director Public Affairs & Sustainability, Stena AB
Claes Berglund is a senior executive in the shipping industry and vice Chairman of International Chamber of Shipping and Past President of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations and Chairman of the Swedish Shipowners. As a Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Stena, he is a major influencer of shipping policy.
He holds a Bachelor in Science and is an officer in the Royal Swedish Navy (reserve). Stena AB has activities within Ferries, Tankers, Ports, Offshore drilling, Ship Management, Real estate and Other investments. The group operates more than 130 vessels worldwide. Stena is active in the challenge of finding sustainable energy sources for the shipping industry.
PETER COYLE
Chairman, The Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy and the Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA)
Peter Coyle is the Chair of the Azure Forum and Executive Chair of the Marine Renewables Industry Association. His first career was spent in the development agencies IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland where he was an Executive Director, after which he was a director of a number of Irish companies.
He founded the MRIA in 2009 and is a well-known figure in renewable energy circles at home and abroad where he is a director of the representative body, Ocean Energy Europe.
JOHN GRIFFIN
CEO, LM Ericsson Ltd in Ireland
John Griffin is CEO of LM Ericsson Ltd in Ireland, Board Director at Ericsson Ltd in the UK, and a Board Member at the Technological University of the Shannon. He oversees Ericsson's Irish operations, which include over 1,500 employees in R&D, Global Services, and mobile operations.
With extensive experience leading global client engagement, John has lived in Sweden, France, Australia and the UK. Originally from Cork, he now lives in Dublin. He holds an Engineering degree from Trinity College Dublin and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
MARIELLE SVAN
Head of Security, Department of National Planning, Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket)
Marielle Svan is the Head of Security for the Department of National Planning at the Swedish Transport Administration. She has many years of experience in transport and logistics, having been Head of different units at both the Swedish Transport Administration and Swedish Maritime Administration. At the authorities she has held responsibility for long-term infrastructure planning on all modes of transport (sea, rail, road and air). Before this, she worked as a Nautical officer on tank ships for many years.
Marielle also holds a master's degree in Nautical Science and Logistics and a bachelor's degree in Nautical Science from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
PERNILLA TRÄGÅRDH
Director for Trade and Security and Deputy Director General, National Board of Trade Sweden (Kommerskollegium)
Pernilla Trägårdh is Director for Trade and Security and Deputy Director General of the National Board of Trade Sweden. Ms Trägårdh has a background in international affairs, peace and security and public management. She has broad experience from government agencies including positions abroad.
Her current responsibilities within the field of trade and economic security include European competitiveness & diversification, investment screening & economic sanctions and Swedish civil defence.
ANDERS NORÉN
Head of Department, Societal Security and Safety, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)
Anders Norén is head of Civil Defence and Resilience at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).
With a background in political science and operational experience from the Swedish Armed Forces, he works at the intersection of national and international preparedness, crisis management and social resilience.
DR SANDRA SILFVAST
Analyst, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)
Sandra Silfvast is an analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, specialising in issues related to societal security and safety, with a particular focus on security of supplies.
She has more than ten years of experience in the Australian government, where she worked across shipping, agriculture, international trade and food safety.
Sandra holds a PhD in political science from the University of Melbourne, where her research examined regional cooperation on food security in the EU and ASEAN.
CAMILLA ÅBERG LINDER
Shipping Policy Expert, Swedish Shipowners’ Association (Svensk Sjöfart)
Camilla Åberg Linder is a shipping policy expert at the Swedish Shipowners’ Association, where she works to strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish shipping companies. Among other things, she has been instrumental in efforts to modernise Sweden’s tonnage tax regime, most recently in 2026.
Camilla has a broad international background, including as Head of International Relations at the Swedish Institute for Standards, as well as the EU Delegation to Georgia where she was responsible for transport issues, including shipping.
Having begun her career in the financial sector, Camilla subsequently worked on communications within the framework of Sweden’s EU Presidency in 2009 as well as in the minister’s staff at the Ministry of Finance. She holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s degree (fil.mag.) from Lund University.