Minister of State for European Affairs and Data Protection

Dara Murphy is Minister of State for European Affairs and Data Protection at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Justice and Equality. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Dáil Committee on European Union Affairs and as a Member of the Dáil Committee on Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. He also served as Chairman of the Fine Gael Committee on European Affairs, Foreign Affairs & Trade.

Minister Murphy will outline the key significance for the region, and for Ireland as a whole, of improved connectivity to mainland Europe, the UK, the USA and potentially directly to Asia.

Mike Cunningham is Chief Executive Officer of Arctic Fibre, a company developing a subsea telecommunications network between Japan and the United Kingdom with spurs into 14 Arctic communities and into Cork, Ireland. The project is driven by the demand for high speed Internet in Alaska and Canada, and transoceanic capacity between Europe and Asia.

Previously, Mike served as Vice President of Windward Telecom, a wholesale voice and data carrier operating in the Caribbean and founded Speak Telecom, a Toronto-based telecommunications carrier that was acquired in 2008. Prior to 2004, he worked in the investment industry as a Research Analyst at Northern Rivers Capital Management. He holds a BA from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Finance degree from Queens University, and holds the Canadian Investment Manager designation from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Mike Cunningham will describe Arctic Fibre’s progress in developing the project and how the network will enable connectivity between Cork and international markets.

Host In Ireland - President and Founder - Garry Connolly

Garry Connolly has over 20 years of both entrepreneurial and executive experience in assisting foreign direct investment companies to achieve global success. Garry currently serves as President and Founder of Host in Ireland, where he oversees the direction and promotion of the industry-led and sponsored initiative to further promote Ireland as an optimum location to host digital assets. He is also responsible for the recruitment and support of the initiative’s sponsors and partners.

Garry Connolly will explain how Host in Ireland is sustained by the “5 Ps” – Policy, People, Pedigree, Pipes and Power. Representing the most important aspects of digital asset hosting, Ireland’s integration of these five key elements provides a structured foundation for companies of all sizes and markets. With an understanding of how to meet needs across the board, Ireland has the ability to offer companies’ the support they need when hosting their digital assets in the EMEA region.