Expert panel session at IAKS UK & Ireland conference, 2-3 Oct

Karl Dunne has worked in the sports and fitness industry for over 30 years. He set up and managed the choice hotels group leisure and fitness offering. 

As Chief Executive Officer of Ireland Active - the National Association for Ireland's Leisure, Health and Fitness industry - Karl is responsible for the overall operational side of Ireland Active and was appointed in 2021. He is a former international canoeist and was the canoe team manager for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He also set up the para canoe programme ahead of the Rio 2016.

Karl is a member of the Government's Sports leadership group, chaired by the Minister for Sport. He was also a member of the Department of Sports steering group that developed the National Swimming Strategy. Karl created the Leisure Health and Fitness Skillnet, which has been instrumental in funding the upskilling of fitness professionals in Ireland. 

He is member of the Physical Activity for people with Chronic Conditions (PACC) steering group developing a collaboration across systems to remove systemic barriers that prevent or reduce opportunities for people with chronic conditions to participate in regular, appropriate, high quality and accessible physical .

Personal Exercise (15%) and Swimming (9%) are the two most popular participation sports in Ireland. Karl is continually advocating to government highlighting the importance that physical activity is the most affordable, cost-effective and high-impact solution to reducing illness and disease in Ireland. 

Mary McMorrow has worked with Swim Ireland, the National Governing Body for the Aquatics across the island of Ireland, for ten years. As Director of Operations, she is responsible for the implementation of the infrastructure pillar of the Swim Ireland and is the governance lead for the organisation. She was a member of the Government Working Group which developed and recently published Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy and is a former Board member of the Federation of Irish Sport. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Dublin City Sports & Wellbeing Partnership. She also plays an active role in European Aquatics, having chaired the Learn to Swim Commission and has recently been appointed as Chairperson of the European Aquatics National Federation Managers Sub-Committee.