Susan Cooney, Head of Tourism, Dublin City Council

Susan Cooney is Head of Tourism with Dublin City Council, where she leads the city’s approach to tourism as a driver of inclusive economic development, placemaking and neighbourhood vitality. Working across planning, property, economic development and the nighttime economy, her role focuses on improving the lived experience of residents while shaping a high-value, resilient visitor economy that supports local communities and the businesses that power Dublin’s tourism sector.

Susan brings over ten years’ experience delivering large-scale mixed-use, housing and regeneration programmes across the UK. Prior to joining Dublin City Council, she was Associate Director at M&G Real Estate, where she led residential asset management and sustainability strategies across a €1bn portfolio, launching and stabilising multiple mixed-use neighbourhoods and embedding ESG, social impact and governance frameworks across more than 3,000 homes and a diverse mix of commercial occupiers. Her work included close collaboration with local authorities, investors and policy stakeholders.

Susan is a graduate of University College Dublin and completed the University of Cambridge programme in Sustainable Real Estate. She is particularly interested in the intersection of cities, culture, community wellbeing and long-term economic resilience.