Dermot O’Leary, Goodbody Stockbrokers:

Dermot O'Leary is Chief Economist with Goodbody Stockbrokers. He is responsible for the economics output of the research department. This role entails providing commentary and analysis for a large range of domestic and international clients through regular research reports and briefings. His work focuses on the Irish and UK economies and their respective housing and banking sectors particularly. He is also a member of the company’s asset allocation committee, assessing global macro developments that influence clients’ portfolios. He was a member of the Housing Commission in Ireland. In that role, he chaired the committee responsible for looking into medium-term issues around finance, viability, and capacity, amongst other areas. He is a regular contributor to economic debate in the domestic and international media (cited in the Financial Times, New York Times, Irish Times, among others). 

Payne Griffin, Senior Director and Lead for International Trade and Regulatory Affairs, FTI Consulting:

Payne Griffin advises clients on a range of policy and regulatory issues, including trade, national security, and environmental matters, bringing highly relevant expertise to client issues based on more than a decade of government service. During President Trump’s first term, Payne served as Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, playing a key role in shaping and implementing the Administration's trade policy agenda. Payne worked inside the Administration to implement the President’s global trade agenda including Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum,  Section 201 tariffs on solar panels and washing machines, USMCA negotiations, and Section 301 tariffs on China. Payne was a member of the President's transition team in 2016, contributing to the development of the Administration's policy priorities. During his decade of service to the U.S. Congress, Payne worked on key regulatory matters related to trade, environment, and defense policy.

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Payne served as Chief of Staff for Representative Dale Strong in the U.S. House of Representatives, a member of the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, and was a key legislative staffer to U.S. Senator Mike Braun. In the Senate, Payne also served as Staff Director to the Air Subcommittee on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works during congressional consideration of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.