Meet Our People / Senior Team

Our Senior Team

Derek Smyth

Senior Principal Consultant - IT Contracts

Derek is a Senior Principal Consultant within Brightwater’s IT Contracts division. He joined Brightwater in August 2010 and has over 22 years’ experience in recruitment and key account management within the recruitment industry. Derek focuses on the IT contracts sector primarily recruiting across software development, system analysis, IT project management, network support, data warehousing, business intelligence and cyber security. He account manages a number of key clients where he has built long term mutually beneficial partnerships offering on-going recruitment services, market information and salary benchmarking.

Connect with Derek on LinkedIn

Conal O'Connor

Senior Principal Consultant - Accountancy

Conal joined Brightwater in October 2016 initially working in the sales and insurance divisions before transferring to the Accountancy division. He now focuses on the accountancy sector where he specialises in the placement of part-qualified and qualified accountancy professionals across industry. He has a proven track record of matching the right person with companies, taking into account their skillset, market knowledge and cultural fit.

Connect with Conal on LinkedIn

Majella - Associate Director, Sales & Customer Service

Majella Slevin

Senior Principal Consultant - Sales & Customer Service

Majella has nearly 20 years’ recruitment industry experience in Ireland and Australasia, primarily with the HR and Business Support areas where she worked with a broad range of international and indigenous companies. She joined Brightwater’s Business Services division in 2022 where she personally focuses on the placement of Sales & Customer Service professionals across the Irish marketplace in interim, contract and permanent roles at all levels.

Connect with Majella on LinkedIn

Grace Caraher

Manager - Accountancy (Financial Services)

Grace is a Manager within Brightwater’s Accountancy team with a focus on financial services. She joined Brightwater in 2015 and was appointed Manager in 2022. Grace specialises in the placement of part-qualified and qualified accountancy professionals across insurance, financial services, banking, asset management, aviation leasing and fund services.

Connect with Grace on LinkedIn

Dara Nugent

Process & Systems Manager

Dara is the Process & Systems Manager within the Brightwater Group. Having joined the Group in 2015 as an administrator, Dara plays a pivotal role in ensuring the veracity of all information entered into the systems. She is adept at navigating the complexities of data management while adhering to stringent regulations such as GDPR and other industry-specific guidelines. She provides guidance to the consultants in order to uphold the quality of our data across the Group. With a strategic mindset and a focus on continuous improvement, Dara is committed to optimising systems and processes to enhance overall operational efficiency

Connect with Dara on LinkedIn

Louise Walsh

Manager - Credit Control

Louise has been a part of Brightwater’s internal finance team since 2003. Working on various areas of finance including payroll and credit control ,she was promoted to Assistant Manager of Finance in 2018. Louise then focused on credit control and in 2022 was appointed Manager - Credit Control where she is now responsible for all credit control aspects for the Group

Charlie Bigger

Senior Principal Consultant - Life Sciences

Charlie joined Brightwater in 2021 initially in our Technology division but in 2024, he transferred to the Group's successful Life Sciences division. He has over 16 years’ experience working within recruitment and technology. He is an experienced recruiter and currently specialises in Life Sciences recruitment supporting clients across FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Devices sectors.

Services include permanent, temporary and contracting support. His talent in business development and ability to nurture client relationships make him a valuable recruitment partner.

Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn

Sarah MacNulty

Senior Principal Consultant - Information Technology

Sarah has over 9 years’ recruitment experience and joined Brightwater in 2016. In January 2024, she was appointed Senior Principal Consultant within Brightwater’s award winning technology division. She now focuses on the recruitment of IT professionals from graduate up to senior level on a permanent basis on behalf of clients ranging from SMEs to large multinationals. Her area of speciality is software development and engineering.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Suzanne Browne Lynam

Payroll Manager - Finance

Suzanne joined Brightwater's internal finance team in 2006 and is responsible for the staff payroll (including contractors), VAT returns and PAYE filings. She is a qualified IPASS Payroll Technician and a qualified Accounting Technician.

Connect with Suzanne on LinkedIn

Paula Smaga

Consultant - Business Services

Paula joined Brightwater's Business Services division in 2022 as a Consultant where she focuses on the recruitment of office administration and business support professionals on a permanent and contract basis. She is particularly talented in recruiting for volume projects. She has a background in grocery retail where she honed her skills in business development and client relationships.

Connect with Paula on LinkedIn

Vanessa Kelly

Financial Controller

Vanessa joined Brightwater in 2024 as Financial Controller. She is a Certified ACCA Accountant with over 20 years post qualification experience and holds FCCA (Fellowship of the Association). Vanessa has extensive accounting and management experience, gained across a variety of sectors including Hospitality, Retail and Law.

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