Meet our Member: Mary Dunne

The meet our member series introduces some of our members at The View. This time we meet Mary Dunne, Director and Consultant at Iregan Advisors.

Can you tell us about your work, what you do, and how you came to be?

I’m a Director and Consultant with Iregan Advisors, a consultancy I run with my husband, Alan.

We work with SMEs, Local Authorities and public-sector organisations, helping them improve how they operate, become more sustainable, make better use of digital tools and data, and turn strategy into practical action. Alan’s background is in engineering, operations, transport and business transformation, while a lot of my own work sits around strategy, sustainability, communications and stakeholder engagement; so our skills are very complementary.

Through the Local Enterprise Office network, we currently work with SMEs on Green, Lean and Digital for Business projects across 12 LEOs around the country, with that network continuing to grow.

This is also my third year working with Fingal LEO on the Student Enterprise Programme, and it’s a project I genuinely love. It never ceases to amaze me what teenagers can come up with when they get the chance to show skills and confidence that don’t always come through in academic learning or exams.

Before Iregan, I spent 20+ years working across private industry, education and the not-for-profit sector, including roles in supply chain and procurement with Ericsson and Vodafone. I’ve always enjoyed understanding a problem, bringing people together and finding a practical way forward, so consultancy was a natural evolution.

Iregan has grown quite organically from there. Today our work ranges from supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurs through to working with Local Authorities on areas such as parking, mobility, service improvement and communications.

What has your co-working experience been like?

Really positive. I like the flexibility of working independently, but it’s also nice to have a professional base, a bit of atmosphere and other people around.

I like having the flexibility of running my own business, but I don’t necessarily want to work from home all the time. The View gives me the best of both worlds: somewhere professional to work and meet people, but without the formality or overhead of a traditional office.

There is also something very useful about simply being around other people who are running businesses, freelancing or working in different sectors. Even when everyone is getting on with their own work, there is a sense of community that you don’t get sitting at a kitchen table.

What keeps you well?

Having proper downtime is really important. When you run your own business, you could always be “on”, so making time to switch off matters. For me that’s reading, music and going to gigs - we’ve teenagers at home now introducing us to their music, and us doing the same in reverse; next year’s family day out is Fontaines D.C. in Slane!

Travelling when I can and keeping in touch with friends and family are really important too.

What's the best career advice you've received?

To stay curious and not be afraid to change direction.

My career hasn’t followed one straight line. I’ve worked in large corporates, education, the not-for-profit sector and now consultancy - but each part has added something useful to the next.

I think there can be pressure to have a very defined career path, but some of the most valuable opportunities come from being open to something you hadn’t necessarily planned.

I’d also add: don’t underestimate the importance of relationships. People remember how you work with them, and a huge amount of business ultimately comes down to trust.

What's your favourite book/series/film and why?

I love reading, and Sebastian Barry is one of my favourite authors. Days Without End is probably one of my favourite books. I love the characters and the way difference is treated as something completely natural. I’ve just started his new book, The Newer World, which overlaps with characters from Days Without End and A Thousand Moons and can’t wait to get stuck in.

What does the future of work look like for you?

For me, it’s increasingly flexible, technology-enabled and human.

AI and digital tools will undoubtedly change how we work, and I think there is a huge opportunity for small businesses and public organisations to use them to remove repetitive work, improve productivity and make better use of their time.

But I don’t think that means everything becomes automated. If anything, the value of good judgement, relationships, communication and understanding people becomes even more important.

That’s also how we see Iregan developing – using technology and data to work smarter, while keeping the personal, practical approach that clients value.

And from a workspace point of view, I think places like The View are part of that future too. Businesses don’t necessarily need everyone sitting in the same office five days a week, but people still need good places to meet, collaborate and feel connected.

Sustainability is at the heart of what Iregan does: we believe that co-working spaces like The View will play a big part in revitalising town centres and supporting a lower-carbon future.