Ciara is an Equity Partner at Deloitte LLP.

She leads the life and pensions sector propositions and has more than 20 years of experience across the direct, reinsurance and consulting sectors. She provides advisory support to numerous clients within the Irish market. Such advisory support has included support on regulatory changes such as Solvency II (including capital optimisation) and more recently PRIIPs, along with considering the operational changes required as a consequence of such regulation. It has also included AFH independent peer reviews; market consistent embedded value and IFRS reserve reviews; stochastic models; Section 13 transfers of business; target operating model reviews; and risk governance appropriateness from appetite through to framework and culture embedding. Deloitte’s actuarial practice is one of the largest in the Irish market with c.25 people with skills across life, non-life and pensions. Ciara is also a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. She joined the Board in 2019.

Lisa has specialised as a Couple Counsellor for almost twenty years and trained with The Irish Institute of Couple Counselling (IICC). She holds a Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling with PCI College, a diploma in Couple Counselling with the Irish Institute of Couple Counselling/MRCS, a diploma in Supervision from Dublin Gestalt Centre and has also graduated with an MSc in Bereavement Studies/Grief & Loss from RCSI’s Institute of Leadership. She is a trained Complicated Grief Therapist and is an accredited member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP).A regular media contributor, Lisa is the author of ‘When A Relationship Ends – Surviving the Emotional Rollercoaster of Separation’ (Orpen Press) which addresses the fallout of separation and provides a useful guide for picking up the pieces and moving on.

Lisa currently works in private practice in Dublin and is particularly interested in the development and delivery of training programmes that will support people who are struggling to come to terms with the loss. She is an experienced trainer, having facilitated workshops for Relationships Ireland (formerly MRCS) and more recently for Psychotherapy professionals. She practises as a Clinical Supervisor supporting therapists (supervisees) who are working with clients who are trying to come to terms with the loss.

She has previously held roles in Training & Development, HR, Finance and Marketing.

Crona joined the Board of FirstLight in November 2020.

Crona qualified from Dublin City University with a BA in International Marketing and Languages in 1992. She has more than 20 years of experience overseeing project and programme management delivery in the software, telecommunications and financial services industries in the US, Europe and Asia. She is qualified as a PRINCE2 practitioner and a Six Sigma practitioner.

Most recently, Crona spent 11 years on the senior leadership team at AIB Merchant Services with responsibility for Operations. She is currently in her second year of studying for a Higher Diploma in Counseling and Psychotherapy in DBS. She enjoys long-distance running and travelling in her spare time.

Rachel joined the Board of FirstLight in November 2022.
Rachel qualified from Techincal University Dublin in 2006 with BA in Social Care. She has over 16 years of experience as a Social and Project Care worker with such organisations as Barnardos, Focus Ireland, and the HSE Crisis Intervention Service. Rachel also has training in therapeutic play skills, non-violent resistance, therapeutic crisis intervention and communications skills and risk assessment. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, meditation and walking.

Steven graduated from Heriot-Watt University with a Masters in Economics (MA). He has over 15-year experience in Financial Services, primarily as a Credit Risk professional in model development and analytics. Steven has worked in Ireland and Canada across various companies, including multinationals, banks, credit unions and in the fintech start-up space. Steven coaches youth soccer in his spare time and enjoys hiking and running.

Mark joined the board of FirstLight in January 2023.

Mark is Head of Datacentre  & Security Services (ROI & NI) for BT Ireland. He has over 20  years of customer-facing experience in ICT Managed Services Companies with a wide variety of client bases (SME – Multi-National & across all sectors). Mark has extensive experience in IT Management & Consulting, Project Management, Operations Management, People Management, financial modelling and legal negotiation.

Brian Rowntree CBE joined the board of FirstLight in March 2023. Brian’s son and granddaughter died of SIDS, his son Darren in 1983 and his granddaughter Neila in 2007.Brian has extensive senior public and private sector executive experience in, Construction, Training and Development, Housing, Corporate Governance, Financial Management, and Strategic Planning. He has private and public sector experience in annual budget expenditure responsibility up to £1.46bn. Previous chairperson positions include; The Civil Service Commissioners Northern Ireland (2012 to June 2018), The NI Housing Executive (Largest Public Housing Authority in Europe 2004 to 2012), NI Policing Board ( Audit Vice Chair and Board Member 2011 to 2014), The Probation Board NI  (Chairperson 1998 to  2004), NI Criminal Justice Review Implementation Group NI (1999 to 2004), and was an Expert Independent Advisor and Member of the NAMA NI Advisory Committee from its foundation to completion (2010 to 2014).

Brian was awarded a CBE in 2004 for services to Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, awarded Honorary Member of The Chartered Institute of Housing in 2010 and in 2014 recognised by CIPFA for Outstanding Contribution to Public Services in Northern Ireland.

Brian Rowntree is a Chartered Manager and Companion of The Chartered Management Institute (Highest UK Management Award). He is currently the Principal of Business Improvement Services (A Specialist Housing, Improvement and Governance Consultancy)