Ireland's 27-Strong Judging Cohort for the 2026 European Sponsorship Awards
There are 48 hours to enter the 2026 European Sponsorship Awards. The ESAs remain the only honour to acknowledge outstanding work by sponsorship professionals right across Europe, and, thanks to the impartiality and deep industry understanding of the judging panel, this ensures that the winners can be justifiably proud of their achievements.
According to the ESA website, “the esteemed judges bring insight, direction and robust evaluation to the judging programme.”
That kind of validation makes us proud of the fact that Sport for Business Founder Rob hartnett is once again part of the panel, this time as part of a 27-strong Irish contingent among the 120 judging panel drawn from across the industry and the continent.
There are 18 categories in the Awards, ranging from Content and Talent to Sport and Social purpose, as well as two Grand Prix prizes.
This year’s Irish-based judges include:
Alma Birbilaite — Cairn — Brand & Communications Manager
Ailish Boyle — Bord Gáis Energy — Senior Marketing Manager
Robert Crabbe — ESB — Group Sponsorship & PR
Grace Crowley — O’Callaghan Collection – Head of Marketing
Dave Dunne — Vodafone Ireland — Sponsorship Manager
Martin Fallon — ONSIDE — Head of Advisory
Sorcha Fennell Sheehan — Bord Bia — Bloom & Events Manager
Sarah Geoghegan — Core Sponsorship — Business Director
Irene Gowing — NDAS — Senior Marketing Consultant
Michael Green — Verve — Senior Sponsorship Director
Colm Hanley — re|set — Managing Director
Rob Hartnett — Sport for Business — Founder
Alan Keane — Teneo — Senior Consultant
Jill Keane – Freelance – Senior Consultant
Ellen McConville Boyd — Teneo — Senior Consultant
Mary McGuire — Legacy Communications — Head of Sponsorship
Eoin Mullen — Dr Oetker Ireland — Marketing Manager
Gavin McAllister — 1920 Worldwide (Ireland) — Managing Director
Lorna Maguire — Titan Experience — Head of Client Services
Ashley Morrow — SSE Airtricity — Head of Brand, Advertising & Sponsorship
Ciara O’Grady — ONSIDE — Senior Consultant
Rob Pearson — Teneo Sports Advisory — Head of Sponsorship
Javier Pérez Díez — ODEON Cinemas Group (Ireland) — Marketing Manager, ODEON Ireland
Darragh Rea — Edelman Ireland — CEO
David Slattery — Pinergy — Head of Marketing
Cillian Walsh — Just Eat — Senior Marketing Manager
Diarmaid Walsh — DWC — Communications & Sponsorship Specialist
Image Credit: European Sponsorship Association.
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Sponsorship
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