The Life Sciences Industry Conference 2026 has completed its speaker line-up ahead of the event on Thursday 22nd October at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, bringing together senior voices from pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory science, digital transformation and AI.

Brendan McGrath will serve as Conference Chair, bringing more than 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to the programme. As the first employee of WuXi Biologics Ireland and former Ireland Site Head, VP of Manufacturing and Managing Director, McGrath brings strong operational and leadership experience to the conference.

Meg Leahey, Senior Director of Global CMC Biologics at Sanofi, brings more than 20 years of experience across biotech CMC and clinical regulatory affairs. Her career includes senior roles at MSD, Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb, with expertise spanning regulatory strategy, compliance and mentoring.

Dr Hisham Al-Obaidi, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics and Translational Drug Delivery at the University of Reading, brings an interdisciplinary perspective covering pharmaceutical sciences, digital health and AI. His work combines academic research with clinical experience and includes several patents and recognition for innovation.

Domhnall Carroll, CEO of Digital Manufacturing Ireland, brings expertise in advanced manufacturing, automation and Industry 4.0. Since joining DMI in 2021, he has helped establish the organisation as a national centre of excellence for manufacturing transformation, following senior experience with Siemens Digital Industries in Ireland.

Tom Quinn, Vice President and Site Head at Novo Nordisk Production Ireland, leads the company's multi-product biopharmaceutical facility in Athlone. With more than 30 years in the sector, his experience includes manufacturing site development, optimisation and business integration.

Cormac Byrne, Head of Digital at APC/VLE, leads the iAchieve Business Unit, developing digital products for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. With a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell, his work focuses on applying digital technologies and AI across CMC and pharmaceutical development.

Together, the speakers complete a programme designed to examine how AI and digital technologies are moving from discussion into practical application across life sciences manufacturing. The conference will bring together expertise from operations, technology, manufacturing, quality and regulatory functions, giving attendees an opportunity to hear different perspectives on the future of the sector.

Full details and registration are available at pharmaawards.ie/conference, and subscribe to the newsletter for further agenda updates.