Marian Norwood FCIM DipM

With a career rooted firmly in the world of marketing, Marian brings extensive experience across retail, higher education, and B2B sectors. A former university lecturer in marketing and advertising, Marian has led and developed undergraduate and postgraduate marketing degrees, while delivering strategic marketing consultancy, research, and ecommerce projects, winning recognition as a recipient of the MII Ulster Marketing Champion Award (AIMAs 2007). In 2017, she founded the North West School of Marketing, a CIM-accredited study centre to provide CIM qualifications, bespoke marketing consultancy and training to help people build confidence and thrive in their marketing careers.

Marian’s connection with CIM dates back to her student days, and she has valued their support throughout her career. She is proud to be CIM Diploma qualified, a Chartered Marketer, and a Fellow of both CIM and the Higher Education Academy. And in 2023, she was awarded CIM’s Global Volunteer of the Year Award. Now, as Chair of CIM Ireland, a role she took on in 2024, Marian is committed to supporting local marketers and raising the profile of the profession across the Ireland region.

Marian is delighted to work with the fantastic CIM Ireland committee to deliver networking and CPD events that inspire and support marketers in their professional journeys.

Laura Bradley FCIM

Laura is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Ulster University. She holds a PhD exploring electronic and digital retail banking adoption.  Her research interests focus on digital banking, female and social entrepreneurship and profiling SMEs.  She has worked for many years in a consultancy capacity supporting SMEs to develop existing and new products for both domestic and international markets. 

In addition, she has directly supported companies to expand across the UK, Europe, Asia and North America, both B2C and B2B, in sectors such as engineering, retail and technology.  She has vast experience in the area of new product development and commercialization with work funded by Invest NI, Enterprise Ireland and Innovate UK.  She has published widely and presenting at a number of national and European conferences.

She is a board member of a number of third sector organisations and is an external examiner at UK and Irish Universities.  She is a trustee and board member of ASET – Work-based Learning and Placement Learning Association.  She has led a number of EU funded projects. 

As an Education Ambassador for CIM this allows Laura to use her experience of over 20 years in Higher Education along with her passion for marketing to inspire the future young professionals in this area. 

She is Programme Director for the Help to Grow programme at Ulster University targeted at SMEs and subsidized by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.  She has extensive industry links and works closely with industry partners to develop programmes. 

Yvonne McIlree FCIM

I have been working in the hotel industry for over 30 years, working for large global brands and independent family run operators. I have always had a passion for the sales and marketing function of a business and after graduating in a marketing degree in my 20s, I progressed within this field in the hotel industry that I was already working in – combining all my work-related passions. 

I was initially introduced to CIM by a business associate, and successfully completed my Level 6 CIM Certifications at Belfast Metropolitan College a few years back. From then on, my interest in CIM grew and I have encouraged and developed my own team members throughout the years to become CIM qualified. It is now my absolute pleasure to be a part of the Ireland Committee and to pursue my own CIM Study goals further as well as supporting and encouraging more people to do the same.

Ricky Asher MCIM

Ricky, with more than a decade of experience covering sectors such as financial, events, recruitment, hospitality, mining, power, energy, cybersecurity, automotive, and telecommunications across European, United States, and African markets, currently serves as the Marketing Manager at Crowe Ireland, an accountancy and business advisory firm ranked among the top four in Ireland.

In his role, Ricky leverages his extensive expertise in both B2B and B2C markets to build successful campaigns that connect the customer journey each step along the way. His professional journey, starting in South Africa and now in Ireland, has equipped him with a wealth of skills and accreditations, accompanied by a deep passion and understanding of the digital marketing world.

Leading the charge in marketing and brand strategy for Crowe Ireland, Ricky directs internal and external collaborations with stakeholders to deliver compelling and impactful events, content and communication strategies. His commitment to creating value for clients resonates in his passion for enhancing Crowe Ireland's reputation as a trusted partner, leaving a mark on every touchpoint of Irish life.

Ashleigh Watson FCIM

Ashleigh is a marketing professional with 20-years’ experience working in a senior level marketing and communications roles. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge in developing and delivering integrated marketing campaigns using digital and traditional techniques.

An experienced social media trainer, Ashleigh has developed bespoke social media training sessions for public and private sector organisations, including the Strategic Investment Board, MEA Policing & Community Safety Partnership, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Crimestoppers, SureStart and NI Sports Forum.

Ashleigh is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing and is a Vice Chair - Communications on the Ireland Committee.

She was named a Top Five Advisor in Social Media in the UK and Ireland (Enterprise Nation 2022).

Maria McKeever MCIM Chartered Marketer