Meet the Team

Sharan Kelly, MBA, BBS, Dip (Community & Enterprise Development) and CEO of Tearfund Ireland since September 2012. Sharan has worked in the youth/community and NGO sector for over 20 years, 14 of which at CEO level and prior to that senior roles including financial management.

Prior to taking up the post of CEO with Tearfund Ireland, Sharan led the development of ‘the Base’, the flagship project of the EU/NDP URBAN II Programme in the Republic of Ireland (2000-2006). A €6million capital build project and multi-disciplinary service working with children and young people, as the founding Chief Executive, Sharan held the post for 10 years prior to joining Tearfund Ireland.

Sharan is the current Chair of Dóchas, the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations and Chair of EU-CORD Administrative Council, the European Network of Christian Relief and Development NGOs.

Markus Köker, M.Ed., M.Phil. (International Education) is the International Programmes Manager for Tearfund Ireland since Sept. 2012. Markus brought with him development project management and project design experience at field, national office, and head office levels in Africa and Asia.

After becoming a secondary school teacher, Markus moved to South Sudan for four years. As sector head of an ACROSS Education Programme, Markus initiated and led the Yei Teacher Training College during the war. From 2008 to 2012, he served in Cambodia, where he was in charge of project design and external relations for ICC; a local partner of Tearfund Ireland.

Niamh Daly, BA Hons (Economics & Politics) and Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations. Niamh has nearly two decades of experience of professional communications in Ireland working in the areas of Marketing and Advertising for Eircom and Dublin Airport.

Niamh joined Tearfund in 2011 and has been creating and developing the Marketing, Fundraising and Communications area of Tearfund Ireland since.

Sean Copeland, BA Christian Education & Biblical Studies; MA Religion, Sean joined Tearfund Ireland in the summer of 2018 to build relationships with key partners and assist the growth of the organisation.  Sean has held the role of Sales & Marketing Manager in a SME manufacturing & construction company for nine years.  He then worked as a Senior Key Account Manager in the environmental sector for five years, before working as a Channel & Partner Manager of a large Irish Energy Supplier for four years.  He also set up and ran his own sales & marketing consultancy business.

Emma Lynch: BBS, MA, IITD Certificate in Training and Development (16 years development experience – 8 years overseas), 7 years Development Education experience, member of Irish Institute of Training and Development (IITD). Emma joined Tearfund Ireland as Church and Supporter Relations Coordinator in 2013. Emma is a board member of the Evangelical Association of Ireland (EAI) and represents the Association of Mission Societies on the Church of Ireland Council for Mission. Emma spent several years serving in Nepal with her family during the 1990s and sits on the executive committee of the Nepal Ireland Society.

Michael Goss, BA Hons (Acc & Fin) Finance & Administration Coordinator with 18 years Accounts experience in both Charity and For-Profit sectors. Prior to joining Tearfund Ireland as Finance and Administration Coordinator in May 2013, Michael spent twelve years working in Admin & Finance in the Construction Sector. Michael also worked in the Fundraising and Finance division of the charity Jobcare Ltd.

Gemma Kelly, MSc in Equality Studies, BA (Social Care), Gemma is currently undertaking a MA in International Development. Gemma is the Churches Communications Executive for Tearfund Ireland with a particular emphasis on working with the Emerging Generation. Gemma worked with the HSE Dublin South City Family Support Service for six years in the area of poverty alleviation and injustice in inner city Dublin. Before joining the Churches Communications team, Gemma undertook a voluntary internship in Advocacy with Tearfund.

Mulugeta Dejenu, MSc in Development Planning & Management, MSc in Transformation in the Work Place, BA in Economics, Mulugeta  joined Tearfund Ireland in July 2017 as Regional Programmes Coordinator . Mulugeta has over 20 years of experience working with governments, donors, INGOs (World Vision, TF UK ) in the areas of food security, humanitarian assistance, community development and church mobilization. Prior to joining Tearfund Ireland Mulugeta worked with World Vision as Grants Director and with TF UK as Food Security, Regional and Capacity Development advisor.

Mulugeta led organizational review processes with World Vision and supported organizational reform initiatives with partners in the field and pioneered the work of Self Help Groups in Ethiopia.

He is married to Heran and has two children, Samuel and Salem.

Chrissie joined Tearfund Ireland in October 2011 as Accounts and Administration Officer and assists in finance and administrative duties.

Orla Cluff BA Hons, Social Studies, Dip IPM, ACCA Affilliate.  Orla has recently joined Tearfund Ireland as Accounts and Administration Officer. Orla served with Irish Aid as a short and long term observer on six  EU and OSCE election monitoring  missions to Bosnia, Serbia, Mozambique and  Liberia. Orla worked for many years in administration, events organization and Accounting including five years in accounting practice and six years working in Emergency Relief and Development sector in an administrative and accounting roles in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Libby Sweetman, M.I.A.T.I completing BA Hons in (Acc & Fin), has over 15 years accounting experience, including 6 years in Zimbabwe, Libby has over 20 years’ involvement in community development and voluntary work and has participated in development education programmes including Development Perspectives’ “Insight 2015”, Community Work in a Changing Ireland and EU Peace III Positive Relations, Peace & Reconciliation Diploma.