Board Members
Valerie Melinn
APMC Position: Chairperson
Company: Verve the Live Agency
Valerie has over 15 years’ marketing experience having worked on both agency and client side during that time. She started her career in Public Relations working with clients such as Eircell, Warner Brothers and L’Oreal before moving into a more marketing and event management focused role with CMS Marketing. She has worked on variety of campaigns for a wide range of clients during her 9 years with CMS Marketing including Samsung, Sony PlayStation, Kelkin and Coors Light. Valerie took up her role as Client Services Director with Verve the Live Agency in 2013. Valerie took on the role of Chairperson of the Association in 2017.
Ian McCabe
APMC Position: Education Director
Company: Publicis Dublin
Ian began his journey through agency land with Clockwork Management, helping to activate sponsorship for Guinness and Budweiser at a number of high profile events such as The 6 Nations, The Galway Races and various music and comedy events. From there he joined Publicis Dublin where he is currently Account Director. Within Publicis Dublin, Ian is responsible for the delivery of campaigns across a number of key accounts such as Renault, RCSI (Dublin & Bahrain), Tayto & DoneDeal.ie and during his time in Publicis has led numerous award winning campaigns both in Ireland and in Europe for his clients.
Sinead Lee
APMC Position: Director
Company: BBDO Dublin
Sinead Lee, Director, BBDO Dublin
Sinead has almost 19 years agency experience having joined BBDO (formerly Irish International) as an Account Director to run the Guinness BTL business. Since then she has worked on a broad range of clients from FMCG to utilities, property developers to retail across multiple disciplines; advertising, sponsorship and shopper marketing. Developing award-winning campaigns for both the domestic and pan-European markets.
In 2005 Sinead was appointed to the board and took on the broader responsibility for operations of the agency's BTL business. From this evolved the agency’s impressive Shopper Marketing business; BBDO SHOP which is the function she leads today.
Emma Ross
APMC Position: Sponsorship Director and joint Awards Director
Company: Real Nation
Emma has over 12 years experience in the marketing industry. Starting her career in PR, she worked with clients including Sony PlayStation, AIB on their sponsorship of The Ryder Cup and Centra. Emma moved to a broader Marketing role in 2012, joining Runway Marketing working with clients including C&C Gleeson (Bulmers), Brady Family Ham and Lindt. After spending time in Verve the Live Agency, Emma returned to Runway (now Pluto) as Managing Director in early 2017 before joining Real Nation in May 2019. Emma is delighted to play an active role on the board of the APMC.
Dan Henson
APMC Position: European Director and joint Awards Director
Company: Boys and Girls
Dan has been creating experiential and promotional ideas in the Irish and international market for almost 20 years.
He began agency life creating integrated campaigns and pop up promotions for Coca-Cola, Nokia, Pot Noodle and Lynx before moving to BBDO where he worked across many brands including their Diageo and Mars portfolios. Dan moved to Boys and Girls in 2015 as Head of Activation where he continues to craft award winning experiential work for Three Mobile, Proximo, Dulux and Ulster Bank to name but a few.
As the only creative on the APMC board Dan hopes to help realise and encourage the creative standard of work represented by the APMC awards.
Katherine Sheils
APMC Position: Communications Director
Company: guns or knives
With a degree in Marketing from DIT Katherine has over 16 years’ experience in agencies in Ireland, UK and Australia. Katherine brings a wealth of through the line and project management experience across a range of industries for national and international brands. Katherine joined the team in Guns or Knives in February 2016 from Target McConnells where she worked on Vodafone Ireland, Carlsberg, Budweiser, Guinness Storehouse and An Post Media, amongst other brands.
Katherine heads up the Heineken, White Claw and mytaxi in Guns or Knives.
