About Us

Helping you successfully manage the transition to the future of work

What we do

Helping leaders successfully manage the transition to the future of work

WorkMatters was established in 2017 as a leading provider of dedicated future of work consulting and training services. Our prime purpose is to help organisations, leaders and their employees thrive in the changing world of work. We do this through the provision of market leading services and proven solutions.

The people whose people we help

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The Benefit of Working with WorkMatters

Experience

We’ve over 25 years’ experience in organisation development, leadership development and people strategy.

Trust

We act as independent and trusted advisers, talent developers and coaches to a wealth of long-standing global clients. 

Knowledge

We partner with a network of national and international leaders in their fields, across a wide range of areas.

Meet the team

While we are an experienced, knowledgeable and diverse team of national and international specialists across a wide range of disciplines, we share a common mission to enable leaders, organisations and employees to thrive in the changing world of work.

Kevin Empey

Founder

Kevin has specialised in organisation development, leadership development and people strategy for over 25 years. Author of “Thrive in the Future of Work” and many other publications on the changing world of work, he supports organisations with their Future of Work strategies, change management and enablement programmes. Kevin has won several national and international awards for his work in the areas of employment policy, social entrepreneurship, and Future of Work research. He was the founder of Worklink, an internationally recognised not for profit, coaching and mentoring organisation and was named on the HR Most Influential Thinkers list in 2022.

James Ryan

Senior Consultant

James is a highly experienced COO and CPO with a successful career in Human Resources. Originally trained in electronics engineering and software development, James found that his interests and aptitudes were better suited to engineering high-calibre teams and culture rather than creating the software and hardware itself. He has since focused on his two passions: people and technology. Over the past 20 years, he has recruited, coached, engaged, encouraged, motivated, retained, and rewarded some of the most talented digital professionals in the software, pharma, media and insurance industries.

James continues to deepen his expertise in HR, constantly learning and driving people strategy in some of the most innovative companies. He has adapted his skills in agile project and programme management, originally developed in his technology management roles, and applied them to his HR, operations, and general management roles.

Bringing a unique combination of technical expertise and sophisticated HR and leadership skills, James is a valuable asset to any company. He is authentic, bringing his heart, soul, and values to work every day. His understanding of people and digitalisation allows him to create connections between them, and his positive attitude and optimism make him a great listener and adviser. He is also a highly effective management and employee coach.

Fiona Farrell

Programme Manager

Fiona Farrell is our Programme Manager with previous executive education experience as a Project Executive in the Irish Management Institute.

She is skilled in stakeholder engagement and relationships, working with teams, learning & development, and management of multiple programmes. Fiona has worked successfully with clients across both private and public sector such as Enterprise Ireland, HSE, Musgrave Group and the Mater Private Hospital.

Fiona has successfully managed accredited Diploma programmes in the areas of Leadership Development, HR, Marketing, Finance and Coaching, amongst others.

Dhananjaya Sharma

Product Development Manager and Consultant

Dhananjaya (DJ) is a consultant at WorkMatters, works on projects in both the private and public sectors to establish their Hybrid and Sustainable Future of work Model. Before joining WorkMatters, DJ worked on market research, risk assessment, and business expansion/development strategy with various international organisations. He has a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a Master's degree in Renewable energy, where he was awarded a gold medal for his research and academics. He also has a Master's degree in Management consultancy and has completed certifications in Design Thinking, Agile HR, Management 3.0 Fundamentals, and Lean Change Management.
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WorkMatters has partnered with us on our training strategy and delivery support since we began planning our transition to our flexible working model. They have provided us with relevant, tailored and timely training that reflects the intricacies of our business, ensuring we get the best impact from our training effort and approach.

Gillian CooneySMBC Aviation Capital
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WorkMatters have helped our leaders and managers with our ongoing transition to more flexible work models and new ways of working. Their focus and support to us on peer to peer learning and engagement has also helped us create a culture of ongoing improvement and learning within the Society as our new ways of working develop over time

Barbara CarrollDirector of Human Resources, Law Society of Ireland
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I want to thank WorkMatters for the excellent Organizational Agility programme delivered to us recently. Your extensive knowledge, experience and interactive presentation skills made it easy to learn. Given it was an online programme with a number of different organisations in attendance, you made it feel customised and at times one on one.
Most of all, your willingness to provide additional support as we complete ongoing and future projects is a testament to your commitment

Stephen Farrell-O’CallaghanDirector of People, Recruitment and Outsourced Solutions, Clark Recruitment
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The Organizational Agility programme is a must for the times we’re in. With so much changing in our working world, having awareness and knowledge, about how to support staff or how to make small changes happen is essential. This programme opens up different ways that we can do this. The content is excellent with lots of case studies, tools to use and takeaways that can be brought back to the workplace to start straight away. The interactive nature of the sessions and the variety of these means you are learning as you go and putting the tools into practice from the start. The variety of participants and the openness with which all engage is extremely beneficial, with relationships and networks extending beyond the course. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the two hours each week to allow me to learn and hear from others as we journey through this significant period of change.

Margaret KellyExecutive Manager, Future of Work, People Experience Team, Irish Life
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I think this is a great programme for HR leaders who want to get a good understanding of organisation agility. I really enjoyed the blended approach of the programme, In particular the application in the face-to-face sessions. The highlight was the simulation of sprints during the team agility session. This is also a great opportunity for understanding how other organisations are approaching agility challenges through the sharing of experiences in the weekly sessions.

Elsabe BuysSenior Manager, Deloitte Ireland
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I recently completed the Organization Agility programme with WorkMatters, and I would strongly recommend it for leaders, HR professionals, project managers – indeed all navigating the pace of change at work today!

Roslyn O’ShaughnessyPeople & Culture Manager, H&R Block GTC Ireland
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The Organisational Agility Programme with WorkMatters is extremely relevant for the world of work today and it has equipped me with the necessary insight, tools and knowledge to lead our team through a more complex, ever changing work environment. It’s a comprehensive look at what agility means on so many levels from the individual to the organisation and how it is integral to ensuring an effective healthy culture exists to support business objectives. I thoroughly enjoyed the training and learnt so much from the wonderful presenters.

Alison ReedePeople & Culture Manager, H&R Block GTC Ireland

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