Biographies

Professor Andrew Burke is Chair of Business Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He served two terms as Dean during 2015-2023 when Trinity Business School tripled in size and secured Triple Accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS) placing the School in the top 1% of business schools in the world. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and has served on the Board of the University and Audit Committee. He has also served on the Governing Body of UCD. He was Bettany Chair and the Founding Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cranfield School of Management, UK.

He was Chairperson of the Centre for Research on Self-Employment (CRSE) in London from 2014-2020. He has held visiting professorships at UCLA in 2002 and 2012 and was a Research Professor at the Max Planck Institute of Economics, Germany. He is widely published in top ranked international journals including the Harvard Business Review, and the Journal of Management Studies. His work has been presented at the EU Commission, World Trade Organization, HM’s Treasury, UK Houses of Commons and Lords as well as through media such as Forbes Magazine, the Financial Times, RTE and BBC television and radio.

He graduated with a D.Phil (Oxford University), MSc (London School of Economics), MA (NUI) and an honorary MA (Dubl.). He is an executive coach and holds a Certificate in Executive Coaching from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a former President and Ents Officer of UCD Students’ Union hosting bands such as the Pogues, Dr Feelgood, the Damned, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Human League and Wilko Johnson during his time in these roles. During his student days he played in a number of indie bands which were commercially unsuccessful but enjoyable experiences for the band, if not the audience!

Professor Na Fu is Chair of Responsible Leadership at Trinity College Dublin, a professor in Human Resource Management and Co-Director of Trinity Centre for Digital Business and Analytics at Trinity Business School. She is the Founder and Director for the award winning MSC in Human Resource Management program, a Fellow of Trinity, and an Academic Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Professor Fu’s research focuses on strategic human resource management, professional service firms, people analytics and digital transformation where she has published extensively in high impact international journals. As a recipient of multi-awards in research and teaching, Professor Fu is passionate about helping organisations to achieve their employee’s full potential in all aspects. She has led a number of research projects in both the private and public sectors around people management relevant to organisational growth and innovation.

Professor Fu’s work benefits to the economy and society beyond academia. Insights derived from her research have been directly applied by professional bodies including the Great Place to Work and the CIPD. Professor Fu is a respected and sought-after speaker, giving keynote talks at industry events, serving as judge for industry awards, and publishing industry reports to inform policy makers.

Hitesh Kapoor is a doctoral student at Trinity Business School in the field of Entrepreneurship and holder of the prestigious Eric Flamholtz Scholarship award. He is involved in studying the role of freelancers in the modern business world and how freelancers enable businesses in their growth and scalability. He is also interested in discovering how the use of freelancers in business changes the perception of various stakeholders about the business.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Hitesh completed his postgraduate degree in Marketing and Strategic Innovation & Entrepreneurship from IMT, Ghaziabad, India. He has also been involved in a research project with the Ministry of Finance, India, on Digital Transformation. He has gained extensive experience in Marketing, Leadership, and Operations through his professional career. Hitesh is now focused on conducting quality research in the emerging blended workforce model, where the typical workforce is complemented with freelancers, contractors, and AI.

Jimmy Sheehan is Managing Director of Contracting Plus, a forward-thinking firm dedicated to empowering self-employed professionals through comprehensive accounting, tax, and financial services. With a mission to simplify the complexities of financial management for contractors, freelancers, and other self-employed individuals, Jimmy leads the company with a focus on growth, innovation, and client success.

A seasoned accountant with an entrepreneurial background in business development, Jimmy brings over two decades of experience in scaling businesses and implementing innovative solutions that enhance operational efficiency and client satisfaction. His expertise lies in crafting tailored strategies that address the unique challenges faced by self-employed professionals, helping them to not only meet their financial obligations but also to thrive in competitive markets.

His professional journey is marked by a proactive approach to leveraging technology, which has positioned Contracting Plus as a trusted partner for self-employed professionals seeking reliable and innovative advice in the areas of tax, accounting and financial services.

Geraldine Penney is the Marketing Manager at Contracting PLUS, where she focuses on promoting and communicating the value of self-employment to all stakeholders. Her proactive approach positions Contracting PLUS as a trusted partner for self-employed professionals.

Geraldine’s professional journey is enriched by her experience running her own business, working in SMEs, and multinational corporations.

This diverse background gives her a deep understanding of the dynamics of self-employment and corporate responsibilities, allowing her to communicate with all stakeholders effectively and seamlessly.

Her notable achievements include winning an international Direct Mail Marketing Award for Bioferrin USA (Glanbia) and the Accenture Global Innovation Award for developing and launching Ireland’s first grocery Click & Collect business with Superquinn.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the professional contractors and organisations who actively participated in the study, offering invaluable insights into Ireland’s project economy landscape. A special acknowledgment is owed to Sarah Merrigan, in Contracting PLUS for her valuable assistance. We are also indebted to Deniz Aksaray, Julianne Corrigan, Daisy Cruz, Conor Edwards, Pamela Hennessy, Sandra Rafter and Fiona Tyrell of Trinity College Dublin for their professional support.

To cite this report: Burke, A., Fu, N., Sheehan, J., Penney, G. & Kapoor, H. (2025) ‘Ireland’s Project Economy 2025: A Barometer of Independent Professionals, Contractors and Solo Self-Employed’. February 2025. Dublin: Trinity College Dublin Press. ISBN 978-1-911566-49-6 https://doi.org/10.25546/110827