Staff Profile - Emer McKenna

Emer is an accomplished People Partner with a passion for creating positive workplace cultures and delivering strategic, high impact HR solutions. With over four years of experience and an LL.B in Law with Business from Swansea University, she seamlessly blends operational expertise with strategic HR insights across a variety of industries.

Her HR career began at Horse Racing Ireland, followed by key roles at National Pen Promotional Products Ltd and Brown Thomas Arnotts. A career highlight was acting as the designated HR partner for the successful launch of the Brown Thomas Dundrum store in 2022. This project showcased her expertise in HR strategy, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. It also deepened her commitment to driving meaningful change through HR, enriched by interactions with visionary leaders such as Alannah Weston, former Chairman of Selfridges Group.

In May 2022, Emer joined Dublin City University (DCU) as an HR Generalist and was swiftly promoted to People Partner. In this role, she partners closely with the HR Business Partnering team, providing strategic HR support to the DCU Institute of Education, the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, the SIS Programme, Information Systems Services (ISS), the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Academic Secretariat Office, Academic Systems, and DCU Sport & Wellbeing. She is dedicated to developing innovative HR strategies that align with both her Faculty and Units strategy but also the university’s broader vision and objectives.

Emer's diverse experience, combined with her proactive approach to HR leadership, positions her as a key player in delivering impactful HR solutions that drive organisational success.