Sensational Kids appoints Kathryn Bermingham and Ciaran Fitzgibbon to its Board
1st April 2025: Kathryn Bermingham and Ciaran Fitzgibbon have been appointed to the Board of Directors at Sensational Kids, the award-winning social enterprise and charity, dedicated to providing affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to children and adolescents with additional needs.
Commenting on the appointments, Karen Leigh, founder & CEO, Sensational Kids, said: “I am delighted to welcome both Kathryn and Ciaran to our board. With a diverse background in higher education management, finance and community leadership, Kathryn brings a wealth of expertise in operations and strategic problem-solving to Sensational Kids. Kathryn’s dedication to inclusion, advocacy and operational excellence makes her a vital contributor to Sensational Kids’ mission of supporting children and families across Ireland.”
Having managed the financial aspects of some of Ireland’s largest capital development projects including the Mater Hospital, Ciaran brings extensive expertise in financial management, strategic leadership, and organisational development to our social enterprise. He will provide Sensational Kids with invaluable financial acumen and strategic insights, helping us to continue our transformative work for children and families across Ireland who desperately need crucial therapeutic support.
Kathryn and Ciaran’s expertise will be particularly valuable in helping us develop the new National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town which will cater for 15,000 children per year once it is open.”
Since its foundation in 2007, Sensational Kids has provided affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to more than 10,000 children and adolescents with additional needs through its Child Development Centres in Kildare, Cork, Mayo and Monaghan. With a staggering 110,000 children on public waiting lists for assessments, diagnosis, and development therapies, the demand for Sensational Kids services has never been more urgent. Timely intervention is crucial for children to reach their full potential in education and life.
Kathryn said, “I’m delighted to join the Board of Sensational Kids. The work that Sensational Kids do is critical to all the children and families around the country who need help and support. Given the huge number of children on public waiting lists for assessments, diagnosis, and development therapies, it’s important more than ever that we continue to build a network of support around vulnerable children and their families. Every child needs to be supported to reach their full potential and timely intervention is a key priority for Sensational Kids and one that I wholly support.”
Ciaran commented:“I am acutely aware of the significant and important role that Sensational Kids play in the lives of so many children and their families throughout the country. Timely assessments and therapies cannot be underestimated. The importance of the next phase of development of The National Child Development Centre is at a critical juncture and I look forward to supporting this ambitious and crucial project while serving on the Board of Sensational Kids.”
A native of Limerick, Kathryn currently serves as School Manager for the School of Biochemistry & Cell Biology at University College Cork where she oversees operations, staff management and strategic initiatives. Kathryn chairs the school’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee and plays an active role in the teaching and learning, research, health and safety, and infrastructure committees. Her leadership contributions extend to the Advance HE Ireland Panel, where she will continue to serve in 2025.
Kathryn’s passion for social change is reflected in her role as a 2024 Cork East General Election candidate, where she campaigned for improved services for children with special needs, individuals with disabilities, mental health services, and support for the elderly. Her previous roles include Finance Officer at the Tyndall National Institute and Assistant and Financial Controller at Carlton Hotel Kinsale, where she demonstrated strong financial acumen and project management skills.
A qualified HR professional, Kathryn holds a Higher Diploma in Human Resource Management from UCC and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). She is also trained in project management, digital marketing, and leadership development.
A native of Kildare, Ciaran is a Chartered Accountant with a career spanning more than two decades. He has successfully held senior finance roles in multiple sectors, including FMCG, aviation, consultancy and non-profit.
Currently serving as Managing Director of Vision Creative Studios, Ciaran is also the founder of Alabaster Consultancy, providing strategic financial advice to businesses. Previously, he was part of Brennans Bakeries’ finance team, contributing to its operational efficiency and financial stability. His leadership roles have extended to Regional Director and International Commercial Lead at Relevant Play, where he managed operations across EMEA and APAC regions.
Ciaran’s experience as Director and Treasurer at Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland highlights his commitment to social causes. Ciaran has experience of managing and reporting on one of the state’s largest capital projects The Mater Hospital as the Financial Controller & Deputy Project Manager, for the development of the Mater Campus Hospital Development Ltd., and Eccles Street Car Park Ltd where he was responsible for the full finance function of the above companies including, managing the finance and treasury function of these capital projects from construction to completion and operation including banking facilities and presentation of reports to executive.
Ciaran is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA), with a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy and HRM from the National College of Ireland and certification in sustainability reporting from Chartered Accountants Ireland.