ILK Faculty

Lisa Caufield is Director of Notre Dame Kylemore in Connemara, Ireland. She is responsible for the establishment and transformation of this unique learning space within the famed Kylemore Abbey. In 2018, Lisa created an additional opportunity for Notre Dame students to study abroad at the National University of Galway. She is responsible for curating the interdisciplinary programs, courses, residencies and retreats hosted at ND Kylemore.

Leslie Marquard is the faculty lead for Inspirational Leadership at Kylemore, a unique leadership program helping leaders improve their ability to lead in an era of ambiguity and uncertainty. Leslie’s innovative approaches and ability to partner with her clients makes her an indispensable ally. She is a certified team coach, certified provider of The Leadership Circle Profile™, the Leadership Circle System™, and Appreciative Inquiry™; and is a member of the International Coach Federation. Leslie earned her BS degree from Louisiana State University and her executive coach certification from Georgetown University. She holds Harvard University’s Immunity to Change qualification and is currently pursuing her Master Certified Coach, and Spiritual Formation certifications. She is celebrating 21 years as Co-founder and Managing Director of Marble Leadership Partners and is based in Chicago, IL.

Paul Slaggert is director of Open Enrollment Programs in Executive Education at the Kelley School of Business. He recently completed 18 years in senior leadership roles in Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as both director of non-degree programs (15 years) and director of the Stayer Center (three years). Prior to joining Notre Dame, he was director of the Cincinnati Center for Management and Executive Development at the University of Cincinnati for 12 years. He leads training sessions for corporate clients on the topics of leadership, paradigm shifts, delegation and empowerment, systems thinking, and financial literacy. He has more than 20 years of experience in academic leadership roles at Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati, and Boston College, and has taught extensively in the areas of finance, business management, and leadership.

Dr. Melvin Dowdy is the retired Executive Director for the Center for Organizational Excellence at Bons Secours Health System. He is a practicing clinical and counseling psychologist and a valued consultant and coach for senior leaders. He has developed particular interest in values-based leadership, the integral approach to leadership development, leadership spirituality, and the leader’s role in cultivating organizational conditions for ethical integrity.

Tim Pierce is a seasoned educator who designs and facilitates immersive learning experiences, blending educational theory with strategic application. Tim brings more than a decade of experience collaborating with talent managers to create leadership development workshops and immersive learning programs that result in individual skill development and organizational change. Since June 2012, Tim has served as principal consultant at Experiential Learning Partners. Tim empowers teams and leaders to learn by doing and translate their learning immediately into improved performance.  Tim holds degrees from Boston College (Bachelor of Arts) and New York University (Master of Fine Arts). 

Brian Keegan is a seasoned entrepreneur and business coach who has lived every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, start-up, scale-up, and sell-up. As founder and CEO of a financial services outsourcing company in London, he grew the business over 20 years into six offices across the UK and Ireland before successfully exiting in 2018. His company’s turning point came when he was introduced to Scaling Up, the methodology created by Verne Harnish at MIT for high-growth organisations. Inspired by its impact, Brian became Ireland’s first certified Scaling Up coach in 2020. Today, he teaches the framework from the Redwood Academy for Entrepreneurs, his farm in Dublin, where CEOs and their Senior Leadership Teams come to learn how to scale with purpose and build organisations of lasting value. Brian also speaks internationally on scaling and value creation. He is the Founding President of Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO) Ireland, part of EO’s global community of 16,000+ entrepreneurs, and serves as the #1 business coach for ISME, Ireland’s largest SME network. He holds certifications in the Inner Game of Business, NLP, DISC profiling, Exit Planning, and a Diploma in Executive Coaching from UCC.

Distinguished trumpeter, Dr. Michael Davison is a diverse trumpeter, respected professor, published composer, and ethnomusicologist. He is in demand across the country as a classical and jazz performer and educator. Widely considered an expert in Cuban music and its relationship with American jazz, he performs and teaches jazz and Cuban music at the University of Richmond and worldwide.  As a jazz and contemporary musician, Davison has performed with Michael Brecker, Curtis Fuller, Chris Vadala, Chris Washburne and Arturo O’Farrill, to name a few. He has also performed alongside some of Motown’s most iconic singers and groups including Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Patti Austin, the Temptations and The Four Tops.  As a classical musician, Davison has performed with Rhythm and Brass, and many symphony orchestras, including St. Louis and Richmond. Davison has performed for Pope John II and George Leonard Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Des Lally has lived and worked in Connemara for over 30 years. Des received his BA in English and History and an MA in Irish Studies from NUIG. He is a PhD candidate in the English Department of NUIG, his field of research looks at the Gate Theatre Dublin and its role in Irish Modernism 1928-1945. He is co-editor of a forthcoming collection of essays on the Gate Theatre and has spoken at many academic conferences throughout Ireland, Europe and America. Des is Chairman of Clifden Arts Festival.