Our Team

Since taking over the running of the business in 2003, Mark has grown the company considerably and built a strong team around him. Introducing fresh new ideas, products and services to clients on an ongoing basis, Mark is constantly updating the company’s offerings to reflect market trends and client specifications. His background in science, the pharmaceutical industry and his experience at national level in the advertising industry prior to joining Hopkins Communications has proved to be an invaluable springboard for the company’s ongoing plans.

Likes: GAA, rugby, soccer, horse racing, American football, surfing (but I haven’t done it in years!)

Favourite place in Cork: Baltimore in the winter; Cheltenham in March; Ballybunion in the summer!

Favourite thing about HC: The madness of ad land! How every day is different and how the team we have continually manage to amaze me with their creativity, work ethic and general soundness.

Judy has been in the industry since 2002 working for international marketing agencies and within in-house marketing roles for retail, tourism and technology. Judy introduced the online and digital media offering to Hopkins Communications and expanded the PR and events offering while working across all services. She manages and implements all marketing activity for over 100 clients across multiple industries. Judy is also a radio host with Cork City Community Radio, Chair of the British & Irish Trading Alliance (Cork Chapter) and was named as one of RSVP Magazine’s ‘Most Influential Cork Women’ in 2019.

Likes: Being on the open sea, music festivals, spending time with friends and family, TV and cuddles with my dog Dave.

Favourite place in Cork: Baltimore, West Cork of course – it’s my happy place/second home.

Favourite thing about HC: The fact that we really are all one big happy creative family and strike a great balance between hard work and play!

Dermot oversees our Limerick office on a daily basis, where he works with our client base from in and around the Mid-West region. With over 20 years’ experience in marketing, communication and media across leading industry and agency organisations, Dermot has a strong reputation for securing the best deal when it comes to media buying, with a key focus on delivering real value and strategic intent for our clients.

Likes: The River Shannon, caffeine, short runs and Fridays.

Dislikes: Mondays, milky coffee, technology, exclamation marks and indecision.

Favourite thing about HC: Mondays (but really Fridays).

After joining Hopkins Communications in 2011, Yvonne quickly became a fundamental member of the Hopkins team, taking the helm within the company’s financial department and maintaining regular communication with clients and suppliers. The heart of the HC family, Yvonne is a regular problem solver who goes above and beyond to ensure the smooth running of the company on a daily basis.

Dislikes: When people don’t clean up after themselves. Why can’t everyone just wash, dry and put away?!

Favourite Place in Cork: My local SuperValu!

Favourite thing about HC: The team’s reaction when I surprise them with sausage rolls on a Friday morning!

Niamh hails from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford and comes from a strong journalism background, with over six years experience in print, digital and video journalism across both regional and national titles. Following on from this, she made the switch to content marketing and client services and has loved the change. Constantly being able to adapt and learn new skills is something she considers important, and working closely with brands and businesses to develop memorable and engaging campaigns that connect with audiences is her favourite aspect of her work.

Likes: A good chat, petting dogs she doesn’t own and dyeing her hair frequently (much to her granny’s dismay).

Dislikes: Chopping onions, loud eaters & dishonesty.

Favourite thing about HC: Really excited to work with such an esteemed, hard-working and friendly team to produce brilliant campaigns and work with a huge variety of clients.

Aisling was drawn to PR during her final year of her BA in English and History in UCC and so, after graduating, went on to complete an MA PR with New Media in 2020.  Combining her love of reading and writing with a strong interest in the media, Aisling worked in Media Solutions with the Irish Examiner before making the leap to agency life at Hopkins Communications. Aisling brings her excellent writing skills and positivity to the PR team and is excited to work across a broad range of clients and learn everything she can!

Likes: Dogs, tea and reading.

Dislikes: Being away from her dog for too long.

Favourite thing about HC: My lovely and talented colleagues, and of course, the unlimited tea!

Mariela finds great satisfaction in helping others create and enhance their brands. As a people-pleaser, she will not rest until every client is content with their results. With previous experience in business and management, working in marketing and advertising for over 5 years, she found her calling in data analysis and digital marketing. At Hopkins Communications, Mariela helps our clients to make the most of their online presence and advises the best strategy to leverage the customer data generated from various platforms to yield new growth opportunities.

Likes: Travel. Anytime. Anywhere.

Favourite Hobby: Cooking! Love food and I enjoy cooking, especially over one or two glasses of wine.

Favourite thing about HC: Being part of the creative and energetic HC family.

A bit of a social media addict, Grace loves keeping up with all the latest and greatest trends online, which she then brings to her work here at Hopkins Communications. Grace is also a recent graduate of the MSc Management and Marketing in UCC this is where she discovered her love of all things digital marketing. During her time at university Grace also completed internships at two PR agencies. As a total perfectionist Grace is passionate about ensuring each of the clients that she works with has the best social media presence possible.

Likes: Fashion, Dogs & Reality TV (the more over-dramatic, the better!).

Favourite place in Cork: That’s an easy one – Crookhaven in West Cork.

Favourite thing about HC: Being part of such a creative and talented team of people, who I’m constantly learning from!

Before joining team HC, Dervla gained valuable experience in her previous role as a Marketing Assistant for three well-known FMCG and Education brands. She brings with her an array of organic and paid digital media skills along with a Bachelor of Business Marketing (Hons) from MTU, where she developed her strong foundation in marketing, branding and consumer behaviour. Dervla is a creative and innovative team player with a passion for market trends and delivering successful digital campaigns for her clients.

Likes: Walking my dog.

Favourite Hobby: Reading.

Favourite thing about HC: Everyone who works here couldn’t be nicer!

With over 15 years’ experience in the industry, Conor brings a comprehensive and creative process to all projects. Known for his upbeat and engaging style of communication, he is passionate about creating compelling and engaging visuals. As Hopkins Communications’ resident Web Developer, Conor also helps clients across multiple industries to define and enhance their offering online.

Dislikes: Fashionable facial hair.

Favourite Hobby: Petting strange dogs.

Favourite thing about HC: The sweet shelf.

Caoive brings over 15 years of print and production knowledge and experience to Hopkins Communications. She has worked across many areas of graphic design on a diverse range of projects, managing design and print projects and helping clients from start to finish. Curiosity and creative thinking drive her to work hard and challenge herself. She joins Hopkins vibrant team to share and develop further. Outside the office she is a busy mom minding her family, walking the dog and spending time outdoors.

Likes: Sea dipping with friends & Rosie (the dog).

Favourite hobby: Planting veggies and gardening.

Favourite thing about HC: Working with talented nice people.

With over 20 years of experience in the graphic design and advertising industry, Owen is passionate about creating compelling visual content that captures your audience’s attention. Having worked in all areas of advertising, he possesses extensive knowledge of the industry and knows how to deliver effective messaging.

Likes: A good pint, good music and good company.

Favourite hobby: Scuba Diving.

Favourite thing about HC: Working with passionate, talented people – and sound too!

Having spent the last 25 years in the USA, Gary brought his almost three decades (yikes) of creative experience back home to Cork. With a wealth of experience in print and digital design, he believes in data-driven, results-based work that focuses on delivering effective communication ahead of just following the latest trends – cutting edge is fantastic, but not at the expense of a project not actually doing what it was created to do. When not working, he spends what little free time remains enjoying his family and mildly idiotic dog, rediscovering the greatest county in the known universe, and apparently writing about himself in the third person.

Likes: Motorbikes, soccer, and Yvonne’s weapons-grade sausage rolls.

Favourite hobby: Writing about himself in the third person.

Favourite thing about HC: Everyone seems to say it, but genuinely working with the soundest group of people that makes me look forward to coming to work every day.

Aaron is a seasoned visual designer with over seventeen years experience. Since graduating with honors from MTU Cork in 2009, he worked in various design roles. Mastering branding, web design, illustration, audio & video editing, and user interface design. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for innovative business ideas, he thrives on connecting with clients to deliver bespoke solutions that exceed expectations.

Likes: French House Music.

Favourite hobby: Martial Arts.

Favourite thing about HC: Yvonne’s award winning sausage rolls.

Graduating from Munster Technological University with a first class honors in Interactive Multimedia, Ellen has had a varied creative career working across both public and private sectors. She brings a wealth of design knowledge with over 7 years of experience in branding, print, digital, and motion design. Her keen attention to detail and enthusiasm for problem solving drives her creative practice. In her free time, Ellen enjoys a number of artistic pursuits, including freehand illustration, poetry writing, and jewellery making. She is also an avid enthusiast of tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons. When not engaging in one of her creative hobbies, she can be found weight lifting in the gym.

Likes: Drinking tea and laughing at her own terrible puns.

Favourite hobby: Tabletop games (Dungeons & Dragons).

Favourite thing about HC: Working alongside lovely creative people.

Eileen, our resident Kerry girl, joined Hopkins Communications in 2016 and has since become an invaluable member of the team. As the first point of contact for all callers and visitors to HC headquarters, she represents the company impeccably on a daily basis. Eileen is passionate and diligent about carrying out administrative tasks in an efficient and effective way and enjoys supporting others in our dynamic office environment.

Likes: A good book.

Favourite hobby: Walking.

Favourite thing about HC: Being part of an amazing and dedicated team while learning from the best in the business.

Our Founder, Mary Hopkins, has now retired from the business she created over 30 years ago and we know that there are many people out there who have great respect for her and her achievements. Mary was a trailblazer and a popular business figure in Cork, and her integrity and huge personality saw her persevere in creating a sustainable and well-respected communications firm that has endured through several recessions and ever-changing marketplaces.

Right now she’s probably enjoying little Jack and Anna (grandchildren), driving to West Cork, meeting friends, doing some creative writing or planning her next escapade with her husband, Dave (our Chairman). Enjoy the next phase of your life Mary – you’ve earned it!

Likes: Dave.

Dislikes: Dave sometimes…

Favourite thing about HC: It keeps Mark and Judy busy so I can finally relax.