WHO WE ARE
HISTORY & VALUES
Shannon Abrasives has been a key player in industrial diamond since 1987. Senior members of our team have brought a wealth of experience ranging from bit manufacturing, diamond processing and synthesis to materials science and diamond research. Embracing a family style ethos, we have continued to honour our original values of quality, innovation, service and competitiveness. We’re proud of our reputation for warmth, trustworthiness and discretion.
OUR TEAM
The Shannon Abrasives’ team is a synergy of resourceful and technically-excellent individuals. We are sincere, thorough and accessible, and all employees are at hand to help with customer queries or requests.
Greg Carey
Managing Director
Co-founder and Managing Director of Shannon Abrasives, Greg Carey is a native of Co. Clare. With a B.A. (University College Dublin) and an M.A. (Sunderland University) under his belt, Greg went on to gain extensive industry experience with Shannon Diamond & Carbide, BoartLongyear (US) and Norton Christensen before establishing Shannon Abrasives. Greg’s vast skill-set incorporates Business Management, Strategic Management, Personnel Management, Sales and Marketing and the specialist areas of Technical Management (Natural Diamond), Mining, Construction, Precision Engineering, Drilling Applications,Diamond Applications and Drill Bit Design.
Tom Lavelle
Finance Director
Tom Lavelle, co-founder and Finance Director of Shannon Abrasives, comes from County Mayo. After graduating from NUIG with a B.Comm. Degree, Tom went on to qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA). He gathered a wealth of experience in senior financial roles with General Electric (G.E.), Digital Equipment Corporation and Norton Christensen before co-founding Shannon Abrasives in 1987.
Tom’s specific areas of expertise include Financial and Management Accounting, Taxation and Audit, Supply Chain and Inventory Management, Planning and Business Strategy, Human Resource Management and General Administration.
Brendan Kirwan
Director of Sales & Marketing
Brendan Kirwan, Director, Sales and Marketing, is a native of Dublin.
After qualifying with a B.Sc. (Dublin City University), Brendan spent more than 30 years with DeBeers Industrial Diamonds, The DRL (Diamond Research Laboratory South Africa) and Element 6 (Ireland and Germany).
Brendan recently joined the Shannon Abrasives’ team, bringing his expertise in Synthetic Diamond materials, Applications (Mining, Construction and Precision Engineering), Business Management, Diamond Properties, Strategic Management and International Sales and Marketing.
Donal Carey
Sales & Marketing Manager
A native of Co. Clare, Donal Carey is Shannon Abrasives’ Sales and Marketing Manager. With qualifications including a B.Sc. (Limerick Institute of Technology) and a M.Sc. (Trinity College Dublin), Donal recently joined the team.
A passionate marketeer, Donal’s expertise pertains to Web and Graphic Design, Web Development, Digital Marketing, Digital Strategy and Customer Relationship Management.
Hugh Carey
Technical & Operations Manager
Hugh Carey of Co. Clare is Shannon Abrasives’ Technical and Operations Manager. Since graduating with a B.Sc. (Galway Mayo Institute of Technology), Hugh has gained a diverse range of experience within the company.
Undertaking roles in Chemical Processing, Product Development, Process Development and Quality Control, Hugh has an abundance of knowledge in the mechanical and chemical processing of synthetic and natural diamond.
Dr Elizabeth Nicholson
Research and Development Manager
Research and Development Manager Dr Elizabeth Nicholson is from Shannon, Co. Clare. Beth has a BSc. Materials Science (University of Limerick) and a PhD Physics (Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge) and has worked in the oil industry for 18 years in both research and product development. Undertaking roles including Principal Material Scientist/Materials Metier at Schlumberger, Beth is an expert in the areas of hard materials, coatings, property measurement and wear of surfaces, PDC diamond, TSP diamond, DLC coatings, diamond coatings, thermal spray tungsten carbide coatings, CVD tungsten carbide-based coatings and bulk tungsten carbide. Beth also has numerous academic publications pertaining to polycrystalline diamond, diamond coatings and related materials.
