A native of Ireland, Dara was most recently Managing Director of Mind Research at the TMRC Consultancy in Shanghai where he helped multi-national companies better understand the psychology and behaviour of Chinese consumers. Before China, Dara was in the US at OZA, the consultancy of Prof. Gerald Zaltman of the Harvard Business School, where he directed the development and application of research techniques specializing in consumers' unconscious motivations and understanding their role in shaping brand perception and purchase decision-making.

Dara has developed brand strategies for multi-nationals in US, Europe and Asia across a wide range of industries including CPG, Pharmaceuticals, Financial and Entertainment. He is also a published author on the latest scientific understanding of memory, emotion, and metaphor and how they can be leveraged to optimize advertising campaigns. He has been an advisor and speaker to organizations such as the Advertising Research Foundation and the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. Dara is a graduate of Yale University.