Dr Fred Creedon, Programme Director for Designing Innovative Services at Munster Technological University, has been announced as a member of the judging panel for the Irish CX Impact Awards 2026, bringing expertise in human-centred design, service innovation, and design thinking to the evaluation of customer experience excellence across Ireland.

Creedon lectures in Design Thinking, Service Design, and Business Information Systems at MTU Cork, and leads Living Labs and user-centred design projects that translate academic research into practical outcomes for private and public sector organisations.

That applied, practitioner-researcher orientation gives him a perspective on customer experience that is simultaneously grounded in design science and attentive to the real-world constraints within which organisations must deliver service improvements.

His work with both industry and government partners on knowledge transfer and innovation projects reflects an understanding of how customer-centric strategy takes shape across diverse organisational contexts, from commercial enterprises seeking competitive differentiation to public bodies focused on improving citizen experience.

His research interests, spanning cyber, explainable AI, innovation, and knowledge transfer, give his panel contribution a forward-looking dimension particularly relevant to an awards programme that encompasses digital customer experience, the best use of AI in CX, and the emerging technologies reshaping how organisations understand and respond to the voice of the customer.

A PhD in design science approaches to health information systems reinforces an academic formation that bridges rigorous methodology and practical service design impact.

The Irish CX Impact Awards 2026 spans 22 categories covering the full breadth of customer experience in Ireland, from digital experience to sector-specific awards in financial services, retail, healthcare, and utilities, alongside people-focused categories including CX Manager of the Year and CX Rising Star of the Year.

Creedon joins a panel that includes Judging Coordinator Agnieszka Jozwiak of CXPA Ireland, Darragh Brien of the National College of Ireland, Gavin Carpenter of Phonovation, Evin Conway of CSG, Rachael Corcoran of EPAM Systems, Tara Martin of RentalMatics, Jenny McCoy of the Irish Management Institute, Ann Marie O'Donnell of Actavo, Eddie Stack of Insight6 Ireland, and Brian O'Flynn of Capventis.

The awards gala will take place on 4 November 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

Visit the official Irish CX Impact Awards website to explore past winners, review category details, and meet the other members of the judging panel. Subscribe to the newsletter for other news and updates.