Damian leads Ask Direct, a fundraising and direct marketing agency based in Dublin. He has helped non-profits and progressive causes mobilise supporters, inspire action and raise money for more than 25 years. He is an in-demand speaker on the global fundraising conference circuit and through initiatives such as the Ask Direct Fundraising Summer School has been a leading advocate for more critical thinking in fundraising.

Damian has been an activist and campaigner for many years. He is a board member of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and a former chair of Friends of the Earth Ireland. He was a member of the fundraising strategy group of Together for Yes – the campaign that successfully repealed Ireland’s prohibition on abortion, and jointly led the fundraising for the Campaign to Re-Elect Michael D Higgins as President of Ireland in 2018. 

He also has an MA in equality studies from University College Dublin.