Meet the Team

Orla Diffily

Orla is a graduate of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland and also holds a diploma in Advertising Marketing from IAPI.

She began her PR career at Murray Consultants Dublin and then spent 4 years working on consumer and fashion accounts with Setanta Communications Dublin, before moving to the Corporate Affairs Department of Kerry Group PLC. 

In 1995, she left to establish Upfront PR which manages consumer, fashion, property, and hospitality PR and events. It is a multi-award-winning agency that won the inaugural House of .eu Web Awards in 2014 in Brussels. Orla continues to manage PR and events for select clients today, including the Listowel Harvest Racing Festival. 

In 2008, after identifying a niche in the Munster market for professionally trained talents for brand campaigns, Orla established Upfront Model Management alongside colleagues Louise James, Lisa Dennehy, and Chloe MacDonnell. From here, the agency expanded to manage talents on campaigns nationwide. 

This led to the founding of the prestigious Kerry Fashion Week and Irish Fashion Industry Awards in association with Lancome Paris, Dunnes Stores, and other sponsors. Produced alongside business partners Midpoint Creative and Ray Stack Productions, this event became a staple in the fashion calendar in Ireland and is recognised for fostering many of Ireland’s most talented fashion designers, including Colin Horgan and Carol Kennelly. The team has gone on to produce fashion showcases and events in London and New York. 

Orla is also a well-known stylist and fashion contributor on Ireland’s top magazine show, Today on RTE One. With over 30 years of experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry, she is a respected industry voice, girl boss, and proud owner of Upfront. 

Sydney Sargent

Scouted in her native Texas, Sydney has modelled internationally in the US, Australia and London before moving to Ireland 10 years ago. 

Her extensive experience and knowledge of the modelling industry have given her invaluable insight into what is required to make campaigns a success—from every angle. 

As a partner at UMM, she facilitates Agency digital communications, manages our extensive talent development, and implements professional standards to ensure our talents deliver for clients on every job. 

Zoë O’Connor

Zoë is an accomplished copywriter, content strategist, and creative who has been involved with Upfront Model Management since (both her) and its infancy. 

Starting as a freelance journalist and content creator, she won an EU award for her blog Teen Times in 2017. She published her first serialised novel Duplicity in 2020, which was commended in the Irish Independent and other national publications. 

After completing her degree in English Literature at Trinity College Dublin, she pursued a career in content strategy in London and worked with brands such as Levi’s, Pandora, Paired, and many more. 

Returning to her roots with Upfront, she is now the Creative Lead for the agency. She utilises her creative background to create winning content across Upfront’s channels while working alongside the team to ensure the agency consistently delivers campaigns that are aligned with the client’s brand message.