InBUSINESS Q4 2018

DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ESB MENTORS SERIES FORMER BRÍD HORAN ON WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

InBUSINESS USINESS CONNECTING IRISH BUSINESS

WINTER

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SPIRITOF A

NATION IRISH WHISKEY ON A GROWTH TRAJECTORY

InBUSINESS WINTER 2018

A SPORTING CHANCE

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FIFTY-THREE SIX TAKING SPORTS MARKETING TO A NEW LEVEL

TEAM

Assured

TEAMWORK’S GLOBAL DRIVE

NEW IRELAND ASSURANCE MANAGING DIRECTOR

MICHAEL MURPHY ON LASTING 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS

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23/01/2019 11:37 09:58

Editor: Sorcha Corcoran Deputy Editor: Sinéad Moore Art Director: Alan McArthur Editorial Assistant: Leona Murphy (Chambers Ireland)

COVER STORY

IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL YEAR FOR US, REFLECTING ON OUR PROUD 100-YEAR HISTORY OF LOOKING AFTER CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES IN IRELAND. WE ARE ALSO INVESTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO TRANSFORM OUR BUSINESS.”

Editorial Contributors: Karina Corbett Saffron O’Sullivan Lauren McMahon

Assured

Design Assistant: James Moore

Winner of the Special Merit Award at the recent InBusiness Special Recognition Awards, New Ireland Assurance, celebrated 100 years in business in 2018. Managing Director Michael Murphy reflects on this important milestone and discusses how the company is adapting to a rapidly-changing world in order to maintain its strong track record to date.

How was 2018 for New Ireland Assurance?

It was a very special year for us, reflecting on our proud 100-year history of looking after customers and communities in Ireland. We are also investing significantly to transform our business – to ensure we continue to serve customers to the best of our ability, deliver strong sustainable growth and remain relevant for the next 100 years.

One of the many high points of the year was our centenary gala dinner, which took place in the Shelbourne Hotel in May. We were joined by Michael D’Arcy, Minister of State for Financial Services and Insurance, Francesca McDonagh, CEO of Bank of Ireland, a number of well-known sporting celebrities, customers, brokers and colleagues (past and present) for what was a really memorable night. Amongst the guests were also descendants of MW O'Reilly, cofounder and first managing director of New Ireland.

Sales Director: Diarmaid Lennon Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon

Published by: Ashville Media Group, Unit 55 Park West Road, Park West Industrial Park, D12 X9F9 Tel: +353 1 432 2200 Email: info@ashville.com Web: www.ashville.com

All articles © Ashville Media Group 2019.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinion and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of Ashville Media or Chambers Ireland. ISSN 20093934

COVER STORY:

Assured Performance

InBUSINESS speaks with Managing Director of New Ireland Assurance Michael Murphy on its 100-year milestone and evolving for the future

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SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

A SPO

On behalf of: Chambers Ireland, 11 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 FY84 Tel: +353 1 400 4300 Email: info@chambers.ie Web: www.chambers.ie

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InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

Entrepreneur

Teamwork.com Co-founders R T Mackey Peter Coppinger and Dan ING C on the secret to their success

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The renaissance in Irish whiskey shows no sign of abating as the number of operational distilleries reaches 21

Snapchat

Kathryn D’Arcy, Corporate Affairs Director, HEINEKEN Ireland

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From bootstrapped to market leaders, Fifty-Three Six is a sports marketing agency based in Dublin and putting Ireland on the map. Co-founders and long-term friends, Marcus McDonnell and Tom Fox, have big ambitions and even greater potential.

Industry

36 InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

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Production Executive: Nicole Ennis

When New Ireland was founded, the focus was all about investing Irish savings in Irish industry and business, InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

AN

Infographics: www.flaticon.com

Looking back on the past 100 years, what would you say were your ‘key wins’?

Michael Murphy, Managing Director, New Ireland Assurance at Baggot Plaza

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supporting jobs and helping the Irish economy to grow. The company played a role in strengthening and rehabilitating the social, economic and cultural resources of the people of Ireland. Funds were largely invested in industries where native Irish materials were used, as well as government and municipal stocks.

One hundred years on, we are still very much focussed on helping families and businesses in Ireland to be financially confident and secure.

We believe that companies that last 100 years are the ones that have understood what customers want, that address their needs and evolve appropriately with them over time. I am proud that my predecessors and my current and former colleagues managed to successfully navigate a changing, and often challenging, landscape to create an institution we can all be proud of today.

Nowadays we have a national presence with over 500,000 personal and business customers. As part of the Bank of Ireland Group, we are the only Irishowned bancassurer in Ireland.

This business is all about trust and relationships.

One of the great things about New Ireland is the focus

H

Photography: Jason Clarke Photography iStock Photo

Jason Clarke

Front Cover Photography: Jason Clarke

Q: Where did the idea (and

Q: Describe your typical

name) for Fifty-Three Six come from?

MMD: We help our clients to turn fans into customers through premium video and a results-led, datadriven approach to digital marketing. The name Fifty-Three Six represents the coordinates of Dublin – 53 degrees north, 6 degrees west. The idea came from our desire to export the best Irish-based production and digital marketing talent to the global sports industry. We are a nation of storytellers and are incredibly passionate about sports, but we are also quite modest. We think we should be proud of where we’re from and what we stand for. I’m from Dublin and Tom is a proud Kildare man from Maynooth, just outside Dublin, but still within the Fifty-Three Six area!

day?

MMD: A Dublin-based day means getting in for 8.15am and planning for the day ahead. We’re very goals orientated so I’ll check my calendar, see what needs to get done and how best to allocate my time – the approach is usually to get the thinking done early and the admin later on.

We tend to travel once a week to the UK, usually for meetings in London or the North West. We have it down to a fine art.

Wake up at 6.00; pick up at 6.15; Dublin airport for 6.45; flight to Gatwick at 7.30; on the ground at Gatwick at 9.00, and then usually have our first meeting scheduled in central London for 10.30.

We’ll have a client lunch

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and then a meeting in the afternoon before heading back to Gatwick at 17.00 for a 19.00 flight.

Throughout the year, we would have stretches where we would have one shoot a week and on those days we could be anywhere filming – from Adelaide Oval to Ascot, Croke Park to Castellon (home to a little known Segunda División team in Spain). We’ve been fortunate enough to shoot in some iconic locations.

Q: What have your ‘key wins’ been since launching Fifty-Three Six? MMD: We have been fortunate enough to have found a model that works for our clients. We’re even luckier to do the work that we do. Sometimes we pinch ourselves at the situations we find ourselves in. I often InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

say that I’d do much of this work for free.

We made a call early on to focus on the UK and try to win retained business.

This was a crucial decision and we’ve since won business with bet365, The FA, the National Basketball Association and Bath Rugby to name a few. We then had the confidence to go on and win Irish accounts including the GAA, IRFU, Elverys, Mace and Gym+Coffee.

Our biggest win has been the partnership between my business partner Tom and I. We have been friends for over 20 years. People say not to do business with friends or family, we would completely refute that – if you work on the relationship, communicate well and leave ego at the door you can succeed.

The tough times are definitely tougher but there’s no better feeling than sharing success with an old friend. Through this partnership, we have managed to create a great culture within the team.

Q: How do you deal with competition?

MMD: We feel like we have quite a unique proposition – a one-stopshop for sports marketing – and therefore there isn’t a huge amount of direct competitors out there.

Even if there were direct competitors, and it sounds like a cliché, but we would try not to focus on them.

We strive to continuously improve. We constantly review our work and our standards, and set a high bar for ourselves to be market leaders.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you face as a small business in Ireland?

MMD: Over 70% of our business is from outside of Ireland – with a large amount of that coming from the UK – so Brexit and, more specifically, currency fluctuations between the pound

few months and have grown organically – without taking any investment. We frequently look back at how lucky we were not to have to raise money and surrender equity and (some) control. We are the masters of our own destiny and that is everything.

talent and we have been able to punch above our weight and secure key hires at key times. We are always looking for and meeting with talent but our priority for the New Year is to hire in the UK.

Q: Where do you see your business going in the next five to ten years? Any news or expansion plans you can share with us?

MMD: First and foremost we will be attacking the UK in a big way, with a permanently based team there in the next 12 months. We were lucky to have produced a full feature production in 2018 (a documentary

Marcus McDonnell (left) and Tom Fox, co-founders of Fifty-Three Six

Sterling and the euro are a concern. We have a UK registered business and a UK base. Other than that, what is not to like about the Irish market? We have tonnes of support through the likes of the Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland.

We are stacked with talent – some of the best in the business in production and digital marketing.

And the lifestyle is incredible here.

Q: How have you funded your business to date?

MMD: We bootstrapped to begin with, created some momentum and went without pay for a

Q: How many staff do you currently have? Any plans to recruit more in the near future?

MMD: We have eight staff members in total, including Tom and I. We are very thankful to the Dublin City Local Enterprise Office for its support in helping us hire and grow. It is a very competitive market for

called ‘Knocked’ – exploring concussion in rugby) and we will be following up on that with more long-form programming in 2019. Longer term, our aim is to become the best sports marketing agency in the world. Our ambition is to do the work we love with great clients.

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SMALL BUSINESS:

Fifty-Three Six Fifty-Three Six is a Dublinbased sports marketing agency putting Ireland on the map 1

24/01/2019 11:42

The next generation?

78%

European Family Business Barometer - Ireland Edition

of Irish family businesses are considering passing their management to the next generation.

Find out more in the Ireland edition of the KPMG Private Enterprise 2018 European Family Business Barometer. Š 2018 KPMG, an Irish partnership

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FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ESB MENTORS SERIES BRÍD HORAN ON WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

InBUSINESS USINESS CONNECTING IRISH BUSINESS

WINTER

2018

SPIRITOF A

NATION IRISH WHISKEY ON A GROWTH TRAJECTORY

InBUSINESS WINTER 2018

A SPORTING CHANCE

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FIFTY-THREE SIX TAKING SPORTS MARKETING TO A NEW LEVEL

TEAM

Assured

TEAMWORK’S GLOBAL DRIVE

ON LASTING 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS

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Go to chambers.ie for the online edition [NEW LOCATION FOR NEW IRELAND] The Q4 shoot with New Ireland’s Michael Murphy took place at Baggot Plaza, Bank of Ireland’s new HQ facility on Baggot Street. This bright, energyefficient location reflects the modern development occurring across the Dublin urban landscape.

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Mentors:

Bríd Horan

Currently juggling various non-executive roles, Bríd Horan is at the forefront of the drive for more gender balance in leadership in business

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MICHAEL MURPHY

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NEW IRELAND ASSURANCE MANAGING DIRECTOR

Lead

Media & Marketing

[LIFESTYLE] 84 INNOVATION The latest and greatest in smart home tech 86 TRAVEL We explore the contemporary and chic city of Copenhagen 89 BOOKS The 2019 guide to organising your finances, budgeting and making your money go further 91 PODCASTS Liam Geraghty on the people who make the things we love InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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Kilkenny PR firm Purcell Masterson on competing with the capital and the issues with influence culture

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Book Extract An extract from Renaissance Nation: How the Pope’s Children Rewrote the Rules for Ireland by David McWilliams

[REGULARS]

Our Local Government Local InBUSINESS of the Year 06 Authority Supplement continues to look at the important role played by local authorities in Irish enterprise Page

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4 Business News 8 Movers & Shakers 11 Opportunity Ireland 12 Start-Up Central 37 Chambers Catch Up 92 The IB Index

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LEINSTER • MUNSTER • CONNAUGHT • ULSTER

Kells wins rising star award, Wexford IT introduces new computing course, Kilkenny receives 1.8m funding and the Heritage Council launch 2019 initiative.

Clare businesses present at Local Enterprise Showcase, Waterford City Council secures funding and community involvement encouraged in Irish Open.

Merit Medical receives Medtech Company of the Year award, Mayo, Galway and Roscommon all awarded vital funding.

HEX: 40B3DF

Entekra opens HQ in Monaghan, Donegal secures EU vouchers for public WiFi zones and Cavan County Council receives funding for youth services.

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• Din Medium • Din Regular

Pat Dowling, CEO of Clare County Council discusses the council’s winning initiatives.

LIMERICK LEADER

AMCS opens new HQ in Limerick creating 100 new jobs.

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In Association with

LANDING SPACE

Collaborative space for businesses in the North West.

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BUSINESS NEWS

NE WS

ANGEL RECRUITMENT DRIVE

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he Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) plans to recruit 75 new business angels in 2019. The new investors will have a combined total of at least 15m available to invest in start-ups based in the island of Ireland. The recruitment drive will begin at HBAN’s All-Island Business Angels Conference, which takes place on Thursday, 14th February, in Powerscourt Hotel, Co Wicklow. A number of prominent Irish and international entrepreneurs and angel investors will be speaking at the event.

CORK TECH FIRM LANDS

$35M FUNDING

C

ork-based employee communications and engagement platform, Poppulo, has received an investment of $35m by USbased Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE). Poppulo founder and CEO Andrew O’Shaughnessy said the investment will help the company to accelerate international expansion plans. Poppulo’s customer base already includes over 800 of the world’s biggest organisations including Unilever, Bank of America, Nestlé, Johnson Controls, Rolls-Royce, Boston Scientific and almost half the world’s top pharma companies. Founded in 2012, Poppulo provides specialist software for the internal communications sector, enabling large organisations to communicate effectively with their workforces for greater levels of engagement and enhanced employee experience.

Poppulo founder and CEO Andrew O’Shaughnessy

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John Phelan, Julian Seymour, Niamh Sterling, HBAN

GEN Z HARNESS TECHNOLOGY POTENTIAL Global research released by Dell Technologies has highlighted that post-millennials – those born after 1996 and known as Gen Z – have a deep, universal understanding of technology.

However, despite rating themselves highly in terms of their technical prowess - 73% rate their technology literacy as good or excellent and 68% say they have aboveaverage coding skills - they also worry about having the soft skills and experience that employers are seeking. With up to five generations now in the workplace, the survey encourages businesses to help workers find common ground in order to avoid deepening the divide among generations.

Cross-functional teams with complementary skill-sets can encourage knowledge exchange and a fresh approach to problem-solving.

HERE’S A GLANCE AT THE FINDINGS:  91% say the technology offered by an employer would be a factor in choosing among similar job offers.  80% say they want to work with cutting-edge technology; of those, 38% are interested in IT careers, 39% want to work in cybersecurity and 46% aspire to do technology research and development.  89% recognise that we are entering the age of humanmachine partnerships: 51% of those surveyed believe that humans and machines will work as integrated teams, while 38% see machines as tools for humans to use as needed.  80% believe technology and automation will create a more equitable work environment by preventing bias and discrimination.  77% are willing to mentor an older co-worker who may be less experienced with technology.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:02

IRELAND HAS MOST EFFICIENT TAX SYSTEM IN EUROPE

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report published by PwC and the World Bank has found that Ireland is home to the most efficient business tax system in Europe and the fourth most efficient system globally. The report looks at how new tax software, real-time reporting systems, and data analytics are changing the way companies meet their tax compliance obligations and how tax authorities monitor and enforce those obligations. The report also reveals that Ireland is an attractive location in which to establish business. It also performs strongly on tax contribution rate and compliance metrics, as well as having a very competitive tax system in terms of cost and compliance.

The report found that the overall tax and contribution rate for companies in Ireland remains at a low 26%, compared to 39.3% for the EU and 40.3% globally.

BANK OF AMERICA MOVES HQ FROM

DUBLIN REMAINS TOP

LONDON TO DUBLIN

Dublin remains the most popular choice for financial services companies to relocate post-Brexit, according to EY’s latest Brexit Tracker. To-date 27 financial services firms have committed to relocating staff or operations to Dublin since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016. Between September and the end of November last year, Dublin attracted six additional financial services companies to relocate to the city. Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg also gained popularity, attracting 15, 17 and 16 companies respectively. While uncertainty around the type of exit deal the UK will agree with the EU continues, 30% of Londonbased firms monitored by the tracker have now committed to relocation activity.

Bank of America recently completed the cross-border merger of its UK banking entity into Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company (BAMLI DAC) in Dublin as part of a contingency plan devised as a reaction to Britain leaving the EU. BAMLI DAC is now the company’s principal European banking entity, operating through branches in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich. Commenting on the completion of the merger, Anne Finucane, Chair of BAMLI DAC, stated: “We are pleased to have worked closely and constructively with our regulators to complete this critical component of our Brexit preparations exactly on schedule and well ahead of the earliest possible date of the UK’s exit from the EU. Having marked being in Ireland for 50 years this year, we now employ over 800 people in Dublin dedicated to helping power both the future Irish economy and broader society.”

‘BREXODUS’ LOCATION

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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THE BURNING QUESTION

?

Do you have any expansion plans for 2019?

PETER COPPINGER Co-Founder, Teamwork We are opening a large office in Belfast in March. Our staff will grow with our first hires in our new Boston office and we will be growing across all of our other locations from Cork to Buenos Aires.

MICHAEL MURPHY Managing Director, New Ireland Assurance We have an experienced, awardwinning group pensions team of over 100 staff and we will be looking to grow this business significantly in the coming years to meet a real and growing customer need.

MARCUS McDONNELL Co-Founder, Fifty-Three Six We will be attacking the UK in a big way, with a permanently based team there in the next 12 months. We produced a full feature production in 2018, and will be following up on that with more long-form programming in 2019.

BRIDGET O’DEA Director, Purcell Masterson Public Relations This year one of my ambitions is to grow the company and grow our team.

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BUSINESS NEWS

SMURFIT SCHOOL CLIMBS TO

23RD IN SCHOOL RANKINGS UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School has come in at 23rd place on the Financial Times list of top European Business Schools, moving up one place since last year. These ratings measure the quality and breadth of programmes in relation to the following courses: Full Time MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Management (MiM) and Executive Education Open and Customised programmes.

Joining the Smurfit School are the Irish Management Institute, which has earned a place in the rankings for the first time at number 76, and DCU Business School at number 85, up three places since 2017.

43 IRISH BUSINESSES AGREE

TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT BY 2030 At a summit in November organised by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), 43 companies from various sectors such as retail, manufacturing, agri-food, professional services, banks, transport and ICT pledged to significantly reduce their carbon emissions between now and 2030. The agreement sees companies take action in relation to both scope 1 and scope 2 emission intensity. Scope 1 relates to greenhouse gases that are directly produced by the company such as furnaces and fuels, while scope 2 represents all indirect greenhouse gases such as the purchase of electricity, heating and cooling facilities. According to Tomás Sercovich, it is the first time that Irish businesses have agreed to make a ‘dedicated pledge’ to reduce their emissions.

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PICTURE

THIS

Patrick Prendergast, Provost, TCD, presents Professor Vinny Wade, Computer Science, with the Provost Innovation Award for his outstanding contribution to innovation throughout his career. Photograph Iain White.

Business

BITES

SCANDI INVASION IKEA rival Jysk is set to open 15 stores in Ireland in the next two years, creating more than 200 jobs in the process.

HEINEKEN RECEIVES SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

FOR ‘GREEN BREWING’

For more on Heineken’s work on sustainably go to our Snapchat feature on page 36

Heineken has been awarded the Business Working Responsibility mark in recognition of its sustainability practices in Ireland.

According to its most recent sustainability report, carried out in 2017, Heineken Ireland is one of the most water efficient breweries in the Heineken company. In addition to this it has achieved its goal of zero waste to landfill at its brewery in Lady’s Well in Cork. The mark was created

by Business in the Community Ireland (BITC) and is independently evaluated by NSAI. It represents a quality standard for CSR and sustainability in Irish businesses, and once awarded, the mark lasts for three years.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:04

BUSINESS NEWS

BACK FOR BUSINESS

T

he Government has launched a new initiative to support Irish emigrants who wish to develop a business in Ireland. Back for Business is a development programme aimed at emigrants who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned to Ireland in the past three years and those currently living abroad who are looking to return in the near future.

The six-month, part-time programme will run from February to July 2019 and address the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the early stages of business development.

There will be a particular emphasis on the additional barriers faced by those who have been out of the country for some time, including a lack of local knowledge and difficulty developing professional and personal networks and contacts. Back for Business is funded through the Emigrant Support Programme by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which seeks to help in a practical way those who have left Ireland and wish to return home.

Aidan Mehigan, Gortinore, pilot participant, Aine Denn, Altify, voluntary lead entrepreneur and Ciaran Cannon, TD, Minister for State for the Diaspora at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

EY ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAMME OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS

BARCLAYS TO DOUBLE IRISH WORKFORCE TO 300

EY has launched its 22nd Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland programme.

The closing date for nominations is February 15th.

Barclays Bank is set to expand its operations here, doubling its Irish workforce to 300 by the end of next year.

ROYAL LONDON OPENS

IRELAND SUBSIDIARY

Royal London has opened Royal London Insurance DAC, a subsidiary in Ireland, amid concerns over Britain’s vote to leave the EU. The subsidiary will enable Royal London to continue to compete for new life insurance business in Ireland and to administer existing Irish and German policies that were bought by customers who lived outside the UK and who therefore may be impacted by Brexit. The company said customers in Ireland will benefit from substantially strengthened governance and full regulatory oversight by the Central Bank of Ireland. As well as retaining all previous employees in Ireland, Royal London has created around 20 new jobs in Dublin.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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RYANAIR INTRODUCES €25 GATE BAG FEE Non-priority passengers can now only bring one small personal bag on board and will face a fee of  25 25 if they bring a second bag to the gate or if their small bag is too big.

“One hundred years on, we are still very much focussed on helping families and businesses in Ireland to be financially confident and secure. ” Michael Murphy, Managing Director, New Ireland Assurance

COVER STORY

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24/01/2019 09:06

MOVERS & SHAKERS

M vers

NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE

SHAKERS

MATT ELLIOTT

JULIANNE O’LEARY

DÓNAL ROONEY

MICHAEL BYRNE

NEW TITLE: Chief People Officer EMPLOYER: Bank of Ireland PREVIOUS ROLE: Group People Director, Virgin Money

NEW TITLE: Partnership Programme Manager EMPLOYER: Guinness Enterprise Centre PREVIOUS ROLE: International Market Executive, Enterprise Ireland

NEW TITLE: Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Company Secretary and Director of Datalex EMPLOYER: Datalex PREVIOUS ROLE: Group CFO, Amaris Hospitality

NEW TITLE: Market Engagement Manager EMPLOYER: Esri PREVIOUS ROLE: Account Executive, Esri

Bank of Ireland has appointed Matt Elliott to the role of Chief People Officer. Elliott will report directly to CEO Francesca McDonagh and will be a member of Bank of Ireland’s Group Executive Committee.

McDonagh said that one of Bank of Ireland’s strategic priorities is to transform the bank and this includes its culture. She commended Elliott’s experience driving cultural change and transformation at Virgin Money.

The Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) has appointed Julianne O’Leary as its Partnership Programme Manager. In this newly created role, O’Leary will forge new connections and partnerships between regional enterprise centres and the GEC in order to enrich the start-up ecosystem in Ireland. She will also lead the GEC’s Prosper Series which aims to develop a network of the county’s business diaspora.

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Datalex has announced the appointment of Dónal Rooney as Chief Financial Officer.

Rooney will also assume the roles of Company Secretary and Director of Datalex.

Rooney was previously CFO of Amaris Hospitality and prior to that, CFO of NAMA.

Esri Ireland has appointed Michael Byrne as Market Engagement Manager.

He will focus on the impact of national initiatives across the public and private sectors in addition to leading market development activities in Ireland through relationship building with new and existing customers. Byrne has worked at Esri for over 16 years. As a member of the leadership team, he is involved in the planning and setting of Esri future long-term and strategic targets.

Mary-Jane Halpin is Director of HR & Business Change in Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. She is responsible for reviewing and enhancing Cornmarket’s existing frameworks, controls, processes, technologies and culture to ensure that the business continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of its customers and the market.

Prior to this, Halpin worked as Head of HR at Cornmarket and held HR roles for corporate law firm Matheson, Caledonian Life and Royal Liver Assurance.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:10

CONSULTANT SLOT

CULTURE AUDITS IN THIS ISSUE’S COLUMN, FIONA DONNELLY ARGUES THAT UNDERSTANDING COMPANY CULTURE SHOULD COME BEFORE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PLANS.

SEAMUS HAND

DAMIAN THORNTON

NEW TITLE: Managing Partner EMPLOYER: KPMG in Ireland PREVIOUS ROLE: Partner, KPMG

NEW TITLE: Chief Operating Officer EMPLOYER: Diaceutics PREVIOUS ROLE: Vice President for Asia at CAI International

Shane Hand will succeed Shaun Murphy as Managing Partner of KPMG in Ireland. Hand was elected Partner in 2002. He has specialised in the aircraft finance, asset management and banking sectors and has played a key role in the development of KPMG’s tax practice. Hand will take up the role of Managing Partner in May 2019. Murphy is currently the Lead Director of the KPMG Global Board, having been re-elected in 2018.

Diaceutics has announced the appointment of Damian Thornton as Chief Operating Officer.

Thornton will be responsible for the organisation’s business operations and strategic planning.

With more than 25 years of international experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Thornton has a significant track record in helping life science companies build and scale.

W

hy would one ever make plans for the future without first assessing the current state of play? Objectives are based on a desire to produce change and improvement down the line. If we accept that improvement and understanding are significantly linked, then this premise holds true across all aspects of business planning.

As an example, consider two of the hottest talent topics in business today - recruitment and retention. It is imperative that any strategic planning concerning these laden elements must firstly begin with a companyculture audit.

Why you may ask? In the words of famed management educator Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, meaning in essence, that the best laid plans can easily be subsumed by the culture of an organisation.

Ignore culture at your peril, as it has the ability to scupper plans.

So, it makes sense to truly understand company culture before plans are made. A ‘deep-dive’ of culture reveals the attitudes, values and needs of employees, as well as any potential red flags - the rich data required to effectively direct, create, and align with strategic talent plans. If a company cannot get to grips with the culture within, how can any future recruitment or retention plans successfully deliver on their objectives?

Core areas to investigate and drill into, regarding attitudes: 1. The people 2. The management 3. The work 4. The growth opportunities 5. Employee wellness support For culture and strategy to work well together, it is wise to understand the former to deliver on the latter.

Fiona Donnelly is an employer brand strategist and CEO of www.nexusconsulting.ie.

1.

Always challenge and believe in yourself.

As obstacles arise, start with being the best version of yourself that you can be.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

008 InBusiness Q4 2018_Movers & Shakers.indd 9

2.

Be happy. Your career is a significant part of who you are but it does not define you.

3.

Healthy body, healthy mind. Get the endorphins pumping, you’ll have more energy and a sharper mind.

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Building the present, creating the future Delivering construction solutions, within budget and on time, for: ·FDI Hi-Tech Facilities ·Data Centres ·Healthcare Facilities ·Commercial Offices ·Biopharma ·Pharmaceutical ·Civic Buildings ·Education ·Fit-out ·Infrastructure ·PPP Investment And FM Services

www.bamireland.ie

Building in Ireland for 60 years; it’s in our DNA

Advert template.indd 1 246766_1C_BAM_JM_Chambers 11.04.indd 1

22/01/2019 20/11/2018 12:49 10:00

JOB CREATION COMPANY: Accela COMPANY: Grant Thornton SECTOR: Professional Services LOCATION: Various ANNOUNCEMENT: Grant Thornton plans to hire 400 new people over the next two years.

The roles will be mainly based at the new head office on City Quay in Dublin, with additional opportunities at the firm’s offices in Belfast, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Limerick and Longford.

SECTOR: Software

LOCATION: Dublin

ANNOUNCEMENT: Accela has opened a new Dublin office and plans to double its current Dublin workforce from 26 employees to 50 plus, with a primary focus on hiring experienced software, site reliability and QA engineers, and data scientists. Accela plans to onboard 30 staff to grow its R&D team focused on modernising government technology solutions.

COMPANY: Park Place Technologies SECTOR: IT LOCATION: Various ANNOUNCEMENT: Park Place Technologies has revealed it will open its new EMEA Operations Centre in City Quarter, Lapp’s Quay, Cork and plans to invest in the creation of 70 new tech jobs over the next two years.

This new investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

OpportunityIRELAND InBUSINESS highlights some of the companies that are expanding operations and generating new employment opportunities around the country.

COMPANY: INIT SECTOR: Transport Solutions LOCATION: Maynooth ANNOUNCEMENT: INIT - a supplier of integrated planning, scheduling, telematics and ticketing systems for buses, trams and trains - has opened a new subsidiary in Maynooth.

Expansion plans include the provision of up to 20 additional jobs.

COMPANY: Imperva

SECTOR: Cyber Security

LOCATION: Belfast

ANNOUNCEMENT: Imperva is expanding its operations with a new office in Belfast, creating 220 new jobs over the next three to five years. Imperva expects the jobs to span several functions, including customer success (tech support, customer success management and managed services) and product development.

COMPANY: Ifac SECTOR: Accountancy LOCATION: Various ANNOUNCEMENT: Ifac plans to create 200 jobs across its 30 branches in Ireland over the coming three years. This new investment also includes a new client shared services centre in Kilkenny city.

This shared services centre will provide employment for up to 50 people.

Employment increases by 3% Employment numbers hit a record 2.27 million in the third quarter of 2018, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The figures show total employment grew by 3%, or 66,700, year-on-year. The CSO noted that employment increased in 10 of the 14 economic sectors with the largest rate of growth recorded in construction, which saw the number of jobs rise by nearly 14%, and administration and support services, which rose by 13.5%.

Employment in Numbers InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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The total number of persons in the labour force in Q3 2018 was 2,417,000, representing an increase of 46,900 (+2.0%) over the year.

Unemployment was down 12.1% or by 19,700 to 143,800 from Q3 2017.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down from 5.8% in Q2 2018 to 5.7% in Q3 2018.

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24/01/2019 09:13

START-UPS

Start-Up Central

NEWS,VIEWS AND PROFILES ON THE LATEST START-UPS IN IRELAND

The number of Dublin start-ups with female founders out of a total of 1,190, according to Tech Ireland’s Disruptive Dublin report.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

IRISH START-UPS WIN AT STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS Three Irish start-ups won awards at the 2018 StartUp Europe Awards.

Corrata, Courtsdesk and Popertee all took home the first-place prize in their respective categories. Corrata, a mobile security company, topped the cyber-security category, Courtsdesk, an app that provides access to Irish legal and company databases, was recognised in the legal category and Popertee, a property tech firm that allows businesses to rent spaces for pop-ups, won in the creative category.

The awards are backed by the European Commission and represent the best and most innovative initiatives in the European entrepreneurial environment.

BIRAJ RATH

CEO, Braahmam Net Solutions How did you fund your business initially?

The business was funded with the capital investment from the founding members and directors of the company.

What’s the best advice you were given?

Entrepreneurs have a tendency to hold onto activities without delegating them because we feel “I can do it better”. Our job is to find the right person and delegate tasks to people we trust.

What was the most important lesson you learned starting out?

Invest in your own personal development and growth. Any investment in personal growth will help us grow our business and also develop our employees or people we work with.

Your biggest make or break moment?

In 2006 we reached a point where our business was stagnating in spite of several efforts to increase revenues. We reached out to our board proposing funding of additional capital to increase efforts in relation to branding, advertising, international exhibitions and meetings. As a result, we multiplied our business and were able to provide decent return on investment.

Would you change anything in hindsight?

Firstly, being more organised so that I can focus on the most important tasks that will give the biggest positive impact to the business or me. Secondly, trusting my instinct more and thirdly developing more effective people management skills.

Company: Location: Product: Staff: Website:

Braahmam Net Solutions The Digital Hub, Thomas Street, Dublin Content translation and localisation 51 www.braahmam.net

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Biraj Rath

MIGRANT WOMEN SHOWCASE START-UPS IN DUBLIN The DCU Ryan Academy held an event in Dublin to showcase the entrepreneurial skills of recent graduates of the ‘Building Better Futures - Migrant Women’s Entrepreneurship’ training programme. The start-ups on display ranged from pet hostels and artisan vegan cheese to tech solutions and pharmaceuticals, all of which were created by women from countries including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Russia, China, The Philippines, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico.

The course, run by DCU Ryan Academy in partnership with the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, aims to boost innovation and female involvement in enterprise by providing 25 migrant women with the opportunity to learn the core principles of entrepreneurship in Ireland.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:19

START-UPS Nuritas founder and chief science officer Dr Nora Khaldi and EIB Vice President agreeing new 30m investment

NURITAS BECOMES FIRST IRISH BIOTECH FIRM TO RECEIVE EIB SUPPORT

NUI GALWAY ENTREPRENEURS TAP INTO NEW YORK START-UP SCENE Two NUI Galway start-ups, SteriCision, a medical device company, and BladeComp, a wind and tidal turbine blade design software company, travelled to New York for the annual Blackstone LaunchPad event. The programme brought together companies from across the US and Ireland to participate in this innovation bootcamp. During the event, start-ups were free to engage with a diverse range of mentors, companies and potential investors, resulting in personalised mentoring, Techstar expertise and support from industry leaders including Jean Case from the Case Foundation.

From left, Barry McCann, SteriCision; Dr Jamie Goggins, Edward Fagan, and William Finnegan, BladeComp; and Natalie Walsh, Executive Director of LaunchPad at NUI Galway.

NE TO WATCH: ZULLEON

Dublin-based Nuritas has received 30m backing from the European Investment bank (EIB), making it the first Irish biotech company to benefit from the EIB’s new financing initiative, the European Growth Finance Facility. The support will allow the company to access tranched financing as required to scale up the development of the rapidly growing company and help further increase and accelerate development of artificial intelligence and DNA analysis to improve global healthcare. Founded by Dr Nora Khaldi in 2014, Nuritas combines artificial intelligence (AI) and genomics, to discover and unlock natural bioactive peptides in everyday food sources that can prevent or treat disease. The company has been gaining recognition from conception, with early financial support provided by Bono and The Edge.

This issue’s one to watch is tech start-up Zulleon, which specialises in creating and developing great play experiences for kids. Zullleon recently developed OOKS, an app that allows children between the ages of five and nine to be the author of their very own personalised book. The OOKS story maker app provides the user with a platform to invent their own characters and story through a fully voiced app, suitable for kids who are still learning to read and write. The narrative is then generated from the choices made in the app and can be illustrated with images designed by the user. When the story is finished a digital copy of the book is emailed and a physical copy can also be ordered. Founded by husband and wife, Noel and Luz Donegan, 2019 will be an exciting year for Zulleon, with plans to expand the team with four new roles as well as a new range of board games and puzzles. Zulleon has exciting content plans in motion as well as further expansion and development plans for the digital OOKiverse and OOKS brand. www.zulleon.com

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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24/01/2019 09:20

no

ENTREPRENEUR

Winners of the 2018 EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Co-founders of software-as-aservice company Teamwork.com Peter Coppinger and Dan Mackey, share their experiences and the secret to their success.

Q: How is life and how is business at present?

Peter: Absolutely hectic. Between kids, meetings, interviews, visiting customers and emails, we don’t get a moment but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dan: Business is exciting. We have just finished our 2019 planning session and the whole leadership team are excited to get stuck in to the New Year. From a personal side, things are as hectic as ever with three young daughters and trying to balance work and family life.

Q: Would you say you always had a business head on your shoulders?

Peter: To be fair I would say I did. I used to sell games I made in my bedroom when I was ten years old. I also used to offer my typing 14

014 InBusiness Q4 2018_Entrepreneur_REV.indd 14

and printing services to classmates and I would then get a professional secretary to do most of the work. I couldn’t wait to meet likeminded people in college, set up a business and take on the world.

Dan: Absolutely. While technology and especially programming appealed to me as a way of coming up with creative ways to solve problems, business has always been a fascinating subject for me. My favourite type of books are business biographies. The fundamentals are the same regardless of whether the business is in the food, entertainment or technology sectors. Both Peter and I have dabbled in each of these sectors over the years before settling on technology. We have done everything from selling hotdogs and doughnuts, to running a gaming café and ultimately Teamwork.com.

Q: What are your thoughts on entrepreneurship in Ireland at present and the types of start-ups emerging here in recent years?

Peter: I think that sometimes entrepreneurs are too focused on the Irish market. I would love to see more indigenous Irish companies in software-as-a-service (SaaS).

We are actively trying to develop a community in Ireland to support those companies. The SaaS business model suits our strengths. Ireland is perfectly positioned between Europe and the US. We are hard working and smart but we are not a great country to export physical goods from. We also have a good reputation globally and people like to work with us.

SaaS represents a huge opportunity. The model has completely upended the software industry and redefined how many InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:22

ENTREPRENEUR

Teamwork Co-founders Dan Mackey and Peter Coppinger

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

014 InBusiness Q4 2018_Entrepreneur_REV.indd 15

“I think that sometimes entrepreneurs are too focused on the Irish market. I would love to see more indigenous Irish companies in software-as-aservice (SaaS).”

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24/01/2019 09:23

ENTREPRENEUR

companies are buying, building and using applications today.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Teamwork.com?

Peter: We came up with Teamwork.com out of necessity.

Dan: We spent years building sophisticated bespoke applications for some major pharmaceutical and large Irish companies. When we needed to find a solution to manage our own workload we honestly knew we could deliver something far more powerful than what was currently on the market. It was also the ‘silver bullet’ to help us transition from a consultancy-based company to a product-based one.

Q: You have said before that you were clueless initially about running a company, how difficult was it to turn your idea into a business?

Peter: Yes, we started our consultancy business after dropping out of college with no real business experience. We made all the mistakes you can imagine but we kept learning. At the point of setting up Teamwork.com, we had got the basics of business right but we still had a lot to learn about sales, marketing and scaling a company. We are still learning every day and we are likely to always be learning. In fact, we tell everybody who joins us that this is a company where everybody, no matter what their experience, is expected to always be learning.

Dan: I think over the years we have learned a massive amount about what is required to build and maintain a profitable company of scale. We’ve had to learn how to build a strong culture; how to work together through difficult times and decisions and how to be leaders instead of builders. We can hire the right people for areas we are not strong in but the core values of the company are built on what we decided many years ago.

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014 InBusiness Q4 2018_Entrepreneur_REV.indd 16

Teamwork Co-founders Dan Mackey and Peter Coppinger

DOMAIN NAME DIFFERENCE The importance of acquiring the domain name Teamwork.com cannot be underestimated in terms of the success the Cork-headquartered company has achieved to date, according to Co-founder Dan Mackey. “We now have a credible brand and a platform on which to launch new products which helped set the vision of a suite of business operating products,” he says.

Co-founder Peter Coppinger explains what happened: “We launched Teamwork with the domain name teamworkpm.net, which doesn’t really roll off the tongue. The guy who owned Teamwork. com wanted US$20m for it. After a few years we talked him down to US$675,000 which was every penny we had and we re-launched the new brand in 2011. It was a huge gamble but it certainly paid off hundreds of times over and was the catalyst for our success. We always had strong technology but weak marketing. This helped fix that.”

Q: Tell us about the moment when the head of IT at Disney called you and how things took off from there?

Peter: We got a phone call out of the blue asking us to hold for an unlikely name at Disney. I was sceptical, thinking it was a prank call, but it was soon apparent that it was the real deal. They had signed up under an alias and Teamwork had been catching on. They asked for an enterprise version and we gladly obliged and jumped through a whole series of hoops. It was definitely worth it. What a name, as our first enterprise customer.

Dan: For me, while the Disney name adds instant credibility and we are very proud to have it as a customer, the real value comes from the fact that it InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:25

ENTREPRENEUR

recognised Teamwork as a strong solution and we were able to compete on the world stage. The work we did to close Disney as our first enterprise customer paved the way for a new source of revenue and a new positioning in the project management category.

Q: Do you have any advice for budding entrepreneurs hoping to get a business off the ground?

Peter: Start now – don’t wait for optimal conditions. Target the world, not just Ireland. SaaS is the best business in the world. Talk to real people with real problems and make sure they are willing to pay for your solution and not just that they think it is a good idea. Read books, especially The Lean Startup.

Pick your business heroes and learn everything you can. Above all, work hard and be relentless. Start your sales team early.

“WE’VE HAD TO

LEARN HOW TO BUILD A STRONG CULTURE; HOW TO WORK TOGETHER

THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES AND DECISIONS AND HOW TO BE LEADERS INSTEAD OF BUILDERS. WE CAN

HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR AREAS WE ARE NOT STRONG IN BUT THE CORE VALUES OF THE COMPANY ARE

BUILT ON WHAT WE DECIDED MANY YEARS AGO.” InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

014 InBusiness Q4 2018_Entrepreneur_REV.indd 17

fantastic features to our existing products and re-launching our mobile apps fully native.

Dan: With a brand refresh and two new products launching in 2019, research and development on new technologies and product ideas to give greater value and efficiencies to our customers, our vision of a suite of integrated business products is getting closer to fruition.

Q: How do you define success?

Peter: Financial freedom is a big motivator but we also love building great products. When we see some of the biggest brands in the world such as Paypal or Spotify using our products, that in itself is deeply satisfying.

We are both competitive, want to outperform our competition and have a burning desire to succeed and continuously improve.

Dan: Just do it. Stop worrying about the potential problems ahead and get stuck in. If you keep putting it off you will never start.

Learn, learn, learn. You are not the first to start a business and you are not the first to face the challenges that may lie ahead. There is a wealth of knowledge, experience and learnings documented online by people who have done it before.

Also don’t hesitate in reaching out to people for advice. Most entrepreneurs will gladly share their experiences with people passionate about starting up themselves.

Dan: From a young age, we both had a burning ambition to build a global company, produce great products and have a big impact on the world. A few years back, we locked ourselves away and discussed our ambitions for the company.

We agreed that we want to build a big company, we are in this for the long haul and that we want to leave a legacy. Our primary motivation is that we want to look back on our careers when we’re 80 years old and be proud of what we achieved — a company that has left a lasting impression on our local communities, on Ireland and the world.

Q: Any company news or expansion plans Teamwork can share with us right now?

Peter: We are rebranding in February after which we will launch two new products to our suite, which is massively exciting. We are opening a large office in Belfast in March. Our staff will grow with our first hires in our new Boston office and we will be growing across all of our other locations from Cork to Buenos Aires. We are starting development of a few new products. We are also adding some

Q: Where would you like to be with Teamwork in five years’ time?

Peter & Dan: We have a ten-year vision, a three-year picture and a one-year plan so we know where we will be in five years’ time. We want to continue growing sales at a minimum of 40% year-on-year which should see us well beyond the US$100m a year target. We will also have built out the entire Teamwork.com platform by then with a suite of ten products. We will have built Teamwork Campus Two in Cork and it will have a zip line from the roof to the garden. I kid you not.

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24/01/2019 09:26

COVER STORY

Jason Clarke

IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL YEAR FOR US, REFLECTING ON OUR PROUD 100-YEAR HISTORY OF LOOKING AFTER CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES IN IRELAND. WE ARE ALSO INVESTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO TRANSFORM OUR BUSINESS.”

Michael Murphy, Managing Director, New Ireland Assurance at Baggot Plaza

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InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:32

Assured Winner of the Special Merit Award at the recent InBusiness Special Recognition Awards, New Ireland Assurance, celebrated 100 years in business in 2018. Managing Director Michael Murphy reflects on this important milestone and discusses how the company is adapting to a rapidly-changing world in order to maintain its strong track record to date.

How was 2018 for New Ireland Assurance?

It was a very special year for us, reflecting on our proud 100-year history of looking after customers and communities in Ireland. We are also investing significantly to transform our business – to ensure we continue to serve customers to the best of our ability, deliver strong sustainable growth and remain relevant for the next 100 years.

One of the many high points of the year was our centenary gala dinner, which took place in the Shelbourne Hotel in May. We were joined by Michael D’Arcy, Minister of State for Financial Services and Insurance, Francesca McDonagh, CEO of Bank of Ireland, a number of well-known sporting celebrities, customers, brokers and colleagues (past and present) for what was a really memorable night. Amongst the guests were also descendants of MW O'Reilly, cofounder and first managing director of New Ireland.

Looking back on the past 100 years, what would you say were your ‘key wins’?

When New Ireland was founded, the focus was all about investing Irish savings in Irish industry and business, InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

018 InBusiness Q4 2018_Cover Story_REV.indd 19

supporting jobs and helping the Irish economy to grow. The company played a role in strengthening and rehabilitating the social, economic and cultural resources of the people of Ireland. Funds were largely invested in industries where native Irish materials were used, as well as government and municipal stocks.

One hundred years on, we are still very much focussed on helping families and businesses in Ireland to be financially confident and secure.

We believe that companies that last 100 years are the ones that have understood what customers want, that address their needs and evolve appropriately with them over time. I am proud that my predecessors and my current and former colleagues managed to successfully navigate a changing, and often challenging, landscape to create an institution we can all be proud of today.

Nowadays we have a national presence with over 500,000 personal and business customers. As part of the Bank of Ireland Group, we are the only Irishowned bancassurer in Ireland.

This business is all about trust and relationships.

One of the great things about New Ireland is the focus 19

24/01/2019 09:34

on partnership and the very strong relationships we have fostered over the years with business partners, brokers and customers. This has been critical to our success and we must remain easy to do business with, offer excellent value to customers and deliver consistently strong propositions and service.

What are the main challenges you face?

We are in a mature, established industry operating in a rapidlychanging world – in terms of economic, political, technological, digital and regulatory developments. The expectations of customers and the way they want companies to interact with them are also changing rapidly – but differently for each customer. We must evolve our business to meet 20

018 InBusiness Q4 2018_Cover Story_REV.indd 20

the current and future needs of different customers.

This is a complex industry and the importance of high quality financial advice will be more important than ever going forward. With this in mind, we are looking to be a digitally-enabled people business, using state-ofthe-art technology and solutions to support financial advisors and brokers to deliver high quality advice to customers. This will ensure we meet the advice needs of our customers in a way that works for them as individuals and enables them to make the right choices to meet their future financial needs.

Life and pensions is a long-term business and customers need to be confident about the service levels and ongoing support they will receive – and ultimately that

Michael Murphy, Managing Director, New Ireland Assurance at Baggot Plaza

Jason Clarke

WE BELIEVE THAT COMPANIES THAT LAST 100 YEARS ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT, THAT ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND EVOLVE APPROPRIATELY WITH THEM OVER TIME."

the company will be there for them when they need to make a claim or access their savings. There is also a real need for ongoing advice as circumstances change and the needs of customers evolve. It will be critical to have technology and service platforms that allow customers to speak to an agent, to self-serve or to access ongoing financial advice in a way that suits them.

How do you intend to meet these challenges in practice in 2019?

We are investing in a digital advice platform that will provide brokers and financial advisors with the opportunity to give start-to-finish financial advice in real time. It is goals based, so it enables consumers to set, manage InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:35

Corporate pensions have been identified as a core area of focus, development, investment and growth. This is an area of real and urgent customer need, and also an area which is complex and requires simplification. With autoenrolment likely in 2022, the market needs New Ireland to be ready. We believe that this will be achieved in 2019 through our deployment of international, best-in-class technology solutions which are auto-enrolment ready and ensure a slick and easy experience for employers, employees and advisers.

We have an experienced, awardwinning group pensions team of over 100 staff and we will be looking to grow this business significantly in the coming years to meet a real and growing customer need.

What is the secret to success and longevity in today's market?

Being part of an iconic Irish organisation such as Bank of Ireland Group, and one that shares our purpose of enabling Irish customers, colleagues and communities to thrive, is something that is very important to us. This is a big part of the secret to our success and longevity in today’s market. Our customers know that as a financial services group we are committed to Ireland and that we will be here for them when they need us over the next 100 years.

Very few organisations can trace their roots back to the foundation of the Irish State.

This year, we became one of the few institutions in the country InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

018 InBusiness Q4 2018_Cover Story_REV.indd 21

What are your goals for the next 10 years?

We are investing to deliver strong, sustainable growth, to remain a leader in the markets we operate in and to provide a consistently excellent experience for our customers. Our ambition is to be a national champion in the life and pensions market in Ireland. This is about much more than being the largest, generating positive financial returns or having the strongest market share. It is also about: • being focused and transparent in how we operate and interact with customers and business partners; • being an employer of choice and supporting our colleagues appropriately; and • driving economic growth and leading the market in key areas such as access to financial advice, financial education and wellness (financial, physical and emotional).

All of the above have been guiding principles for New Ireland for the past 100 years – from our inception in 1918 to where we are today. It is what we focus on when we run our business day to day, and as we develop the business for the future.

ME

IC TR

O

R-CE

N

Any other news or expansion plans for 2019 that you can share with us?

to reach its centenary. Much has changed over that time for both the country and the company. New Ireland has adapted and evolved over the past 100 years in line with an ever-changing landscape, but our commitment to serve our customers better than any other provider has remained constant.

This we believe has enabled us to stand out from the competition.

We continue to focus on our customers and put them at the forefront of everything we do. We also work closely with business partners – brokers/financial advisors, investment managers, technology partners – to ensure our customers always have access to the very best financial advice, investment propositions, products, technology solutions and service in the market.

CUST

and track their finances very effectively. It will result in greater efficiency, an improved customer experience and will make it easier for financial advisors to do business and concentrate on what matters most – advice to their clients. We are planning on bringing this to market early next year.

The following are some key performance indicators and priorities for New Ireland Assurance: • Over the past five years, New Ireland Assurance paid more than €500m in protection claims to help customers and their families at critical and sensitive life moments – providing support when it was most needed • The company currently invests more than €2bn in Irish businesses and property, consistent with the original aims of the organisation • With the rising cost of defined benefit schemes, New Ireland Assurance is working with businesses to provide solutions, while also ensuring their employees can live healthy, fulfilling lives postretirement • The company is focusing on financial education and wellness for Irish consumers as well as promoting social issues such as the challenges of parents returning back to work • The wellbeing and development of staff is a key priority as New Ireland Assurance maintains that having a happy, healthy, energised workforce is critical to being customer-focused and delivering brilliantly.

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24/01/2019 09:36

INDUSTRY FEATURE

Spirit The

of a

nation

In light of the 21st Irish whiskey distillery becoming operational in recent weeks, KARINA CORBETT takes a look at the burgeoning Irish whiskey industry which is being driven by export growth and innovation.

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InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:37

INDUSTRY FEATURE

W

hen Blackwater Distillery in Co Waterford commenced distillation in November 2018, it became the 21st operational Irish whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland. According to the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA), this marked a step change from the start of the decade when there were only four operational Irish whiskey distilleries.

With over 90% of Irish whiskey being exported, the best way of measuring the value of the industry is through its performance in overseas markets, according to head of the IWA William Lavelle.

“The figure for exports in 2017 was 578m. We’ve got figures for the first three quarters of 2018 and they have shown, in line with our predictions, a 12% increase in value,” he says. “That puts us on course for 640m worth of exports for 2018. However, it might be slightly higher than that because the first half of Q4 is always the busiest time for shipments for the Christmas market.”

In total, Irish whiskey sales in 2018 exceeded 10.5 million cases (a case contains 12 bottles). This marks the first year since before Prohibition in the US in the 1920s that Irish whiskey sales have exceeded the 10 million-case barrier.

“We’ve had sustained double-digit growth in the category for a number of years now and our view is that is not going to show any sign of slowing down,” says Lavelle. “We don’t think we have reached peak growth yet.”

GROWTH POTENTIAL There has never been a more exciting time for Irish whiskey, believes Paul Wickham, general manager of Irish Distillers Pernod-Ricard’s Midleton Distillery. “It’s the fastest growing premium spirit in the

Blackwater Distillery, Co Waterford

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

024 InBusiness Q4 2018_Industry Feature.indd 23

world, with sales now accounting for more than one third of all Irish beverage exports. The category has built a reputation for unrivalled quality and relentless innovation.”

Up until recently, the key markets for Irish whiskey were the US, the UK and Western Europe. Over the past five years and, even more so in the past three years, growth has been beginning to kick off substantially in places like Canada and Australia, which is currently the fastest growing market for Irish whiskey – with a 28% rise in 2017 and over 30% growth for 2018.

“In 2017 Russia jumped to become our No 2 export market and we’ve seen very strong growth in Eastern Europe,” says Lavelle.

“The UK has always been a major market and obviously we are keeping an eye on it in the context of Brexit. Historically Asia would have had small sales of Irish whiskey but in the past few years we’ve had growth in Japan, Thailand, India and China. The EU Parliament recently ratified the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement and we think Japan is going to be a significant growth market in 2019.”

PREMIUM PRODUCTS Irish whiskey drinkers are gravitating towards super premium expressions, and this segment of the category is experiencing the most growth, believes Alex Conyngham, co-founder, Slane Irish Whiskey.

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

“Most new Irish whiskeys and innovations being introduced into the market are super premium, which helps to account for the growth in this area. As with other types of whiskey, Irish whiskey is gaining momentum from the worldwide growth of the cocktail culture,” he notes.

“Bartenders are including Irish whiskey in cocktail menu listings and are developing variations on classic drinks which showcase the spirit’s versatile flavour profile.”

Director of Blackwater Distillery Peter Mulryan believes the best is yet to come. “The potential is huge. In three to five years the category will be very interesting. Right now it’s a bit of a teenager of a category that hasn’t matured into itself yet.”

IRISH WHISKEY TOURISM Meanwhile, Irish whiskey tourism is thriving alongside the distilling arm of the industry. In 2017, a total of 814,000 visitors went to 13 Irish whiskey distilleries. This increased by 13.4% in 2018 to reach 923,000 visitors.

“We are expecting that figures will have increased by something like 40% in three years. By the end of 2019 the 13 centres will have increased to about 18,” says Lavelle.

Jameson Distillery Bow St. in Dublin is the most visited whiskey experience in the world. “Irish Distillers PernodRicard wants to create life-long advocates for our brands and having a strong Irish whiskey tourism scene is key to this,” says Wickham.

“Fans from around the world travel to Ireland to experience the home of Irish whiskey. As an industry, we need to make sure our tourism product matches the highquality whiskey that we’re known for.”

Jack Teeling, founder and managing director, Teeling Whiskey

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024 InBusiness Q4 2018_Industry Feature.indd 24

Paul Wickham, general manager, Midleton Distillery

Looking at the success of the likes of the Wild Atlantic Way, the IWA is developing a programme for Irish whiskey tourism on an all-island basis.

Irish Distillers Pernod-Ricard is working with the IWA and actively supporting its Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy.

The strategy anticipates 1.9 million visitors per year by 2025, attracted by whiskey trails and distillery tours, visitor centres, and supporting infrastructure. “These premium tourists from the US, France, Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and beyond will make an equally premium contribution to the economy, an estimated 1.3bn annually by 2025,” says Wickham.

Founder and managing director of Teeling Whiskey, Jack Teeling, agrees that Irish whiskey tourism is ripe for potential. “While we have been making up a lot of lost ground against our Scottish and American whiskeyproducing neighbours as a destination for whiskey lovers, we are light years away from having a comparable whiskey tourism offering,” he says.

“In our Dublin distillery, we have welcomed over 375,000 visitors since opening in 2015, showing that if you build a unique Irish whiskey experience people will come.”

There are obvious opportunities for the next generation of distillers to InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

build a tourist offering into their new distillery, but Teeling warns against business plans that are ‘visitor centres with distilleries’ rather than ‘distilleries with visitor centres’.

“People today want real experiences. For a truly vibrant Irish whiskey tourism offering that will be relevant and stack up against our competing whiskey nations, this cannot be based on pseudo-production attractions and audio visual ‘smoke and mirrors’,” he notes. “There needs to be real and differentiated whiskey distilleries for people to discover and experience.”

Claire Hallissey, Lough Ree Distillery, Brian Nation, Master Distiller, Irish Distillers and William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association

Alex Conyngham, co-founder, Slane Irish Whiskey

TARIFF THREAT

The escalating trade war between the US and EU is a cause for concern for the Irish whiskey industry. In 2018 the EU placed a 25% tariff on US whiskies in response the US placing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Europe.

“President Trump’s tariff war is impacting on small American distillers who find their exports to the EU now subject to tariffs,” says Peter Mulryan, director, Blackwater Distillery. “Any escalation in the tit-for-tat trade war would be a concern.”

“It’s not on the agenda at the moment but obviously if there were to be any tariff put on Irish whiskey that would be damaging,” says William Lavelle, head of the Irish Whiskey Association.

“Similarly we would be concerned about the trade sanctions being imposed on Russia, given that it’s our second biggest market.

All of this is something we are vigilant about. The spirits industry globally and the Irish industry domestically are probably the biggest champions of tariff-free trade. We want to maintain that seamless global free trade.”

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IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION Teeling believes his company can really drive innovation within the category through using unique ingredients and distillation techniques coupled with novel maturation practices.

“Over the past number of years we have focused on unique maturation and bottling techniques to impart the extra flavour and character we are striving for from our whiskeys,” he explains.

“The whiskey we are producing will be the core of all our whiskeys in three years’ time. This allows us to guarantee future supply to enable us to grow our own brands and avoid supply constraints. We will be dedicating a certain percentage of production to trial new and novel recipes, as well as trying to revive old traditional styles of Dublin whiskey that are no longer available.”

Blackwater Distillery is also embarking on pioneering methods. It is the first whiskey distillery in the world to embrace blockchain technology. Every bottle of whiskey produced at the distillery will feature a unique symbol which the customer can scan, giving them access to information from every step of the whiskey’s production journey from distillation to bottling. This technology is being utilised as part of the company’s aim to be 100% transparent on every drop distilled at its Ballyduff facility.

Meanwhile, sustainability is at the core of Slane Distillery’s vision. “We’re proud to pave the way amongst distilleries when it comes to making the best use of the resources around us,” says Conyngham.

“Our rainwater catchment system on the roofs of the distillery buildings allows us to collect rainwater for use as both process water or in landscape irrigation. We also provide our grain and yeast by-product to local farmers for use as animal feed and we’re committed to the biodiversity of our surrounding area in the Boyne Valley.”

The IWA has set a target of reaching 12 million cases by 2020 and is confident it will achieve and exceed that by then. But while the outlook is positive, Lavelle has a word of warning about protecting the reputation of Irish whiskey internationally. “The EU Free Trade Agreements have introduced protection for the name ‘Irish whiskey’, which is very important when you are protecting against fake products calling themselves Irish.”

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MENTORS

MENTOR: BRÍD HORAN 26

028 InBusiness Q4 2018_Mentors.indd 26

Variety in all things With over 20 years’ experience in senior executive roles and on boards of public and private sector organisations, former deputy chief executive of ESB Bríd Horan is now playing a leading role in the drive for more gender balance at the top in business in Ireland.

W

hen Bríd Horan left school in 1971 and started her first ‘real’ job as a trainee actuary with Irish Life, career opportunities for women were very different. Only a small minority of young people went on to third-level education, most workplaces still operated a ‘marriage bar’ – which meant women had to stop working when they got married – and senior leadership roles were the preserve of men.

Career guidance was limited back then and Horan had no idea or plan about the direction her working life might take. “I do remember saying in the interview with Irish Life that I wanted to work with people and that is an aspect of my life I have always enjoyed,” she reflects. “I liked sums and knew I would get paid from day one – those were the two main things that attracted me to my first job.

Luckily, along the way since then I was given good opportunities and had the courage to take them.”

And take them she did. Horan stayed with Irish Life until the late seventies, worked for a period in industrial relations and then stopped work when she had her two sons. Her return to the workforce in 1990 involved an actuarial consulting position at KPMG where she went on to take over as leader of its actuarial practice. In 1997, she joined ESB to manage its pension fund, became executive director, responsible for a range of businesses, and ultimately deputy chief executive in 2013.

Being involved in leading a massive transformation at ESB was “hugely rewarding”, says Horan. “I worked at ESB at a time when the energy sector underwent major change, particularly with the advent of competition and changing forms of regulation. The public is largely unaware of the major transformation that has taken place because it was delivered without disruption.

“I am proud, that together with staff and colleagues, we delivered a competitive and efficient energy service. Doing so meant using my own experience and judgment while also drawing on the expertise and skills of others.”

When Horan retired from ESB in 2014, she wanted to spend time on various activities both in the commercial and not-for-profit areas. Her current nonexecutive roles span the energy sector (chair of Nephin Energy), education (member of governing authority, Dublin City University) and the arts (member of the board of directors, Dublin Theatre Festival). She is also chair of a number of pension fund trustee boards.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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MENTORS

FOR WOMEN THINKING OF A CAREER PROGRESSION, THE ANSWER LIES IN BELIEVING IN

YOUR OWN ABILITY, INCLUDING YOUR

LEARN AND DEVELOP FURTHER. REFLECT ABILITY TO

ON WHAT YOU’VE ACHIEVED ALREADY, HOW YOU HAVE DEVELOPED AND

HOW YOU CAN BUILD ON THAT IN

GROWN AND

THE FUTURE.”

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MENTORS

BRÍD HORAN ON....

MOMENTUM “Getting results takes action and focus, in business and elsewhere.

Don’t wait for the perfect solution; identify the direction of travel and take action to get there. Voltaire said it elegantly: “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.” The perfect is the enemy of the good or, less elegantly, follow the 80/20 rule.

Bríd Horan with singer/songwriter JACK L at the National Concert Hall

“I enjoy bringing my experience to bear on a new set of challenges and working with interesting people across a range of sectors,” she says. “No two days or weeks are the same.

I enjoy that variety but it also brings its own issues. Managing conflicting demands and opportunities [even just on the practical side like organising my calendar] takes time and effort in itself. One small thing I would advise anyone transitioning from a full-time executive role to being a non-executive is to develop their technology skills.”

Overall, this is an interesting transition for people to make, Horan continues. “You are going from a hands-on management role where you share the development and implementation of strategy to having an overview and providing support. It is rewarding to be involved in bringing about positive change and seeing both the organisation and individuals progress. The other element is that you do learn enormously from the executive team and members of the board. Change doesn’t stop and there are continuously new challenges to face.”

ADDRESSING GENDER IMBALANCE In recent years, working to improve gender balance in a non-executive capacity has been a big priority for Horan, who has always been a strong supporter of other women, whatever their career choices. Her main question to any woman wondering whether she is the right person for a senior position is, “Why not you?”.

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SUCCESS IN LEADERSHIP “You need to take on new challenges to stretch yourself.

Sometimes that means taking a risk and moving out of your comfort zone. You learn and develop as you do this, often learning from mistakes, and that is part of the journey.

Consider working in different roles or a different sector. There is a lot of cross-over of senior people between sectors now and the skills and competencies required have become more similar.”

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX “Look beyond your current sphere of interest and contacts.

I learned enormously from dealing with areas outside my own professional orbit and from engaging with people with different backgrounds. I would also encourage people to take some kind of non-executive role while in full employment to give them a different perspective.”

“My husband John always said that to me over the years when I doubted myself. Some of us are inclined to see gaps rather than the strengths we have. It doesn’t mean the gaps don’t exist, but it is often about having the right people around you. I don’t believe leaders have to be superhuman or an expert in everything. In fact, nobody can know everything,” she says.

“For women thinking of a career progression, the answer lies in believing in your own ability, including your ability to learn and develop further. Reflect on what you’ve achieved already, how you have developed and grown and how you can build on that in the future.”

Over the past few years, Horan has worked with others to establish and build the 30% Club in Ireland with the aim of bringing female participation on boards up to at least 30%. There are now over 220 leading business organisations as members. With Gary Kennedy, Horan co-chairs Better Balance for Better Business, an initiative launched by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last July, which will work with business to accelerate and deepen progress.

“The time has come for all businesses to InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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MENTORS

Bríd Horan, with twin sisters, Emily Jane and Isabel Doyle at the launch of the ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoi

Better Balance for Better Business co-chairs Bríd Horan and Gary Kennedy

Brid Horan and Carol Andrews, 30% Club Ireland Country Lead

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fully develop the talent of women and men, including at the most senior levels. Our brief with Better Balance for Better Business is to examine the current situation in leading Irish businesses – both indigenous and multinational – and to set progressive targets to 2023,” Horan explains.

“Ireland today is a better place, with much progress driven and enabled by our joining the EU in 1973. That said, there is more to be done. Change is a continuing process and there are still challenges in society and in the workplace.”

DESPAIR AND HOPE Horan’s view on female representation on boards and in leadership roles is a combination of despair and hope – despair that issues that were being debated in the early seventies are still with us and hope based on the progress that has been made and the current focus on the issue, in all kinds of leadership and decision-making roles.

“While there’s an increasing recognition that gender balance is good for business, as well as for women, and while there are more women in certain key positions and on some boards, overall progress has been too slow and limited to too few companies,” she says.

Ireland is lagging far behind other EU countries in the

participation of women on corporate boards, for example.

According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), at the start of 2018, female members made up only 18.1% of the boards of Irish registered ISEQ 20 companies. This compares to an average of 26.2% for similar companies across the EU28 and 28.9% in the UK. As the majority of business leaders at the moment are men, they have a particularly important role to play in improving the representation of women at senior levels, notes Horan. “Improving gender balance in leadership is good for any organisation; there is considerable research which indicates that it impacts positively on outcomes. For me, this is common sense. We need to draw on the full talent base, bring broader perspectives into play, reflect the make-up of both society and customers and lessen the risk of groupthink,” she says. “Doing this can be a win-win in all spheres of life, including business, and I believe all leaders should be committed to making this happen.”

Given the gender profile of business leaders in the earlier part of Horan’s career, the role models she looked to were typically male.

One in particular, former Group Finance Director at ESB, Joe Maher, had a strong focus on identifying and encouraging talent, including women.

“While we didn’t have a formal mentoring relationship, Joe took time to both challenge and encourage me. He extended discussions of the challenges we faced then into an exploration of the broader experiences I was having in a non-executive role at the time. He helped me to see how those experiences could be used to develop my career. This is an important role for a mentor – to hold up a mirror for a person so they can see their achievements and learn and build on those.”

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SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

From bootstrapped to market leaders, Fifty-Three Six is a sports marketing agency based in Dublin and putting Ireland on the map. Co-founders and long-term friends, Marcus McDonnell and Tom Fox, have big ambitions and even greater potential.

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Q: Where did the idea (and

Q: Describe your typical

name) for Fifty-Three Six come from?

MMD: We help our clients to turn fans into customers through premium video and a results-led, datadriven approach to digital marketing. The name Fifty-Three Six represents the coordinates of Dublin – 53 degrees north, 6 degrees west. The idea came from our desire to export the best Irish-based production and digital marketing talent to the global sports industry. We are a nation of storytellers and are incredibly passionate about sports, but we are also quite modest. We think we should be proud of where we’re from and what we stand for. I’m from Dublin and Tom is a proud Kildare man from Maynooth, just outside Dublin, but still within the Fifty-Three Six area!

day?

MMD: A Dublin-based day means getting in for 8.15am and planning for the day ahead. We’re very goals orientated so I’ll check my calendar, see what needs to get done and how best to allocate my time – the approach is usually to get the thinking done early and the admin later on.

We tend to travel once a week to the UK, usually for meetings in London or the North West. We have it down to a fine art.

Wake up at 6.00; pick up at 6.15; Dublin airport for 6.45; flight to Gatwick at 7.30; on the ground at Gatwick at 9.00, and then usually have our first meeting scheduled in central London for 10.30.

We’ll have a client lunch

and then a meeting in the afternoon before heading back to Gatwick at 17.00 for a 19.00 flight.

Throughout the year, we would have stretches where we would have one shoot a week and on those days we could be anywhere filming – from Adelaide Oval to Ascot, Croke Park to Castellon (home to a little known Segunda División team in Spain). We’ve been fortunate enough to shoot in some iconic locations.

Q: What have your ‘key wins’ been since launching Fifty-Three Six? MMD: We have been fortunate enough to have found a model that works for our clients. We’re even luckier to do the work that we do. Sometimes we pinch ourselves at the situations we find ourselves in. I often InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE

say that I’d do much of this work for free.

We made a call early on to focus on the UK and try to win retained business.

This was a crucial decision and we’ve since won business with bet365, The FA, the National Basketball Association and Bath Rugby to name a few. We then had the confidence to go on and win Irish accounts including the GAA, IRFU, Elverys, Mace and Gym+Coffee.

Our biggest win has been the partnership between my business partner Tom and I. We have been friends for over 20 years. People say not to do business with friends or family, we would completely refute that – if you work on the relationship, communicate well and leave ego at the door you can succeed.

The tough times are definitely tougher but there’s no better feeling than sharing success with an old friend. Through this partnership, we have managed to create a great culture within the team.

Q: How do you deal with competition?

MMD: We feel like we have quite a unique proposition – a one-stopshop for sports marketing – and therefore there isn’t a huge amount of direct competitors out there.

Even if there were direct competitors, and it sounds like a cliché, but we would try not to focus on them.

We strive to continuously improve. We constantly review our work and our standards, and set a high bar for ourselves to be market leaders.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you face as a small business in Ireland?

MMD: Over 70% of our business is from outside of Ireland – with a large amount of that coming from the UK – so Brexit and, more specifically, currency fluctuations between the pound

few months and have grown organically – without taking any investment. We frequently look back at how lucky we were not to have to raise money and surrender equity and (some) control. We are the masters of our own destiny and that is everything.

talent and we have been able to punch above our weight and secure key hires at key times. We are always looking for and meeting with talent but our priority for the New Year is to hire in the UK.

Q: Where do you see your business going in the next five to ten years? Any news or expansion plans you can share with us?

MMD: First and foremost we will be attacking the UK in a big way, with a permanently based team there in the next 12 months. We were lucky to have produced a full feature production in 2018 (a documentary

Marcus McDonnell (left) and Tom Fox, co-founders of Fifty-Three Six

Sterling and the euro are a concern. We have a UK registered business and a UK base. Other than that, what is not to like about the Irish market? We have tonnes of support through the likes of the Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland.

We are stacked with talent – some of the best in the business in production and digital marketing.

And the lifestyle is incredible here.

Q: How have you funded your business to date?

MMD: We bootstrapped to begin with, created some momentum and went without pay for a

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

030 InBusiness Q4 2018_Small Business Profile_REV.indd 31

Q: How many staff do you currently have? Any plans to recruit more in the near future?

MMD: We have eight staff members in total, including Tom and I. We are very thankful to the Dublin City Local Enterprise Office for its support in helping us hire and grow. It is a very competitive market for

called ‘Knocked’ – exploring concussion in rugby) and we will be following up on that with more long-form programming in 2019. Longer term, our aim is to become the best sports marketing agency in the world. Our ambition is to do the work we love with great clients.

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ME D

MEDIA & MARKETING

IA

&

M AR

KE

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G AT

Bridget O’Dea, Director, Purcell Masterson Public Relations

I

n an ever changing industry, Bridget O’Dea says she has “never been one to sit on her laurels”. Rising up the ranks to the role of Director of Purcell Masterson by the age of 28, O’Dea ensures to keep up to date by doing a career-relevant, up-skilling course every year. “You constantly have to adapt to the environment and people’s behaviours,” she says.

Reluctant to pigeonhole the agency, O’Dea says Purcell Masterson works predominantly with clients from the hospitality and food sectors, including Neven Maguire and the Flynn Hotel Group as well as Visit Kilkenny, the Kilkenny Tourism Board.

Finding the right clients is the key to success. “I don’t know whether selective is the right word or not, but the client has to be the right fit for us. We have to love what they’re doing and they have to love what they’re doing as much as we do. That’s why I think we’ve been really successful in the hospitality market,” she adds.

Alan McArthur

With a large proportion of Ireland’s PR agencies located in the nation’s capital, Kilkennybased public relations and communications agency, Purcell Masterson, refuses to allow a minor detail like location stop it from competing with the biggest players in the field. SINÉAD MOORE speaks to director, Bridget O’Dea, about the challenges and opportunities in the Marble City.

TH

LIT

TERS

T I NG

ALL

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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MEDIA & MARKETING

CAPITAL COMPETITION A board member at Kilkenny Chamber, O’Dea says the main challenge facing Purcell Masterson is the fact that it is not based in Dublin, with PR companies outside the capital often overlooked for work. “I think it is perceived, as we’re working outside Dublin, that we don’t have the same contacts, resources and expertise as what a Dublin agency has to offer,” O’Dea says. “But we have everything that a Dublin agency has to offer, without the Dublin prices.”

So how do they compete with Dublin agencies? For O’Dea, it comes back to track record. “We have people and companies that have worked for us for years and they continue to come back to us on an ad hoc basis for things,” she explains. When competing with the top dogs, confidence is key. “We don’t actively go out and seek to compete with anybody but you could put us against the best agency in Dublin and I guarantee you that the results we get for clients will be on par if not above what they have to offer,” O’Dea adds assuredly.

O’Dea also believes being part of a smaller team works to the agency’s advantage. Present at all introductory client meetings, she says the question she is most often asked is: “You’re not going to disappear after this?”, with clients increasingly concerned about having a direct point of contact from beginning to end. “Because our team is so small, I’m across everything from the strategy, to the planning, to the content creation. I’m on the front line with clients from the moment we meet to when the final report is sent,” O’Dea explains, adding, “it’s easy to sell something but it’s not easy to keep it.”

UNINFLUENCED As businesses and brands increasingly strive to connect with audiences, O’Dea says she is sceptical of the so-called influencer culture, adding, “it’s important to remember, all that glitters isn’t gold”.

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The Four Cs The four cornerstones Bridget O’Dea, Director, Purcell Masterson always refers back to when working on an account:

Create

Communicate

Compel

Convert

“I’M ON

THE FRONT LINE

(Influencers is a word given to describe a set of people whose voice has been amplified online).

WITH CLIENTS O’Dea says the influencer phenomenon FROM THE was “treated like the shiny new toy that MOMENT WE anybody could make work for them” and MEET TO WHEN THE warns clients to “avoid buying into the fad” and be vigilant about who they choose FINAL REPORT to work with, having seen first-hand the IS SENT.” negative impact such partnerships can have.

“Clients have come into us and they have wasted their time, money and energy trying to tap into this influencer culture and what did they get out if it? Absolutely nothing!” She encourages companies considering working with an influencer to first check their credibility. “Do an audit on their followers; there are online tools you can use for this. Anybody can decide to ‘influence’ and go purchase 5,000 followers,” she adds.

In 2019, O’Dea hopes “we give less power to this influencer culture and just keep things real”.

“In my mind word of mouth is the greatest selling tool and the greatest endorsement that any company could have for any product or for any service,” she adds. She also hopes to see more creativity boldness in 2019. “We need to start thinking a bit more outside the box as to how we can reach the people we need to reach.”

FORWARD PLANNING O’Dea is confident in the potential and value of the PR industry, highlighting that PR is informing marketing strategies now, whereas typically it would’ve been the other way around. She looks at PR consultations as “a psychotherapy session for your business” and consultants as story-tellers, helping to share clients’ stories.

“We have so many people come in to us and they don’t realise the stories that they’re sitting on. These are the little gems that could really help your business and push it onto the next level,” she adds.

Looking to the future, O’Dea’s main objective is scaling up and streamlining additional add-on services to make Purcell Masterson a one-stop shop for clients. “For me it’s about getting more brilliant people around us and attracting more great clients who are doing really cool things that we can get excited about. I get a lot of satisfaction from that so I’m going to stick to my two-year plan, keep the head down, and see what happens.”

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BOOK EXTRACT

“THE RADICAL CENTRE BEGINS WITH THE COMMON MAN OR, INCREASINGLY AND THANKFULLY,

THE COMMON ” WOMAN. Bookended by two very different papal visits, economist and columnist David McWilliams’ latest offering, Renaissance Nation, traces how a generation of change-makers, The Pope’s Children – those born in and around the Pope’s 1979 visit to Ireland – have quietly rewritten the rules for Ireland through quiet revolution and, in turn, reshaped our national destiny. he heroes of the great Irish economic transformation are not the wonderful orators, stand-out leaders or messiahs of any hue, but the everyday people who are slow to judge others, who live by their own set of civilised rules, who return lost wallets or mislaid bikes, who pick up their dog’s poo in bags and deposit it in a municipal bin, who do the accounts for the local GAA club, who volunteer at the Mini World Cup and who take it upon themselves to start a small business. These are a nuanced people who, rather than rally around an extreme position, are content to take direction from a Citizens Assembly that tries to find the centre ground, acceptable to most, setting the agenda on a centrist rather than extreme course.

These are the common people who, through their tolerance, respect those around them. They can be found in the background, beavering away, and are driven by the expectation that tomorrow will be a little bit better than today, and therefore worth getting up for. This relentless effort, put in every day in every small town, every suburb and village in the country, without the need for acclamation or bragging, is the dynamo of the economic miracle.

These are not the radical left, who may have thought that victory over the Cleristocracy would usher in an atheist republic so beloved of Connolly, Larkin, Browne and others. They

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imagined a completely post-religious state, a Finland with Guinness. They got something else.

Nor did the culture war lead to a strengthening of the radical right counter-revolution of the 1980s with its fundamentalist leanings, as has occurred with the rise of the religious right in America. We ended up not on the extremes but somewhere around the middle.

This middle ground is the Radical Centre, a place of compromise and synthesis. The Radical Centre begins with the common man or, increasingly and thankfully, the common woman. She is the one, tinkering away or revolving ideas in her liberated brain, who makes the difference.

At its core is the respect for the individual which provides the social ballast that prevents lurches to the extremes. The Radical Centre explains why Ireland has arrived in 2018, on the eve of our hundredth birthday, a century after the War of Independence, without any anti-immigration politicians, let alone an anti-immigration movement, no Brexit-style separatist crusade, no Donald Trump figure intent on a nativist agenda. Look around at the rest of the world. Ireland’s combination of an inclusive Radical Centre and a flourishing economy is the precise opposite of what is the norm now in our neighbours, where politics is lurching to the radical right or the radical left, InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:51

BOOK EXTRACT

every economic metric, Ireland has outpaced our European neighbours, indeed almost all of the rest of the developed world, by a factor of two in the past 30 years. This has been a quite heroic performance.

The independent citizen, the victor in the great culture war, is the star of the show. Personal motivations of self-improvement drive the economy forward. Most of the time these motivations dwell in our brains, and only come to fruition if they are allowed and encouraged by the rest of us, which is why a society that dignifies commercial efforts tends to grow faster. Once we were liberated and animal spirits were unleashed, our economy took off. Social change came slowly and organically, and because it was slow and democratic, it has generally been accepted. It’s almost as if nobody noticed.

This is why the country is now led by a gay, halfIndian polyglot, who went to a Protestant school, is a

This is an extract from ‘Renaissance Nation: How the Pope’s Children Rewrote the Rules for Ireland’ by David McWilliams, reprinted with permission from Gill Books. It is available in all good bookshops, priced 22.99.

all against the background of faltering economies, local people feeling locked out and threatened by newcomers.

Globally, Ireland appears to be something of an exception.

We don’t have an extreme left with any material support, such as England’s Corbynistas who seem to suffer from Cuba-envy with their undertaking to nationalise UK industry. Nor do we see support for a Le Pen-style white supremacist party intent on kicking out immigrants and demonising Muslims. We have no significant anti-EU party like Italy’s present governing coalition. Nor do we have racist, homophobic leaders like in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

We are in the Radical Centre. I say ‘radical’ because the economy is moving at such a pace, at such tilt, that there is an inbuilt dynamic overturning of the old status quo. We are innovating, changing, surprising ourselves, commuting, opening, closing, trading, buying and selling at a pace unrivalled outside Asia. I will explore the economic miracle in the next chapter but suffice it to say that on almost InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

034 InBusiness Q4 2018_Book Extract_REV.indd 35

“WE ARE IN THE RADICAL CENTRE. I SAY ‘RADICAL’ BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS MOVING AT SUCH A PACE, AT SUCH TILT, THAT THERE IS AN INBUILT DYNAMIC OVERTURNING OF THE OLD STATUS QUO. WE ARE INNOVATING, CHANGING, SURPRISING OURSELVES, COMMUTING, OPENING, CLOSING, TRADING, BUYING AND SELLING AT A PACE UNRIVALLED OUTSIDE ASIA.” qualified doctor and a fierce intellectual; who works out every morning, practises yoga and takes world leaders jogging rather than drinking. He is also the first ever graduate of Trinity College Dublin, the university set up by an English monarch to subjugate the colony, to run the country.

Had you predicted this at the time of the first papal visit, the bookies would have taken your money gladly and offered you wild odds. No one would have believed you. But it has happened.

The beauty is that the international press like the New York Times, The Guardian and Die Welt were stunned at the arrival of this new type of Irish leader. Foreign journalists described his elevation to Taoiseach as being indicative of how old Ireland had suddenly changed, making a big deal of his sexuality and his ethnicity. In contrast, no one here as much as batted an eyelid because the victory of Radical Centre values is now complete.

Guess what year Leo Varadkar was born? Why, 1979. So, we have one of the Pope’s Children leading the country, one hundred years after the War of Independence fought to give Ireland back to the Irish.

But no one thought the Irish would ever look like this.

Welcome to the Renaissance Nation.

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24/01/2019 09:51

FEATURE

SNAP

CHAT “Businesses must see sustainability as a driver for business success and as a positive force for change. It is up to

Kathryn D’Arcy, Corporate Affairs Director, HEINEKEN Ireland

each business to understand the impact they have on the environment. A good starting point is the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

In 2018, HEINEKEN Ireland became the first drinks company in Ireland to achieve the Business Working Responsibly Mark.

InBUSINESS caught up with Kathryn D’Arcy to find out what HEINEKEN Ireland is doing to promote sustainable practices.

HEINEKEN Ireland has a proud brewing tradition that started in Cork over 160 years ago and we hope to be here for another 160 years.

To do that, we need to care about a lot more than this year’s profit or next year’s profit. We have to care about our employees, the future of the communities in which we operate, the environment around us, our customers, consumers and the products we make.

Aware of our responsibilities, we strive to make decisions today that will support a sustainable and strong business for the future.

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036 InBusiness Q4 2018_Snap Chat.indd 36

Consumers expect brands they love to be sustainable and ethical and companies must respond to this.

However, of greater importance is the need to protect the environment and to support the communities in which we operate.

We look at sustainability from barley to bar. Since 2010, we have been on a journey towards achieving our 2020 sustainability commitments and our ‘Brewing a Better World’ programme provides us with the roadmap to reach those targets.

“Our focus is now to look at our 2030 commitments.

We will and are committed to delivering our future in a sustainable way.”

In 2018, we had a landmark year. We achieved zero-waste-to-landfill, hit our 2020 distribution CO2 reduction targets, and continued to source 100% of our malted barley from local Irish farmers.

We are now starting to look beyond 2020 to define our 2030 global commitments in alignment with the COP21 Paris Agreement on climate change, the UN SDGs and the expectations of our stakeholders.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:52

CHAMBERS NEWS

A ROUND UP OF ALL THE NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE CHAMBER NETWORK NATIONWIDE

CHAMBERS

CATCH UP AN TÁNAISTE TOPS THE BILL

AT WATERFORD CHAMBER DINNER

‘T

hink Global, Act Local’ was the main message at the Waterford Chamber Annual Dinner on 9 November 2018.

An Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney topped the bill in the line-up of speakers.

“Project Ireland 2040 recognises that Waterford is the principal urban centre in the South East. It is unique in having a network of large and strong regional urban centres in close proximity within each of the surrounding counties,” he said.

Mayor of the City and County of Waterford, Cllr Declan Doocey added: “Waterford is now best placed to build on the recent news of investment by companies like West Pharma, Eurofins and Eirgen Pharma and to continue to work to realise the significant opportunity that presents us with the North Quays SDZ.”

Pictured Attending the Waterford Chamber Annual Dinner were Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, Kathryn Kiely, President, Waterford Chamber and Frank Ryan, Chairman, IDA Ireland

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In December 2018, EUROCHAMBRES Deputy President Ian Talbot led a delegation of chamber representatives from 12 EU Member States on a two-day mission to London. The group met with British Members of Parliament and Government officials to express their growing concerns about the risk of a disorderly Brexit

TALENT STILL TOP WORRY FOR DUBLIN FIRMS A survey of Dublin Chamber’s 400 members in January has revealed that the ability to attract and retain key staff ranked as the biggest challenge facing firms over the coming 12 months. This also ranked as the biggest issue facing firms 12 months ago.

Fears about Brexit came in second as the challenge firms fear most in 2019, up from fourth position at the start of 2018. The cost of accommodation was third on the list followed by the availability of accommodation.

Other issues to rank highly include traffic congestion (5th), tax increases (6th), rising insurance costs (7th), euro/ sterling currency fluctuations (8th), commercial rates increases (9th), and rising utility costs (10th).

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24/01/2019 14:59

CHAMBERS NEWS

NEW TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR SLIGO HOSPITALITY

CHAMBER COMMENT “Our meetings with British Members of Parliament and Government officials further underline the incredible complexity of the Westminster discussions in the UK on the Withdrawal Agreement.

Nonetheless, this new round of political brinkmanship increases the strain on the European economy, EU27 and UK alike.

Businesses need clarity.”

Chambers Ireland Chief Executive and EUROCHAMBRES Deputy President, Ian Talbot

Sligo Chamber Skillnet, in partnership with Institute of Technology Sligo, has launched a new intercultural and language awareness training programme for the hospitality and tourism sector. Called New Markets, New Skills, it aims to help businesses and their staff around the county to be more touristfriendly. The programme will initially be rolled out in January with a focus on communicating and meeting the needs of German and French visitors. The plan is to improve the service offered to tourists by helping staff to welcome visitors in their own language, and to optimise sales through face-to-face selling at market events, as well as sales overseas via phone and online services.

CHAMBER CAPTION President of Bray Chamber Pat Ó Súilleabháin presenting Kiera Robinson and head chef Chris Carroll of Maison Moli with the Hospitality Venue Award in the Endeavour Awards 2018.

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FLOOD FUND FOR SHANNON

The Government announced a 27m fund in December 2018 to upgrade flood defences in Shannon town, the airport and the Free Zone.

“The airport, businesses and residents can now plan with confidence in the knowledge that Shannon is a safe location in which to invest, with no fear of the immense devastation that flooding can cause,” said Shannon Chamber CEO Helen Downes.

“The many attributes of the Shannon Estuary Way and the potential of the river walks in Shannon as tourism products can also now be explored and developed with confidence.”

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:55

CHAMBERS NEWS

FOOD FLEADH & OTHER VOICES

IN BALLINA

Food Fleadh Ballina, the West of Ireland’s premier food festival, took place in Ballina, Co Mayo from 27th to 30th September 2018. Run by Ballina Chamber of Commerce, it coincided with the internationally acclaimed programme Other Voices, which was recorded in Ballina on 28th and 29th September.

Through the collaborative work and investment of Mayo County Council and Ballina Chamber of Commerce, the Other Voices TV recordings took place in St Michael’s Church in the heart of Ballina, while the Other Voices Music Trail ran across a multitude of venues, bars, pubs and clubs throughout the town. Ireland’s Edge Ballina, an extension of Ireland’s Edge, the renowned annual culture and creativity conference, was a mixture of debate, performance and discussion.

REASON TO CELEBRATE IN KILDARE Over 360 business leaders from across Kildare attended the Kildare Business Awards Gala Ball in association with Kildare County Council and LEO Kildare on 23rd November 2018 Intel, winner of the Diversity and Inclusion Award sponsored in The K Club.

by Grant Thornton at the Kildare Business Awards The chamber made two significant announcements on the night: in Q2 2019, it will commission a ‘Kildare 2040 Business Survey’ and in Q3 it will embark on a trade visit to Boston in the US with companies from Kildare.

Business of the Year for 2018 was won by Newbridge Silverware who also took home the Tourism and Hospitality Award. Rose O’Loughlin of The Keadeen Hotel was the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Business Award.

CITY REGIONS IRELAND GROUP LAUNCHED

A

new group, City Regions Ireland, was launched in November 2018 bringing together the Chambers of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

The group is working towards the common goal of ensuring the five cities are developed sustainably as national and regional economic engines and to support a population projected in the National Planning Framework to grow by 25% in Dublin and 50% in the other four cities by 2040.

The five cities have devised a document detailing eight principles, spanning infrastructure, housing, and planning to inform policy making. The group met with Minister for Housing, Planning and Urban Development Eoghan Murphy TD in November 2018 to outline what is needed to safeguard an ambitious urban future for Ireland’s city regions.

CHAMBER COMMENT “The 100m surplus recorded in the final Exchequer Returns of 2018 deserves to be commended, particularly considering that a deficit had originally been budgeted. There is still huge uncertainty in global markets for the year ahead and the Brexit deadline is ever closer with a formal deal still not agreed upon.”

Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot on the release of the Fiscal Monitor on 3 January.

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24/01/2019 09:55

CHAMBER FEATURE SKILLS AND TALENT

Workplaces of the

Future

Chambers Ireland discusses why workplace culture and treating staff well should be top priorities within every business organisation in 2019.

T

echnology is making it certain that the future workplace will be a vastly different one for most professions, but what is unlikely to change is the importance of workplace culture in employee well-being and business success.

With the most recent unemployment figures showing a rate of 5.3% in November, the labour market has truly changed since the high of 15% in 2012.

This relatively quick turnaround in employment numbers means that we are now facing a whole different set of challenges that come with a competitive labour market, and businesses have had very little time to adjust to this new reality.

It’s now very much a job-seekers market with businesses competing for and trying to hold onto talent. The ‘war for talent’ also comes at a time where the economy is faced with rapid technological changes.

These changes present opportunity but also bring challenges, as employers struggle to find the right employees with skill-sets to work in these new fields.

SKILLS GAP AND FUTURE JOBS In the recently published Eurochambres Economic Survey, 84% of entrepreneurs replied ‘yes’ when asked if it is harder today to find staff with the right skills compared to five years ago. The mismatch between

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skills supply and demand is an increasing concern for entrepreneurs.

This will impact on Europe’s economic growth in the coming years if not effectively addressed.

Further, in Ireland, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation will be launching its latest Action Plan in early 2019. Entitled ‘Future Jobs - Preparing Now for Tomorrow’s Economy’, the plan aims to ensure Ireland’s economy is well positioned to adapt and prosper in the future.

The Government has decided that we need a new economic pathway for Ireland based on increased productivity and labour market participation, innovation and skills and talent. Future Jobs will drive our development as a resilient, innovative, and globally connected economy, capable of coping with technological and other transformational changes ahead. The Future Jobs initiative will be organised around five pillars:

As part of this initiative, 2019 will see approximately 20 impactful and deliverable actions that will enhance the resilience of our economy and ensure that Ireland is well placed to exploit future economic opportunities.

• Improving the productivity of SMEs; • Increasing labour market participation; • Innovation; • Skills and talent; • Low carbon and digital economies.

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24/01/2019 09:57

CHAMBER FEATURE SKILLS AND TALENT

RETAINING STAFF Preparing employees and employers for the future economy will involve long-term, cross-departmental commitments over the next several years. However, in the short-term, what can employers do to ensure in a low unemployment market that they can retain key staff and expertise?

In short, culture is key. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on the value of workplace culture, and how it can support productivity and job satisfaction.

Creating positive workplace culture starts from the top down.

The benefits are invaluable to any business: improving teamwork, raising morale, increasing staff retention and enhancing productivity and effectiveness.

For employees, that translates into greater job satisfaction, reduced

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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stress, positive collaborations, increased learning opportunities and a loyalty to the company and its people.

A positive workplace culture could involve offering staff training opportunities, discussing their career goals with them and seeing how you can help them towards these goals. It can mean simple measures like bringing them to meetings where they will gain exposure and good experience, inviting new ideas from staff or letting them try innovative things.

Effective and proactive delegation, and the trust involved from both parties, is also an important aspect of staff development and retention.

Flexibility, both in the way things are done and the hours in which they are done, is becoming increasingly important to younger

generations. Agile or flexible working makes a business more attractive to different types of employees. Some might have caring responsibilities that make a strict 9-5 difficult to stick to every day of the week, while others might live far away from work and find commuting during rush hour a nightmare. Whatever the individual’s perspective, being approachable on these important issues in people’s lives and having the willingness to consider changes or improvements to how things have always been done is vital to a healthy work environment.

Having a clear set of company values and engaging in corporate social responsibility policies can also improve motivation and keep staff engaged. This can involve starting with small steps, such as developing an environmental policy, working with charity partners or offering staff volunteering opportunities. What is key to this is communicating with staff on the development of such policies and ensuring that they have input or even take leadership on some of them.

Another important element in any healthy work environment is collaboration and good communications. Fostering a culture which supports colleagues to work together, offer one another guidance and share ideas should be at the core of investing in culture. This might mean coffee mornings, bake days or even company away-days; what you put in, you get out. A team that communicates well will work well together.

A company’s staff are also its reputation. How they value the company and feel valued by it will speak volumes to others about the business. In today’s economy, investing in workplace culture and treating staff as valuable assets is vital.

Staff are a business’s most valuable asset and ensuring that a company can keep the best people in such a competitive labour market will be key to success in 2019 and beyond.

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24/01/2019 09:57

CHAMBER FEATURE BREXIT

Deal or

No Deal Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Chambers Ireland Emma Kerins provides an update on the latest developments with Brexit and how this affects the Irish business community.

A

t the time of writing, Prime Minister Theresa May is battling it out with her own party and indeed the wider House of Commons on the Withdrawal Agreement, as concluded by the UK Government and the European Union (EU).

Most recently, the decision to hold a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement on 11th December was reversed in order to avoid a significant defeat for the Prime Minister and the Government.

The reaction by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the aftermath of the events in Westminster has been to call on Irish firms to start implementing contingency plans for a hard Brexit.

The result of the ongoing volatility of recent weeks is that businesses, three months ahead of the UK’s departure, are still none the wiser on what exactly will happen next and how these events will impact their company and the wider economy.

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HOW DID WE GET HERE?

After 524 days of negotiations, Theresa May and the EU’s other 27 heads of state and government agreed a deal, that would then be put to UK and European parliaments for ratification ahead of Britain’s withdrawal on 29 March 2019.

As part of this this deal, there is a 585-page Withdrawal Agreement, which will form the basis of a legally binding treaty, and a 26-page political declaration on the future relationship.

The second document does not have legal force, but it politically binds both sides to some basic parameters in future talks.

The three main issues dealt with in the Withdrawal Agreement are citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and Ireland, which has predominantly focused on how to avoid a physical or ‘hard’ border on the island of Ireland between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The result of the ongoing volatility of recent weeks is that businesses, three months ahead of the UK’s departure, are still none the wiser on what exactly will happen next and how these events will impact their company and the wider economy.

The solution to this issue has been to put in place an insurance policy, or ‘backstop’, which takes effect if future trade talks fail to avoid a hard border on the island. This would then result in the whole of the UK having to remain in the EU Customs Union, while Northern Ireland would also be obliged to follow single market rules.

It has been this issue that has created the most controversy and following the agreement, involved several cabinet resignations, and at the time of writing, growing opposition within the House of Commons.

Meanwhile a case taken by a group of Scottish ‘remainers’ – a cross-party group of MSPs, MPs and MEPs – on whether the UK could unilaterally withdraw Article 50 and effectively stop, or at least pause, Brexit, made its way to the European Court of Justice, where judges ruled in December that the UK could withdraw Article 50.

Amidst ongoing calls for a second referendum or ‘People’s Vote’, this has presented a third option to the UK Government as to its next move, outside of pursuing Brexit via an unpopular Withdrawal Agreement (or at least unpopular within the UK), or crashing out of the EU without a deal.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS This confusion and volatility leaves the business community across

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 09:58

CHAMBER FEATURE BREXIT

the EU and the UK in a very undesirable position. Given the overwhelming opposition in the UK to the Withdrawal Agreement, it is difficult, although not impossible, to see how it will pass the House of Commons before the end of January.

This leaves two scenarios open: either the UK crashes out of the EU, resulting in the hardest possible Brexit and a return to World Trade Organisation rules or the UK exercises it’s right to withdraw Article 50. In the event of the latter, it is quite probable that a general election or a second referendum (or both) would follow, giving a fresh mandate to a new government.

The above, of course, is speculation. The business community and indeed business representative organisations such as Chambers Ireland prefer to deal in certainty rather than speculation so that appropriate measures can be taken to plan and organise their commercial arrangements.

STAYING IN TOUCH In the absence of certainty however, Chambers Ireland has been working hard to keep our member Chambers briefed on developments.

This involves articulating the difficulties associated with a hard Brexit to key stakeholders

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As well as engaging with stakeholders’ forums in Ireland, Chambers Ireland has been meeting key stakeholders and politicians in the UK, through both the Euorchambres Brexit Working Group and with the Northern European Coastal Chamber Alliance, which includes the British Chamber of Commerce.

and communicating the kind of information that businesses will require to plan for the UK’s departure – whether that be in an orderly fashion as set out in the draft Withdrawal Agreement or via a hard Brexit.

As well as engaging with stakeholders’ forums in Ireland, Chambers Ireland has been meeting key stakeholders and politicians in the UK, through both the Euorchambres Brexit Working Group and with the Northern European Coastal Chamber Alliance, which includes the British Chamber of Commerce.

These engagements, which have included meetings with Dominic Raab, the Brexit Secretary at the time of meeting, have been aimed at creating dialogue between business stakeholders and UK decisionmakers with a view to emphasising the importance of trade between the EU and the UK and the necessity of an orderly exit from the EU. Through these meetings,

Chambers have been coming together to discuss progress in the negotiations, the proposed transition period, and Brexit preparedness. Chambers have urged negotiators to avoid any disruption to customs procedures that could risk damaging supply chains and cause queues at border check points.

Minimising disruption will be critical if we are to maintain the kind of frictionless trade that businesses on both sides currently enjoy as a result of the Customs Union. In a series of December meetings, the Eurochambres Brexit Working Group delegation to London of 10 and 11 December met the Chair of the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee Hilary Benn, Stephen Kinnock MP, Vicky Ford MP and Lord Andrew Lansley, UK business representatives, as well as officials from the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

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24/01/2019 09:59

CHAMBER FEATURE EU COMMISSION WORK PROGRAMME

Working for

Europe

Gabriel Doran, Communications & Public Affairs Executive, Chambers Ireland, provides an overview of the EU Commission’s Work Programme for 2019, which incorporates plans in relation to the Digital Single Market and trade agreements, amongst other things.

O

ver the past two years since the UK’s referendum on its membership of the European Union (EU) resulted in a vote to leave the bloc, the European Commission, and the wider EU project, has been subject to greater public and media scrutiny.

While Brexit may be dominating headlines in Ireland and the UK, the Irish business community has also been paying much closer attention to what is happening in Brussels. Without the UK as a member, we lose an ally on many issues and will need to pay much closer attention to what happens in Brussels and beyond.

Towards the end of each year, the Commission launches its Work Programme, an annual policy plan of what will come from the Commission in the year ahead.

President Jean-Claude Juncker’s European Commission originally began its mandate in November 2014 with ten priorities, including boosting jobs and growth and developing the Digital Single Market. For 2019, and ahead of the upcoming European elections, much of what the Commission will be focussing on will be around fulfilling these ten priorities. Several of these are crucial for businesses and stimulating economic growth.

Firstly, ensuring there’s agreement

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behind the next Multiannual Financial Framework, essentially the EU’s budget, from all member countries, is high on the Commission’s agenda. So too is that businesses across Europe are supported to ensure growth. This is why the Investment Plan for Europe, a match-funding investment plan for businesses also known as the “Juncker Plan”, has been developed to allow an extra 500bn worth of investment by the end of 2020. It has already generated 344bn of additional investment since its launch in 2014.

Strengthening the EU Single Market for businesses and consumers alike is another of the ten priorities.

The Commission aims to bolster this in 2019 as part of its Work Programme through enhanced consumer legislation to give consumers greater ability to complain to businesses across borders over issues with products or services. It is also establishing a European Labour

Authority to create a better work-life balance and more transparent working conditions for everyone.

ALL THINGS DIGITAL The much-talked about “digital tax” was also part of the Commission’s Work Programme for 2019, which would have involved a 3% tax of total revenues of tech giants operating within Europe. US companies such as Google and Apple are among the main companies which would have been affected under this tax. However, this Franco-German-led, wide-ranging tax proposal has been reduced to a 3% tax on internet companies’ advertising sales only, following stiff opposition from Ireland, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

On the topic of digital, the Digital Single Market’s development is another one of the key priorities for 2019. The Commission has already succeeded in implementing big reforms and new

The Commission has already succeeded in implementing big reforms and new ideas for Europe’s Digital Market. Notable examples include the ending of mobile phone roaming charges across the EU and ending ‘geo-blocking’ so that citizens across the EU can stream TV shows, music and films and more from any EU country.”

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24/01/2019 09:59

CHAMBER FEATURE EU COMMISSION WORK PROGRAMME

ideas for Europe’s Digital Market.

Notable examples include the ending of mobile phone roaming charges across the EU and ending ‘geoblocking’ so that citizens across the EU can stream TV shows, music and films and more from any EU country.

Cybersecurity is big on the agenda for the Digital Single Market for 2019.

Proposals are in place to establish the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre alongside the Network of National Coordination Centres to help the development of cybersecurity measures across the EU with the support of each member country.

TRADE AND THE FUTURE Another key priority is global trade; the EU has trade agreements with 69 countries around the world which make up 40% of total global GDP. In the past few years, the EU has been successful in reaching important stages of key trade agreements which will benefit European businesses including the provisional application

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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of the CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) deal with Canada, as well as the approval of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement by EU member countries this year.

In 2019, the Commission aims to implement the trade agreements in place with Singapore and Vietnam, to finalise the negotiations for a trade agreement with Mexico and to progress further negotiations with Chile and the ‘Mercosur’ bloc of South America.

In addition to concluding the 10 priorities of this Commission’s mandate, the 2019 Work Programme points to the future for the EU. It will be a pivotal year involving both the next European Parliament elections in May and the official departure of the UK from the EU in March. In terms of future planning, the Work Programme is proposing measures to strengthen the international role

of the euro as a global currency and allow more efficient decisionmaking from the EU in the areas of taxation and social policies. It will also take further steps to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change from 2016.

In addition to the UK’s departure from the EU, the Commission is aiming to resolve the crucial details that its departure will bring, such as clarifying the visa status of UK nationals within the EU after the UK officially leaves. This is just one area which the Commission will be working on under the ‘BrexitPreparedness’ legislative proposals.

With the European Elections due to take place 23-26 May, 2019, the Sibiu Summit in Romania on 9th May, 2019 will be the key date of delivery for this Commission’s last Work Programme.

It will aim to showcase its achievements and what commitments it has reached over the past five years, in the areas of growth across the bloc and true democratic change.

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24/01/2019 10:00

CHAMBER Q&A AIDAN DOYLE

Life in the

Fast Lane

InBUSINESS caught up with Aidan Doyle, CEO of Sligo Chamber, to hear about job creation and continuing advancement in the region.

Q: You have been head

Q: What are the burning

of Sligo Chamber since February 2017. How is Chamber life?

issues currently facing businesses in Sligo?

A: Chamber life has been busy, exciting, challenging and fulfilling. As the voice of the business community we are committed to building a stronger region for Sligo and the North West through attracting new investment and recruitment in the region.

We launched our ‘Life is Sligo’ mini film in November and ran a major Christmas social media campaign around the film highlighting Sligo and the region as a place to invest, work and live.

Aidan Doyle, CEO, Sligo Chamber

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A: Upgrading road infrastructure (the N4 and N17) connectivity in the region is the priority catalyst in attracting new business and talent whilst sustaining and growing businesses which are currently located here. This is essential for connecting the North West with Ireland West International Airport in Knock, Co Mayo, which is only 40 minutes from Sligo.

Q: For any business considering locating in Sligo, what would you say the city and county have to offer?

A: Sligo is a designated growth centre under Ireland 2040. It enjoys a perfect setting in a natural amphitheatre created by the mountains of Ben Bulben and Knocknarea and the Atlantic Ocean.

With a population of 250,000 people within a 65km radius, it is seen as a wonderful alternative

to city locations offering attractive educational, work, lifestyle and family opportunities. Examples of this can be viewed on Sligo Chamber’s ‘Life is Sligo’ social media campaign.

Q: What is the most valuable advice you have been given?

A: “Think big and be brave”. Progress comes from teamwork – Sligo’s business community and agencies are working together, thinking big and being brave.

Q: Can you comment on key developments in the county last year?

A: The creation of over 1,200 new jobs was announced for Sligo in 2018. This was achieved through engagement and collaboration by all the stakeholders in the region. Retail solutions company E3 Retail it is to establish a software development and sales centre in Sligo creating over 40 jobs. This new development forms part of E3 Retail’s expanding global technology team, product offerings and consulting services into Europe. Meanwhile,

Ireland’s largest homegrown business process outsourcing provider Abtran is hiring 350 people in Sligo. This forms part of a regional expansion strategy by Abtran in Ireland where the North West region has been selected for the location of a major new operations hub in a hightech facility at Finisklin Business Park.

Q: Are there any upand-coming Sligo-based companies to watch out for in the near future?

A: Industrial automation equipment and control systems company SL Controls, global e-commerce company Overstock (which is creating 100 R&D jobs), and global software company LiveTiles are particularly promising companies based in Sligo.

Q: What will be the key objectives of the Chamber in 2019?

A: We will continue to work with member companies and agencies to build on this momentum to make Sligo a better place to live and an increasingly attractive career destination.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:01

CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE WATERFORD CRYSTAL

For the

dogs Love of

The House of Waterford Crystal has launched the next instalment of its ever-popular Short Stories collection, the Irish Dogs Barware Collection.

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ocussed on Ireland’s most popular native breeds such as the Irish Wolfhound, Kerry Beagle and Irish Terrier, the Irish Dogs Barware Collection is inspired by the loyal companion and the nation’s passion for dogs. The eclectic range depicts the best of Irish dogs and their heritage, taking inspiration from David Blake Knox’s book The Curious History of Irish Dogs.

Each of the new designs draws on the unique features of these popular Irish dogs – from decanters inspired by the height and size of each dog, to the carefully cut crystal base pattern which replicates a dog’s claw. The hand-sculpted crystal dog head stoppers depict the undeniable likeness of the Irish Wolfhound (in a frosted design), Kerry Beagle (in clear) and Irish Terrier (in black).

This carefully curated barware collection combines timeless design with a modern feel.

Accompanying the statement decanters, each range features matching ice buckets, martini mixer glasses, complete with stirrer and strainer, and sets of tumblers and hiballs – all centred around each of the individual breeds.

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Waterford Crystal’s Irish Dogs Barware Collection would make for a stunning addition to any Waterford Crystal collection and the perfect gift for dog lovers, sure to be cherished for a lifetime.

TAKE A TOUR Why not visit the factory located in the centre of Waterford City in Ireland’s Ancient East and take the opportunity to witness the manufacture of these and many other Waterford Crystal products? The guided factory tour, which welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year, is a unique and captivating experience that enthrals visitors of all ages, both national and international.

The tour – which takes approximately one hour – allows visitors to understand each stage of production. They get to see how Waterford Crystal pieces are crafted from initial design right up to the final engraving of the piece. Every year the House of Waterford Crystal melts more than 750 tonnes of crystal, using traditional and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.

On completion of the tour, visitors can experience over 12,000 sq ft of crystal heaven in the largest retail and brand showcase of Waterford Crystal in the world.

For further details on the tours available all year round visit www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com or call 051 317000.

The Irish Dogs Barware Collection

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE EIRGRID GROUP

powerful message Chambers Ireland speaks to Mark Foley, Chief Executive of EirGrid Group, about decarbonisation, protecting Ireland’s energy security and supporting a growing economy.

E

very since he took the helm in June 2018, EirGrid Chief Executive Mark Foley has been clear on one thing: EirGrid’s role in Ireland goes well beyond simply “keeping the lights on”.

From its control centre in Dublin, the transmission system operator ensures that power flows where and when it’s needed. It brings electricity from energy generators, such as power stations and wind farms, transporting it to cities, towns and villages throughout the country.

EirGrid is also responsible for planning for the future of the grid, while ESB Networks is responsible for maintenance, repairs and construction of the grid.

“While our core responsibility is making sure there is a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity across Ireland – something that we will always do – I’ve been very clear from the start that we must look at our role in a much broader sense,” says Foley.

It has been a record breaking 12 months for EirGrid. In April 2018, it successfully managed 65% variable renewable energy on the grid at one time – predominantly made up of wind power and solar.

“Facilitating that level of renewables on the network hasn’t been accomplished anywhere else in the world; we are the first to do it. That’s a massive achievement,

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especially when you consider that the transmission system was originally designed to handle conventional generation such as coal, gas and oil,” notes Foley. “But this didn’t happen by accident; EirGrid has some of the brightest minds in engineering. We’re very proud that through hard work and innovation we are setting global standards that everyone else in the industry is aiming to replicate.”

And EirGrid doesn’t want to stop there, Foley adds. “We’re at 65% now,

and we fully expect to reach 75% by 2020. This won’t be without its challenges, but it’s something I know we can achieve.”

CENTRAL ROLE Foley not only believes that developing a low-carbon economy in Ireland is vital, but he’s determined that EirGrid will be at the heart of the evolution.

“Decarbonisation is our responsibility. It is our generation’s issue to solve. But to do this we must show innovation and leadership. We have some extraordinary capabilities within the organisation, and it’s our responsibility to be courageous and set the pathway; we know it will mean

Mark Foley, Chief Executive of EirGrid Group with EU Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič

While our core responsibility is making sure there is a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity across Ireland – something that we will always do – I’ve been very clear from the start that we must look at our role in a much broader sense.

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE EIRGRID GROUP

taking risks – but doing nothing is not an alternative.”

Sitting alongside decarbonisation as the key focus under Foley’s leadership is the role the company plays in supporting economic growth.

“We can’t fulfill our economic potential without a strong grid. It really is that simple. A secure and affordable provision of energy at the lowest possible cost is vital for every business in the country and we absolutely support and understand the needs of Ireland’s business industry,” he says. “Increasingly, businesses also want to know that their electricity is being generated from renewable sources, which plays into our decarbonisation piece.”

When it comes to the challenges of creating a low-carbon economy, Foley says delivering strategic infrastructure projects is crucial. The North South Interconnector project now has planning permission in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, however legal challenges from objectors and the absence of the Stormont Executive in Northern Ireland have led to delay.

“The Interconnector is the most important infrastructure proposal on the island today,” says Foley.

“While there have been frustrations, we’ve made significant progress on the project over the past 18 months.

Critically, the project will make it possible to use more renewable energy on the network, which will reduce our production of greenhouse gases and our reliance on imported fossil fuels.”

Foley adds that the business community in Ireland has been vocal in its support for the interconnector.

“EirGrid really appreciates that support, particularly from Chambers Ireland and the other key business bodies,” he says.

EirGrid’s proposed IrelandFrance electricity link, the Celtic Interconnector, will also help to facilitate Ireland’s transition to a low carbon energy future. “The Celtic Interconnector will facilitate

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Mark Foley, Chief Executive of EirGrid Group with EU Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič and and Gary Nolan, Project Manager, Celtic Interconnector

exports from Ireland to the European energy network during periods of high generation from renewable energy,” Foley explains. “This will help to ensure that the benefits from investment in renewable energy are maximised. EU Commission VicePresident for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič visited the EirGrid offices recently and he expressed his support for this very important project.”

GROWING DEMAND Throughout our discussion, Foley emphasised the increasingly delicate balancing act EirGrid has to manage to ensure that inward investment does not place too much pressure on our existing electricity infrastructure.

“The fact is there is a growing demand for electricity, especially in the east of the country,” he says. “The main reasons for this are increased economic activity and the planned connection of new data centres. Our job is to ensure that the country’s electricity system is able to handle increasing amounts of energy consumption, and by doing so ensure that Ireland continues to be seen as an attractive place for indigenous and foreign companies to invest.”

To this end EirGrid recently launched a new project – CP966

– which will strengthen the grid between two key energy nodes in the east of the country, Dunnstown in Co Kildare and Woodland in Co Meath. Ultimately, the project will help to meet the growing demand for electricity in the East.

“This is an ongoing piece of work,” Foley stresses. “Data centres consume a lot of power and can require the same amount of energy as a large town. Indeed, our own analysis shows that data centres could account for approximately one quarter of all electricity demand in Ireland by 2027.

Therefore, the strengthening of the grid is something that will be a key focus for us for some time to come.”

Under his leadership, Foley says EirGrid will continue to do everything it can to create the right conditions for economic growth, by delivering cheaper, low carbon electricity for Ireland.

“While we have achieved a lot, there’s still more to do. We’re passionate about the important role we play and how it affects people’s everyday lives. Looking ahead, we want to continue to innovate and evolve to deliver secure, cost efficient, clean electricity to homes, farms and businesses across Ireland.”

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE EMBASSY OF BRAZIL

Drive for

Innovation Investment in innovation and research and development has been ramping up in Brazil and the life sciences industry is particularly promising.

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n an increasingly competitive and globalised world, innovation is a key factor for the success of businesses and for the development of any country. Brazil has been carrying out important actions to improve the national innovation environment, and, as a result of those initiatives, important global Research, Development & Innovation Centres have already been established in the country.

According to fDi Markets, Brazil was the ninth-largest destination for foreign research and development projects between 2013-2017, with over US$2.5bn invested and over 14,400 jobs created.

In an effort to attract private investment to the sector, in early 2018, the Brazilian Government issued the Legal Landmark for Science, Technology and Innovation.

This seeks to facilitate the internationalisation of technological institutions and to increase interaction between universities and companies by reducing bureaucracy.

The Brazilian Government is currently one of the biggest sponsors of innovation in the country, primarily through the Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (FINEP). There are also bills under consideration by the Brazilian Congress which foresee tax exemptions for individuals and companies that donate money to basic scientific research projects, which may encourage deeper

participation of the private sector.

Launched in 2013, FINEP’s US$10.5bn ‘Programa Inova’ (Innovate Programme) seeks to promote innovation in research institutions and companies operating in the defence, agriculture, energy, health, sustainability and telecoms industries. It involves using a variety of market instruments, including credit, economic subsidies and grants, as well as direct investments.

In order to continue expanding Brazil’s scientific capabilities, the country is also investing in third-level education, primarily by way of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), one of the federal agencies that provides scholarships to students in Brazil and abroad.

In 2015, almost 79,000 scholarships were given to students, from bachelor through PhD levels in all areas of study. Between 2011 and 2016, around 4,000 scholarships were allocated to Ireland. In 2016, to expand its reach, the agency’s budget was increased from US$440m to US$602m, according to most recent data.

There have been a number of Brazil-Ireland research collaborations in recent years. In April 2018, the second Brazil Ireland Research Event took place in Rio de Janeiro to discuss and advance the research agenda between the two countries.

HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES Brazil presents many opportunities for foreign companies looking to

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE EMBASSY OF BRAZIL

diversify investments in life sciences, with a market that offers both scale and, in all likelihood, robust growth rates over the medium and long term. The fundamentals driving the market in the life sciences sector include the size of Brazil’s population and consumer market, growing healthcare expenditures in both public and private services and the gradual shift to an aging population.

Brazil is one of the world’s largest economies, with the fifth-largest population (over 208 million people) globally. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) estimates that about onethird of Brazil’s population is under

There have been a number of BrazilIreland research collaborations in recent years.

In April 2018 the second Brazil Ireland Research Event took place in Rio de Janeiro to discuss and advance the research agenda between the two countries.

the age of 20, while the average life expectancy is 76 years. By 2030, people over 65 years of age will account for 13.4% of the population, compared to 7.9% in 2015, with life expectancy projected to be 80/85 years old.

Healthcare expenditure accounted for 9.5% of Brazil’s GDP in 2015.

Spending in this sector has grown by over 50% from 2006, reaching US$166.8bn. This makes Brazil the ninth-largest healthcare market in the world. Furthermore, from 2016 to 2025, 21% growth (in real terms) is expected, which would make Brazil the fifth-largest market, overtaking France and the UK, according to Business Monitor International.

The country has both public and private healthcare systems.

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The public universal system SUS (Unified Healthcare System) accounts for almost half of total healthcare spending and treats over 70% of the population. Brazil is the only country with a population of more than 100 million people that provides universal and free healthcare. The demands of operating a universal healthcare system in the world’s fifth-largest country by population are immense.

A further market driver is the expansion of the middle class, which grew by more than 30 million people over the past decade. This movement led to an impressive increase in the private healthcare market, a system that helps to meet the demands that cannot be covered by the SUS alone. The number of private health insurance beneficiaries is 20% higher today than it was ten years ago.

Almost 50 million Brazilians have private health insurance, a quarter of the total population, making it one of the largest private healthcare systems in the world.

INNOVATION AND GROWTH Future growth in the life sciences sector will stem from businesses that can bring new innovative products to the market, including by means of transfer of technology not currently present in Brazil.

Industry leaders, including 3M, Baxter, Becton Dickinson, Dentsply Sirona, Fresenius, GE Healthcare, Geratherm, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Roche, Medtronic and Siemens Healthcare already operate in the country, as well as GSK, Bayer, MSD, Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis and Novo Nordisk.

Furthermore, since 2015 foreign capital has been allowed to invest in enterprises related to healthcare services in Brazil, including controlling and holding direct and indirect equity interests in hospitals and clinics.

Brazil ranks as the eighth-largest pharmaceutical market in the

The Brazilian Government has recently created the ‘Innovation Room’ with a view to coordinating actions to fast-track the launch of RD&I Centres and foster major projects in Brazil. It provides information on standards, public instruments and policies, and incentives for investment and development in the country.

Contact the ‘Innovation Room’ at innovate@apexbrasil.com.br

world, and is poised to become the fifth-largest by 2021, according to the Interfarma pharmaceutical association. Market revenue for pharmaceutical companies grew 13% in 2017, to a total of US$24.5bn, with some 60% of this coming from retail. Brazil is also a leading market for the production and consumption of generic drugs, which have price discounts of up to 65% compared to brand-name drugs.

About 94% of Brazilian medical products and equipment are manufactured in the south and southeast regions, which are the country’s main manufacturing centres; new arrivals would benefit from existing supply chains.

Furthermore, several industrial clusters have developed around important public and private universities and research and development centres, such as CIETEC (São Paulo), BioRio (Rio de Janeiro), BioMinas (Minas Gerais) and FIPASE (Ribeirão Preto, SP).

Cutting-edge laboratories, business incubators, high-tech production units and ties with universities combine to create an attractive ecosystem for medical equipment investments in these regions.

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CHAMBER PARTNER PROFILE AN POST

One

world

Garrett Bridgeman, Magaging Director, Mails and Parcels, An Post, reflects on progress and developments in 2018 as the organisation moves forward.

Q: How is An Post evolving as a logistics and delivery company?

A: Strategically, parcels are a core revenue growth driver for the An Post.

When it comes to logistics, An Post is the expert in the Irish market; we know people and place best.

Right now we are evolving to support the changing nature of business in Ireland. The rapid growth globally of online shopping

presents us with a great opportunity to adapt and grow our business. We are transforming our business to become a valued business partner both in Ireland and internationally.

Q: How did Christmas go in terms of parcels and stamps?

A: On the parcel front, we have observed that volumes have been increasing of late, but such a large increase was

to another

unprecedented – parcels were up 50% on 2018 alone. In fact, it was An Post’s busiest Christmas ever in terms of parcel volumes. One large retailer alone sent in 22 40ft trucks in one day - we were expecting four.

Both our Irish and international online retail customers noted a significant increase last year, which of course is great for business.

On the mail side, our Christmas stamp products including booklets and value-added products saw volume increases.

Interestingly enough, we also saw growth in international stamps, suggesting more cards were sent abroad this year. I attribute a lot of the success to changes made to our Christmas product set and our new Christmas campaign.

Q: How was 2018 generally in the context of global trends in declining mail volumes?

Garrett Bridgeman, Magaging Director, Mails and Parcels, An Post

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A: There is no doubt that mail volumes are declining globally. On the mail side we had a good year in revenue terms and this was mainly driven by new

product development and our pricing strategy.

We fared well in volume terms too.

Q: Where would you say the pockets of growth are?

A: I already mentioned the growth in online shopping, this is central to our growth plans. Another area is our direct mail or Mail Media business.

Direct mail is a powerful marketing tool at driving loyalty. Our media client list is made up of most of Ireland’s most successful companies including utility providers and grocery retailers. It’s the ability of Mail Media to unlock consumer demand which is driving growth.

Q: Finally, what’s next for Parcels?

A: We are at a very exciting time in our business. In 2018 we built a strong foundation for growth.

In 2019 we are investing in technology in order to add value to our customer offering. Whether it’s tracking, easy returns, or in-flight delivery options, we are working hard to continue to help our customers to grow.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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Book your seats REALITYISANILLUSION Join the party on Friday 15th February at The Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road.

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24/01/2019 23/01/2019 11:26 16:26

EXCELLENCE ON THE GROUND

Clare County Council scooped the top accolade at the 2018 Excellence in Local Government Awards.

Clare County Council was named Local Authority of the Year at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards, which took place on 22nd November 2018. The 15th annual awards ceremony was held in association with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and showcases and celebrates the best of local government in Ireland.

Commenting on the awards, Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland said: “Once again this year’s awards have proved to be a timely reminder of the tremendous work being done by local authorities, as well as what these authorities contribute to their respective communities and how essential their role is across many different facets of Irish society today.

“It is an honour for Chambers Ireland to host the Excellence in Local Government Awards and shine a spotlight on the work and ambition which takes place at local government level across Ireland. The highest of congratulations are due to Local Authority of the Year, Clare County Council, the 16 category winners, the many shortlisted organisations but also, just as importantly, the people who made all these projects and activities happen.”

THE WINNERS Supporting Active Communities Award Sponsored by Lidl Fingal County Council – Fingal Kaleidoscope Intergenerational Project (Seniors & Four Year Olds)

Sustaining the Arts Award Sponsored by House of Waterford Crystal Longford County Council Longford Schools Photography Programme

Best Practice in Citizen Engagement Award Sponsored by ESB Networks Clare County Council – Community Mobilisation Unit: Rural & Community Development Officer

Joint Local Authority Initiative Award Sponsored by Zurich Monaghan County Council www.repairmystuff.ie, Ireland’s Leading Online Repair Directory

Health & Wellbeing Award Sponsored by Healthy Ireland Cavan County Council – Cavan Rainbow Youth: An LGBT Youth Support Service in County Cavan Supporting Tourism Award Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland Waterford City & County Council King of the Vikings - the World’s First Viking Virtual Reality Adventure Promoting Economic Development Award Sponsored by EirGrid Galway County Council Galway & West of Ireland, European Region of Gastronomy Local Authority Innovation Award Sponsored by TEKEnable Cork City Council Bishopsgrove Supported Student Accommodation

(l-r): Diarmuid McMahon, President of Ennis Chamber; Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland; Cllr Michael Begley, Mayor of Clare County Council; Siobhan Kinsella, President of Chambers Ireland; John Paul Phelan, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform; and Pat Dowling, Clare County Council’s Chief Executive.

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Sustainable Environment Award Sponsored by ERP Clare County Council The Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark Best Library Service Award Sponsored by Shell Kildare County Council - Athy Community Library

Festival of the Year Award Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland Cork County Council - Youghal Medieval Festival Outstanding Initiative through the Municipal Districts Award Sponsored by LGiU Clare County Council Friars Walk Coach Park Ennis Coach Friendly Destination Enhancing the Urban Environment Award Sponsored by Ervia Kildare County Council - Maynooth Harbour - A Cycling Network Intersection Project Heritage & Built Environment Award Sponsored by AIB Limerick City and County Council - Lord Edward Street Housing Development, Limerick City Disability Services Provision Award Sponsored by EirGrid Monaghan County Council Everybody Plays - Inclusive Playground Policy Commemorations & Centenaries Award Sponsored by An Post Meath County Council Francis Ledwidge Centenary

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:08

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS 2018

SUPPORTING BEST PRACTICE ACTIVE IN CITIZEN COMMUNITIES ENGAGEMENT: FINGAL COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, JP Scally, Managing Director, Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Fingal County Council.

BEST PRACTICE IN CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AWARD CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Paddy Hayes, Managing Director, ESB Networks and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Clare County Council.

HEALTH & BEST PRACTICE WELLBEING IN CITIZEN AWARD CAVAN COUNTY ENGAGEMENT: COUNCIL WATERFORD COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Greg Straton, Assistant Principal Officer, Healthy Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Cavan County Council.

SUPPORTING TOURISM AWARD WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY COUNCIL

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Aileen Dowling, Officer – Ireland’s Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Waterford City & County Council.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS 2018

PROMOTING BEST PRACTICE ECONOMIC IN CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT ENGAGEMENT:AWARD GALWAY COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Pรกdraig Slyne, External Affairs, EriGrid and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Galway County Council.

LOCAL AUTHORITY INNOVATION AWARD CORK CITY COUNCIL

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Peter Rose, Co-Founder and Technical Director, TEKenable and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Cork City Council.

BEST PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE IN CITIZEN ENVIRONMENT ENGAGEMENT:AWARD CLARE COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Martin Tobin, CEO European Recycling Platform and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Clare County Council.

BEST LIBRARY SERVICE AWARD KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Kildare County Council.

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InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:10

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS 2018

BEST PRACTICE SUSTAINING THE IN CITIZEN ARTS AWARD ENGAGEMENT: LONGFORD COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, David McCoy, Sales & Marketing Director, House of Waterford Crystal and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Longford County Council.

JOINT LOCAL AUTHORITY INITIATIVE AWARD MONAGHAN COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Monaghan County Council.

BEST PRACTICE FESTIVAL OF IN CITIZEN THE YEAR AWARD ENGAGEMENT: CORK COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Aileen Dowling, Fรกilte Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Cork County Council.

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Andy Johnston, Director LGiU Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Clare County Council.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS 2018

ENHANCING BEST PRACTICE THE URBAN IN CITIZEN ENVIRONMENT ENGAGEMENT:AWARD KILDARE COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Katherine Walshe, Irish Water, Susan Moss, Ervia and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Kildare County Council.

HERITAGE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT AWARD LIMERICK CITY & COUNTY COUNCIL Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Margaret Brennan, AIB and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Limerick City & County Council.

DISABILITY BEST PRACTICE SERVICES IN CITIZEN PROVISION AWARD ENGAGEMENT: MONAGHAN COUNTY WATERFORD COUNCILCOUNCIL COUNTY Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland, Pรกdraig Slyne, External Affairs, EirGrid and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Monaghan County Council.

COMMEMORATIONS AND CENTENARIES AWARD MEATH COUNTY COUNCIL

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland and John Paul Phelan TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform pictured with representatives from Meath County Council.

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InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:11

InBUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

THE WINNERS This year’s InBUSINESS Recognition Awards once again honoured exceptional achievement in Irish business.

I

rish companies and individuals were honoured at the InBUSINESS Recognition Awards on December 4th 2018 at the Westin Dublin Hotel. Now in their seventh year, the awards recognise and Alan Murphy, Eversheds Sutherland, honour exceptional Ciaran Mulligan, Blue Insurance achievement and and Catherine Moroney, AIB innovation in Irish business. The awards ceremony was hosted by Newstalk’s Business Editor Vincent Wall and comprised 20 different categories.

Among the winners was Eversheds Sutherland which was named Company of the Year. Catherine Moroney, Head of AIB Business Banking was named Businesswoman of the Year, while Ciaran Mulligan, Managing Director of Blue Insurance picked up the Businessman of the Year award.

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT Lincoln Executive Search FINANCE PROVIDER TO MICRO BUSINESSES AND START-UPS Microfinance Ireland OUTSTANDING ECONOMIC AGENCY TO IRISH BUSINESSES SBCI RETAIL EXCELLENCE LloydsPharmacy AGENCY SUPPORT TO START-UPS AND SMES Skillnet Ireland TOURISM Fáilte Ireland BUSINESS BROADBAND Virgin Media Business COUNTY COUNCIL Fingal County Council FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS ADVISORY RBK LIFE ASSURANCE AND PENSIONS Zurich Insurance Ireland E-COMMERCE PayPal FLEET CAR Renault Kadjar ACCOUNTANCY FIRM KPMG SPECIAL MERIT New Ireland Assurance FINANCIAL SERVICES GRENKE Limited ACADEMIA COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY Trinity College Dublin SEMI STATE BODY Enterprise Ireland BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR Catherine Moroney, AIB BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR Ciaran Mulligan, Blue Insurance COMPANY OF THE YEAR Eversheds Sutherland

Vincent Wall

InBUSINESS InB USINESS | Recognition Awards 2018

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InBUSINESS BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT LINCOLN EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, Shay Dalton, Managing Director, Lincoln Executive Search, Katherine O’Riordan, Events Director, Ashville Media Group

FINANCE PROVIDER TO MICRO BUSINESSES AND START-UPS MICROFINANCE IRELAND

Garrett Stokes, CEO, Microfinance Ireland

“AS A SMALL NOT-FOR-PROFIT LENDING ORGANISATION, IT IS WONDERFUL FOR OUR TEAM, BOARD AND STAKEHOLDERS TO GET SUCH A STRONG ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE WORK WE DO ACROSS IRELAND.” GARRETT STOKES, CEO OF MICROFINANCE IRELAND OUTSTANDING ECONOMIC AGENCY TO IRISH BUSINESSES SBCI

Brian Colgan, Sectoral Solution Specialist, SBCI

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, Pat Watt, Sales and Marketing Director, LloydsPharmacy, Katherine O’Riordan, Events Director Ashville Media Group

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RETAIL EXCELLENCE LLOYDS PHARMACY

InBUSINESS InB USINESS | Recognition Awards 2018

24/01/2019 10:15

InBUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

AGENCY SUPPORT TO START-UPS AND SMES SKILLNET IRELAND

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, Paul Healy, CEO of Skillnet Ireland, Katherine O’Riordan, Events Director Ashville Media Group

Ian Talbot Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, Paddy Matthews, Head of Operations Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Fáilte Ireland, Katherine O’Riordan, Events Director, Ashville Media Group

BUSINESS BROADBAND VIRGIN MEDIA BUSINESS

Aidan D’Arcy, Head of Business, Virgin Media

COUNTY COUNCIL FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

Anthony Lavin, Mayor of Fingal

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TOURISM FÁILTE IRELAND

“WE HAVE FOR MANY YEARS BEEN THE CHAMPIONS OF SMALL BUSINESS. OUR PEOPLE BRING IT TO LIFE. WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR IRISH SMALL BUSINESSES TO THRIVE IN THIS EVOLVING DIGITAL ECONOMY.” AIDAN DARCY, HEAD OF BUSINESS DIVISION, VIRGIN MEDIA BUSINESS IRELAND 61

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InBUSINESS BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS ADVISORY RBK

Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland, David Gleeson, Managing Partner, RBK, Katherine O’Riordan, Events Director, Ashville Media Group

LIFE ASSURANCE AND PENSIONS ZURICH LIFE IRELAND

“BEING RECOGNISED AS THE BEST FINANCIAL & BUSINESS ADVISORY FIRM IS A GREAT HONOUR FOR US, PARTICULARLY TO OUR TALENTED TEAM WHO WORK TO PROVIDE A FIRST-CLASS SERVICE.” DAVID GLEESON, MANAGING PARTNER, RBK

Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life and Pensions, Zurich

“WE ARE DELIGHTED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD AGAIN IN 2018.

ZURICH HAS A LONG TRADITION IN THE LIFE AND PENSIONS MARKET IN IRELAND SPANNING 40 YEARS.” JOE CREEGAN, HEAD OF CORPORATE LIFE AND PENSIONS, ZURICH

Anthony Rafferty, Director of Merchant Operations, PayPal

E-COMMERCE PAYPAL

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24/01/2019 10:17

InBUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

FLEET CAR RENAULT KADJAR

Gary Breen, Fleet Sales Manager, Renault

“IT’S A GREAT REWARD FOR RENAULT IRELAND. FOR ME, IT’S FANTASTIC TO SEE KADJAR RECOGNISED AS THE GREAT CAR IT IS, BUT I ALSO SEE THIS AS A RECOGNITION OF THE BENEFITS OF DOING BUSINESS WITH RENAULT IN IRELAND. PADDY MAGEE, COUNTRY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, RENAULT IRELAND

ACCOUNTANCY FIRM KPMG

“WE ALSO VALUE OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND THEIR MEMBERS THROUGHOUT IRELAND. IT REFLECTS THE SUCCESS OF OUR CLIENTS AND THE COMMITMENT OF OUR PEOPLE.” SHAUN MURPHY, MANAGING PARTNER, KPMG

Eoghan Quigley, Partner of KPMG

SPECIAL MERIT NEW IRELAND ASSURANCES

Maureen Breslin, Head of Customer Service and Operations, New Ireland

InBUSINESS InB USINESS | Recognition Awards 2018

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WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED AND HONOURED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD. FROM CONCEPT TO WHEN NEW IRELAND WAS FOUNDED, A NUMBER OF NOTABLE NAMES WERE INVOLVED IN THE EARLY DAYS, WITH MICHAEL COLLINS AND EAMON DE VALERA PLAYING A PART. 63

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InBUSINESS BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

FINANCIAL SERVICES GRENKE LIMITED

“WE ARE DELIGHTED AND HONOURED TO BE RECEIVING THIS AWARD. IT IS A GREAT REFECTION ON OUR TEAM’S HARD WORK AND EFFORT OVER THE PAST 14 YEARS.” JUSTIN TWIDDY, MD, GRENKE LIMITED

Justin Twiddy, Managing Director, GRENKE

“OUR ETHOS IS TO TRY AND CONNECT COMPANIES TO THE BEST SET OF RESEARCHERS POSSIBLE, BOTH IN TRINITY AND EXTERNALLY AS WELL..”

ACADEMIA COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

Chris Morash, Vice-Provost, Trinity College

SEMI STATE BODY ENTERPRISE IRELAND

“WE ARE DELIGHTED AND HONOURED TO RECEIVE THE INBUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARD FOR A SEMI STATE BODY. THIS MEANS A GREAT DEAL FOR THE AGENCY AND ALL THE STAFF BASED BOTH HERE IN IRELAND.”

Paul McKeown, CFO, Enterprise Ireland

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InBUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS 2O18

“WHAT AN HONOUR – THANK YOU! I DO BELIEVE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ‘INDIVIDUAL AWARD’. I WORK WITH A TERRIFIC TEAM OF PEOPLE, BOTH WITHIN AIB AND IN THE WIDER BUSINESS COMMUNITY.” CATHERINE MORONEY, HEAD OF AIB BUSINESS BANKING

BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR CATHERINE MORONEY, HEAD OF AIB BUSINESS BANKING

Catherine Moroney, Head of AIB Business Banking and Vincent Wall

BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR CIARAN MULLIGAN, BLUE INSURANCE

“I’M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED AND HUMBLED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD. AS YOU KNOW ONE PERSON ALONE DOESN’T MAKE A COMPANY SUCCESSFUL, SO I WILL GLADLY DEDICATE THIS AWARD TO ALL MY AMAZING TEAM IN BLUE INSURANCE.” CIARAN MULLIGAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BLUE INSURANCE

Ciaran Mulligan, Managing Director, Blue Insurance and Vincent Wall

“WE ARE DELIGHTED AND HONOURED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR AT OUR FIRM BUT TO GET EVERSHEDS THIS AWARD IS A VERY NICE SUTHERLAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE HARD WORK OF THE FIRM ON BEHALF OF CLIENTS IN 2018.”

ALAN MURPHY, MANAGING PARTNER, EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND Alan Murphy, Managing Partner of

Eversheds Sutherland and Vincent Wall

InBUSINESS InB USINESS | Recognition Awards 2018

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Virgin Territory There are many compelling reasons for flexible working, according to Nicola Murphy, Marketing Manager, Virgin Media Business. One of its clients, LeasePlan Ireland, is living proof of this in action.

F

lexible working encourages staff to find a better balance between their work and private lives, and through this balance they become happier and more productive.

Irish employers appear to be moving in this direction and our most recent Digital Insights Report supports this as it revealed 61% of Irish businesses are now enabling staff to work from home as part of their normal hours.

Most business owners welcome the trend of flexible work conditions reporting that 25% of their employees are working remotely, at an average of three days a week. In today's labour market, proper work-life balance practices are essential for employee retention. Let’s face it, having flexibility over where or when you work is important for family, school or other reasons; it’s important to research what potential employers offer, so you don’t end up interviewing with organisations that don’t offer the options you need. Work-life balance can be baked into a company's culture in any number of unique ways that fit the organisation's structure, whether you are a traditional nine-to-five, or one that operates around the clock.

At Virgin Media we believe that flexible working is smart working. Screw business as usual. If you trust your people to make their own decisions, they will reward you.

John-Trevor McVeagh, Head of SME, LeasePlan Ireland What does your average day look like?

I am responsible for the care of our existing SME clients and for bringing in new SME clients. My team is split between customer care and sales, whilst my focus is on overall strategy. No two days are the same; I try to spend as much time as possible meeting our clients and prospects, supporting and managing my team, but I can also be found running marketing campaigns, working on business projects or collaborating with colleagues in the many other countries where LeasePlan is present. We work very closely together using an agile approach, so communication is critical.

Every day begins with a team stand-up meeting, a 15-minute opportunity for team members to outline their objectives for the day and ask for any help they need. Often team members can be in different locations, so this meeting can include people on video/audio conference.

Screw business as usual 66 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Brought to you by Virgin Business

Jason Clarke

OUR PEOPLE NEED TO BE CONFIDENT THEY CAN DO THEIR JOBS FROM ANYWHERE. OUR CUSTOMERS NEED TO BE CONFIDENT THEY CAN CONTACT US AND GET THE SERVICE THEY NEED WITHOUT WONDERING WHERE WE ARE LOCATED.

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Brought to you by Virgin Business

How do you overcome perceived obstacles to working remotely, not being onsite for meetings or when someone may have ‘a quick question’?

The evolution of technology has made mobile/remote working easier and eliminated a lot of traditional barriers.

Mobile devices allow us to be always in contact by voice, email, instant messaging, video, etc. Mobile apps and websites allow instant secure access to key data and processes from anywhere.

LeasePlan has had a virtual desktop environment for many years allowing staff full access to their systems from any location, and increasingly we are leveraging cloud solutions to give extra flexibility to our people here. We have deployed video conference technology for our people to use directly from their mobile devices and also in meeting rooms at all office locations globally.

How important is defining core hours and maintaining this schedule?

It is imperative to bring structure into your working day when you work remotely as you can work too much and it can be harder to switch off. To work smart you need to establish an efficient time management system that works for you. For me, it was important to establish a routine and create a daily prioritised to-do list to ensure a structured schedule. Also it helps to create physical boundaries so you ensure your work space is exactly that.

TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO REDEFINE THE WAY BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED. PEOPLE WILL INCREASINGLY DEMAND FLEXIBLE, CONVENIENT WAYS TO DO THEIR JOBS, THEIR EXPECTATIONS DRIVEN BY IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR HOME LIVES.

What made you choose to avail of the flexible working conditions?

The main value of flexible working conditions for me is to support family commitments. We have a toddler and I need the flexibility with regards to dropping and collecting to childcare. The

If you would like to learn more about Next-Generation WAN built for the Cloud era and to discover how Managed Secure SD-WAN Connectivity Solution offers and entirely new way to manage and operate your network and connectivity infrastructure, then reserve your place today Managed SD-WAN provides critical support for cloud applications, across multi-site locations and remote workers to enable business transformation 68

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Brought to you by Virgin Business

How relevant is the quality of the infrastructure available to your choice to work remotely?

It is critical that mobile and remote systems are reliable, secure and easy to access. Ensuring this requires the company to make considered technology choices and work with trusted partners. Our people need to be confident they can do their jobs from anywhere. Our customers need to be confident they can contact us and get the service they need without wondering where we are located.

Jason Clarke

Would flexible working conditions affect your decision to stay with a company?

This is definitely a factor which is at the forefront of many employees’ minds nowadays, and it is absolutely important to me. Being able to offer flexible working is an advantage in the recruitment market when hiring.

flexibility also allowed me to spend more time with my family when Scott was born. Others in the LeasePlan organisation have long commutes to the office so take advantage of home working for certain days each week, or come to the office early to leave early.

In your opinion, what does the future of work look like?

Technology continues to redefine the way business is conducted. It’s difficult to predict the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on jobs, but it seems many of the jobs we know today will be replaced or changed and many new jobs will be created. People will increasingly demand flexible, convenient ways to do their jobs, their expectations

SPEAKING AT THE EVENT JIM HUGHES, CEO, INNOVATE & TONY HANWAY, CEO, VIRGIN MEDIA BRIAN JORDAN, CISCO UK TOM LONG, HEAD OF TECHNICAL STRATEGY, CISCO ENDA CAHILL, CTO, INNOVATE, TOM LONG, HEAD OF TECHNICAL

driven by improvements in consumer technology in their home lives. Mobile technology in particular looks set to continue enabling more remote and flexible working, with new models of collaboration and team management likely to emerge in reaction to these changing workforce demands.

What would be your advice to other businesses reluctant to offer their staff mobile or flexible working options?

Businesses need to embrace flexible working as a means to empower their people to do more while keeping their lives in balance. Managers often need encouragement to trust their people and to find new ways of working together, not to be afraid of losing control when employees aren’t physically in the office for the traditional forty-hour week.

Find out more at: www.virginmedia.ie/business

DATE: Thursday 7th March 2019 LOCATION: Virgin Media Television HD Studio, Ballymount, Dublin 24 TIME: 10.30am with lunch served at 12.30pm REGISTER: ask@innovate.ie

GARY DALY, CISCO MERAKI

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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IB PARTNER CONTENT BROOK FOODS

A Taste for Success With its keen focus on people, quality food and innovation, Brook Foods has built up a national presence as a provider of tailor-made employee restaurants.

A

request to look at Kepak’s staff restaurant in Cork to see what improvements could be made in 2007 was the starting point for Brook Foods’ journey to becoming specialists in providing bespoke workplace restaurant experiences to a diverse range of clients.

Currently employing a team of 300 people, Brook Foods manages 28 different employee restaurants across a variety of industries in addition to running a number of client events. One of its first events

was to cater for the world-famous Rose Ball in 2007 when it was held in a car park in Tralee for the first time in ten years. CEO of the Rose of Tralee Anthony O’Gara took a chance on the young and enthusiastic team and last year Brook Foods celebrated its 12th Rose Ball.

Managing Director Kieran Callinan set up the business with Liam Murphy, Tim McCarthy and Sharon O’Donoghue having worked together in the hospitality sector.

Initially focused on Cork, Brook Foods has built up a national presence. It has won numerous awards including Ireland’s Site Contract Caterer of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

“When we first entered the food services market, fancy and funky staff restaurants just weren’t a thing,” says Callinan. “Company

restaurants were simply canteens, not too dissimilar from the unimaginative offerings we had at school. We wanted to create a space that was inspiring and fun, a destination for really good quality, wholesome and edgy food.

We always maintain that our restaurants are a means for our clients to connect with their employees as well as attracting and retaining talent.”

Brook Foods sources fresh produce locally and employs and trains people local to its sites. It works with suppliers to ensure the produce is of the highest quality and to guarantee farm-to-fork traceability. In order to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, it strives to reduce the number of deliveries and strategically plans visits and supplies. The team is agile enough to work with smaller suppliers supporting the local community.

Menus in Brook Foods’ employee restaurants are carefully selected and promise to facilitate the production of neurotransmitters so that people feel relaxed, energised and satisfied after a meal.

“We have never bought bouillons or packaged ingredients. All our stock, soups and gravies are made the good old fashioned way,” says Callinan. “From the get-go, our housekeeping and passion to add flavour had us on the competitive blocks in terms of food costs.

This absolutely helped us to push through the recession too.”

TAPPING INTO TECHNOLOGY

Brook Foods board: Kieran Callinan, MD, Rose McHugh, Chairman, Liam Murphy Director, Paula Murphy, Chief Operations Officer, Tim McCarthy, Director

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IB PARTNER CONTENT BROOK FOODS

faster at controlling things such as purchasing, health and safety and ISO systems. It has created an Eat Smart platform encompassing four digital platforms – Nutritics, Loylap, Clover and Bizimply – which are purpose-built for innovation, speed and customer experience.

“The integration of all of our new technologies into the business was born out of pure frustration that our best people were stuck behind desks instead of being in front of clients and customers,” explains Callinan. “With the introduction of the likes of Bizimply and Clover, we have managed to be more efficient with our time.”

Brook Foods is slowly but surely going cashless and is working with clients to provide technology to enhance their restaurants, including menu apps with calorie, nutritional and allergen information as well as pre-order, pre-paying options to beat the queues.

“Technology helps us to retain the front-facing, fun element to the business, which will always be people-oriented – you are only as good as your last meal or customer service interaction,” notes Callinan.

Rose McHugh is Brook Foods’ Chairman with Callinan, McCarthy, Murphy and Chief Operations Officer Paula Murphy making up the board. On the senior team, Anthony Savage, Director of Operations, Greg O’Neill and Patricia Heavey manage operations while Elaine Hill is in charge of people. The culinary team – Executive Chef Greg Murphy and Culinary Training and Development Executive Ken Crowley – have both been with the company since the start.

“Our directors and our board are always accessible to our customers and clients. Because of this, we can make decisions quickly as we don’t need to go through tiers of bureaucracy to get things done,” notes Callinan.

In addition, Derval O’Rourke has come on board as Brook Foods’ health and wellbeing partner. She not only develops recipes for the InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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Tim McCarthy, Derval O’Rourke and Kieran Callinan

company, but will also visit clients and give cooking demos and corporate talks. In-house nutritionist Becca Stark keeps an eye on the nutritional status of Brook Foods’ meals.

THE PROCESS In Callinan’s view, Brook Foods’ success to date is based on hands-on management to deliver exceptional quality and standards to its clients.

When creating a bespoke restaurant from the ground up, Brook Foods works with a client’s design team, kitchen fitters and furniture fitters and aims to maximise efficiency for space.

“It all comes back to making sure the correct flows are in place to make service seamless,” says Callinan. “That is why good conversations are so important.”

For example, for a recent project, Brook Foods was given blank CAD drawings to work with and was

tasked with creating a restaurant to suit the client’s growth ambitions.

“We set up a space that was going to function for guys who wanted a quick barista coffee, possibly with a snack, but at the same time, was a place where you could have dinner or a really cool, nutritious salad,” explains Callinan. “We sat down with a forum group and questioned them on what they wanted from their restaurant, types of products, their likes and dislikes, previous experiences and so on.”

The team then produced demo dishes and menus, put it all together and developed the flow of the restaurant to bring it to life.

“Because we are in so many markets, from biopharma to tech, we are dealing with various corporate cultures. However, what they all have in common is what they want for their people,” says Callinan.

“I think we are the perfect company to provide that because of our size, flexibility, experience and resources.”

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LEINSTER • MUNSTER • CONNAUGHT • ULSTER Kells wins rising star award, Wexford IT introduces new computing course, Kilkenny receives 1.8m funding and the Heritage Council launch 2019 initiative.

Clare businesses present at Local Enterprise Showcase, Waterford City Council secures funding and community involvement encouraged in Irish Open.

Merit Medical receives Medtech Company of the Year award, Mayo, Galway and Roscommon all awarded vital funding.

06 LIMERICK LEADER

AMCS opens new HQ in Limerick creating 100 new jobs.

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Entekra opens HQ in Monaghan, Donegal secures EU vouchers for public WiFi zones and Cavan County Council receives funding for youth services.

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Local Authority of the Year

Pat Dowling, CEO of Clare County Council discusses the council’s winning initiatives.

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In Association with

LANDING SPACE Collaborative space for businesses in the North West.

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KILKENNY RECEIVES FUNDING BOOST Kilkenny has received funding from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund for two new projects. Just over 1.8m has been allocated for the development of a National Design Innovation Hub and 219,919 for the Crystal Valley Tech CLG, both in association with Carlow Institute of Technology. The hub will be developed for companies in all sectors who want to conceptualise, innovate and build new products and services, while the Crystal Valley tech cluster for the region will be supported to grow its activities.

The projects are two of 21 successful applicants representing all regions of the country which have secured 29m for their projects under the fund. The winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on a number of criteria. These included impacts and value for money, collaboration and participation, viability and sustainability, building regional strengths and significance for innovation. Initially allocated 60m for two rounds of funding, the fund will now operate on a rolling basis as part of Project Ireland 2040.

WHAT’S ON IN

LEINSTER

FEBRUARY 7TH-9TH NAAS FARM MACHINERY SHOW Naas, County Kildare

FEBRUARY 9TH STUDENT MEDICAL SUMMIT UCD, Dublin

FEBRUARY 13TH EUROPEAN FINANCIAL FORUM Dublin Castle

[ COUNTY KILKENNY ]

[ COUNTY LAOIS ]

KELLS WINS RISING STAR AWARD

HISTORIC TOWNS LAUNCHES 2019 INITIATIVE

[ COUNTY WEXFORD ]

CREATIVE COMPUTING COMES TO WEXFORD A new creative computing and digital innovation course has been introduced at the Wexford Institute of Technology (IT). The Bachelor of Science degree is aimed at the creative application of software and emerging technology in order to reinvent and innovate. The four-year course is inspired by two exciting developments in computing, ‘disruptive innovation’ and ‘digital transformation’. This new course for Wexford IT aims to produce creative computing technologists in direct response to industry demands.

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FEBRUARY 9TH-10TH THRIVE FESTIVAL The Convention Centre, Dublin

A number of towns and villages in Leinster were recognised at the 2018 Bank of Ireland National Enterprise Town Awards, which celebrates towns and villages where communities have come together to capture the essence of enterprise in their local area. Kells in Co Meath won the Rising Star award, taking home a prize of 20,000 for the work the town did with its old printing works. The prize money will be used to complete the project in 2019 to make Kells a more attractive tourist destination. The Liberties in Dublin was the runner-up for the city award and Dunleer in County Louth was one of three national category winners, receiving 10,000.

The Heritage Council has launched a new round of the Historic Town Initiative for 2019. In 2018, six towns benefited from funding including Portlaoise, County Laois.

The Historic Towns Initiative will again award 1m to a number of historic towns to support heritageled regeneration in 2019. Each local authority can put forward one application for funding under the HTI 2019 for a historic town in their functional area. Funding will be allocated on a competitive basis, in accordance with the assessment criteria outlined on www.heritagecouncil.ie InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS NEWS: MUNSTER

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AMCS TO BOLSTER EMPLOYMENT IN LIMERICK AMCS is set to create 100 jobs after opening its new global technical and support headquarters in Limerick.

The innovative technology company specialises in providing technology to the waste and recycling industry. CEO and founder, Jimmy Martin, said: “This new facility is critical for our continuing expansion and provides us with capacity to increase our Limerick team by up to 100 people over the next three years”.

AMCS partners with six of the top ten recycling and waste companies worldwide, delivering innovative solutions to their customers and its technology is the technology of choice for 1,500 customers in 23 countries across the world. Founded in 2003, AMCS now employs 450 people in ten different countries, including 110 employees based in limerick, and has an annual turnover of over 50m.

7TH FEBRUARY SPENDING TRENDS SEMINAR, Castleroy Park Hotel, Limerick City

[ COUNTY MONAGHAN ]

FEBRUARY 22ND-24TH LIMERICK LITERARY FESTIVAL 2019 The Hunt Museum, Limerick

APRIL 3RD THE SOUTH EAST BUSINESS EXPO WIT Arena, Waterford

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MUNSTER

[ COUNTY CAVAN ] [ COUNTY WATERFORD ]

COMMUNITY VITAL TO IRISH OPEN The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open isn’t due to take place until July 2019, however, the benefits the tournament will bring to the midwest were highlighted at the recent Shannon Chamber’s President’s Lunch. Competition host Paul McGinley addressed the crowd highlighting the preparations undertaken so far, and asked guests present at the lunch to become “emotionally involved” with the event.

WHAT’S ON IN

WATERFORD RECEIVES FUNDING BOOST

LOCAL ENTERPRISE SHOWCASE Three local Enterprise Office clients from County Clare were given the opportunity to present their businesses to a global audience at the ‘Local Enterprise Showcase’ held in Dublin from 20th to 23rd January 2019. This event gave small designers and crafts people the opportunity to meet over 5,000 buyers from the global market. There were 80 local enterprises present at the event, including Sallyann’s Handmade Bags, Galanta Jewellery and Airmid Natural Irish Skincare.

Waterford City and County Council is set to receive funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund with 6m allocated to the development of the North Quays and 1.35m allocated to Tramore Town Centre. This is the first round of funding to be announced with further rounds to be announced later in 2019 and a total investment of 2bn to be rolled out over the next 10 years.

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THE LANDING SPACE IDA Ireland, in partnership with Institute of Technology Sligo and Sligo County Council, has opened a new fast landing property solution at Embankment House, Sligo. The space, to be known as ‘The Landing Space’, will provide an open plan, collaborative working environment for companies who wish to quickly and easily establish operations in the North West region. It is the latest strategic initiative by IDA Ireland to increase investments in regional locations by enhancing and highlighting the specific property attributes of individual regional urban centres.

WHAT’S ON IN

CONNAUGHT

JANUARY 27TH – 29TH SUBTITLE FILM FESTIVAL, Galway

JANUARY 26TH JOB EXPO, Galway

FEBRUARY 2ND SHARON SHANNON Westport Town Hall Theatre, Co Mayo

FEBRUARY 9TH-10TH GALWAY INTERNATIONAL RALLY Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Co Galway

[ COUNTY MAYO ] [ COUNTY GALWAY ]

GALWAY MEDICAL COMPANY RECEIVES AWARD Galway-based company Merit Medical has been named as the Medtech Company of the Year 2018. The award is granted by a panel consisting of Irish business enterprise and governmental agency leaders. Merit Medical Ireland began operations in Castlerea, Co Roscommon in 1993 with 22 staff manufacturing single-use inflation and hemostasis devices. Since then it has opened its European headquarters at Parkmore in Galway City with around 1,000 employees.

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BALLINA MILITARY BARRACKS RECEIVES GOVERNMENT FUNDING Ballina’s 18th century military barracks is set to receive 3.2m government funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund 2018. The old barracks will be developed into a digital hub and innovation quarter which will provide 20 spaces for technology, digital media and internet companies to scale and grow alongside local enterprises and a distillery which will be established by SMAKS, an international private investor which will create jobs in the production of high-end rum.

[ COUNTIES MAYO, GALWAY AND ROSCOMMON ]

MAYO, GALWAY AND ROSCOMMON RECEIVE FUNDING Projects in counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon have each been allocated 500,000 under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. The funding will go towards the Lecanvey to Bertra section of the Clew Bay Cycle and Walking Trail. A new cycle corridor will be developed between Boyle town centre and Lough Key Forest Park in County Roscommon. In County Galway, the funds will go towards the Connemara Greenway Project for a walking/ cycle track along the disused railway track between Clifden and Oughterad.

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ENTEKRA OPENS NEW EUROPEAN HQ IN MONAGHAN Design, engineering and home manufacturing company Entekra has announced the creation of 100 jobs as it opens its new European headquarters in Monaghan town.

The Monaghan and California-based company provides off-site framing for both residential and commercial construction. The opening of its new facility in Monaghan allows Entekra to grow and expand its staffing levels in Ireland to cater for the overwhelming demand being generated for its products in the US market.

JANUARY 19TH - 27TH LETTERKENNY TRAD WEEK An Grianán Theatre, Donegal

JANUARY 30TH – 31ST CAVAN FARM MACHINERY SHOW Cavan Equestrian Centre, Cavan

FEBRUARY 12TH T:BUC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUM Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh

WHAT’S ON IN ULSTER

[ COUNTY DONEGAL ]

FUNDING SECURED FOR WI-FI IN DONEGAL Donegal County Council has secured four EU vouchers under the WiFi4EU initiative. The value of these vouchers will be match-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development. This will enable the creation of about 34 public Wi-Fi zones in across County Donegal.

The WIFI4EU initiative promotes access to Wi-Fi connectivity for people in public places such as parks, libraries, public buildings, health centres and museums. The initiative provided councils with the opportunity to apply for vouchers to the value of 15,000. The vouchers are to be used to install Wi-Fi equipment in public spaces within the council area that are not already equipped with a free Wi-Fi hotspot.

Brian Boyle, Head of Information Services at Donegal County Council, said: “This will contribute substantially to strengthening the economic development of our towns and villages and creating vibrant open public spaces.”

WiFi 4EU

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[ COUNTY CAVAN ]

CAVAN TO RECEIVE YOUTH FUNDING The Arts Office of Cavan County Council has secured 20,000 in network support funding from the Quality and Capacity Building Initiative (QCBI) Network Support Grants Scheme, through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The funding will assist in growing and enhancing a network of key stakeholders including teachers, Cavan Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC), Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Services, social workers and leaders. It will equip them through learning, action/research and networking to help identify needs, gather data, communicate outcomes and influence strategic policy to ensure that young people are supported through arts interventions to build resilience.

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LOCAL AUTHORITY OF THE YEAR

A TEAM EFFORT

CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL looks forward to supporting

LAHINCH GOLF CLUB in hosting the

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL

Local Authority of the Year Clare County Council was recently named Local Authority of the Year at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards. Pat Dowling, CEO of Clare County Council tells InBUSINESS what the award means to the council.

Mullaghmore, Burren

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fter a busy year, Dowling says being named Local Authority of the Year has “put wind in the sails” of Clare County Council.

“It’s the first time Clare County Council has competed well in the awards. We put a lot of effort in this year and being given the accolade of Local Authority of the Year validated our approach.”

Members of the Clare Rural Development Forum

WINNING INITIATIVES As well as being named the overall winner, Clare County Council was nominated in 11 out of 16 individual categories, winning three in total.

One such category was Best Practice in Citizen Engagement with Clare County Council taking home the award for its Community Mobilisation Unit: Rural and Community Development Officer. Earlier this year, Clare County Council established a Rural Development Directorate and appointed four Rural & Community Development Officers. “These officers are on the ground, working with local community groups to develop a self-help approach to local and rural community developments,” Dowling explains. The overall aim of the Community Mobilisation Unit initiative is to stabilise and, where possible, reverse rural decline.

The second winning initiative was the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark which topped the Sustainable Environment category. “The Burren is a very unique and special, but also very delicate landscape and we’re working hard InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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to try and protect that,” Dowling explains. The Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark programme grew out of a multi-stakeholder project established by Clare County Council in 2007 to seek a collaborative balance between conservation and tourism interests in the Burren. Through the multi-stakeholder Geopark programme the Council has made significant contributions to the sustainable environment of the Burren area with a series of initiatives in sustainable tourism, community education and heritage site management.

The third winning initiative was Friars Walk Coach Park in Ennis which was recognised as an Outstanding initiative through the Municipal Districts. The Friars Walk Coach Park was developed

by Ennis municipal district and consists of 14 spaces, on-site facilities and a bus shelter close to the town centre.

The free facility is equipped with coach washing, waste water disposal facilities, CCTV monitoring, free wifi and a drivers lounge in the nearby Temple Gate Hotel.

Representatives of Clare County Council, Ennis Chamber and local businesses pictured at Friar’s Walk Coach Park

LOOKING AHEAD Clare County Council is already looking ahead to new initiatives for 2019 with tourism taking centre stage.

“Sustainable tourism is a big area of work for us next year,” Dowling says.

“We’re trying to develop Clare as a destination for people not just to visit but to come and stay and visit more than one attraction. This is not about coaching people from Dublin to Clare for a day and back again. Dowling adds that receiving the award was a great boost for the council. “It’s given us a great impetus that we’re going the right direction and to keep the momentum up and keep being innovative.”

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24/01/2019 10:35

IB PARTNER CONTENT RSM

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SM Ireland is the 8th largest accounting firm in Ireland.

Established in 1987, it is the only first-generation accounting firm within Ireland’s top ten firms, and one of the fastest growing firms serving Irish midmarket businesses. RSM Ireland was named ‘Practice of the Year’ and ‘Large Practice of the Year’ at the 2018 Irish Accountancy Awards.

Encompassing 13 partners and over 150 employees across three offices, RSM Ireland is part of the RSM Global network - the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, in 120 countries and 800 offices. With access to more than 43,000 people

across the network, we are able to draw on this expertise to meet our client’s needs.

Our team specialises in mid-size business across a wide range of sectors. We are experts in audit, tax, management consultancy and transaction advisory.

As a business adviser, we believe in the power of being understood and put ourselves at the heart of our clients’ businesses where we can gain a deep understanding and add significant value, supporting our clients to move forward with confidence.

For more info visit our website rsmireland.ie

Supporting and empowering you every step of the way.

To make confident decisions about the future, an entrepreneurial, growing business needs an adviser who understands you and the world you are operating in.

RSM are the 8th largest firm in Ireland specialising in providing audit, tax, consulting services and transaction advice. We are part of the RSM Global network with member firms in over 120 countries.

Experience RSM

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RSM Ireland Business Advisory Limited is a member of the RSM network and trades as RSM Ireland. RSM is the trading name used by the members of the RSM network. Each member of the RSM network is an independent accounting and consulting firm which practices in its own right. The RSM network is not itself a separate legal entity in any jurisdiction. The RSM network is an administered by RSM International Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 4040598) whose registered office is at 50 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6JJ, United Kingdom. The brand and trademark RSM and other intellectual property rights used by members if the network are owned by RSM International Association, an association governed by article 60 et seq of the Civil Code of Switzerland and whose seat is in Zug © RSM International Association, 2018

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23/01/2019 10:02

23/01/2019 11:39

IB PARTNER PROFILE KPMG

Family Focus The KPMG Family Business Barometer is an annual survey of family business from across Europe including Ireland and is a valuable benchmark of the issues and concerns facing family and privately owned businesses. Based on responses from over 1500 family businesses in 26 countries, it reveals a continued confidence in the future of family businesses.

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rish family businesses have had a strong year of growth and are positioning themselves for further growth in 2019. This, combined with a relatively favourable economic environment, has helped to spur the confidence of family businesses and their optimism.

In fact, almost four in five (79%) of Irish respondents to the latest European barometer survey said they were confident or very confident about the prospects for their family business in the year ahead.

However, the Barometer also shows that in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, family and privately owned businesses face challenges on many fronts. They’re engaged in global competition to attract talent with specialised skills. An increasingly challenging regulatory environment means they can no longer depend on conducting business as usual.

Growing political uncertainty

Their streamlined decision-making processes and ability to react quickly to new trends have enabled many family businesses to not only adapt but thrive, over decades of change spanning several generations.

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combined with an unprecedented rate of change has many businesses pondering what could be just around the corner.

Despite these factors, family businesses continue to flourish.

Family business owners have traditionally kept an eye on the long term however they need to balance their instinct for long term planning with tackling the latest disruptive innovations. For many, that will mean embracing innovation and expanding into new, untapped markets. According to Ryan McCarthy, Partner with KPMG Private Enterprise in Ireland, “Family businesses are often portrayed as risk averse and reluctant to change. Yet, in reality, they are among the most adaptive companies in the world.

Their streamlined decisionmaking processes and ability to react quickly to new trends have enabled many family businesses to not only adapt but thrive, over decades of change spanning several generations.�

Innovation is front of mind for many family businesses.

Companies are being pushed to make dramatic changes to adapt to new market conditions and to compete with new business models. Family businesses are rising to the innovation challenge, actively monitoring signals of change and streamlining decision making. Looking ahead,

Ryan McCarthy, Partner, KPMG Private Enterprise

innovation is expected to remain a significant priority in 2019. In the survey, 24% of respondents across Europe listed innovation as one of their top two priorities. However, in Ireland moving into new markets (31%) and diversifying into new products (22%) were listed as the top two priorities.

In Ireland, political uncertainties were also cited as the single biggest concern (21%) by respondents, highlighting the likely negative impact of Brexit on many Irish businesses. Reflecting Brexit related concerns and a desire to move into new markets, 38% of Irish respondents increased their activities abroad in the last year.

To find out more about the European Family Business Barometer Ireland Edition see kpmg.ie InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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23/01/2019 09:38

IB PARTNER PROFILE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

The Missing Link Paul Reid, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council stresses the importance of MetroLink achieving its 2027 target, highlighting the plethora of benefits MetroLink will bring to the Fingal region as a whole.

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s we seek to leverage and build on Fingal’s key strengths in terms of our people, our communities, our built and natural heritage and our existing and planned infrastructure, a key piece in our development jigsaw is MetroLink.

The provision of a northbound metro system out of Dublin city centre is also crucial to the development of national infrastructure as it will link Dublin Airport to other rail infrastructure such as LUAS, DART and mainline rail, finally bringing it into line with other major international airports.

At present, we are waiting on Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Agency to reveal their final preferred option following a period of extensive public consultation last summer.

Their initial plan saw the original long-standing Metro North proposal being replaced by a longer route that now extends southwards from the city centre to Sandyford.

The announcement of the final preferred route has now been delayed on several occasions and within Fingal this has led to genuine fears that MetroLink will not be in place by its 2027 target. This is not acceptable given the project’s importance to North Dublin and the pressing need to link an everexpanding Dublin Airport to the

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based European and Irish offices city centre and bring it into the to Dublin Airport Central from national rail network. its Swords location. The company, It is imperative that whatever which employs over 220 people, issues there are with the route from has taken 3,600 square metres of the city centre to south Dublin, they office space in one of the two new should not be allowed to delay the headquarters style offices currently construction of the northern route. under construction at Dublin If needs be, the project should be Airport. Kellogg’s decision to stay divided into two phases - north and and expand was based on many south - with preference given to factors which concluded that Fingal the northern phase to ensure it is is the best place in Ireland to live, to completed on schedule in 2027. work, to visit and to do business.

As Ireland has emerged from The place that is set to benefit the economic crash that brought most dramatically from the roll-out development to a shuddering of MetroLink is Fingal’s county halt, Fingal has been to the fore in town, Swords, which is now the leading the recovery. In the last five second largest town in Ireland years, over four million square feet and has seen its population grow of commercial development has by over 120 per cent since the been built in the county and there 1991 census, to 39,248 in the last were 20 per cent more housing census. Throughout the route from completions than in Dublin city.

Sandyford to Swords, the bulk In terms of economic of large-scale affordable housing development, the Metro Economic will be around Swords and north Corridor is designed to stimulate of it and this population growth investment in Fingal and we have already seen companies decide to stay in the county and expand, rather than move elsewhere, having seen what is, quite literally, coming down the tracks.

Construction has commenced on MSD’s new biotech facility in Swords which is expected to create 350 new jobs while Kellogg is set to relocate its DublinPaul Reid Chief Executive Fingal County Council InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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IB PARTNER PROFILE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

As Ireland has emerged from the economic crash that brought development to a shuddering halt, Fingal has been to the fore in leading the recovery.

will provide new opportunities for commercial success in terms of customer and employment pools.

Our current 2017-2023 County Development Plan states: “A strong and vibrant county town has the potential to drive employment and economic development across the county as quality town and urban centres are key assets for investment and quality places are fundamental to people’s wellbeing.” The drivers of investment and the building blocks of strong communities are inter-related and support each other and MetroLink’s multiple stops, terminus and park and ride facility in the Swords area will stimulate these positive developments.

The population, commercial profile and built environment of Swords has grown dramatically over the past 50 years. Currently, 514 hectares of land are zoned for residential use and the development of MetroLink would have the potential to drive the population up to 100,000 by 2040. This population target is part of a long term strategic vision for Swords.

The County Development Plan states that this vision involves the creation of “a sustainable city with a commensurate level of jobs, services and infrastructure to support a potential population of 100,000”.

From 2027 Swords will be better connected to Dublin City’s InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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economic and commercial life and even more so to Dublin Airport.

It is estimated that travel times from Dublin City to the airport will be 20 minutes, which gives an idea of just how accessible Swords will become for residential, commercial and tourism purposes.

Furthermore, unlike Cherrywood in south Dublin, Swords is an already established town with a rich heritage, a thriving community and extensive plans for its sustained development including the provision of a 25 million Cultural Quarter around Swords Castle which will include a theatre, civic centre and arts spaces.

As we enter a period where there will be a greater focus on our

efforts to combat climate change, the provision of infrastructure like MetroLink will become even more important as it will encourage more people from Fingal and beyond to take public transport.

Anybody who travels by car, bus or bicycle from North Dublin into the city centre any weekday morning will be aware of the positive impact that MetroLink is going to have on commuter traffic But for that to happen within the outlined time-frames, we now need a clear commitment that the northern route is going to be prioritised because we are ready for it and we need it. And, when we get it, our future is set to shine very brightly indeed.

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IB PARTNER PROFILE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

Ready and Waiting AnnMarie Farrelly, Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure at Fingal County Council highlights and further explains the immense benefits the new transport system will bring to Fingal’s already thriving county town of Swords and surrounding areas, with plans already in place to take full advantage of the opportunities around the corner.

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ingal will be transformed by the arrival of MetroLink, which will have wideranging positive implications for the county and I am confident that this eagerly-awaited and missing piece of infrastructure will bring significant benefits to Fingal, and, in particular, Swords.

Fingal has laid the foundations with the creation of the Metro Economic Corridor which already facilitates opportunities along the route for high density, mixed use employment generating activity with a significant level of residential development.

The strategic vision for Swords, taking into account and planning for the arrival of MetroLink, is a place that will cater for future sustainable growth and will promote a thriving vibrant town with a population of around 100,000 people. The vision seeks a comparable increase in employment and services, with high density people-intensive uses in the immediate vicinity of the MetroLink. This will see Swords emerge as a highly accessible, attractive location to live, work and do business.

Recently announced funding for the Sustainable Swords project will consolidate and strengthen Swords’ historic town centre, which includes the Swords Civic and Cultural Quarter, and provides

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an opportunity to bring a new dynamic and cohesiveness to the town.

Project Ireland 2040 identifies the exceptional connectivity of Swords by air, the road network, and the proposed high capacity public transport nodes such as MetroLink. This presents a prime opportunity for the development of Swords as a sustainable urban extension to the greater Dublin area, specifically with a focus on compact growth and infill development served by high quality public transport with significant employment provision.

From the moment the first train crosses the county boundary, we will be ready to utilise the opportunity for growth and success in commerce, industry and community.

The development of the MetroLink project will provide development opportunities in areas adjoining the route and its planned stops. Over half of the proposed MetroLink route is in Fingal and, from the moment the first train crosses the county boundary, we will be ready to utilise the opportunity for growth and success in commerce, industry and community.

In anticipation of MetroLink coming, the Fingal Development Plan 2017–2023 takes full advantage of the opportunities created by the arrival of this key piece of infrastructure. The identification and promotion of the Metro Economic Corridor and other commercial and residential zonings are of strategic importance to the economy and well-being of the county’s residential and business/ employment population.

The significant stock of undeveloped land surrounding the MetroLink route will play a fundamental role in delivering housing and economic development. It is Fingal’s priority to form effective and innovative approaches to facilitate the right development at the right location. There are currently 73 active development sites which will deliver over 12,000 homes in the county. There are existing planning permissions on a further 55 sites with capacity to deliver over 5,000 homes.

In all, our Development Plan provides for 49,000 homes. The benefit to the economy resulting from the creation and expansion of communities is significant, and the attractiveness of expansion into areas is only increased by the efficient transport links that MetroLink promises.

The indicative MetroLink proposal envisages the route running for 26km from Sandyford, through Dublin City centre to Swords, terminating near the Lissenhall M1 interchange.

The areas with zoned land along the route will be developed InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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IB PARTNER PROFILE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

AnnMarie Farrelly, Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure at Fingal County Council

to the high quality standards outlined in the Development Plan. These include provision for sustainable housing, community, educational, health and recreational needs, employment activities, open spaces and landscape,connectivity and accessibility, and high standards in architecture and urban design.

The Estuary stop will feature a park and ride facility at which 3,000 spaces will be provided.

This will offer an alternative to the thousands of cars from North County Dublin, and further afield, which currently travel into the city. This will have benefits in terms of travel time, fuel-cost savings and the use of a more environmentally-friendly transport system.

The Lissenhall area will be served by the Estuary stop.

This is an area of 240 hectares, with much of the land within one kilometre of the stop. This strategic land-bank offers the InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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opportunity for the development of a vibrant, attractive and wellconnected mixed use urban district on the northern side of Swords. It is envisaged that this area could accommodate significant levels of employment in addition to approximately 6,000 to 7,000 residential units.

The nearby Estuary and Seatown areas will also feature mixed use development. Significant masterplanning will be carried out for these areas to ensure the development of communities that are economically, environmentally and socially resilient.

The stop at Barryspark, by reason of its location close to Main Street, will be a key interface between the existing traditional core of Swords and its future expansion into zoned lands at the Pavilions Shopping Centre and across the R132.

South of this, Fosterstown, will benefit from significant investment, with road

improvements, strong urban development and consideration given to the provision of a hotel complex.

Dublin Airport will also undergo further development to ensure a multi-modal hub which will result in seamless connection between various modes of transport.

Dardistown, south of the airport, is zoned for high technology, employment generating uses and is ideally placed for a stop. A Local Area Plan has been adopted for this area of 154 hectares and seeks to create a strategic employment node, maximising opportunities presented by the lands’ location within a high quality environment.

The areas of Santry and Ballymun are located at the boundary with Dublin City Council. There are opportunities for high density mixed use employment and residential development. These areas, close to well-established residential and commercial zones, are potential sources of custom and growth.

The MetroLink development is a vital part of Ireland’s development into the future. It will forge stronger links along a north-south axis that will deliver significant benefits in housing, employment, business and transport. Fingal is uniquely placed to both benefit from and contribute to the success of the plan.

Fingal County Council has laid the groundwork for the rapid and sustainable success of communities and businesses that will flourish around the MetroLink route. From the first train down the line, Fingal is open for business.

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IB PARTNER PROFILE PAYPAL

Giving Back to the Community Celebrating its 15 year anniversary in Dublin, PayPal looks back on how both company and community have benefitted from locating its headquarters in the Fingal region.

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he tech giant has gone from strength to strength over the last number of years, rapidly growing its staff in Blanchardstown from an initial 40 people in 2003 to an astounding 1,400 by 2017.

Of course the company attributes this success to its employees, and has stated that the main draw for locating their headquarters in Blanchardstown was the ease of access to talent. “When PayPal is looking for a site, we first look for somewhere which has great access to talent,” explains Annette Hickey, Senior Director, Customer Solutions EMEA & Site Lead Dublin. With a wide varity of roles and disciplines loacted in the Dublin office, access to varied and bilingual talent was key. “With the EMEA site, we need access to talent with many different languages,” Hickey explains. “We have our risk function here, our

compliance function and a lot of our support functions such as HR and Payroll,” Hickey continues.

The local infrastructure was also a deciding factor. “We’re a global organisation, so a lot of people are coming from all over the world to visit their teams, so access to good roads, the airport, good hotels etc., was really important,” Hickey adds.

Compared to other European countries, Ireland has the advantage of being able to offer a relatively large site, complete with good infrastructure and a pool of skilled and educated workers, making Blanchardstown an ideal location for the company’s headquarters.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION The company’s relationship with the Fingal region is completely symbiotic. Community collaboration

is just as important today as it has ever been to the corporation. With the majority of employees based in local areas, PayPal realises the importance of local repatriation and has supported the community through mentoring local business owners in a scheme known as ‘Going for Growth’. In addition, the company provides a space to host quarterly Cross Dublin Business Network meetings and has hosted the Local Enterprise Week on the premises.

The company also realises the importance of stimulating younger generations and has developed a programme for transition year students during which students come to the PayPal premises for a week in order to experience life in a globally recognised company.

Hickey explains that this programme has been beneficial to both students and employees, “It’s great, they get to see everything from risk to customer service to sales and what it’s like to work in an American company. We put them into focus groups and try to get them to voice how they are feeling about banking in the future.”

The organisation also organises a range of altruistic endeavours, such as the ‘PayPal Gives’ initiative where €100,000 is given annually to a number of charities chosen by employees, and Christmas hampers which are brought in by employees and then given to St. Vincent De Paul.

COMMITMENT TO STAFF

Annette Hickey, Senior Director, Customer Solutions EMEA & Site Lead, PayPal

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Looking to the future, employee wellbeing will continue to be a top priority for PayPal. Hickey adds, “We are firm believers that everything comes from having happy, wellrounded staff so further investment InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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IB PARTNER PROFILE PAYPAL

is planned for 2019 in our wellness side of things.” This commitment to staff is already evident in the multiple on-site facilities and services available to team members such as a restaurant offering a variety of healthy choices, an on-site physiotherapist and occupational health specialist, two quiet rooms and even an on-site beautician.

In addition, PayPal has just secured planning permission to build a heated outdoor seating area, which may be of particular interest to Mediterranean employees who are accustomed to eating lunch outside, an opportunity which is rare in Ireland.

Mental health is also a top priority for PayPal. The Blanchardstown office offers confidential counselling services as a part of the employee assistance programme operated in conjunction with VHI, in addition to other programmes such as ‘Mind Yourself ’, a scheme designed to sustain a balanced and positive state of mind, developed in conjunction InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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We are firm believers that everything comes from having happy, wellrounded staff so further investment is planned for 2019 in our wellness side of things. with the charity group SOS. “[It] is really about when you’re in good mental health how to keep yourself there because we know mental health problems are growing and there is a lot more awareness of it now, so this will really be about looking after our workforce to make sure they keep themselves well,” Hickey says.

Inclusion is also one of PayPal’s core values and as Hickey explains, “we try to align our benefits with our values at PayPal”, it’s no surprise that the organistion is actively involved with LGBT and diversity organisation OUTstanding.

PayPal is tackling wellness from all angles including financial wellbeing. “How often do people worry about money?” Hickey asks, adding, “We want to help anyone who is struggling with money worries.”

An on-site gym and the introduction of standing desks as well as an extra four weeks of paid leave every five years in addition to the 25 days of annual leave which all employees are encouraged to take are other steps the company is taking to boost employee wellbeing.

The company seems to have figured out the key to retaining talented employees by providing security and support. When asked about the turnover rate at PayPal Hickey admits that it’s not a problem they struggle with. It appears that PayPal has developed a fool proof strategy to deal with the complexities of modern working life ensuring a vibrant future in an upcoming and exciting area.

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23/01/2019 09:11

IB PARTNER PROFILE OPEN DOORS INITIATIVE

Opening Doors An industry-led initiative launched last year aims to increase employment rates among marginalised groups in society.

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ourteen private sector companies came together in September as founders of the Open Doors initiative, which will assist three marginalised groups in society to gain access to workplaces through training, work experience and related supports.

There are currently now at least 20 companies involved, and the hope is to increase this to 40 or more by the end of 2019.

Open Doors focuses on refugees, asylum seekers and non-native English speakers; people aged under 25 with educational barriers; and people with a disability.

Each of the companies involved has signed a pledge which commits them to running at least one specific programme of support in each of their organisations. A goal of supporting 50% of people who complete the programmes into paid employment, apprenticeships or further study has been set.

The founding companies come from a range of sectors, including food and drink (Coca Cola, Diageo Ireland and Dawn Meats), facilities management (Aramark and Sodexo), recruitment (CPL) and retail (Aldi).

“The unemployment rate may have declined but there are still huge barriers to employment for certain groups in Ireland,” says Liam Reid, corporate relations director, Diageo Ireland.

“In order to improve participation rates, employers need to address the blockages that prevent these groups from getting the opportunity to work.”

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An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar launching the Open Doors initiative

Minister of State David Stanton was instrumental in bringing the Open Doors initiative about following his experience with Diageo Ireland’s Learning for Life programme for the refugee and asylum group last year.

“Diversity and inclusion are an enormously important part of who we are and Diageo’s values globally.

Other companies are also doing a lot in this space and we saw an opportunity to come together,” says Reid.

“Learning for Life provides training and job placements, helping people to get a foot on the career ladder.

Other companies approach things in different ways. As a group, we are working with industry experts to establish what the challenges are and what needs to be addressed. We’re conscious that we don’t have all the answers and are on a learning curve.

The main thing is that the companies taking part play to their strengths.”

Set-up costs for the initiative for the first year are being provided by Diageo Ireland, while a secretariat

has been provided by Business in the Community Ireland. Positive2work Skillnet, Ibec and ICTU are supporting partners as well as the Disability Federation of Ireland, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Irish Youth Foundation.

Positive2work Skillnet and Ibec are supporting partners as well as the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Immigrant Council of Ireland.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar formally launched the Open Doors initiative. He said: “Industry-led initiatives such as this one will help to promote more diverse work environments by providing practical help such as work placements and training programmes to those who might otherwise find it very difficult to enter the workforce. This initiative will also complement action being taken by the Government to make the workplace more inclusive.”

Go to www.opendoorsinitiative.ie for more information on the Open Doors initiative and how to join.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

23/01/2019 09:29

IB PARTNER CONTENT DIAGEO

From Pilot to Progress A founding member of the Open Doors initiative, Diageo has adapted its Learning for Life programme to create a new and bespoke programme and job opportunities in the hospitality sector for asylum seekers and refugees.

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aunched by Diageo in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2008, Learning for Life has become an integral part of the business and now has a truly global presence. Each year, it successfully runs around 90 programmes in over 40 countries and has reached more than 130,000 people.

With a focus on adult education, the programme is implemented in partnership with local educational, governmental and training organisations. It provides tools, training and skills in four key areas related to Diageo’s industry and value chain – hospitality, retail, entrepreneurship and bartending.

In Ireland, Learning for Life started in Dublin 8 nearly five years ago with a focus on people under the age of 30. To date, it has supported over 300 people with training and work placement opportunities in the hospitality sector in partnership with hotels, pubs and restaurants. Diageo Ireland is investing €1m in funding training and placement programmes over three years as part of Learning for Life.

Last year, Diageo conducted research to establish which groups face barriers to employment.

Following the Supreme Court ruling in February allowing asylum seekers to work in the State, the Department of Justice approached Diageo about managing a dedicated programme for this group.

Diageo ran a pilot project based on Learning for Life at Ireland’s largest InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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reception and integration centre in Mosney, Co Meath. Following a series of interviews, 22 refugees and asylum seekers at the centre were invited to take part. The pilot provided an eight-week training programme in hospitality skills, followed by a fourweek work placement in a pub, hotel or restaurant.

“It was highly successful, with all participants completing the programme and earning a City & Guilds qualification,” says Liam Reid, corporate relations director, Diageo Ireland. “The Learning for Life programme was adapted to meet the specific requirements of this group around language, culture and sensitivity to the backgrounds and experiences of the participants.”

A new mentorship programme involving Diageo staff has since been introduced. Each participant in the pilot was matched with a mentor who had received special training in mentorship and working with migrant groups. The mentors offer guidance and assistance to each participant on any questions they have on working in Ireland.

The success of the programme with asylum seekers and refugees led to the formation of the Open Doors initiative, which involves Diageo collaborating with around 20 other companies to support minority or disadvantaged groups in accessing training, experience and employment.

As part of its commitment to Open Doors, Diageo is continuing with the programme for refugees and asylum seekers. Supported by the Department of Justice and the Immigrant Council of Ireland, it is the first programme of its kind run by a corporate organisation in Ireland.

Adenike Adeolo from Nigeria after graduating, with her friends Olaide Alabede and Bola Adejayan also from Nigeria from the Diageo programme.

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LIFESTYLE: innovation

INNOVATION NATION InBUSINESS looks at the latest innovations and technologies that are shaping our future.

In this issue: smart home tech.

PHILIPS SMART LIGHTING Philips Hue Play is a compact, highly versatile light bar that you can position in a variety of ways to create an immersive lighting experience. It creates an indirect light effect and can be placed next to your TV or behind as a backlight. The bar offers perfect accent lighting and its sleek design means it can blend into any entertainment area. By connecting to the Philips Hue bridge and the Philips Hue app, you can personalise the bar and choose from 16 million different colours to suit every mood. You can also synchronise it to your entertainment experience to bring a whole new level of excitement to your gaming or TV and movie experience. www.meethue.com

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MASTERCARD and MICROSOFT are teaming up to develop a “single, reusable digital identity” to help solve the issue of proving we are who we say we are.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:38

LIFESTYLE: innovation

ANOVA PRECISION COOKER The Anova Precision Cooker is the first smart sous vide device to hit the market. Users can start, stop and monitor their cooking while away from the kitchen. You simply attach the Precision Cooker to any pot, add water, then add the desired food in either a sealed bag or a glass jar and press start.

The Wi-Fi app will send a notification when the food is ready, and will keep it warm until it’s ready to eat.

Features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 360° directional pump for maximum circulation and a removable stainless steel skirt for dishwasher safety. www.anovaculinary.com

PETNET SMARTFEEDER The Petnet SmartFeeder lets you know when your pet has been fed and orders more food for you when the quantity runs low. You can get alerts to your smartphone for food levels and successful feeds. You can also automate your pet’s meal schedule and make sure your pet is fed, even when you’re away.

AUGUST SMART LOCK The August Smart Lock is compatible with all standard deadbolts. The smart lock attaches to your existing deadbolt on the inside of your door, and can be self-installed in less than ten minutes. August operates through a Bluetooth low energy enabled locking mechanism and an intuitive app for both iOS and Android.

ww.petnet.io

www.august.com

HUAWEI’S new StorySign app aims to improve story time for deaf children and their parents by translating stories into sign language in real time.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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WINDSOR has become the first Irish car dealer to launch a digital sales platform for consumers who want to buy, finance and trade in cars without visiting a sales showroom.

Three Irish organisations, AID:TECH, CODE INSTITUTE and THE PETER MCVERRY TRUST were included in the Financial Times Europe’s top 100 digital champions.

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LIFESTYLE: travel

Contemporary

Culture

THE DANISH CAPITAL OF COPENHAGEN IS THE EPITOME OF EFFORTLESSLY CHIC SCANDINAVIAN STYLE. WITH MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, AND UNIQUE STORES APLENTY, IT’S A DESIGN-LOVER’S DREAM GETAWAY, WRITES SINÉAD MOORE.

I

f you’re short on time, Copenhagen is the perfect choice for a weekend break.

The airport is just 15 minutes by metro or train from the city centre and the city itself, which is split into districts by myriad canals and waterways, is easily navigated on foot. Indre By (the historic core), bohemian Christianshavn and gentrifying Vesterbro are the most popular districts for tourists. A

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walking or bike tour is the best way to explore the city and all its charming neighbourhoods.

The birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, Copenhagen is perhaps most famously known for the Little Mermaid statue, an ode to the fairytale of the same name. Located in the docklands, the statue is over 100 years old, and was given to the city by a brewer called Carl Jacobsen. You can view a statue of Anderson himself in City Hall Square – a popular location for concerts and celebrations.

A short walk through the historical centre will bring you to King’s New Square, one of the city’s largest public squares. The square is surrounded by picturesque buildings and is also where Strøget (Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping area) ends and where Nyhavn, a 17th-century harbour, begins.

The idyllic port is flanked by colourful buildings and the canal is home to picture-perfect wooden boats while the restaurants and cafes offer up some excellent Danish food. Try some traditional smørrebød in Nyhavn 17. From here you can hop on a sightseeing boat tour and marvel at the city’s impressive Danish architecture.

After taking in the sights from the water, climb the Rundetaarn for panoramic views of the city. The ancient round tower is located right in the city centre and is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.

If weather permits, a visit to the Botanical Gardens - a green oasis in the centre of Copenhagen - is a great way to while away a few hours.

A stroll though the Nyboder district – rows and rows of residential InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:41

Aesthetics and design permeate the culture of Copenhagen from architecture and art to fashion and interiors.

LIFESTYLE: travel

WHERE TO MEET...

Republikken Republikken is a co-working space for creative entrepreneurs. You can host meetings or workshops in the informal meeting rooms with complimentary tea and coffee. Catering services are also available. republikken.net/

EAT...

Fleisch Fleisch is the German word for meat, and there is no doubt that meat is the essence at this combined restaurant, bar and butcher in the popular Meatpacking District. www.fleisch.dk/en

SLEEP...

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel houses – is also a must when in this part of the city. The instantly recognisable burnt orange houses originally housed the Danish navy and their families.

In the nearby Frederiksgade district you will find Frederik’s Church, also known as the Marble Church, a stunning example of rococo architecture.

Copenhagen Opera House sits directly across the canal. It is one of the most expensive opera houses ever constructed.

The Marble Chuch is also walking distance to the Citadel (also InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

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referred to as Kastellet), which is one of Europe’s best-preserved city fortresses.

Royal Visit

GETTING THERE

BY AIR: Ryanair, Norwegian Airlines and SAS all run regular direct flights from Dublin to Copenhagen.

Home to the Danish monarchy, Copenhagen has not one but three royal palaces right in the centre of the city. Christansborg Palace hosts the Danish Parliament and the supreme court.

Rosenbourg Castle and Gardens is home to the crown jewels as well as royal art treasures and beautifully decorated interiors. And finally, Amalienborg Palace,

Located less than ten minutes from the train station and within walking distance of famed attractions, the five-star Copenhagen Marriott Hotel overlooks the harbour offering exquisite water and city views. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ cphdk-copenhagen-marriott-hotel/

SEE...

Tivoli Gardens Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, is home to rides, shops, landscaped gardens, entertainment venues, cafes and more, making it an easy place to while away a few hours. The lights are spectacular at night and the evening usually concludes with fireworks. www.tivoli.dk/en/

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LIFESTYLE: travel

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

TRANSPORT Copenhagen’s main airport, Kastrup, lies five miles south of the centre. The city operates a zonal transport system, so the three-zone trip to the centre costs the same whether you travel by train, which takes 12 minutes; metro, which takes 15 minutes; or bus, which takes about 30 minutes.

WEATHER Expect snow and minus temperatures in winter and blissful Scandinavian sunshine in summer. As Copenhagen is surrounded by ocean, the Danish capital enjoys relatively mild weather compared to other Scandinavian cities.

FESTIVALS The Copenhagen Card gives you free admission to over 70 museums and attractions as well as free public transport in the entire Copenhagen region.

WALKING The best way to explore Copenhagen is on foot. A free walking tour departs from outside the City Hall at 11am every day of the year. Advance booking is recommended.

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made up of four separate buildings that surround a central courtyard, is home to the royal family. You can witness the changing of the Royal Danish Guard at midday. You can also visit Frederiksborg Castle or Kronborg Castle – the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet - on a day trip from Copenhagen.

Nyboder Military Housing

Scandi Design Aesthetics and design permeate the culture of Copenhagen from architecture and art to fashion and interiors. Copenhageners deeply value great design, so the competition among designers is fierce and you’ll constantly find new creative ideas popping up.

Strøget is the main shopping street, pedestrianised for a mile with a choice of recognisable high-street stores and unique independent shops selling everything from up-market fashion to minimalist interior accessories. You’ll find a host of design-minded shops clustered around Gammel Kongevej.

With an impressive choice of museums and galleries, those in search of art will not be disappointed. The National Museum located in The Prince’s Palace, a former royal residence, is Denmark’s largest museum. The opulent setting gives visitors a glimpse into royal life. The National Gallery of Denmark is the country’s largest art museum, with a collection of Danish, Nordic, and European works.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in the heart of Copenhagen displays ancient and modern art. The museum was founded

by Carl Jacobsen, best known for his Danish beer brand Carlsberg. The Design Museum Denmark is a must for anyone with an interest in Danish design.

Housed in what was formerly Denmark’s first public hospital, it is filled with decorative art, glass, ceramics, furniture, fashion, textile and poster art, as well as industrial design. A visit to the Design Museum is a great way to explore Copenhagen’s culture and learn more about the history of design both in Denmark and around the world.

Kronborg Castle

Traditional smørrebrøds, open sandwich using fresh, healthy ingredients

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Architecture enthusiasts are also in for a treat. The Black Diamond, an extension of the Royal Library of Denmark, is just one example of the many impressive modern buildings that punctuate the otherwise historical old town.

Nordic Cuisine Famous for its gastronomy and home to Noma, the ‘world’s best restaurant’ – and the restaurant that put Copenhagen on the culinary map - a trip to Copenhagen is a feast for the senses.

Sample some smørrebrød, a traditional open sandwich using fresh, healthy ingredients, or pop into a cosy canal-side cafe for a hot chocolate and practise the Danish art of hygge (a feeling of cosy contentment).

The trendy meat-packing district is a popular spot for dinner among tourists and locals alike. Meanwhile Torvehallerne, the city’s wildly popular public market that opened in 2011, is home to over 60 food vendors selling everything from fresh fish and meat to gourmet chocolate and spices. It’s an excellent spot for sampling Nordic cuisine without the often extortionate price tags.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:42

LIFESTYLE: books

BOOKS ON

MADAM POLITICIAN

InBUSINESS looks at the latest business books offering great insights for executives, budding entrepreneurs, and other professionals seeking to acquire business skills and knowledge.

THE MONEY DOCTOR 2019

J

ohn Lowe is back again with his latest guide to organising your finances, budgeting and making your money go further. This is the fourteenth edition of the indispensable, bestselling Irish finance guide. Packed with independent, straight-talking advice, the latest edition focuses in particular on one of the most important issues in the country: property. It covers all aspects of the property market, making it invaluable for anyone looking to buy a house, and also includes information on co-operative housing, grants, social housing and supplements as well as new legislation in the rental market. Along with its usual information on budgeting, investments, mortgages and debt management, Budget 2019 is also explained in detail. Divided into nine comprehensive sections covering everything from your financial rights to planning for retirement, The Money Doctor 2019 offers practical advice to consumers, employers and employees of all walks of life and disciplines.

AUTHOR: John Lowe PUBLISHER: Gill Books RRP: 12.99 AVAILABLE: omahonys.ie

YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION

The Almost Nearly Perfect People

AUTHOR: Michael Booth PUBLISHER: Jonathan Cape AVAILABLE: dubraybooks.ie

British journalist Michael Booth explores the notion of ‘Scandinavian Utopia’ in this non-fiction examination of Nordic living. Booth began writing the book after moving from England to Denmark in search of the perfect Danish life. The book was inspired by the ‘Nordic Wave’ phenomenon that gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s.

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HEROIC FAILURE: Brexit and the Politics of Pain

AUTHOR: Fintan O’Toole PUBLISHER: Head of Zeus AVAILABLE: easons.ie

Only 10% of those who have sat at the cabinet table in Ireland in almost 100 years have been women, totalling AUTHOR: just 19 female politicians. Martina Martina Fitzgerald Fitzgerald, Political PUBLISHER: Correspondent Gill Books with RTÉ News & RRP: 16.99 Current Affairs, AVAILABLE: reflects on easons.ie women’s historic and future place in Irish society and public life in this timely and insightful read.

Fitzgerald interviews all of the living members of this exclusive club - including both Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese - collectively bringing together their voices to reveal the challenges and triumphs of getting to the top table of Irish political life, from the battles to have their voices heard, to balancing a career with family life, dealing with various levels of sexism and an enduring focus on appearance.

Irish Times columnist and literary critic, Fintan O’Toole, dissects the psychology and politics of Brexit and explores the answers to the question: ‘Why did Britain vote leave?’. He discusses the delusions of Brexit and how the outcome will affect economic prosperity, peace in Ireland and the tradition of British democracy.

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22/01/2019 13:03 13:00

LIFESTYLE: podcasts

EAR TO THE

THE IB

What is the message/goal of the Meet Your Maker podcast?

Meet Your Maker is a show about the people who make the things we love.

GROUND

InBUSINESS RECOMMENDS THREE PODCASTS TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS QUARTER.

Who has been your most interesting guest on the podcast so far?

Where do I start?! One of my personal favourites is an episode called ‘As Good As Gold’ where I spoke with Muppet performer Louise Gold. She was one of the first female puppeteers to work on the original Muppet Show and her story is just amazing to hear.

INBUSINESS SPEAKS TO LIAM GERAGHTY, HOST OF MEET YOUR MAKER, A PODCAST THAT GOES BEHIND THE SCENES TO HEAR HOW PEOPLE MAKE THE THINGS THEY MAKE. FROM BOARD GAME DESIGNERS TO VOICE-OVER ARTISTS AND COMIC ILLUSTRATORS.

What challenges do you face when it comes to monetising the platform?

If you’re setting up a podcast with the intention of monetising it from the get-go then forget about it.

The best advice is to produce a quality podcast, grow a listenership and only then start thinking about monetising it. Meet Your Maker is an independent podcast and a pure passion project for me. Pouring my heart and soul into it has led sponsors to approach me, rather than the other way round.

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MOTHERFOCLÓIR It started as a Twitter account (@ TheIrishFor), became a book and is now a podcast. Determined to keep the Irish language alive and relevant, host Darach Ó Séaghdha discusses everything from feminism to politics to silent letters.

Recent episodes include discussion of the Presidential election, Tara Flynn talking about Peig Sayers and an episode on Papal Taxes in Medieval Ireland.

What do you believe are the key ingredients that make a great podcast?

A little production value goes a long way – research, editing, creativity. Don’t do what everyone else is doing.

Any other podcasts you’d recommend to our readers?

Rosemary Mac Cabe’s How to be Sound, Gearóid Farrelly’s Fascinated and Reply All.

NOT TO BE MISSED

99% INVISIBLE

What can we expect from Meet your Maker in 2019?

I’m really excited about an upcoming episode about the history of animation in Ireland. It follows the path of the Irish animation industry from its beginnings in Cork in the early 1900s to Don Bluth in the 1980s to the present day.

Can we expect new podcasts from you in the future?

I’ve just launched Petrified, a horror drama podcast written by Peter Dunne. I produce Living Medicine, the Irish Medical Organisation’s podcast, and The Whole Tooth, the Irish Dental Association’s podcast, as well as Fangs for the Bram Stoker Festival.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

MADE IN IRELAND

Hosted by Roman Mars, 99% Invisible is a weekly discussion of design and architecture. It encourages listeners to notice our surroundings and ask questions.

From the origin of blue jeans to the town Henry Ford built in a Brazilian rainforest in the 1920s, the topics are varied and eye-opening.

THE BUSINESS PICK

MASTERS OF SCALE LinkedIn co-founder Matt Hoffman interviews some of the world’s most influential business people about what it was like to start a company, and then scale the company to global success. The biggest players in Silicon Valley’s tech scene offer up invaluable advice and anecdotes.

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THE InBUSINESS INDEX

The IESE Women in Leadership index analyses female leadership and equal opportunity initiatives. The study tracks progress in 34 OECD countries using 17 performance indicators designed to evaluate women’s personal, political, business and social leadership.

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FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT HAS INCREASED 6 PERCENTAGE POINTS SINCE 2006.

Iceland (48%) and Sweden (44%) had the highest percentages of female members of parliament, while the countries that had made the greatest strides toward equal representation since 2006 were Slovenia, Mexico, Italy and France. France, Sweden and Canada stand out for having the most women heading ministries; each has more female than male ministers.

InBUSINESS | Q4 2018

24/01/2019 10:50

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