InBusiness - Spring 2024

PUSHING FOR CHANGE

CHAMBERS IRELAND LAUNCHES ITS LOCAL AND EU ELECTION MANIFESTOS

SCOTT FRISBY ON WHY SOLUTIONS FROM ELAVON TAKE THE COMPLEXITY OUT OF PAYMENTS

Editor: Denise Maguire

Creative Director: Jane Matthews

Editorial Assistant: Daniel Traynor (Chambers Ireland)

Designer: Lenny Rooney

Photography: iStock Photo

Infographics: www.flaticon.com

Production Executive: Nicole Ennis

Sales Director: Diarmaid Lennon

Managing Director: Gerry Tynan

Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon

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All articles © Ashville Media Group 2024. 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

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COVER STORY: TICKS ALL THE BOXES

Elavon takes the complexity out of payments, providing Irish businesses with a next-level service that simply works. InBUSINESS caught up with Head of Strategy at Elavon Europe, Scott Frisby, to find out what makes Elavon best in class

22

Entrepreneur

Eimer Hannon, Founder and Managing Director of Hannon Travel, talks about building one of the most trusted corporate travel brands in the country

MENTORS: Donal O’Riain

The key to running a successful empire is innovation, says Donal O’Riain, Founder and Managing Director of Ecocem

Eoin McGee, host of Understanding Money, on how little things done right over time produce big results

Trading Challenges

Peter Byrne, Chief Executive at South Dublin Chamber, on what the next generation of the Single Market should look like

BUSINESS

Fergus Kerrigan, CoFounder of Irish wellness brand Ethos, talks about the company’s recent pivot and plans for the future

Mary D’Arcy at Banking & Payments Federation Ireland o ers

www.cea.gov.ie

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“Merchants want a high performing, high execution payments system that o ers them good value, something that works every time, all the time. That’s what we o er.”

Scott Frisby, Head of Strategy, Elavon Europe

Brian

Roe, CEO, Servecentric

PAYNT BRINGS CASHLESS TIPPING SOLUTION TO IRELAND

Cashless tipping solutions provider URocked has launched its suite of products in Ireland. The launch also marks the opening of the company’s Irish o ices as one of the founders, Cork/ Blackrock native Sam Kohli, seeks to bring the solutions home to Irish consumers and service providers. In 2023, URocked teamed up with Paynt which Sam founded in 2014, becoming part of the Paynt Group and emerging as “URocked - powered by Paynt”. Three products are now available on the market for Irish businesses – One Device, Quick Tips and QR codes, which provide features like pay at table, mobile, card and QR code tipping. URocked ensures that 100% of tips flow directly into employees’ digital wallets, eliminating employer involvement and simplifying payroll.

American approval

RELATIONSHIPS & AI

More than 95% of US multinationals have a positive view of Ireland as an investment location, according to a survey of American Chamber of Commerce Ireland members.

Business

BITES

Findings from HP’s Work Relationship Index show that 76% of workers in growing economies believe AI can play a key role in improving their relationship with work.

SERVECENTRIC AGREES €10M DIGITAL REALTY DEAL

Data centre colocation, cloud and connectivity services provider Servecentric has announced an extension of its lease deal with colocation data centre provider Digital Realty to the value of €10 million. The six-year deal will enable Servecentric to enhance its service portfolio and increase capacity for both existing and new customers, generating additional revenue streams across local and global markets. By targeting a wider audience of SMEs and enterprises, the company will be equipped to strengthen its presence in Ireland and expand its position in international markets including Europe, the US and India. This growth will mainly consist of projects spanning areas such as cloud repatriation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), security and managed service hosting.

Sam Kohli, Founder, URocked

DROP IN DUBLIN OFFICE LEASING

According to a report by commercial property group JLL Ireland, o ice leasing in Dublin has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade when you strip out the pandemic years. The volume of space was down 44% on the previous quarter and 63% below the five-year quarterly average. The average deal size also dropped to 6,346sq ft, which represented a decline of 56% from the pre-pandemic five-year annual average. Outside of the pandemic years in 2020 and 2021, it was the lowest quarterly volume of space leased since 2013. Despite the subdued leasing activity, occupiers were active, with the volume of space reserved standing at 800,000sq ft.

Carbon neutrality

GAMING

A DataSolutions survey reveals that while 78% of tech companies have plans to achieve carbon neutrality, 65% have not yet measured their carbon footprint.

A new study from PayPal has revealed a booming gaming industry in Ireland, with 25% of gamers having earned money through gaming in 2023 and 22% considering it as an additional way to generate income.

PICTURE THIS

at Dodder Valley Park in Dublin are Lorraine Beirne, Project Co-ordinator, Dublin Urban Rivers LIFE (DURL) and Dermot O’Kane, Head of Sales, Esri Ireland. Esri Ireland’s digital mapping technology is helping DURL to prevent 13 million litres of polluted wastewater from entering Dublin rivers annually, by locating misconnected household appliances that are expelling polluted water.

Female Founders

BROADBAND

Last year funding into female-founded start-ups surged 120% to reach a record €230m, according to a TechIreland report published to coincide with International Women’s Day.

According to SIRO, half of all Irish businesses are not on a fibre broadband connection. Micro companies are lagging behind most; half of businesses with less than 10 sta are not using fibre.

Fibre broadband

INCLUSIVITY

New data published by Comreg has revealed that fibre-to-the-premises technology in the Irish market is now on a par with cable broadband subscribers for the first time.

According to new research from Bank of Ireland and Red C, just under one-in-five workers believe their company’s policies and practices support neurodivergent people. Almost one in 10 adults personally identify as being neurodivergent.

NEW REVERSE VENDING MACHINE FROM TOMRA

TOMRA Collection has launched the TOMRA B5 Combi, its newest consumer-facing reverse vending machine in Ireland. With a small footprint of only 0.8 sq m, the new machine o er a compact and e icient recycling solution for retailers who want to maximise retail space. It also o ers plug-and-play installation for easy setup and integrates into any retail environment. TOMRA says the machine’s large 21.5” touch display simplifies the process for consumers new to deposit return systems.

Pictured

OUTPUT SPORTS ANNOUNCES US EXPANSION

Irish sports technology company and UCD spin-out Output Sports has announced details of its expansion into the US market. The company made the announcement while meeting with former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD during a visit to Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Products from Output Sports enable strength and conditioning coaches, sport scientists and rehab professionals to fully understand and optimise their athletes’ performance using a single wearable sensor system. The company’s technology is currently used by sports practitioners across 30+ countries, including the USA. It is seeking to collaborate with the Boston Red Sox team as part of its investment in the State of Massachusetts and has established a new office in Boston. Co-Founder and CEO, Dr Martin O’Reilly, has relocated from Ireland to Boston to further build Output’s US growth team.

ZOË KAVANAGH JOINS REPAK FROM NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL

Repak has announced the appointment of Zoë Kavanagh as its new CEO. Zoë succeeds Séamus Clancy who is retiring following a decade in the role. With almost 30 years of experience in domestic and international markets within dairy and FMCG sectors, Zoë joins Repak following 13 years as CEO of the National Dairy Council. Prior to this, she spent 16 years at PepsiCo, working across numerous briefs and gaining insights into the FMCG sector, before concluding her tenure as General Manager for Ireland Beverages in 2010.

Repak says Zoë’s appointment marks a significant milestone in the company’s history, promising to build upon its legacy of sustainability and environmental advocacy. Her

background in advocacy, strategy and stakeholder engagement, combined with her passion for driving growth and sustainability, aligns with Repak’s strategic objectives to enhance recycling rates and support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy.

“I am delighted to join Repak and continue the important work this organisation has done in transforming Ireland’s recycling landscape. The achievements of Repak, under the leadership of Séamus Clancy and the dedication of its members, have set a high standard. I look forward to building on this foundation, working alongside our members, stakeholders and the community to further our impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.”

PENTAGON TECHNOLOGIES TO OPEN DUNDALK FACILITY

Pentagon Technologies Group, Inc, a subsidiary of Kurita Water Industries, has announced the establishment of a precision parts cleaning facility in Dundalk. The new facility is expected to create approximately 100 manufacturing jobs over the next five years and represents an expansion of services to the semiconductor industry in Ireland. Located at the IDA Science and Technology Park in Mullagharlin, Dundalk, the facility is strategic in supporting Pentagon Technology’s Irish and European customers. “We are incredibly excited to expand our global footprint in precision parts cleaning services to Ireland. Pentagon has operated in Ireland for the past 20 years supporting new semiconductor fab construction and now has expanded our services for many years to come. We look forward to becoming a major employer in the Dundalk area,” said Dave Christeson, CEO of Pentagon. Construction is in progress at the new site and the facility is expected to be operational in Q3 2024.

TEGUS CUTS THE RIBBON ON WATERFORD EMEA HQ

Tegus, the end-to-end research platform for top investors, has opened its EMEA headquarters at the IDA Business & Technology Park in Waterford. Since opening its first EMEA office in 2021, the company has created more than 50 jobs in Ireland. The new location will facilitate the expansion of global content and deeper datasets, allowing the company to better support local customers as well as the growing number of international users already on the platform. “This strategic move not only deepens our commitment to the region but also positions Ireland as a key hub in seamlessly connecting with our European clients,” said Co-Founder Mike Elnick.

€2.1M INVESTMENT AND 12 NEW JOBS AT NEUROBELL

Cork-based medtech start-up NeuroBell has announced its spin-out from University College Cork and the closing of a €2.1 million investment led by Furthr VC, Atlantic Bridge and HBAN MedTech Syndicate, with Enterprise Ireland and other private investors also investing in the round. Founded by Dr Mark O’Sullivan, Dr Alison O’Shea and Colm Murphy, NeuroBell has developed an easy-to-use, pocket-sized wireless brain monitor which can detect seizures in NICU patients. The technology enables routine monitoring of babies across various hospital settings without the need for specialised expertise. Supported by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund, NeuroBell is now focused on securing FDA approval before launching its device in the US market in 2024, followed by the European market and will create 12 new jobs by 2025.

MARKET LANE GROUP IS ‘GREAT PLACE TO WORK’

The Market Lane Group of restaurants in Cork is one of only a handful of companies in the Irish hospitality sector to be certified as a ‘Great Place to Work 2024’. The Group has also won a Failte Ireland ‘Employer Excellence’ Gold Award 2024, recognising it as an “outstanding employer” in the tourism sector. “‘Great Place to Work’ (GPTW) found that 94% of staff said they would be proud to tell others they work with us and 92% think the company is a great place to work,” said head of the Market Lane Group, Conrad Howard. Comprising five restaurants including Market Lane, Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery, ORSO, Goldie and Castle Café Blackrock, the Market Lane Group employs up to 200 staff in the hospitality sector in Cork.

EXPANSION PLANS AT ÓRREAL IRISH BUTTER

Ór-Real Irish Butter is expanding its range of products as its sales continue to grow. The brand is also adding two new products to its range – a smaller 227g pack as well as an unsalted version. Made in Kanturk, Co Cork by North Cork Creameries, the brand first launched in October 2021 and has experienced rapid growth since then. Sales of Ór-Real Irish Butter increased by 93% during 2023 and are already exceeding targets for 2024. It’s now stocked in Tesco, Supervalu, Centra, BWG Foods and the Barry Group which includes Costcutter and Quik Pick stores. The company is in negotiations with other Irish retailers on future partnerships.

MYGUG RAISES €900K TO FUEL INNOVATION

West Cork based company MyGug Ltd has announced a successful round of fundraising, securing more than €900,000 in capital. The investment was led by BVP, with participation from Enterprise Ireland. MyGug Ltd, trading since early 2022, is at the forefront of innovation in food waste management with its pioneering food waste system which creates a circular economy for the user, with the conversion of food waste into a clean renewable source of cooking energy and plant nutrient. This latest seed round of funding will enable the company to further expand its market reach, both domestically and internationally. “This investment will greatly support our efforts to deliver this innovative food waste solution to customers and create greater positive impact in the fight against climate change,” said Fiona Kelleher, CEO, MyGug.

OVER 5M DRINKS CONTAINERS COLLECTED SINCE 1 FEBRUARY

Since 1 February, the Deposit Return Scheme has collected over 5.6 million drinks containers. A 15 cent deposit has been added to aluminium and steel cans and plastic bottles up to 500ml, while a 25 cent deposit has been added to those that are 500ml and over. The cans and bottles must then be returned empty and undamaged in order to reclaim the deposit. Originally, consumers were told the containers must feature the Re-turn logo however, Re-turn has clarified that some containers which don’t contain a logo will incur a deposit which can then be reclaimed. EY has stated that the DRS will bring about significant changes for businesses and consumers and is an important step towards creating a circular economy.

THE HOT TOPIC

Deposit Return Scheme

Commentary and news on the impact of DRS

Just another way to sort packaging?

“A Deposit Return Scheme is a circular economy game-changer for Ireland, shi ing from ‘take, make, dispose’ to returning valuable materials and maximising their use – creating a circular system for high-value plastics and cans. Its introduction is hugely bene cial to our environmental goals and is a critical element of the ‘Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy’ roadmap to achieve EU targets. It will increase recycling rates, reduce litter, lower emissions, prevent waste and relieve pressure on our natural resources. We are delighted with the number of plastic bottles and cans being returned by consumers nationwide. We’ve gone from collecting thousands of bottles a day to now bringing back hundreds of thousands. It’s a clear sign that our e orts to encourage recycling and support Ireland’s environmental goals are resonating.”

Ciaran Foley, Chief Executive O cer, Re-turn

Deposit Return Schemes are in operation in several European countries, including Sweden where aluminium cans have been returnable since 1984 and plastic bottles since 1994. In Germany, all supermarkets have had machines dedicated to “Pfand” (deposits) for returned plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans since 2003. However, some environmentalists believe they’re not a “miracle solution”. Manon Richert, Communications Manager for the NGO Zero Waste France, says the scheme doesn’t target the goal we need to havedrastically reducing our production of plastic. “By itself, it’s just another way to sort packaging... it won’t change anything that happens to plastic bottles.”

Ciaran Foley

NEW TITLE: Head of Resourcing Services

EMPLOYER: Auxilion

PREVIOUS ROLE: Director, Lincoln Recruitment

Auxilion has announced the appointment of Graham Keegan as its Head of Resourcing Services. In his new role, Graham will be focused on delivering top-class resourcing services for both existing and new Auxilion customers. He will lead the team responsible for sourcing, screening and selecting technology professionals to support customer projects, while also overseeing the progress of all contract sta on customer sites.

NEW TITLE: Operations Director

EMPLOYER: NFP Ireland

PREVIOUS ROLE: Head of Client Services, NFP Ireland

Specialty insurance broking and consulting firm NFP Ireland has announced that its Head of Client Services, Louise Gallagher, has been promoted to Operations Director. The first female director at NFP Ireland, Louise will oversee the smooth running of the company’s administration controls and procedures, as well as maintaining her significant client relationships in the employee benefits space.

NEW TITLE: Chairperson

EMPLOYER: STEM South West

PREVIOUS ROLE: Vice Chair, STEM South West

Mary Good has been promoted to Chair of STEM South West, an industryled cluster established to nurture and promote the STEM sector. As Chair, Mary’s responsibilities include driving STEM South West strategy forward and leading a dynamic and diverse cross functional, cross industry board. Mary is also the COO at Advanced Medical Services where she leads all aspects of business performance.

EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR UKRAINIANS

A survey carried out by Ukrainian Action in Ireland found that language, refugee stigma and a lack of public transport are among the barriers to employment for Ukrainians who have come here fleeing the war. Status uncertainty, accommodation and childcare are some of the issues preventing Ukrainians from finding work. More than 40% of Ukrainian people living in Ireland under temporary protection are currently employed, but just 9% of them are working within their profession.

NEW TITLE: CEO

EMPLOYER: Arachas Corporate Brokers

PREVIOUS ROLE: Deputy Chief Executive, Arachas

Joey Wynne has been appointed CEO of Arachas Corporate Brokers, following o icial approval by the Central Bank of Ireland. As CEO, Joey will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the business. He initially joined Arachas in 2019 as Chief Commercial O icer, after the company’s purchase of Murray & Spelman, where he had been Commercial Director for over a decade.

GRAHAM KEEGAN

LOUISE GALLAGHER

MARY GOOD

JOEY WYNNE

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

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The number of start-ups selected for UCD’s new AI Accelerator Programme, to drive AI solutions for a global market.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Marion Cantillon

FOUNDER, PITSEAL

Company name: PitSeal

Location: Cork

Product or service: Eco-friendly solution to silage covering

Staff: 2 full-time, 3 part-time during silage season

How have you funded the business to date?

PitSeal has been funded through competition wins and accelerator programmes. Most recently, PitSeal was named the FBD AgTech One to Watch 2024 and received a €10k prize at the completion of the third AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme.

What’s the best advice you have been given?

Any endeavour should ideally fulfil at least two of the three Ps: being Profitable, Promotional and Pleasurable. This has helped me make more strategic decisions and prioritise activities that offer the most value.

What’s the most important lesson you learned starting out?

The importance of prioritising my time and not taking all advice too literally. While guidance and advice are crucial, it’s essential to take some with a pinch of salt and focus on advice from those who have achieved your desired success.

Your most significant make-or-break moment?

Covering our first silage pit with PitSeal. Seeing the reaction of farmers and contractors to the pit was truly amazing and one of the biggest moments in the business.

Is there anything you would change in hindsight?

Asking for help sooner and building the team based on my weaknesses. As a start-up, there’s a tendency to think you can manage everything, but I’ve found things much easier since seeking mentors and building a team.

MAJORITY OF IRISH TECH START-UPS EMBRACING AI

According to a survey carried out by Scale Ireland, the vast majority of Irish tech start-up and scaling companies are deploying or preparing to deploy artificial intelligence (AI). Almost half respondents think it will increase productivity. “Our findings are very clear on the potential of AI - the founders and CEOs of Irish tech start-up and scaling companies are embracing AI in a big way,” said CEO of Scale Ireland Martina Fitzgerald. Nearly 80% of respondents also said they felt it is difficult or very difficult to attract capital, however the survey also found that the majority of start-ups are not availing of State supports.

MAKING RENTING SIMPLE

Conor McGarry set up RentDodo, a Kildare-based proptech start-up, to establish a fairer industry standard for renters in Ireland. The start-up’s flagship product, TenantCert, streamlines the renting process for both tenants and property managers. It offers a secure hub where tenants can store all pre-letting information. This, says RentDodo, revolutionises the rental process by streamlining applicant pre-screening, ensuring faster turnovers and GDPR-compliant processes for property managers.

New Entrepreneurship Programme at AgTechUCD

Over the next six years, UCD is set to receive €7 million in funding to deliver a new food and agriculture innovation and entrepreneurship training programme, in partnership with Teagasc. The focus of the Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme (FAST-IP) is to increase innovation knowledge within the food and agriculture sector, leading to the creation of more high potential start-ups (HPSUs) and jobs in this sector of the economy. FAST-IP will be delivered by the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering at the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm in Co Kildare. The programme will have five intakes of 15 participants, beginning in September 2024 and running until the end of 2029. The 12-month in-person programme, aimed at mid-career professionals, is accredited by UCD at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework. More information is available via https://www. ucd.ie/innovation/fast-ip/

High investment in women-led start-ups

Financial data and research firm PitchBook has reported that €100 million was invested by venture capital (VC) firms in Irish women founders in 2023. The report also confirmed that Ireland is the third country in Europe per deal count on a per capita basis for investment in women-led start-ups and has consistently ranked in the top five countries for the past 10 years. The findings were published in PitchBook’s inaugural ‘All In: Female Founders in the VC Ecosystem’ report, a pan-European analysis of VC investment in women founders. The report coincided with the launch of an Enterprise Ireland programme in partnership with the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) to support women-led start-ups to access finance.

TO WATCH: AMPLY

Belfast company AMPLY Discovery was established in 2021 to develop new drugs to tackle diseases through its AI powered drug discovery platform. The company recently raised £1.4 million in grant funding to help make finding new drugs for treating cancer, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders cheaper and more predictable. Founders Dermot Tierney and Dr Ben Thomas describe the AI platform as “ChatGPT for molecule discovery”. The Queen’s University Belfast spinout has also won funding for two programmes – one dealing with RNAi therapies for cancers such as acute myeloid leukaemia and a second to help fight drug resistant lung infections. In addition to its current work, AMPLY is also exploring new disease areas, including di erent classes of molecules.

www.amplydiscovery.com

MakingTRICKY look easy

EIMER HANNON, Founder and Managing Director of Hannon Travel, discusses her 25-year business journey building one of the most trusted corporate travel brands in the country

WhenEimer Hannon went on maternity leave with her rst child, little did she know it would kickstart an entrepreneurial adventure. She had already built up more than a decade’s work experience in travel, having spent nine years at student travel specialist USIT in UCD and a couple more in a corporate travel agency.

“While on leave, my contacts and old friends from UCD were getting in touch, asking me to book ights and help arrange their travel, and I thought, ‘I can make a business out of this’,” says Hannon.

“Having seen some of the gaps in the customer service o ered by the industry, I decided that providing an excellent service and developing strong client relationships were what I would build my business on.”

First up, Hannon needed a licence to trade so she approached her former boss to ask if she could trade under his licence in exchange for a percentage of her sales. At that time, travel agents took a 9% cut on their trade. Hannon signed a contract giving 5% of her 9% to her former employer and a guarantee she wouldn’t take any clients. “ at’s when Hannon Travel started and I began working with

clients from home,” she says. “ e deal wasn’t perfect, but I had to do it to get to the next step.”

at next step was Hannon’s big break. It came through word of mouth when a client was on a ight to Rome discussing ight costs with a colleague from the aircra leasing industry. When the colleague discovered this client had bought his ight from Hannon Travel for a few hundred pounds cheaper, he was keen to know more.

He called Hannon for a meeting to see if they’d be the right t for his company’s corporate travel agency. “I remember, I was interviewed by three people and one of the questions was, ‘Can you give us a discount?’” recalls Hannon. “I said I couldn’t because I was working under somebody else’s licence and only getting a 4% cut. But what I said to them was, ‘I can guarantee you the service you require’.”

Hannon walked out of the meeting thinking she had just blown her chance. Later that day, she received a call from the CFO saying the company was choosing Hannon Travel, not because of cost but because of service. at was Hannon’s introduction to aircra leasing, an industry that would prove crucial to her company’s success, helping her get her licence and grow her team and her business.

An unpredictable industry

Hannon Travel is undoubtedly a success story, but the company operates in an industry that is never without disruption. In Hannon’s career, she has had to navigate many operational setbacks, from the 9/11 terrorist attacks to an Icelandic volcanic eruption to a global pandemic. For the latter, Hannon Travel was one of the few travel operators that kept going throughout Covid-19, capitalising on an opportunity to assist the Department of Foreign A airs in repatriating over 1,500 Irish abroad

“Having seen some of the gaps in the customer service offered by the industry, I decided that providing an excellent service and developing strong client relationships were what I would build my business on.”

“We’re a small Irish-owned company,” says Hannon. “I didn’t have massive resources or big guys behind me making decisions. I had to make those myself. I had a team of 25 who were desperately trying to help and play their part. When the Department contacted us, we were able to pivot really quickly. In scenarios like these, being small is great, being able to make decisions fast.”

Hannon kept her team together, navigated border openings and closings

“When the Department contacted us, we were able to pivot really quickly. In scenarios like these, being small is great, being able to make decisions fast.”

and helped people in all sorts of difficult situations get home, including women undergoing IVF treatment, people whose friends or family were ill and those travelling to give stem cells to family members. It’s made Hannon and her team experts in what she calls ‘tricky travel’.

Today, Hannon Travel has a hybrid team of 30 staff providing services for tricky, luxury and corporate travel from home and its offices in Navan and Belfast. Last year, the company reported a turnover of €40 million. It’s been quite an eventful 25-year journey for Hannon, from working in her bedroom to leading one of Ireland’s largest independent corporate travel specialists.

No ‘I’ in entrepreneur

While Hannon is comfortable with the entrepreneurial tag, she says the team behind her doesn’t get enough recognition. “As an entrepreneur, you can leave a trail of destruction behind you, good destruction. But you do need that team behind you to support you. It’s fine for me to be called an entrepreneur. Yes, I lead with confidence, I go with my gut and I don’t dilly-dally over big decisions. But I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t have the team behind me, both my personal team of family and friends, but also my work team. I think if any entrepreneur was honest with you, they’d say the same.”

In recent years, Hannon has taken great satisfaction in passing on her entrepreneurial knowledge. After participating in the state-funded ACORNS programme, which supports early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland, she was asked to come back and be a mentor. “I’m in my fifth year now and it’s fantastic,” she says. “I love being involved and I love to see the rawness, passion and enthusiasm of the women. It’s also a great opportunity to use it as a sort of checklist for your business. I always say it’s like going up in your helicopter and taking a birds-eye view of things. It’s a structure that everybody needs.”

Hannon says the ACORNS meetups provide an open and positive environment, but she has one rule for participants before each session. “I always say to them, I don’t care if the world is falling down, you’re not to be on your phone for half an hour before or after the meeting. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. We sit there creating such positivity and working through problems. It’s important to take time to clear your mind in preparation for that, but also to take time to take it in afterwards.”

The work-life balance battle

Putting boundaries in place is something Hannon is not only applying to her ACORNS students. She says, at 54, she still struggles to achieve the right work-life balance. “I keep on saying I’ll take some time for myself to do this or that, but you end up being the person you put last. I’ve done this for 25 years and I’m still saying, oh, I was meant to go to the gym this evening. So there are still some boundaries I’m trying to put in place.”

HANNON’S ADVICE

Eimer offers THREE TIPS for budding entrepreneurs

1

3 2

EMBRACE THE GOOD DAYS

Given the guaranteed setbacks you will experience, it’s important to have a positive mindset. We all have a tendency to let the bad days affect us, but we don’t enjoy the good days enough. It’s important to recognise the wins.

PROVIDE THE HUMAN TOUCH

Hannon says she built her company on understanding her clients, which often meant getting face-to-face time with them and earning trust. “I’ve struggled to adjust to remote working because I’m much more of an in-person type of person. I like to eyeball people. And don’t ask me to write an email when I can actually have a telephone conversation.

UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT BUSINESS FUNCTIONS

I would have learned the difference between sales, marketing, brand and PR from day one. I see some starting out who bundle them together under one umbrella, but they’re not one function. Knowing the differences and dedicating time to each one will bring you results.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t have the team behind me, both my personal team of family and friends, but also my work team.”

With the turbulent years of Covid now behind Hannon, what do the coming years hold for the business? “Now that the chaos is over, I aim to bring more stability to our hybrid team,” she says. “Also, the big thing I want is to crack America and open a branch there. We have so many customers in the US and we’re servicing them from Ireland. We need to be in America, so I’d love to either acquire a business there or open a premises.”

Hannon says when she turns 60, she’ll consider what to do about her retirement. Given the company name, is there any chance one of her adult children might take it on when she steps aside? “I don’t know,” she says. “I’d love for the kids to come along and get involved but it’s entirely their decision. I do have a condition though – they would have to work somewhere else in the industry for a couple of years first. They’d have to come back into the business bringing something with them.”

COMPANY: BearingPoint

SECTOR: Technology consultancy

LOCATION: Dublin

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Following significant growth in 2023 which saw the company’s workforce grow by 30% to 320 consultants, BearingPoint is expanding its workforce by over 15%, with an additional 50 new jobs to be filled this year.

COMPANY: Infineon Technologies

SECTOR: Power systems and IoT

ANNOUNCEMENT:

LOCATION: Cork and Dublin

Infineon Technologies is expanding its R&D presence within the next four years by over 100 new jobs in its Cork and Dublin sites. They will be split evenly between the two sites, bringing the total workforce to over 300.

COMPANY:

SD Worx

SECTOR: Payroll technology

LOCATION: Wicklow

ANNOUNCEMENT:

SD Worx Ireland is creating 40 new jobs in the next two years, as part of a €2.9 million investment in its workforce. Formerly Intelligo, the company expects to grow to a team of 115 by year-end 2025.

OpportunityIRELAND

InBusiness highlights some of the companies that are expanding operations and generating new employment opportunities across the country.

COMPANY: Element Fleet Management

SECTOR: Fleet Management

ANNOUNCEMENT:

LOCATION: Dublin

Element Fleet Management Corp, the largest publicly traded, pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, has announced the creation of 70 new jobs as it establishes a centralised leasing function in Dublin.

Irish CFOs forecast strong growth in 2024

Irish CFOs are forecasting strong growth in their organisations, with a consensus projection of 11% growth among the 150 senior finance leaders surveyed for the annual EY CFO Survey. The survey reveals that finance leaders are focusing on the opportunities of both M&A and AI. However, they are prioritising cost control, with cost reduction and improving e iciency top areas of focus for the year ahead.

COMPANY: IT.ie

SECTOR: IT

LOCATION: Dublin

ANNOUNCEMENT:

IT.ie is doubling its headcount in the next three years with the creation of 30 new jobs. The company will invest €2.5 million in its expansion as it hires for roles in its o ices in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

COMPANY: NRG Panel

SECTOR: Renewable energy

LOCATION: Countrywide

ANNOUNCEMENT:

NRG Panel is creating up to 125 new highly skilled jobs across the island of Ireland within the next three to five years. The company also plans to double the business within the next three years.

“CFOs are again putting their weight behind mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with growth through M&A a strategic long-term focus for three times as many finance leaders compared to this time last year. At the same time however, cost control continues to be a big focus – an enduring priority for finance leaders in every company since time immemorial.”

Derarca Dennis, Assurance Partner and Sustainability Services Lead at EY Ireland

TICKS

all the

Elavon takes the complexity out of payments, providing Irish businesses with a next-level service that simply works. InBUSINESS caught up with Head of Strategy at Elavon Europe, Scott Frisby, to find out what makes Elavon best in class

BOXES

Each day, sta at Elavon set themselves a test. ey ask themselves, is this particular solution either helping businesses save money or helping them sell? If the answer is yes, then it’s all systems go. If the answer is no, then it’s heads down until a more bene cial solution is created. Elavon seeks to provide businesses across a variety of industries with solutions that reduce the cost of doing business and make it easier and more e cient to sell more, says Scott Frisby, Head of Strategy at Elavon Europe. “We always put the commercial outcomes of our customers rst. at’s what makes us a tried and trusted payments partner for so many businesses across the world. Security and resilience are also the mainstay of our business; we’re a regulated, stable institution with robust governance controls and a best-in-class platform. Our customers feel safe with us.”

Scott Frisby, Head of Strategy, Elavon Europe

Elavon, a card payments specialist, provides card payment services to over two million customers globally and more than 30,000 in Ireland. With more than 4,300 employees and operations in 10 countries, the company provides businesses with the technology they need to accept payments from customers, whether they’re shopping in stores, at home or on the go. Business is good, says Scott, who says that in the last quarter of 2023, a so ening in consumer spending has brought about a “new normal”. “ e Covid recovery plus in ation meant that the total amount of processed volume that we saw in industries like hospitality, travel and retail increased substantially. at has now evened out and we’re back to a new normal. Consumers are beginning to moderate some of their spending in light of higher prices. I think we’re also seeing a transition away from experiences in favour of goods.”

Over the past few years, Elavon itself has been undergoing a transition. e business is rebalancing, says Scott. “Traditionally, I think we’ve been best known for our enterprise solutions and for working with Europe’s best-known brands in hospitality, airline, retail and transit. A signi cant proportion of our client base is now made up of small businesses. at’s a sector that’s increasingly important to us. For small and medium sized businesses, I think that choosing a payment partner is one of the most important decisions they’ll make. We aim to deliver simple, e cient payment solutions for every type of business, large or small.”

At Elavon, there are three innovations that place the company above its competitors. e rst is SoPOS – a technology that allows customers to accept card payments with only their smartphone. It is, says Scott, one of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the payments industry. “We work with a host of so ware providers and those partnerships reduce the cost for our merchants as they don’t need to get a separate payment terminal. It also increases exibility; they can accept payments on the go or on devices they’re already using in the course of their everyday business.”

e second innovation is Elavon’s exible platforms for APIs (Application Programming Interface), which make integrations with so ware providers much easier. “By bringing non-traditional players into the payments ecosystem, we have created a platform that’s very easy to integrate with and those integrations are happening more and more. An increasing number of businesses are embracing digitisation and moving their operations to the cloud. ey’re also realising the bene ts of systems integration and how it can save money and time. e pandemic has accelerated that trend and in turn, an awareness around the bene ts of systems integration.” In today’s increasingly automated environment, a merchant’s success o en comes down to understanding how best to navigate a so ware driven business. “One of the ways this complex operating environment is simpli ed is through a high trust, high service relationship with a provider.

“For small and medium sized businesses, I think that choosing a payment partner is one of the most important decisions they’ll make. We aim to deliver simple, e icient payment solutions for every type of business, large or small.”

“When we establish trust and good working relationships, it makes working in a more complex environment easier for our merchants.”

When we establish trust and good working relationships, it makes working in a more complex environment easier for our merchants.”

e third innovation is a voice-activated solution for industries like hospitality, healthcare and venues. Called ‘Audico’, it utilises voice technology to deliver a variety of voice-driven services. Elavon is the exclusive payments provider for the new technology, which is already being used at the Ascot Racecourse in the UK. Premium customers can call for betting services, order food and drinks and purchase merchandise from their private

Scott Frisby, Head of Strategy, Elavon Europe

boxes, all with a few simple words to the voice activated device. e audible command is then relayed to sta as a Card Not Present transaction; payment is made using a pre-determined account preference such as a credit card. “It’s another example of how we go the extra mile to improve the customer experience. A large part of that is seamless payments. I think our adoption of Audico shows how committed we are to not only providing our customers with the best service, but also fully embracing digital transformation.”

Irish businesses are beset by a host of challenges that make day to day operations more di cult. A lack of skilled sta across all industries is well documented, but it’s a pressure that can be eased through clever technology, says Scott. “Anything that makes each

individual sta member more e cient is something we’re 100% focused on. e ability to integrate a business so ware with a payments so ware makes every sta member more e ective, while our voice activation makes something like ordering more accurate. Solutions that reduce the burden on sta mean businesses can survive with fewer employees; we provide those solutions.” Rising costs are the eternal struggle for businesses. “How and when businesses should pass those costs onto their customers is a constant concern. By having just one terminal to manage your business, you’re taking some of those traditional costs out. Businesses that take those kinds of proactive decisions are lowering their costs and positioning themselves more competitively.”

Businesses are also being forced to go digital, sometimes whether they want to or not. “ ere’s even pressure on some digital businesses to gure out what their face to face strategy should be. We provide the tools for those businesses that make it easier for them to accept payments.”

When businesses are asked why they continue to do business with Elavon, the answer is usually the same. “It comes down to the quality of service they receive. Whether they’re a small business or a large enterprise, all our customers get the same high level of service. We’re very much a service-oriented business and that’s why we’re at the top of our game.” Elavon also takes the guesswork out of payments. “Merchants want a high performing, high execution payments system that o ers them good value. ey don’t need nor want to know the ins and outs of our business. ey just want something that works every time, all the time and doesn’t require a huge amount of attention. at’s what we o er.”

“They just want something that works every time, all the time and doesn’t require a huge amount of attention. That’s what we o er.”

In 2024 and beyond, Elavon plans to continue to expand its services and solutions into other countries. More strategic partnerships to make integrations even easier for merchants are also on the cards. “Going forward, I want to continue to grow our business. In 2023, we had a record year in terms of the volumes we processed and the merchants we served. For 2024, our ambition is to continue that trend. When it comes to payments, I think businesses should be asking themselves a few questions – who’s looking out for my business, who understands it as well as I do and who has an understanding of my industry. At Elavon, we tick all those boxes.”

MENTOR: DONAL O’RIAIN

INNOVATE TO ELEVATE

"We set out to basically use a co-product from the steel industry and turn it into a high quality cement. And that was, to me, a very attractive business model 20 years ago. We were successful in applying that business model in our first two plants.”

Despite the fact he started his own business almost 24 years ago, Donal O’Riain knows the importance of innovation and evolution. Coming from a background in engineering and management consultancy, Donal went on to set up his own consultancy operation in Paris. After developing his consultancy work, he spotted a gap in the market. “It wasn’t my intention, but a lot of the clients I had were in the building materials industry,” he says. “And that got me interested in the field of cement and the associated issues, including alternative types of cement that were less polluting.”

The seeds of an idea were sown in 1997, when the Kyoto Protocol was signed. “I was wondering about whether or not it would be worth trying to set up a business built around high quality cement and then with all the discussion around Kyoto, I realised that CO₂ was a problem. One of the industries that had the biggest problem with CO₂ was the cement industry because it had two sources of CO₂ – the energy it uses to make cement, which represents about a third of their CO₂ emissions, and then the chemistry involved in making it.”

He realised that the industry was going to find it very tough to decarbonise and that, along with his knowledge of cement technology, led him to start Ecocem in 2000. But the company has changed a lot in the years since.

“It’s a very different business today than it was,” he says. “We set out to basically use a coproduct from the steel industry and turn it into a high quality cement. And that was, to me, a very attractive business model 20 years ago. We were successful in applying that business model in our two first plants.”

The key to running a successful empire is innovation, says DONAL

O’RIAIN, Founder and Managing Director of Ecocem,

a company leading the way in low carbon cement technology

Over the years and with two other plants added, he saw that they weren’t innovating and that the business model was limited. The decision then came to focus on research and development. “I think cumulatively we probably invested €40 million in technology

"These targets are very far-reaching and will effectively mean that our priority materials –those

we buy most of – will all be either certified recycled, certified organic or certified as meeting third-party responsibility criteria.”

and the result is we’re now the global leader in high efficiency use of all types of cements.”

This shift in the business model not only benefited his company, but it suits the way in which he works personally, in terms of maintaining a level of excitement in the topic.

“I find in my particular case that the seven year rule applies. If I’m working seriously on a topic, after seven years I find I’ve learned most of the things I need to know, so it becomes less interesting to me. The solution for people who are employees is to change job, to get a promotion or to move company.

“But if you’re an entrepreneur, it’s more difficult to change. You can’t drop tools and get employment somewhere else, because you have to walk away from your company. So the best trick then is to change what the company does, move it onto something else, which is basically

what we did. We had a simple business model. Now we have a very sophisticated, technologyled business – we’re a technology company now more than an industrial company. So that’s really what’s kept me interested over 24 years – the nature of the business has changed and that’s thrown up a lot of really interesting and challenging things to do. That’s kept my interest alive.”

With so many years in the industry, does he have any tips for business owners or entrepreneurs starting out on their own journey? “You have to be serious and you have to be prepared to work hard. But that goes without saying. Everyone understands that it’s not going to be easy. It may be fun and it may be successful, but it’s not going to be easy.

“The second thing is that if you’re not interested in what you’re doing, you’re better off not doing it. You have to be really, really interested and committed to get a lot of satisfaction from being successful in your chosen area. If you don’t have that level of interest and commitment, it’s very hard to sustain the level of energy you have to provide.”

He also knows the value of a good team. “You have to be able to attract good people to work with you. The nicest thing is to enjoy doing useful work with people you admire. That’s the formula that I like to use. And if you can attract and keep those people and they buy into the vision of the company, they start to get their satisfaction and motivation from what the company is doing.”

But it’s not just the company ethos and vision that keeps a team motivated – it’s a challenge. “The more ambitious the company

is, the better the people will respond. If they’re challenged, they’ll respond. If they’re not challenged, they’ll sit back and take it easy and they’ll do their job, but they won’t produce miracles. If they feel challenged and motivated, however, they can do remarkable things with you. It’s key to attracting very good people that you enjoy working with and then making sure they have a challenge.

“Don’t be afraid to give them something different and new to do, because they’ll enjoy it more. And you’ll soon know if they’re out of their depth – you’ll recognise it and you can pull back. But the better people respond very well to the challenge. They won’t get bored after seven years and look somewhere else. Keep them on their toes and they’ll say, ‘I have enough novelty here’.”

Fortuitously, two of the people on his team are from his own family. “I have two of my kids working [in Ecocem]. Conor O’Riain is the Managing Director of Ecocem Europe, so the senior manager in the company. And he does a brilliant job.

“We have no salespeople who invite a customer to go golfing, but the customers are

"You have to be able to attract good people to work with you. The nicest thing is to enjoy doing useful work with people you admire. That’s the formula that I like to use.”

loyal because they know that we’re part of their ecosystem, their system of support that keeps them performing to the best of their abilities. We’ve built that very purposely over the last five to seven years. I think now we have, by a substantial margin, the best quality of sales and technical support people in any of our markets. And that’s a major strength for us. That’s something that my eldest son has built up largely on his own initiative. He drove that change.”

The second son, Gavin O’Riain, is the European Marketing Director and he works in the technology transfer area. “We have to negotiate quite complex agreements with [major companies], which are fair to both sides, but also give them the support that they need to move quickly to deployment of this technology. Those are quite complex agreements. So he works with a small team that leads our negotiation work in those areas.”

Despite having family members as part of the company, he’s not in the business of nepotism. “[Both my sons] are performing very well in the business, otherwise they wouldn’t be in there.”

SINGLE MARKET – the next phase

The Single Market must evolve and adapt if it’s to reach its full potential. InBUSINESS chats to South Dublin Chamber CEO Peter Byrne about the changes that must be made to allow businesses to thrive

OnJanuary 1st 1993, the European Single Market was established, guaranteeing the free movement of goods, services, people and capital in the EU. Covering the 27 EU member states along with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (through the European Economic Area), the Single Market has provided Ireland with access to a marketplace of 450 million people, enhancing our competitiveness as a location for FDI and providing a huge talent pool to support economic growth.

However, like everything in life nothing is constant and in order for the Single Market to fulfil its potential, change is required. “The single market is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened for trade in Ireland, or indeed for any other European country. But like anything else, it must adapt to the current economic environment and the challenges posed by it. One of those challenges is the energy crisis; the single market needs to have a diversity of energy sources and it needs to have regulation. We must ensure we’re not forced to deal with countries that

“The single market is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened for trade in Ireland, or indeed for any other European country.”

we’re at risk from,” says Peter Byrne, Chief Executive at South Dublin Chamber. Peter is also an Irish Employers Representative to the EU EESC (European and Economic Social Committee) and a member of the Section for Economic and Monetary Union.

When it comes to the energy crisis, positive steps are being taken. In March, ESB and Bord na Móna officially launched Ireland’s largest onshore wind farm in Mayo, while some European countries are setting up gas storage tanks for liquid gas. “In terms of the single market, energy is absolutely critical and that’s due to the war in Ukraine which impacted European countries much more than any other region in the world.”

Regulation in the Single Market is also required, says Peter. “Some other countries haven’t fully bought into the idea of the Single Market and they have introduced their own local regulation. I believe the EU Commission needs to be more direct in telling member states that all regulation must be uniform across the EU to allow people to trade more easily and more profitably.”

Networks across the EU must also be strengthened

The number of women entrepreneurs in Europe is considerably smaller than it is in America. We have to ask ourselves the question, why are we not tapping into half the population?”

We have to ask ourselves the question, why are we not tapping into half the population?”

It sounds like there’s a lot of work to do to fully capitalise on the opportunities the Single Market presents. “ ere is, but everything we need to make those changes happen are available to us. I think the big thing that’s missing is a sense of urgency. e problem is that we understandably get distracted by issues such as Covid, the climate crisis, the energy crisis. It feels like we’re lurching from one crisis to another. But in your core planning team, you must have people that can say right, we’re going to accept these crises as a part of life and in the meantime, what can we do to make sure the Single Market remains prominent across everything that we do?”

to allow for easier mobility. For the Single Market to function e ciently, we need three strong networks – transport, energy and data, the latter of which is the weakest of the three. “Data networks must be facilitated because you can’t have a green, digitalised economy unless you have good data networks that can transfer information securely.” Education around digitisation is also key – how do we harmonise education and vocational education skills in particular across the EU to ensure a similar knowledge spread? “If I want to employ someone in Estonia or Slovakia, I want to know that they’ve had a similar education framework in relation to the digital green economy. If we can get that right, we will have a large number of people who can contribute to the workforce.”

Speed of implementation is key, says Peter. “We can continue to talk about nding pathways and addressing issues that prevent groups of people, in particular women, from entering into the workforce, but if we’re not doing anything about it, then it’s pointless. e number of women entrepreneurs in Europe is considerably smaller than it is in America.

“The problem is that we understandably get distracted by issues such as Covid, the climate crisis, the energy crisis. It feels like we’re lurching from one crisis to another.”

As CEO at South Dublin Chamber, Peter is advising businesses around skills shortages, rising costs and export challenges every day. “When it comes to exporting, the rst thing we’d do is try and work out what their alternatives are. Logistics companies have found ways around some of the issues that businesses are faced with; maybe they’re travelling at the wrong time or maybe they’re using the wrong type of transport.”

In terms of energy costs, there’s some proactive action that businesses can take. “I would recommend that businesses remain active within their Chamber. e network of chambers across the country are the voice of business at government level. We are constantly lobbying government to bring down the price of energy.” Partnerships with companies operating in other countries can be a way of overcoming some of the hurdles businesses are facing. “Maybe you don’t need to do all of your processing in one particular area. A partnership with another EU company could potentially help you in terms of your distribution network.”

e lack of a sense of urgency must be frustrating. “No, I don’t really get frustrated because I think what it would be like if we never joined the EU. Yes, there are days when I wish it was better but I’m not going to lose sight of the fact that what we have is brilliant so let’s champion that and let’s try and make it better.”

European Union Vice President Maroš Šefčovič and Peter Byrne, CEO, South Dublin Chamber

Peter Byrne, CEO, South Dublin Chamber

Can you tell me about Ethos and what you do?

We’re a health product business – we sell di erent supplements and also food products. We sell them both online on our e-commerce store and in health food shops, pharmacies and supermarkets as well. We’re a stress-care™ brand, which is a phrase we trademarked. With our doctors and our team, we’ve identi ed that stress is the common denominator behind most health concerns whether it’s gut issues, immunity or anxiety. We are building a portfolio of products to help people a ected by stress.

What inspired your brand shift last year?

When we launched in 2020, we started with CBD products. e catalyst for starting the company initially was the fact that I had a nine month period of really poor health about six years ago when I was working in the corporate world. I went through the traditional healthcare system and we couldn’t gure out what was wrong with me. I was prescribed lots of medication but I got progressively worse. I was introduced to a functional medical practitioner and looked at it holistically. CBD was one of the products I used, so we launched with CBD products. But our goal was always to grow bigger. It was 2023 when we discovered that the World Health Organisation says that stress is the root cause of 90% of chronic health issues. Everything we’ve done since then is about helping people a ected by stress, trying to restore balance but to help them build resistance to stress.

Management

With research showing that stress is the root cause of the majority of chronic health issues, Irish wellness brand Ethos has repositioned itself to tackle the stress epidemic. Here, Co-Founder FERGUS KERRIGAN talks about this pivot and the company’s plans for the future

Ethos Founders Fergus Kerrigan and Amy O’Flaherty

Do you think that stress care is something we need to focus on more?

Absolutely. I think we all probably inherently know some of the drivers behind it. We do a lot of research – we just did research with 400 customers. e biggest thing that came out of that was the demands people are being put under at work. Most people’s stress is emanating from their work. But we also know that technology, and our relationship with technology, is an extremely new thing. e intense relationships with our phones, that’s only happened in the last 15 years. I think that as a society, we’re trying to catch up in terms of how we manage that relationship and that’s de nitely feeding into the stress.

Can you tell me a bit about your product, Ethos Resilience?

We launched Resilience six weeks ago and it’s probably the most excited we’ve been about a launch. We worked on it for a year with our team of nutritional therapists. We’ve designed this product with di erent adaptogen herbs, which help to target stress and lower cortisol in the body. We’ve also got 18 other key nutrients and vitamins that the body needs for energy, your immune system and also brain cognition.

e supplement itself is in a sachet and you mix it with water in the morning. It’s got a pleasant blood orange avour. You can bring the sachet on the go with you as well, if you want to bring it to work or you’re travelling, so it’s very convenient.

What are some of the goals and ambitions you have for the future of the business?

We want to grow out our product portfolio in stress care, but then one key goal within Ireland is to really gain more traction within the pharmacy channel. at’s something with our previous products, especially CBD, that we’ve been quite constrained with. We really want to grow our footprint within pharmacies here in Ireland, so that’s a key goal for us. And then Resilience, we feel, has quite a lot of export potential. Again, we were constrained with CBD, so that’s something exciting within our product space business.

“The intense relationships with our phones, that’s only happened in the last 15 years. I think we’re trying to catch up as a society in terms of how we manage that relationship and that’s definitely feeding into the stress.”

Do you export anything at the moment or is that a future goal?

We do. We have a few retailers in the UK, some in Spain, Malta and then obviously with the online trade, we ship across Europe. I would say we’re probably 90% in Ireland, about 8% UK and then 2% dotted around between the other countries. So we do export, but there’s certainly room for growth.

What are some of the challenges you face as a business?

e main challenge we faced from the start has been around the fact that we stock and manufacture CBD products. e regulation around that has a ected us mostly from a funding perspective. We’ve been entitled to multiple grants that we’ve later been refused. Now that we’ve broadened our product range, I’m hoping we’ll be able to access other supports that will help with export.

What do you think are some of the most important things people can do to manage stress?

I think probably the rst thing with most people is trying to peel back the layers a bit and understand what you value in your life – that good energy, that happiness. I think a lot of the time we’re very much caught in the rat race, unfortunately, and I’m not immune to it myself. I feel like the rst step is to understand what really brings you joy. Trying to nd out what you value and to carve out time in your week to do those things. It’s also trying to understand the key triggers that bring you stress. ere’s always going to be a level of stress. e big word is the name of our new product – Resilience. I think that’s an essential part of life. We’re always going to have stressors, but the key is trying to gure out your own way of managing it. I think that starts with kids and teenagers – unfortunately we have a lot of parents seeking us out. But I think building resilience at a younger age will help future generations.

help future generations.

“It’s also trying to understand the key triggers that bring you stress. There’s always going to be a level of stress. The big word is the name of our new product –Resilience. I think that’s an essential part of life. We’re always going to have stressors, but the key is trying to figure out your own way of managing it.”

Celebrating and recognising excellence in the Irish investor market, the inaugural IRISH INVESTOR AWARDS in association with Mazars will take place this summer

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

Taking place on the 17th of May at Dublin’s iconic Mansion House, the inaugural Irish Investor Awards in association with Mazars will recognise and honour the outstanding achievements, innovation and dedication of individuals and organisations in the nancial industry. With 16 distinct categories, the awards present companies within this sector the opportunity to showcase their expertise and commitment. Whether you’re a rising star or an industry veteran, we encourage you to enter one

or more of our categories and let your accomplishments shine. e closing date for entries is the 23rd of February. As you embark on this journey, you’ll have the chance to connect with some of the foremost gures in the business world. Being named a nalist means you’ll join other thought leaders, forging valuable connections and inspiring each other to reach new heights. e gala dinner, hosted at the historic Mansion House, will provide an exceptional backdrop for networking, celebration, and welldeserved recognition.

BECOME A SPONSOR

Engaging in the Irish Investor Awards will help businesses enhance their presence and reputation within the industry. Industry awards events provide an excellent platform to connect with key players in the investment sectors; they also attract a diverse range of professionals, including investors, entrepreneurs, advisors and other service providers.

Go to www.irishinvestorawards.ie for more information on sponsoring a category at the Irish Investor Awards.

IRISH INVESTOR AWARDSCATEGORIES

Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year

Corporate Law Firm of the Year

Deal of the Year

(€2.5m - €10m)

Deal of the Year (Sub €2.5m)

Deal of the Year > €10m

Debt Funding

Deal of the Year > 10m

Debt Funding

Deal of the Year <10m

Due Diligence Team of the Year

Environmental, Social, and Governance Deal of the Year

International PE investment in Irish company Deal of the Year

International VC investment in Irish company Deal of the Year

Irish Private Equity House of the Year

Irish VC House of the Year

Lifetime Achievement

Portfolio Deal of the Year

Rising Star Under 30

OUR HEADLINE PARTNER

Mazars is the headline partner for the 2024 Irish Investor Awards. A leading international audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm, Mazars works as one integrated team, leveraging expertise, scale and cultural understanding to deliver cutting edge services in audit, assurance, tax, consulting, financial advisory, corporate finance and financial outsourcing.

With over 700 staff across offices in Dublin, Galway and Limerick, the Irish firm draws on the expertise of more than 47,000 professionals in over 95 countries to assist major international corporates, SMEs, financial institutions and public bodies achieve their strategic and business goals.

DATES TO REMEMBER

17TH MAY

Gala Event in the Mansion House, Dublin 2

Go to www.irishinvestorawards.ie for more information

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Invoice and CEO impersonation fraud is rife and small businesses are particularly at risk.

Mary D’Arcy, Financial Crime Lead at Banking & Payments Federation Ireland, o ers guidance on how to avoid the fraudsters

“Two of the most common types of fraud targeted at small businesses are invoice redirection and CEO/executive impersonation fraud.”

Advances in technology and arti cial intelligence (AI) have undoubtedly brought bene ts to SMEs, streamlining operations and enhancing e ciencies. is progress has also led to an increase in sophisticated scams and ransomware attacks, posing signi cant challenges for businesses.

Fraudsters take advantage of busy work schedules and create an unnecessary sense of urgency in the hope that businesses won’t take the time to do the necessary checks. Given large organisations tend to have enhanced security systems, many fraudsters have turned their focus towards smaller businesses who are more vulnerable and have less resources or funds to invest in security. Fraudsters combine traditional communication channels such as phone calls, text messages and emails with technology such as fake videos or voice AI to target victims, making common scams more sophisticated.

Over the past number of years many businesses have adapted to a hybrid work model, which has come with great bene ts but has also added another layer of risk for small businesses. For many, the speed of change to work-from-home practices didn’t allow time to put in place su cient precautions and processes, training for sta or appropriate security systems suitable for remote work. Scams are also easier to fall victim to when working from home, as the employee is unable to see if the CEO or executive is in their o ce or to check verbally with a colleague. Two of the most common types of fraud targeted at small businesses are invoice redirection and CEO/executive impersonation fraud.

Invoice redirection fraud

Invoice redirection fraud is where a fraudster emails a business pretending to be a supplier or service provider. e email address may be very similar to the correct email address and an employee may not notice subtle di erences, such as a zero instead of the letter ‘o’ or some other slight discrepancy. e content may also mirror communication that the company regularly receives from the supplier, including logos and signatures. e email will provide ‘new bank account details’ and request that all future payments to the supplier should be made to the new account. O en there is no request for payment but when the business receives the next legitimate invoice from the real supplier, the payment is made to the ‘new’ bank account, which of course goes straight to the fraudster. Generally, it is only when a reminder to pay the invoice comes in that a business will realise what has happened. By then, the fraudster has their money and it’s too late to recall the payment.

It is important to have a veri cation process in place before changing bank account details of suppliers or service providers. Simple, compulsory processes like picking up the phone to a known contact in the company or using the contact number on the o cial website can prevent fraud from happening in the rst instance. It is also recommended to have a minimum dual sign o process on large, if not all, payments. Not only does it minimise risk of payments going to a fraudster’s account, but also reduces the risk of fraudsters being able to hack into a business’s online banking, as two sign-ins are required.

CEO/executive impersonation fraud

CEO fraud is where a fraudster impersonates the CEO or a senior executive of a company. A legitimate email account is hacked and the fraudster sends an email to an employee who deals with nances to request a payment to a supplier. Bank account details may be provided in the email or the request may be for an existing supplier who has recently sent ‘new’ account details (ie the fraudster’s account – see invoice redirection fraud above). Fraudsters use malware to hack into email and will monitor how the CEO/senior executive writes their emails, the tone, common phrases they use and how they sign o . ey will then o en take an opportune moment when they know the CEO is out of the o ce, such as on annual leave, to send the email requesting the employee make the payment.

ABOUT FRAUDSMART

FRAUDSMART ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS

» Secure your devices - with up-to-date antivirus software, firewalls and encryption

» Establish clear policies and procedures - on how to handle sensitive information and financial transactions

» Use two factor authentication (2FA)

» Limit access to sensitive information - to only those who need it to do their jobs

» Conduct background checks - prior to hiring new sta

» Ensure sta are given appropriate training on cyber securitywith a focus on phishing emails

» Don’t allow sta to bring physical files from the o ice to home.

FRAUDSMART ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES

» Keep your home Wi-Fi network, work laptop and smartphone secure

» Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks

» Keep your work area secure - don’t have passwords taped on the wall and lock your computer when you are away from your desk

» Stay up-to-date on company policies - including data security, remote work and fraud prevention

» If you receive an unusual email from a senior member of your organisation - contact them using a known email or phone number. Do not reply to the email or use contact details in the mail.

It is important to have a procedure in place for ad hoc or irregular payment requests and employees should be fully informed of potential risks and empowered to check with the person who they believe sent the email, no matter how senior or busy they are. is should not be done by replying to the email but by calling the CEO or executive directly, asking them in person or using some other trusted communication method. Security and anti-virus so ware should only be purchased from well-known providers. Never install security so ware by clicking on links for adverts online or social media.

If your business falls victim to fraud, report it straight away to your bank and An Garda Síochana. Download the FraudSMART business guide here and read our tips above.

FraudSMART is a fraud awareness initiative developed by Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) to help businesses and consumers recognise and prevent fraud - in conjunction with Allied Irish Bank plc, An Post, Avant Money, Bank of Ireland, Barclays Bank Ireland, Citibank Plc, PTSB and Ulster Bank. Visit www.FraudSMART.ie for further information and sign up to our fraud alerts at www.fraudsmart.ie/sign-up

“It

is important to have a procedure in place for ad hoc or irregular payment requests.”

“With the support of the Board and the Chamber team, I am energised about the exciting year ahead for County Wexford, including the boost that Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will bring to the business and wider community of our county.”

Paula Roche, CEO, Co Wexford Chamber

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

Opportunities for growth in Limerick

Limerick Chamber hosted its first business luncheon of the new year on 30th January at the Limerick Strand Hotel, with guests travelling from across the Mid-West to network with their peers and hear the keynote address by IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan. The event, attended by 190 members, celebrated the decades of work by IDA and regional stakeholders to support Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the Mid-West and the transformative effect this has had on the region. In his presentation, Michael Lohan spoke about the international challenges facing FDI markets, recent developments and priorities for Limerick and finally transformation and research, development and innovation (RD&I). He also outlined exciting opportunities for further growth, particularly emphasising the incredible natural assets of the Shannon Estuary and the potential for the region to become a renewable energy hub. The luncheon was made possible through the generous sponsorship of AIB whose representative, Margaret O’Connor, took the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to all attendees.

Tipperary Chamber hosts Minister at President’s Lunch

The County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its annual President’s Lunch at the Anner Hotel in Thurles. This year’s event was particularly notable as the Chamber is on the cusp of celebrating 99 years of service to the business community. Minister Helen McEntee and Senator Garret Ahearn also attended, as well as the first President from Nenagh, marking it an event of unity and progress. Minister McEntee, a key advocate for business and community safety, engaged in discussions about the pressing issues that face local businesses and community members daily. The conversations centered around the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to create a safer business environment across the county. CHAMBER COMMENT

New President at Co Tipperary Chamber

At its AGM, County Tipperary Chamber announced the appointment of Sarah Fogarty as its new President. Sarah, who is based in Nenagh and currently working for Community Power, brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community development to her new role. At the AGM, members of County Tipperary Chamber elected Sarah due to her dedication and passion for enhancing the local business environment. Commenting on her appointment, Sarah Fogarty said: “I am deeply honoured to serve as the President of County Tipperary Chamber. I am committed to fostering innovation, supporting local businesses and promoting economic development in our region. I look forward to working closely with our members and stakeholders to create a vibrant and thriving business community in County Tipperary.”

100 years of diplomatic relations

The United States is celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations with Ireland this year. The first event was a ‘fireside chat’ with Joseph Kennedy, Special Economic envoy to Northern Ireland. Dundalk Chamber was invited, with PRO Paddy Malone attending. Paddy obtained permission to extend the invite to the three constituent members of the M1 Corridor, Drogheda Dundalk and Newry. He took the opportunity to outline what the www. m1corridor.ie was focused on, namely the balanced growth of that region within the National Development Plan. He also took the opportunity explain how companies had already moved to the region, giving employment to hundreds North and South.

Minister McGrath attends Cork Chamber Dinner

Cork Chamber welcomed 1,000 guests to its Annual Dinner 2024, sponsored by AIB. Guest of honour, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath TD, was among those in attendance at the black-tie corporate event. In his address, President of Cork Chamber, Ronan Murray spoke of Cork’s opportunity to integrate economic growth and environmental responsibility, while cementing its position as a world-leading destination of choice for global companies. He highlighted Ireland’s extraordinary capacity to attract and retain substantial foreign direct investment, while also fostering a supportive environment for indigenous firms to expand internationally.

Ronan Murray, President of Cork Chamber; Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath; Pat Horgan, Head of Business Banking Capital Markets, AIB; Annie FitzGibbon, Director of Members Services, Cork Chamber; and Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber

Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber launches Business Support Pack

Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber recently launched Ireland’s first ‘Business Support Pack’ to provide information on grants, resources, funding and supports. Exclusively sponsored by Eirgrid, the pack includes information on resources available to businesses in many areas including employer and workforce supports to attain talent and training, upskilling and apprenticeships. The ‘Business Support Pack’ was put together to address concerns raised in a D&WW Chamber survey, around the overwhelming amount of business information members face and trying to decipher what was relevant to them.

Launching the Business Support Pack, Minister Donohoe said: “Businesses using the pack will be quickly guided to what is relevant to their situation, minimising confusion and strengthening connections between supports and business sustainability.”

You can download the Business Support Pack from the D&WW Chamber website here https://dungarvanchamber. ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Business-Support-Pack.pdf

Waterford Chamber hosts Jobs & Skills Fair

Hosted by Waterford Chamber and supported by the Department of Social Protection and Waterford City & County Council, the South East Jobs & Skills Fair was held on February 17th at Waterford City Hall. Pictured at the event were Cllr Joe Conway, Mayor of Waterford City & County; Sean Toolin, Bohemians Football for All and Special Olympics Waterford; Rosalind Threadgold, Waterford & Wexford ETB; and Gerald Hurley, Chief Executive, Waterford Chamber.

New CEO at Co Wexford Chamber

County Wexford Chamber has announced the appointment of Paula Roche as its new Chief Executive Officer. With a background in senior leadership and delivering customer solutions, Paula brings a wealth of experience in driving business growth to the Chamber. A Wexford native, Paula’s previous roles include Managing Director of Consumer Solutions at Equifax Ltd, the global consumer credit reporting agency. Working at the top-tier level in the financial and tech sector in London, Dublin and Wexford, Paula has spearheaded critical regulatory programmes, implemented large-scale digital transformations and led the product development lifecycle from design to launch. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as County Wexford Chamber embarks on its “Sustainable Prosperity for All” mission, as outlined in its Strategic Plan. “With the support of the Board and the Chamber team, I am energised about the exciting year ahead for County Wexford, including the boost that Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will bring to the business and wider community of our county.”

Pictured are Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform; Sinead Dooley, Head of Public Engagement, Eirgrid; and Oren Byrne, D&WW Chamber President

Dublin Chamber applauds Leo Varadkar’s contribution to Dublin

Leo Varadkar has led Ireland to recovery since and during Covid. He has profoundly impacted the political, economic and social landscape during his successful tenure as leader. “We’ve been fortunate to engage with him in each of his roles as a Minister and as Taoiseach. Investment, employment and living standards are now at the highest levels in the history of the State. We want to thank him for his long-standing support for and engagement with Dublin Chamber in our work in advocating for businesses in the region and we wish him well for the future”, Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber said. Burke continued: “We will hold a special half day meeting of our elected Policy Council to set out our lobbying priorities for the next Taoiseach and new leader of Fine Gael. We will be encouraging the current Government under a new Taoiseach to accelerate the delivery of water, energy and transport infrastructure for the region and to ensure more affordable housing is made available across the city and its many commuting towns.”

Ballina Chamber hosts IWD gathering

Ballina Chamber was thrilled to host its fourth International Women’s Day gathering at The Cot & Cobble, Ballina. The event celebrated the vibrant community of women in Ballina, offering the opportunity to come together and reflect on our collective achievements, embrace the theme of “Inspire Inclusion” whilst also raising funds for chosen charity, Mayo Mental Health Association. Pictured are Mags Downey; Martin Chamber, CEO; Tacey Glacken, Ballina Chamber President; guest speaker, Síle Seoige; and Niamh Ryan, Ballina Chamber PRO.

Fingal Hubs Connected has the ‘craic’

To highlight the three Fingal Hubs Connected locations, the Hubs’ creative studio at Drinan recently had the ‘craic’ playing host to Doireann, Louise and Siomha of How to Gael, Ireland’s new bilingual podcast. Fingal Hubs Connected are based in Fingal County Council’s three Enterprise Centres – BASE in Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, Drinan Enterprise Centre in Swords and BeAt Balbriggan. Studio Drinan allows for podcasts or webcasts, ideal for anyone looking to market goods or services. Fingal Hubs Connected offers excellent facilities and networking opportunities for local workers, while giving the local economy a boost. How to Gael is the new generation of Irish speakers who are living, working, socialising and reviving an Ghaeilge in a way that is suimiuil, spraoiúil agus just good craic. Fingal Hubs Connected list their available desks and meeting rooms on connectedhubs.ie

New CEO at DLR County Chamber

Pamela Caldwell Pim has been announced as the new CEO at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Chamber (DLR Chamber). To mark her arrival to the region, Pamela and her team organised a successful event to mark International Women’s Day, spearheaded by DLR County Chamber’s WIBA (Women in Business Association). The event itself was

sponsored by RBK and Local Enterprise Office DLR, attended by over 150 guests with networking, a delicious lunch, a panel discussion on the topic of #InspireInclusion, followed by a fashion show with Lorraine Keane’s Fashion Relief clothing, supporting Breast Cancer Ireland. The raffle alone on the day raised over €3,500. Celebrating

CHAMBER CAPTION

75 years as a Chamber this year, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Chamber (DLR Chamber) has an exciting line up of events planned including a season of networking and educational events for members, as well as their County Business Awards later in the year, with headline sponsor Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Enniscorthy & District Chamber Joins County Wexford Chamber

County Wexford Chamber has announced the integration of Enniscorthy & District Chamber, with the negotiation process having been chaired by Lorcan Kinsella, President of the County Wexford Chamber. This significant step heralds a new chapter for both chambers, enhancing support, expanding networking opportunities and strengthening advocacy for businesses throughout County Wexford. By coming together, the two chambers unite the four pivotal districts of New Ross, Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy, forming a unified force for economic development and improved services for members. “The inclusion of the Enniscorthy & District Chamber marks a significant milestone for our community and signals a promising future for local businesses,” said Lorcan Kinsella. “I am honoured to have chaired the negotiations leading to this successful outcome, underscoring our collective ambition to enhance and unify the business landscape across County Wexford.”

Pictured is Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, at a Shannon Chamber luncheon to discuss economic development issues requiring Government intervention with (from left) Eoin Gavin, President, Shannon Chamber; Colin MacDonald, Chief Executive, Fine Grain Property; and Helen Downes, Chief Executive, Shannon Chamber. Photograph by Eamon Ward

Opportunity knocks

The new CEO of County Kildare Chamber, Sinéad Ronan, is working to ensure the county continues to grow and prosper

How are you finding your new role?

Well firstly, I would like to thank the Chamber board and our membership for placing their trust in me. It is a huge honour and I am excited to be moving into the next stage of my career with County Kildare Chamber, having been our Head of Public Affairs for the last number of years. When it comes to my new position in the company, I am first and foremost aware of the responsibilities I am undertaking. They include the wide array of personal and financial management, but also planning and executing the Chamber’s business strategy for the next five years. When I look at Co Kildare and the Chamber’s place within it, I can only feel confident about our future.

Do you think your previous role has given you an understanding of what's required as CEO?

Yes. As Head of Public Affairs for the Chamber, I was in touch with our membership on a constant basis. I formed and built relationships with all of our key stakeholders and public representatives through our lobbying and advocacy work. As a result, I have come to this role with a deep understanding of how the Chamber works and operates, with a deep knowledge of the political and economic climate and the challenges and opportunities within it. This has meant that I can continue to lobby and advocate for our membership and the wider business network on a policy level, whilst also combining it with the wider reaching role of CEO and the opportunity that affords.

What is the business sentiment in Kildare?

Business sentiment is strongly positive. In our latest sentiment for Q1 2024, over

70% of our businesses stated they are confident in their outlook for 2024. 65% of respondents show they are planning for increased profits, while close to 70% are showing forecasts of increases in revenue. Staffing and skilled labour shortages seem to have taken a positive turn in recent months, with close to 50% of our businesses stating they will not have an issue with staffing this year. Many of our businesses have taken advantage of new technology and hybrid working to tackle potential staffing issues. Close to 60% have stated they have taken on new employees and increased staff training programmes in the last 12 months. Issues surrounding housing availability and delivery along with infrastructure development remain top concerns for Kildare businesses and this will continue to be a focus for Co Kildare Chamber into 2024. The Chamber will continue to highlight these issues with our stakeholders, particularly in the run up to the local and European Elections, with the Chamber in the final stages of producing its manifestos for both.

How does Kildare Chamber respond to the needs of its members?

County Kildare Chamber is at its heart a business representative body. I initially came to the Chamber in Jan 2022 as Head of Public Affairs. We were the first Chamber outside of a city in Ireland to create a permanent policy and advocacy function within the network. This has afforded our Chamber the advantage of providing insight and understanding to stakeholders from Kildare county to Government departments on the needs and wants of our membership, whilst also highlighting both the opportunities and challenges to business growth within Kildare.

As Chief Executive, what are your ambitions?

My main objective is to continue to see positive growth within Kildare. We have a great county here, with a mix of FDI and home-grown indigenous successes. I want to ensure the groundwork is in place to ensure the growth and successes we have seen over the last number of years are sustainable. This means long term plans such as Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan must come to fruition, whilst also taking into account we are living in a vastly different country to the one Ireland was when these plans were initially introduced in 2016. Kildare is the fourth largest county in Ireland, with a population of 246,977, an increase of over 11% since 2016. Our highly skilled workforce and the attractiveness of our region with connectivity to Dublin makes us a prime location for business and investment. For Kildare and the country as a whole to be successful, we need all our infrastructure to be working together in a sustainable way. For Kildare to continue to attract investment and grow, our stakeholders need to deliver on long-term planning commitments.

Irish GDP set for growth

John Fahey, AIB Senior Economist, gives his outlook for the Irish economy for 2024 along with his insights from 2023 economic data

The global economy registered a subdued performance in 2023.

The impact of tighter monetary policy became increasingly visible as the year progressed, business and consumer confidence turned down and the rebound in China faded. Both the IMF and OECD estimate that the world economy grew by around 3% last year, which is modest in historic terms. Growth in advanced economies was even weaker, estimated at just 1.6% according to the IMF, with the UK and Eurozone economies expanding by 0.1% and 0.5% respectively. Headline inflation did fall sharply over the course of the year, aided by falling commodity prices. However, core inflation was slower to decline.

The Irish economy experienced a sharp slowdown in growth in 2023, following the very strong performances seen in 2021 and 2022, when GDP rose by 15% and 9.4% respectively. The CSO estimates that GDP for 2023 contracted by 3.2%. However, this reflected a marked post-pandemic decline in

"All of the main official international forecasters are projecting another year of subdued growth for the global economy this year."

manufacturing output in the pharmaceutical sectors which had seen a surge in production during Covid-19. Meanwhile, modified final domestic demand (MFDD), which is regarded as a better measure of underlying growth, also slowed sharply. MFDD data show the domestic economy rose by 0.5% last year, impacted by a weak outturn from core investment, especially in relation to machinery and equipment spending. However, consumer spending expanded by a 3.1% over this period.

The Irish economy will continue to face a number of headwinds in 2024. All of the main official international forecasters are projecting another year of subdued growth for the global economy this year. High interest rates (albeit rates are expected to begin to be lowered as the year progresses), much tighter financial conditions, less supportive fiscal policy, continuing high levels of uncertainty and elevated geopolitical risks, are all expected to weigh on activity in the world economy for the year ahead.

John Fahey, AIB Senior Economist

The Irish economy is not immune to these trends but the pace of growth here is expected to strengthen from the very weak rate experienced in 2023. This is against the backdrop of a continuing positive pipeline of FDI. At the same time, strong public finances will allow fiscal policy to remain supportive of growth. Private sector balance sheets are characterised by low debt and high savings. Thus, most forecasts are for Irish GDP to grow by around 3% in 2024.

AIB Business Deposit accounts – you can now earn more from your savings with an AIB Fixed Term Deposit account

To support business customers in achieving a return on their funds, AIB has a range of Fixed Term Deposit options and competitive interest rates available. In September 2023, AIB announced increased deposit rates of up to 3% for AIB Fixed Term accounts.

To earn a return on your money, whilst also having a strong feeling of security, look at opening one of the AIB Fixed Term Deposit accounts that are available. There is a choice of term options with different interest rates applying – 6 Months (Annual Equivalent Rate/AER 1.5%), 1 Year (AER 2.5%) and 2 Years (3.02%). See table below for more detail.

The Fixed Term Deposit options are for businesses who have at least €15,000 available to put away for the full term and still have enough money in other accounts that can be easily accessed. To open an account, customers can visit one of our 170 branches across the country and speak to one of our dedicated deposit specialists or contact their relationship manager.

AIB’s Head of SME, John Brennan, said: “Reflecting the changing interest rate environment, AIB has increased rates across our variable and fixed rate deposit products on a number of occasions since November 2022.

“For business customers who have larger sums to save for longer periods, we have increased all our Fixed Term deposit rates, offering a 3% return on our 2-Year Fixed Term Deposit account, 2.50% on our 1 Year Fixed Term and 1.5% A.E.R. for our 6 Month Fixed Term. We encourage all customers to continuously monitor our savings and deposit offerings.”

"We encourage all customers to continuously monitor our savings and deposit o erings."

The interest rates available on our Fixed Term Deposit Product as at [16/02/2024]:

Minimum deposit balance of €15,000 required. Funds are not accessible for the term. Customers have 7 days to lodge money to the Fixed Term Deposit once account activated. Interest starts once money is lodged. Terms and conditions apply. Interest is subject to Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT). To nd out more have a look at our website; AIB/Business/ Business-Accounts/Fixed-Term-Deposit-Account.

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

Advancing renewable energy goals

Biogas – towards an Irish-Brazilian alliance to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions

Minister Eamon Ryan has returned from a trip to Brazil, where he praised Brazil`s leadership in organising a task force on financing the transition to sustainable energy within the G20, whose heads of state meet in November in Rio de Janeiro. “What we don’t want is to go into a protectionist world”. Postponing the move away from fossil fuels, he said, “is not in Brazil’s interest and it is not in Ireland’s”. In the fight to decarbonise, the race is on to develop long-term renewable sources. Not surprisingly, bilateral cooperation projects to develop solar and wind power were on the Minister's agenda in Brazil.

Agricultural powerhouses for the future

Nowhere is the green transition more challenging than in agriculture. Ireland and Brazil share a thriving agricultural sector, boasting highly productive crops and pastures. Both nations are rightly proud of the lush agricultural expanses that moulded their history and peoples and which today help feed the world. But because agriculture, unlike other sectors, can’t be fully decarbonised using existing technologies, both countries also share the challenge of making agriculture fully sustainable, so that food production is an ally – rather than a threat – to climate sustainability. Feeding the world’s population must go hand in hand with ensuring a healthy environment.

One increasingly popular alternative is renewable gas, commonly known as biogas. In contrast to natural gas, for example, it produces clean emissions-free electricity, as it is generated when organic waste decomposes in an oxygen-

“In the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources, biogas emerges as a promising solution, particularly for countries as agriculturally rich as Ireland and Brazil.”

free environment through “anaerobic digestion”. Biogas is a versatile energy that can be sourced from a diversity of origins, such as effluents and organic waste from industrial processes, as well as from urban solid waste landfill, food waste and sewage sludge. But agriculture and livestock waste provide the most promising opportunities, given the importance of Brazil’s and Ireland’s plant and animal protein market.

Agriculture accounts for most of Brazil’s biogas plants (647 units or 78% of the total), which are used mainly for electricity generation. As a result, biogas production is rising quickly in Brazil, putting it on track to become the fourth largest market for this energy source in the world. In 2022, 885 plants were producing 2.8 billion m³ of biogas, a mere 3% of Brazil’s estimated production potential of 84 billion m³/year. It is an equally attractive option for

"This innovative Brazilian pilot project is an example of how the two countries could cooperate on developing the solution to the challenge of climate change."

Ireland, where agriculture remains the largest source of emissions (34.3%). As with Brazil, biogas can be used in Ireland for heat purposes or for combined heat and power production.

Biomethane – the next step?

Biogas’ versatility goes a step further. Not only can it be extracted from multiple sources, but it can also be purified into biomethane, which is a clean substitute for natural gas, diesel and petrol. Both Brazil and Ireland have shown a keen interest in developing this potential.

In Brazil, 22% of all biogas is used to produce biomethane, largely from urban waste (84%).

With a view to achieving Brazil’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Government’s Methane Zero Programme encourages the setting up of biomethane plants and “green corridors” to supply fuels for heavy-duty vehicles. As a result, in 2022 there was an 82% increase in plants using biogas to obtain biomethane for self-use and/or commercialisation.

To this end, the Brazilian national biofuels policy (RenovaBio) established a system for the certification of biofuels, given their greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential. This provides the basis for a decarbonisation credit scheme that combines the producers’ emissions reduction targets and their live cycle assessment. The credits can be traded by farmers on the stock exchange, while fuel

distributors can meet required targets by acquiring credits.

In Ireland, biomethane is compatible with the national gas network and existing infrastructure and can help replace fossil gas to reduce emissions in industrial heating, transport and power generation. Simultaneously, it assists farmers in developing profitable diversification options as well as reducing their emissions. The 2023 Climate Action Plan has committed to the development of a National Biomethane Strategy to support the milestone production target of 1TWh of indigenous biomethane by 2025. The official goal of achieving 5.7 TWh by 2030 will meet 10% of Ireland's current fossil gas demand. This will require only 120,000 ha (less than 5% of available agriculture land) and winter slurry from approximately 1.3 million cows.

Joining hands

The future of the biogas/biomethane sector hinges on continued Government support, increased private sector investment and expanded international cooperation. Its development represents an outstanding opportunity for Brazil and Ireland to advance their renewable energy goals, enhance global environmental sustainability and foster national economic development.

The Itaipu hydroelectric plant, the world’s second largest, has a partnership with CIBiogás* to use CSTR Biodigesters and PSA/membrane technology to extract biomethane from the organic waste generated in the surroundings (grass cuttings, food waste and sewage effluent). This project produces up to 1,200 m³/year of biogas and 700 m³/year of biomethane to power the company's vehicle fleet. Between 2017 and 2023, it fueled up to 80 cars and carried out tests on trucks, buses and tractors. This year it is fuelling exclusively the hydroelectric plant's tourist circuit buses with biomethane, replacing diesel. But its ambitions also include developing technology to produce Bio Syncrude, from which Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is extracted.

Minister Ryan has repeatedly underlined the centrality of transitioning mass public and private transport away from fossil fuels, including air travel. This innovative Brazilian pilot project is an example of how the two countries could cooperate on developing the solution to the challenge of climate change.

*The International Centre for Renewable Energies (CIBiogás) - cibiogas.org - is the main institution for technological development of the biogas and biomethane production chain in Brazil comprising over 50 member companies.

Recruitment drive at Uisce Éireann

Uisce Éireann has announced 700 new jobs nationwide

Uisce Éireann, Ireland's national water authority, has announced it will be recruiting for 700 new jobs across the country. These exciting opportunities will be available in the next year, with positions ready to be filled immediately.

and

"The roles span a range of disciplines, offering a chance for professionals, tradespeople at all levels, recent graduates

skilled workers to contribute to their local communities

while

building rewarding careers."

The roles span a range of disciplines, offering a chance for professionals, tradespeople at all levels, recent graduates and skilled workers to contribute to their local communities while building rewarding careers. Uisce Éireann is committed to providing ongoing training and attractive compensation and benefits packages to ensure a secure and fulfilling work experience.

Speaking at the announcement, Uisce Éireann’s People and Safety Director, Dawn O’Driscoll, said: “As we continue our development as Ireland's national water authority with responsibility for the delivery of public water and wastewater services nationwide, we are delighted to be announcing 700 new jobs for candidates across the country. We’re filling an exciting range of roles

"We are looking for people with diverse skillsets to play their part in delivering transformative water services that enable their local communities to thrive."

in all counties including front-line operations, science and engineering, administration, communications, management and IT.

“This is the largest recruitment announcement made by Uisce Éireann to date and reflects the scope and scale of the activities we are carrying out nationwide. These new positions will not only offer a chance to make a tangible difference to your community, but will provide plenty of opportunities to develop your career in a growing organisation. We are looking for people with diverse skillsets to play their part in delivering transformative water services that enable their local communities to thrive.

“At Uisce Éireann, we are proud to provide all employees with equal opportunities and we continue to demonstrate our full commitment to creating an open, diverse and inclusive workplace that enables all our people to achieve their full potential.”

Uisce Éireann encourages interested individuals to visit www.water.ie/careers to explore and apply for the exciting opportunities available in their local areas.

About Uisce Éireann

Uisce Éireann is Ireland's national water utility responsible for providing high-quality public water and wastewater services to communities across the country. Committed to delivering safe and sustainable water services, Uisce Éireann plays a vital role in supporting the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for all Irish citizens. In 2023, Uisce Éireann assumed full responsibility for the management of all public water services which had previously been delivered by 31 Local Authorities.

"Uisce Éireann provides secure employment with major opportunities"

Iarla Moran spent 19 happy years with Mayo Co Co before bidding farewell to his role as Head of Castlebar Municipal District and making the move over to Uisce Éireann last year

The decision to leave a role he took immense pride in was a difficult one, but earlier in his career he had worked as Head of Water Services for the local authority and never lost the grá for the industry or the realisation of how important water is to help communities thrive.

He was also aware of the strides Uisce Éireann continues to make in upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies and wanted to play his part.

“When I started in water services in January 2014 Uisce Éireann, or Irish Water as the organisation was known at the time, was coming on stream and I could see the investment in water and wastewater services and the professionalism they were bringing to the industry. They were developing a utility model that was much needed and when the opportunity arose to be part of the team, I applied for my current position.”

Today, Iarla is Uisce Éireann’s Wastewater Regional Operations and Maintenance Manager in the Northwest Region. Having originally joined the Local Authority in 2004 as an Executive Engineer (Electrical) in the Machinery Yard, Iarla is enjoying the move from looking after a town and county to an entire region.

“All of a sudden, I have a regional brief and I’m looking at the different ways that the teams in each county are delivering services and bringing that under one umbrella. It’s about using all the brilliant skills and resources we have to deliver efficient services to the communities we serve.”

He sees Uisce Éireann’s latest jobs announcement as a chance for people across the region to apply for exciting roles that will make a tangible difference to their communities. “Working with Uisce Éireann provides secure employment with major opportunities. I’m not only referring to operations but right across the business. It’s an exciting time for the organisation.”

Pushing for proactive change

With elections on the horizon in 2024, Chambers Ireland has launched its local and EU election manifestos, writes

Aishwarya Patil,

Policy and Research Associate, Chambers Ireland

2024 is being called the year of elections. This year, the Local and European elections will be held on the 7th of June. This will shape Ireland for the next five years and will be crucial in determining our development trajectory. Chambers Ireland, as the voice of business across Ireland, will be actively promoting our priorities in the lead up to the elections.

While national TDs often serve larger geographical areas, local councillors have the capacity to interact more closely with the electorate in the constituencies they represent. The local elections are therefore important to make sure that every voice in Ireland is heard, as the matters determined at local level can directly enhance or hinder business growth and development in an area.

The European elections are equally as important, as decisions taken by MEPs in the European Parliament end up as legislation that often comes before the Oireachtas. Elected MEPs advocate for Ireland’s interests, shape legislation affecting Irish businesses and ensure Ireland’s voice is heard in the European Union’s decision-making processes.

Chambers Ireland launched their local and EU election manifestos in March. These manifestos are a set of ideas and recommendations that have been put together on the basis of broad consultation and engagement with the chamber network that is spread across Ireland. We want our members and representatives to use these manifestos as a tool for communicating the chamber network’s collective priorities with candidates running for both elections. It sets out our high-level priorities for Ireland’s future socio-economic and environmental development.

In these manifestos, we are calling for our local governments and MEP candidates to be more ambitious with their vision for the long-term growth and prosperity of Ireland. There needs to be dedicated focus on issues surrounding the pace of infrastructure delivery, which has been very slow over the past decade and we are now facing the repercussions of this inaction.

Several factors like housing shortages, energy costs, skills gaps and inadequate development of key infrastructure are all affecting our national competitiveness. This is why we need proactive elected representatives at all levels that understand the challenges facing Ireland and have the ambition to catalyse radical social, economic and environmental change for our future prosperity.

Local Manifesto

At a local authority level, we call on councillor candidates to:

» Foster safe, thriving and inclusive towns and cities that are attractive places for our growing population to live, work, visit and invest – this is good for all. For residents it creates economic opportunities, enhances social cohesion and improves their quality of life, while

for businesses, it attracts visitors and investment

» Build more homes and streamline and support the planning system to ensure essential infrastructure development can progress. The development and successful deployment of key infrastructure across Ireland over the coming years is going to be essential in ensuring our long-term competitiveness

» Take action to maximise the opportunities associated with the green transition in relation to green energy and sustainable transport.

European Manifesto

At an EU level, we call on MEP candidates to:

» Deliver a robust EU Industrial Strategy for Renewable Energy. We recommend developing a comprehensive European strategy to ensure consistent availability of sustainable energy at competitive and stable prices

» Ensure a globally competitive Europe that facilitates trade across the world. We urge the next representatives to expand the EU’s network of bilateral trade agreements, particularly with the world’s growth centres to secure better and more reliable access for European businesses

» Reduce the regulatory burden facing businesses. To revitalise Europe’s competitiveness, we need to create a real level playing field, including in the digital and financial spheres. For this, we need to help companies operate well, by lowering their cost of entry and reducing disproportionate administrative and regulatory burdens

» Ensure EU investment is identified and rolled out across the country for vital regional development. We need continued financial supports to be available via the European Investment Bank to support the delivery of the National Development Plan/Project Ireland 2040

» Eradicate obstacles facing the single market and the free movement of goods, capital, people and services. Last year when we attended the sixth edition of the European Parliament of Enterprises, 93% of the 700 business entrepreneurs that were present said the single market is not sufficiently integrated to allow their company to operate and compete freely. Irish businesses share this sentiment

» Develop skills strategies for growth in green and digital technology sectors. We need to convert green and digital developments into knowledge and learning content with direct application in the labour market. Enhance the recognition, transparency and comparability of skills and qualifications for better skills matching and increased mobility within the EU.

Links/QR Codes

Link for the Local Manifestohttps:

//bit.ly/3xdACAe

QR Code for the Local Manifesto

Making the case for Irish businesses in Brussels

In an ever-changing geopolitical landscape, making sure that the voice of Irish business is heard at EU level has rarely been more important

Earlier this year, Chambers Ireland and representatives from across the Chamber Network launched its manifesto for Europe in Brussels, which focuses on the key priorities for Irish businesses as we move into the 2024-2029 term of European governance. With representation from across Ireland, the objective of the trip was to highlight the need for the European Commission and the Parliament to proactively engage with the business community – particularly SMEs – on issues such as sustainability, trade, skills and regulation.

Mairéad is at the forefront of financial stability and services. In her role as Commissioner, she leads the charge in developing the green financing strategy, along with developing a new private-public fund for enterprises and advocating for the Banking Union and the Capital Markets Union.

Link for the EU Manifestohttps:

//bit.ly/4csdHBn

QR Code for the EU Manifesto

Looking ahead, businesses are facing many uncertainties that will require a coordinated response from our elected European representatives. However, within those challenges, it is important to acknowledge how Ireland can benefit from the green and digital transitions, along with delivering a business-friendly Europe that enables Irish businesses to stay competitive. The delegation focused specifically on this matter with MEPs Billy Kelleher and Ciarán Cuffe.

Representatives had a full day at the European Commission and met with Commissioner Mairéad McGuinness. Access to finance is a perennial priority for Irish businesses and

The Chamber delegation also met with other key officials from the European Commission to discuss key items affecting the network, including Matthieu Ballu (DG ENER) who gave an update on energy policy and how this applies in an Irish context. They also met with Martin Bailey (DG Connect) and Peter Power (DG NEAR) to discuss the role of digitalisation, smart cities and how Commission priorities have adapted effectively in response to Covid, Brexit and the war in Ukraine. Martin Spalc (DG FISMA) presented to the group and focused on a range of topics including reporting requirements for SMEs and what the Commission is doing to finance the Green Deal. Finally, to close out the trip, the delegation were hosted at Eurochambres by Chief Executive Ben Butters, with whom they shared concerns regarding skills gaps and reporting requirements for companies.

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Explore the House of Waterford

Located in the heart of Waterford City’s historic Viking Triangle, the House of Waterford Retail Experience and Factory Tour gives visitors a glimpse into the wonderful world of Waterford and the astounding craftsmanship behind the iconic brand

Develop a new-found appreciation for crystal by journeying through the factory and watching as vivid orange molten crystal is transformed into glistening works of art. Engage with master craftspeople, some of whom have been honing their craft for over 40 years. Learn about the eight-year training programme an apprentice must undertake before they are deemed worthy to bear the title ‘Master’.

Marvel at the finished product in the newly renovated House of Waterford Retail Experience, encountering the world’s largest display of Waterford and getting a close-up view of some of the world’s most prestigious sporting

trophies like the Irish Open Trophy and the Solheim Cup. The Waterford Bar takes pride of place at the front of the retail experience, offering guests the opportunity to experience the luxury of Waterford drinkware in hand.

Relax in the Waterford Café where a full menu is on offer, from Afternoon Tea to sandwiches and sweet treats.

House of Waterford is open daily from 9am to 6pm. To find out more visit www. waterfordvisitorscentre.com or call 051317000

Chambers say #YesToPatentRef

Chambers Ireland is supporting a yes vote in the upcoming Patent Referendum

Advice on the Patent Referendum

The Government has decided to postpone the referendum on ratifying the agreement for a Unified Patent Court. Initially planned for June 7th, the referendum will now be held at a later date. Minister Peter Burke stated that more time is needed for public discourse and engagement, noting a lack of awareness among the electorate.

Despite the delay, the Government remains committed to Ireland's participation in the Unified Patent Court, recognising its economic benefits. Chambers Ireland supports this commitment and continues to advocate for Ireland's involvement. The decision reflects the complexity of the issue and underscores the importance of informed public discourse. As discussions progress, stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate and stay informed.

Why voting yes matters

If you have a unique product or business process, then it is desirable to protect it using a patent. However, the current system of protection – where companies are forced to apply for a patent in separate countries – needs to be improved. Aside from the system being difficult to navigate, the substantial

costs involved prevent smaller companies from applying for, renewing or enforcing their patents.

It is for this reason that Chambers Ireland supports a yes vote in this referendum when it takes place. We want Irish companies to be given every chance of protecting their intellectual property (IP) across the Single Market with minimal difficulty. If a yes vote passes, then a local seat of the Unified Patent Court has been promised in Ireland. Not only will a yes vote provide a means for companies to litigate in a legal system they’re familiar with, but the Court will act as a one-stop-shop for applicants and remove the need to apply for protection in those other EU countries that have ratified the agreement.

The broader opportunities for Ireland should not be understated either. We need to build on our image as a good place to do business with minimal red tape and this helps promote that image. As the largest common law, English-speaking jurisdiction in the European Union, this presents a huge opportunity to attract investment and promote Ireland as an IP hub. However, realising those benefits and ensuring we doesn’t fall behind our European counterparts will only happen by voting yes.

We also encourage employers across the country to facilitate their staff in voting in all democratic polls.

Waste Made easy!

A toolkit designed to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation in the workplace is now available from MyWaste, Ireland’s o icial guide to waste

Atoolkit designed to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation in the workplace is now available from MyWaste, Ireland’s o cial guide to waste. is government funded initiative provides a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions. is will assist Irish businesses achieve greater circular economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates.

A recent waste characterisation study carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency found that 74% of waste placed in the general commercial waste bins should be placed in either the recycling or food waste bins. Food waste, paper and plastics are currently the top three waste types found in commercial general waste bins.

Action on reducing the amount of recyclable and compostable materials found in the general waste stream of commercial bins throughout the country is now required, as recyclables and food waste not only have economic consequences, but environmental and social consequences as well. erefore, all recyclables and food waste should be source separated and placed in dedicated waste bins which will ensure that materials can be processed correctly, further aiding Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Proper waste segregation means more waste materials can be diverted to the circular economy, which in turn reduces the need for new raw material and resources. Following the guidance within the Commercial Waste Toolkit can signi cantly improve

WASTE SEGREGATION

To further support waste segregation in Ireland, incentivised waste charging and other changes for waste collection in the commercial sector have been introduced through the introduction of the Waste Management (Collection Permit) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023, which came into e ect on 1 July 2023. Measures in this piece of legislation include:

• all waste collection companies are now required to provide a residual, mixed dry recyclable and food waste bin to all their commercial customers

• waste collection companies must ensure that all business customers are placed onto a price plan that ensures that the cost to the customer for mixed dry recyclable or food waste is less than the cost of disposal for municipal waste

• all waste collected must be weighed, with details on the weights of the individual bins communicated to customers

• waste collection companies will be required to at least collect the recyclable waste materials as specified on mywaste.ie

• collection of recyclable waste and food waste must occur at least fortnightly. The various measures outlined, in addition to the toolkit resources, will assist in improved waste segregation, environmental sustainability and will also contribute to Ireland’s transition to a more circular economy.

the quality and quantity of recyclable and compostable waste generated in Ireland.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste Management Planning O ces, Kevin Swi , Connacht Ulster Region Waste O ce said: “ is initiative will empower small and medium size businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is managed. With clear language and visuals, the materials will make it easy for sta to quickly understand what waste goes in what bin and should signi cantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.”

Assets include posters, bin labels, brochures, checklists, training

animations and testimonials and materials are available to order (while stocks last) or download free of charge from www.mywaste.ie/business/. In addition to using the assets linked, tips to help maximise recycling include visually checking your bins to identify incorrect segregation, colour coding, ensuring bins are placed in accessible designated locations and continuously increasing awareness and knowledge within the workforce.

Additional information available from www.mywaste.ie/business or www.mywaste.ie/contact/

DHL’s Global Connectedness Report

DHL reveals key insights into the evolving landscape of globalisation amidst geopolitical tensions and economic shifts shaping cross-border trade strategies

What does the future of globalisation hold? The disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are now clearly in the past, and its economic aftereffects are receding. However, the United Nations now reports the largest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War, and geopolitical rivalry over key technologies continues to escalate.

Amidst these volatilities, it’s more important than ever to base business decisions on facts – which is what the tenth edition of the DHL Global Connectedness Report will enable you to do. Discover key global trade trends to empower your strategies for successful cross-border trade.

Whilst the benefits of globalisation are typically equated with cross-border trade, the latest report takes a broader view, drawing on nearly 9 million data points to provide a comprehensive portrait of international flows of capital, information and people. It measures not just the size of these flows, but which other countries each country interacts with – making it a unique index in terms of both size and its scope of geographic patterns.

The report takes in flows of trade, capital, information and people to create a detailed ranking and analyses of 181 countries, with unrivalled insights into global trade trends, making it a must read for any business with international growth ambitions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Globalisation is at an all-time high; global connectedness reached a record high in 2022, and remained close to that level in 2023. Despite geopolitical tensions and concerns about supply chain resilience, globalisation has not given way to regionalisation. Most international flows are taking place over stable or longer distances, bolstered by the growth of emerging economies. Focusing on trade, only North America shows a clear nearshoring trend.

Rising tensions between the US and China have prompted fears that a new cold war could fracture the global economy into rival blocs. Yet, the share of trade happening between US-aligned and China aligned-blocs (excluding Russia) is now roughly back to its pre-pandemic level.

Over the past two decades, information flows have reached the highest level of

globalisation compared to the other three flow types. Yet, the trend stalled in 2022 and 2023, suggesting geopolitical tensions and policy restrictions on data flows may be starting to have a meaningful impact.

Singapore comes out on top as one of the world’s most advanced economies. Despite a population of just 5.6 million, Singapore’s low taxes, excellent infrastructure, strong banking sectors, and almost entirely urban population, along with major port operations, mean it’s uniquely positioned to excel in globalisation. Today it enjoys the title of the world’s most connected country.

Since the last edition of this report was released a year ago, some of the challenges of globalisation have eased while others have intensified, leading to conflicting forecasts for the future. But the DHL Global Connectedness Report goes beyond the headlines to examine the cold, hard data on the real state of globalisation.

Find out more detail by scanning the QR code.

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Shannon: Taking Flight

With a new Shannon Town Centre Masterplan in the works, there’s a renewed optimism to revitalise the town in line with the thriving business ecosystem in the region

Shannon Free Zone was a world first as a free trade zone when it was established in 1959. Adjoining Shannon International Airport, it is one of Ireland’s leading international business parks and home to Ireland’s largest cluster of North American FDI. Globally recognised brands which have chosen Shannon as their home include Zimmer Biomet, Jaguar Land Rover, Intel and Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon.

Strategically situated between the bustling cities of Limerick and Galway, the Shannon Region serves as a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean through the port of Foynes, and Europe (with a wide selection of flights to the UK, Europe and America departing from Shannon Airport) making it an ideal location for international trade and investment.

Nearby, Smithstown Industrial Park and Western Business Park are vibrant bases for the sub-supply sector and between them, home to over 30 high-calibre indigenous manufacturing and service companies serving Shannon Free Zone, national and international customers.

The town of Shannon itself holds a unique place in the country’s history as

one of our first planned urban developments. Conceived in the 1960s as part of a visionary initiative to decentralise industry away from Dublin and stimulate economic growth in the region, the town was strategically positioned near Shannon Airport. Over the years it has faced significant challenges with a lack of cohesive development and a sprawl of housing estates with no town centre or amenities to provide a sense of place.

While numerous attempts have been made to agree on a comprehensive development strategy for Shannon town over the years, progress generally stalled, with job losses, and population outflow leading to concerns about its long-term sustainability and vitality.

A new Masterplan released by Clare County Council in January 2022—developed in consultation with local stakeholders, including a submission from Shannon Chamber on behalf of its members—looks to finally address the

challenged, unlock the town’s potential and drive future growth.

Among the proposals set out is the creation of an Innovation Campus in the town centre, the creation of a new Main Street and an improved Town Square, and the development of a ‘One Shannon Hub’ which will have multiple daytime and night-time uses including new local authority offices, a community theatre space, and an enhanced public realm. The Masterplan also makes provision for a range of high-quality urban town centre living areas, enhancement of connections to the estuary and preservation and enhancement of the amenity of the Town Park, as well as an implementation roadmap for the delivery of the plan.

As Shannon continues to evolve, there is optimism that with the right strategic direction and collective effort, it can take its rightful place as a thriving centre of innovation and community life in Ireland’s west coast region.

THE TOWN OF SHANNON ITSELF HOLDS A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE COUNTRY’S HISTORY AS ONE OF OUR FIRST PLANNED URBAN DEVELOPMENTS”

Shannon Chamber: a Powerful Voice for a Unique Region

Helen Downes, CEO of Shannon Chamber, on growing and delivering value to their diverse membership, and promoting ‘Brand Shannon’

AHospital, Co Limerick native, Helen Downes has been Chief Executive of Shannon Chamber since 2008. Prior to joining Shannon Chamber, Helen was HR Business Partner with Thomson Financial (Ireland) Ltd, where she managed dayto-day HR activities, including Health & Safety regulations, across multiple sites.

Helen is also a board member of Chambers Ireland and is current Chair of the Chambers CEO Network.

In her tenure as CEO, Downes has spearheaded many new Chamber initiatives to promote and encourage business growth and economic development in the Shannon area. These initiatives, which involve linkages with national and international business organisations in both the public and private sectors, have led to increased Chamber membership.

Shannon Chamber currently has over 330 member companies drawn from a wide cross-section of business sectors that employ approximately 19,500 people in the Shannon hinterland. Helen is responsible for representing their interests to key influencers and stakeholders, achieved through voicing membership concerns on issues that affect or impede enterprise development at local, regional, and national levels.

SHANNON STRATEGY

The Chamber’s Strategic Plan, launched in 2023, has six major objectives (backed up by 23 actions) and prioritises: lobbying for businesses in Shannon; growing and delivering value to its diverse membership; championing the delivery of the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan; promoting the proposal of ‘Brand Shannon’ to grow the region’s economy and connectivity; positioning the Chamber as a thought leader on issues

WE WANT TO HAVE PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE PLAN TO ENHANCE THE ‘LIVING TOWN’ ASPECTS OF SHANNON, CONTAINED IN THE NEW SHANNON TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED”

that impact Shannon and the region; and collaborating with members and key stakeholders to promote sustainability and renewable energy.

Downes is driving out the implementation of this strategy with great determination. Indeed, she reveals, “I always say plans are but words on paper if they are not implemented or measurable against attainment in a defined timeline. At the end of 2026, I want to know that, through delivering on every aspect of this Plan, Shannon Chamber will have

initiated and influenced change that will have positively adjusted the conditions for business and the environment in which our members operate.”

“We want to ensure that Shannon’s legacy for pioneering, inspirational and entrepreneurial achievements perpetuates and is recognized. That is the vision we have set as a Chamber,” says Downes.

Central to this is bringing a new lease of life to the town of Shannon, Ireland’s only planned town in the 20th century, which lacks a traditional main streetscape and dedicated space for cultural activities. “We want to have played an active role in ensuring that the plan to enhance the ‘living town’ aspects of Shannon, contained in the new Shannon Town Centre Masterplan, has been successfully delivered and, that housing stock in Shannon will have been aligned to the needs of business,” she notes.

With an expansive offering to business—from the Airport to the talent pipeline from third-level colleges— Shannon town is the final piece of the jigsaw to put into place.

INCREASING IMPACT

Among the highlights of the last year, and the increasing impact on the region the Chamber has made, Downes says, “We made significant progress on moving the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan – a key objective of the Chamber. We welcomed an increasing number of overseas delegations to Shannon and, we launched the new Mid-West Sustainability Network, which delivered an inaugural Sustainability Week for the region.”

The Chamber also operates a very active Skillnet business network, which is co-funded by Skillnet Ireland and network companies. Last year alone, 600 employees from 130 member companies benefited from participating in 123 training programmes to strengthen skills in areas such as management development, leadership, lean, personal effectiveness, and digitisation.

A call to Government to expediently capitalise on the great new opportunity offered to Ireland by the floating offshore

WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN GROWING OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT THAT WE ARE DELIVERING VALUE AND THAT COMPANIES ARE RECEIVING TANGIBLE BENEFITS FROM MEMBERSHIP”

wind sector was completed during the year.

Hosting 50 events, welcoming five foreign delegations, and organising two conferences (the Mid-West Sustainability Conference in September and the Mid-West Lean Network Conference in November) also kept the Chamber team busy over the course of the year.

POWERFUL ADVOCACY

The diverse membership of Shannon Chamber is quite unique within Ireland. “With company employment levels ranging from 1,000+ down to the small SME and micro enterprise, they have different needs. Keeping them engaged and demonstrating that we are providing them with value is critical for their continued membership,” says Downes. “Companies are always reviewing their

Keen to project all that is great about Shannon —the place, people, and the business environment — the Chamber recently set up a ‘Shannon Stakeholders Forum’.

spend so unless we remain relevant to their needs, it’s easy for them to opt out. We are very lucky that our membership has been growing over the past three years and that is a testament that we are delivering value and that companies are receiving tangible benefits from membership.”

Looking to the future, the Mid-West Sustainability Network is enabling the Chamber to work with members and allowing them to collaborate with each other on sustainability initiatives. “It’s been a rewarding undertaking so far,” says Downes.

With leaders from key organisations in Shannon represented on this Forum —Shannon Airport Group, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Clare County Council, Shannon Heritage, Ei Electronics, Fine Grain Property and Shannon Community Partnership— Downes says it’s a very powerful collective with a united aim. “We want to ensure that Shannon is developed to its optimal potential and the infrastructure that is lacking is delivered. The Forum will present a powerful advocacy grouping, speaking with a united voice.”

A multi-sectoral panel of speakers at the inaugural Sustainability Week conference.

Discussing the life and legacy of Shannon’s pioneering innovator – Dr Brendan O’Regan.

Speakers at a Mid-West Sustainability Network workshop.

The Chamber’s Mid-West Lean Network conference is held annually in November.

Ministerial presence at Chamber lunches is welcomed by members.

Keeping the Dream Alive

Mick Guinee took a factory that was earmarked for closure and turned it into a €400m powerhouse, and one of the biggest employers in the Shannon region.

Ei Electronics in its current form, has been in Shannon since 1988. Mick Guinee, who has been MD of the company since 1983, staged an MBO in 1988.

Previously part of General Electric, and in Ireland since 1963, when GE wanted to divest this non-core element of its business, Guinee along with his other founder directors, Dr Mike Byrne and Jim Duignan, ensured that the jobs were protected and the company continued, not just to exist, but to thrive, in its new form.

“When I got the word from my boss in the States that we were closing down, my first instinct was to see if there was some way we could keep something open,” he recalls. “I approached GE and after a long year of negotiation, we eventually did a deal.”

“The driver was to keep some jobs, and I had the vision that the humble smoke alarm that we were making at the time could have a future even though there was no legislation driving sales at

that time. And thirdly, the workforce in the factory were first class.”

“We started out on a wing and a prayer; when people joined me at the beginning there were no promises. I said we could last six weeks, or we could last six months, but here we are 30-something years later.”

Originally from Mallow Co. Cork, Guinee is an iconic figure in the region, and was instrumental in setting up the Shannon Chamber of Commerce.

NICHE FOCUS

Ei Electronics has succeeded by focusing on being the best in its niche: residential fire alarms and now carbon monoxide alarms in particular. In the 1980s regulations were not as stringent, but now, every new build must by law have fire alarms not just in place, but in every

I

room, and they must comply with strict quality standards. That has been good for business.

Ei Electronics has branched out to sell products across global markets but always retained 100 pe cent of the manufacturing in Shannon. In 2023 alone, 13 million smoke and carbon monoxide alarms were manufactured on site. From a turnover of around €4m in 1983, Ei has grown over the years and now boasts a turnover of €400m, with just a small fraction of that—around €15m—from sales in the Irish market.

Uncompromising in producing products to the highest technical standards, Ei Electronics has built its global reputation in a conservative industry where the barriers to new entrants are high. The UK accounts for about 60 per cent of the business, followed by Germany,

SAID WE COULD LAST SIX WEEKS, OR WE COULD LAST SIX MONTHS, BUT HERE WE ARE 30-SOMETHING YEARS LATER.”

with Holland, France, and Australia also major markets. Ei Electronics serves its global customer base with 1,250 employees worldwide, 1,100 of those based in Shannon, making it one of the biggest employers in the region. A new HQ building was officially opened by then Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD in March 2022, adding 10,000m2 to the existing facilities at the Shannon campus. It includes significant additional manufacturing capacity, Research and Development labs and office space.

As a mark of its commitment to Sustainability in the Region, Ei was a key sponsor of Shannon Chamber’s inaugural Sustainability Week in September 2023. It was recently awarded a silver medal from EcoVadis the Global Sustainability Accreditation Organisation. The rating puts Ei in the top 15% of companies globally.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

As the technology has developed, smoke alarms have become networked together, either by wire or a radiofre-

YOU HAVE TO KEEP EVOLVING WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME UP AND I’M A GREAT BELIEVER IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT—ALL OUR GROWTH HAS BEEN ORGANIC”

quency link between them.

“Our market is still the home, but now that has become the connected home,” Guinee says, detailing the evolution of sensor technology to measure smoke, carbon monoxide and more recently air quality and humidity. “You have to keep evolving with the opportunities that come up and I’m a great believer in continuous improvement—all our growth has been organic.”

In addition to giving local alerts to the resident, our sensors can via a ‘gateway’ provide valuable insights into the environment in the home. This data is of interest to the large social landlords in the UK, enabling them to protect their tenants’ health from hazards such as damp and mould, as well as providing maintenance triggers and enabling better management of their housing assets.

The acquisition of a UK data analytics company in 2020 (HomeLINK) has enabled Ei to bring a very strong offering to market in the ‘air quality’ space in addition to fire and carbon monoxide data.

The provision of these environmental insights into the home has opened up a new source of business to Ei.

Although the core business of fire safety very much retains the original focus, another growing branch is technology-enabled care, which uses sensor technology to allow the elderly to live independently in their own homes for longer. “It’s a natural use of our technology,” he says. “We have sensors, and we have the home as a market, so putting the two together is an obvious conclusion.”

PEOPLE FIRST

Key to all development is people, and attracting good engineering talent is

always top of mind for the team. Staff come from a wide catchment area, with lots of attractive west coast destinations on the doorstep—some even make the journey from Galway, others enjoy the coast of Clare and the bustle of Limerick city. The company culture still has a family feel to it, and the site offers a restaurant onsite – “We used to call it a canteen but it’s now a restaurant because it’s so high class,” Guinee says, only half joking—as well as a fully-equipped gym. A progressive hi-tech company with the Wild Atlantic Way and an airport on the doorstep is certainly an attractive prospect for engineers looking to leave the city life in Dublin behind, or fresh graduates.

As an integral part of the Shannon scene, Ei Electronics gives back to the community, from sponsoring scholarships from female engineers at UL and TUS, to local sports pitches, and a track for golf carts at the local golf club to allow older members to use golf carts to get around.

Reflecting back on what has brought the company to this point, Guinee credits his success in business as down to his capacity for managing risk, as well as the logical reasoning from his engineering background, layered with the development of his people management skills. “Traditionally engineers are blind to people,” he jokes, “But I was never one of those engineers.”

From taking on the factory in the 1980s to preserve jobs, to keeping the factory open during Covid, and building up a supply of inventory while the construction industry shut down, he has taken some considered gambles, which happily worked out well. “I’m quite happy with the uncertainty; you’ve got to be able to do that in business,” he reflects.

One thing is for certain: Mick Guinee’s resilience and unwavering commitment to creating top class products has not only secured Ei Electronics’ position as a leader in the life safety industry, but also ensured its enduring legacy in Shannon and beyond.

Mick Guinee presenting Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government Darragh O’ Brien T.D. with one of Ei’s Carbon Monoxide alarms at a recent Shannon Chamber event.

Wise Counsel for Expanding Businesses

Richard Curran, Managing Partner, and Gemma Forde, Corporate Partner and Head of the Galway office of LK Shields, on the key legal considerations for business growth and expansion

LK Shields is a leading independent Irish law firm which has played a critical role in supporting the growth of our clients’ businesses.

There are several key legal considerations that underpin the growth and expansion of any business. The team at LK Shields are well versed in advising clients from a large cross spread of sectors in these areas.

We work with our clients to help them assess the most feasible growth options for their business, most likely to achieve their commercial objectives. These pivotal phases in a company’s lifecycle require a robust legal framework to ensure successful and sustainable outcomes.

FINANCING AND CAPITAL RAISING

Plans for expansion will very often require substantial capital investment which can take the form of debt financing, ven-

ture capital, or private equity investment. LK Shields assists our clients navigate the complexities of capital raising, including structuring financing arrangements, negotiating terms with investors and funders, buy-outs, capital investments, exits, and recapitalisations.

COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS

Businesses often engage in commercial agreements, strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and other commercial transactions to fuel growth and expand their market reach. The team at LK Shields can assist negotiate and draft these agreements, ensuring that our clients’ interests are protected and that their commercial objectives are to the fore.

CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING

Restructuring corporate entities, restructuring debt, streamlining operations, and

optimising capital structures can unlock efficiencies and growth potential from within an organisation.

LK Shields regularly assists clients evaluate their restructuring options and implement legal strategies to support their growth initiatives effectively.

EXIT STRATEGIES

As many of our clients’ businesses have matured and grown, they have availed of exit strategies such as mergers, disposals, IPOs, or other forms of succession planning. LK Shields can help businesses evaluate exit options, negotiate exit transactions, prepare for succession, and address legal considerations associated with business transitions. Our strategic counsel during the exit process assists our clients to maximize value and achieve successful outcomes.

INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

We understand the multiple and varied challenges that businesses face when expanding into new overseas markets. If you are an Irish business looking to establish overseas operations, we have international reach via our membership of several large-scale legal alliances and can ensure you are connected with an international firm that suits your needs.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Intellectual property assets can be among the most valuable assets owned by an organisation. Our Technology and Innovation team assists clients develop comprehensive IP strategies to protect, commercialise and leverage their IP assets effectively for growth and scale.

COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE

Our Corporate Governance team advises clients on all aspects of corporate governance and Company Law in Ireland. They provide training and support to boards and company directors and assist them implement appropriate group structures.

EMPLOYMENT

Our Employment team frequently assist businesses navigate employment law issues relating to plans for growth and expansion such as hiring practices, employee contracts, non-compete agreements, incentivising management and key personnel, and restructuring.

For more information on how LK Shields can assist with your businesses plans for growth and expansion please visit www.lkshields.ie

The Sky’s the Limit

Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) is a leading aviation solutions provider specialising in aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO), technical and design services. The company is also renowned for providing best in class training and apprenticeship programmes. The company was acquired by Mayo man Patrick Jordan in 2015 and the intervening years have seen it pursue an ambitious growth strategy. “Numbers employed have risen from 220 to in excess of 700, through both organic growth and by the purchase of

With an ambitious growth strategy, Atlantic Aviation Group has grown to become one of the largest employers in the Midwest in less than a decade

Flybe Aviation Services in the UK, in 2020, and Lufthansa Technik in Shannon in 2022,” explains Chief Executive Shane O’Neill.

“Maintenance, repair and overhaul services are at the core of what we do,” O’Neill says, with a client roster of all the major carriers and lessors. “We have a very keen and focused strategy on people to support our growth as we continue to expand.”

AAG’s focused apprenticeship and traineeship programmes have garnered industry acclaim and awards, with all levels catered to, from basic training to upskilling, and a BSc in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering run in conjunction with Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

The recent announcement of the purchase of a property in Sixmilebridge in Co Clare, to be developed for co-living accommodation for staff further demonstrates their commitment to employee well-being and focus on fostering a people-centric approach as the business continues to grow. ≠

“For staff, the west coast promises quality of life, and for the business, being located here alongside complementary services is ideal for our customers. We’re invested not only in the region, but also in the community through our CSR activities and support of local charities.” With the company’s heritage spanning back over more than 50 years, O’Neill looks forward to its continued growth within the Shannon region.

Berka Solutions: Driving Operational Excellence

Operational excellence is at the core of what Berka Solutions is all about. With years of experience, Bernard Mac Oscair left a role in the corporate world, as an FM director, to found the company in 2019; the consultancy exists to solve critical issues for its clients, which it does with considerable success.

From commissioning power stations all over the world, to managing teams of hundreds, his career experience was vast and far-reaching, yet the inspiration to strike out on his own came from close to home. “My mother retired from a business she had set up, and I thought to myself, with 25 years’ experience, an MBA and engineering degree, if she could do it, I could do it too,” he recalls. “And it’s gone from strength to strength ever since.”

Berka Solutions offers a suite of services including consultancy in facilities management; operational excellence for SMEs; compliance consultancy and auditing; project and programme delivery ;and training, coaching and mentoring. Mac Oscair leverages his considerable experience to deliver business restructures through change management, operational excellence, transformational and lean programs.

While Mac Oscair’s original qualification was in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA specialising in

Berka

Solutions founder Bernard Mac Oscair on spotting a market niche for FM consulting and his passion for driving operational excellence for SMEs

knowledge management and a second Masters in Project Management, along with qualifying as a Lead Auditor and gaining PMP certification have rounded out his offering to help organisations facilitate change, achieve their vision and optimise performance and productivity.

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

“First and foremost, it’s all about understanding the culture of an organisation, before tackling how to implement change from within.” That’s why he loves working with SMEs: “You get to see the inner workings of an organisation: all the solutions are primarily around people and how you enable and motivate people, from a change management perspective, from their current state to a future state.”

This roadmap between the two states is the driver for the implementation

DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE CLIENT SOLUTIONS IS THE CORE FOCUS OF BERKA SOLUTIONS.”

programmes he puts in place. “This works really well for SMEs, where you’re working directly with both the leadership and the broader team, coaching and mentoring them to implement the necessary changes within the organisation.”

FM MARKET NICHE

With 30 years’ experience in the FM industry MacOscair could see a gap in the marketplace for dedicated Facilities Management (FM) Consultancy service in Ireland that is complementary to the SME Business Transformation consultancy and leverages his vast network within the FM Industry.

The Operational Excellence methodologies transfer seamlessly from SMEs to FM work, as he points out that FM tends to be a discrete part of a larger organisation. “They very often have the same sort of challenges to the SME in that, they have a small team of maybe 15-20 people and they’re trying to get the most out of that team, and bring them on a journey of improvement.”

Overall, operational excellence is his passion, and he says, “Developing innovative client solutions is the core focus of Berka Solutions.”

Improving Competitiveness in The Banner County

With backing from the Local Enterprise Office Clare, businesses are adapting and refining their practices

Shannon serves as a pivotal international export gateway, and Clare LEO’s state-funded initiatives are finely tuned to empower small and medium-sized businesses, boosting their competitiveness and productivity. Supports include the Lean, Green and Digital programmes, all of which enable small businesses to become more competitive and productive in how they work.

SAVE MONEY, WORK SMART

In a recent report, an average of €34,000 is saved by businesses that engage in productivity programmes. The LEAN Programme is designed to encourage clients

to adopt LEAN business principles in their organisations to increase competitiveness. The Green for Business is another FREE programme assisting business improve their sustainability practices and achieve cost savings. These recommendations are further supplemented by an Energy Efficiency Grant to implement those changes. The Digital Start programme can be accessed by businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors to assess the various digital solutions available which will improve internal processes and deliver an enhanced customer experience. These interventions are designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies.

HARVESTING REWARDS

Padraic McElwee, Head of Enterprise at Clare LEO stated; “Finding moments to pause and reflect on operational strategies for enhanced efficiency and productivity can be challenging for business owners. This is where available resources play a pivotal role. I encourage businesses to engage with their Local Enterprise Office to explore tailored supports that can facilitate their daily operations and growth endeavours.”

Local Enterprise Office Clare works with client companies in a diverse range of sectors across County Clare offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses.

For additional information visit https://www.localenterprise.ie/Clare/ or telephone 065 6821616.

Regionally Relevant Education

TUS focuses on delivering researchinformed, regionally relevant education. Dr. Órlaith Borthwick details its strategies for economic development and industry alignment

With 15,000 students and 2,000 staff the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) is a 5-star QS rated University which prides itself as having the highest percentage of graduates in employment in Ireland. It delivers programmes ranging from Levels 6 to 10 which are accessible as full-time, part-time, or via apprenticeship. Its 2023 Strategy Plan confirms its purpose, to provide “leading student-centered higher education that is research-informed, regionally relevant and accessible to all”.

Dr. Órlaith Borthwick, the Head of Department of Flexible and Professional Learning for the Midwest campuses, outlines how this purpose is achieved and how TUS delivers regional impact for its stakeholders.

ATTUNED TO THE REGION

“Ensuring that we deliver a suite of programmes that support the economic development of the region, providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities to enhance the talent pipeline and deliver job growth, is a key priority for TUS,” states Dr Borthwick. “Being a Director of Shannon Chamber of Commerce, allows me to keep attuned to the needs of regional stakeholders, ensuring that the programmes we develop and deliver enhance and support economic opportunities. Our suite of programmes is ever-evolving to ensure we align with stakeholder changing needs.”

Aviation continues to be a key economic driver for Shannon and the Midwest Region. TUS offers a series

of bite-sized programmes, delivered online, providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities. “Some of these programmes have successfully been funded via Springboard for the past number of years; and prove invaluable in delivering a pipeline of talent into this critical sector,” says Dr Borthwick. “We also partner with the Aviation Skillnet delivering a suite of other short, online, part-time Aviation programmes which continue to be very popular throughout the region and beyond.”

FUTURE MOBILITY

Dr Borthwick is a Director on the Enterprise Ireland-funded Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) with whom TUS recently partnered to launch a new Masters and Postgraduate Diploma in Autonomous Vehicles.

OUR SUITE OF PROGRAMMES IS EVER-EVOLVING TO ENSURE WE ALIGN WITH STAKEHOLDER CHANGING NEEDS”

“FMCI is a national asset located in our region, and TUS has expertise in the provision of Mechanical and Automobile programmes. Combining our strengths to develop and deliver this new programme was a no-brainer; the launch was a significant milestone in marking out TUS’s intentions in supporting the future growth of this emerging economic sector.” Eligible applicants to the Postgraduate Diploma can avail of 90-100% funding, under the Human Capital Initiative (HCI). Applications for September are currently open.

Most recently, TUS secured funding from Shannon Chamber Skillnet to develop a short programme in Electric Vehicle Technology to address a recognised skills gap, given the pace of change facing those working in the sector. To ensure accessibility, the programme will be designed with online (evening) lectures combined with practical workshops to be held in in TUS’s new state of the art Coonagh Engineering campus from September 2024.

https://tus.ie/flexiblew-learning/

Unlocking Your Potential at Griffith College

Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence in Ireland, Griffith College is a trusted choice for aspiring learners

With 2024 marking our 50th anniversary in third level education in Ireland, Griffith College has become synonymous with academic excellence, boasting a stellar reputation both nationally and internationally. Our commitment to student success has garnered us awards and accolades, making us a trusted choice for aspiring learners.

Situated in the vibrant city of Limerick, our campus offers a diverse range of learning modes - full-time, part-time, and blended. Our globally recognised qualifications span Business,

YOUR EDUCATION SHAPES YOUR FUTURE, AND AT GRIFFITH COLLEGE, WE TAKE THIS RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY”

Administration, Computing, Hospitality, Accounting, Engineering, and professional courses, ranging from Levels 5 to 9 on the NFQ. Accredited by prestigious institutions such as QQI, ACCA, and Heriot-Watt University, your Griffith College education transcends borders.

DYNAMIC AND VIBRANT

Located on O’Connell Avenue, our campus is at the heart of Limerick’s dynamic student culture. Enjoy smaller class sizes and personalised attention from our esteemed lecturers. Your success is our priority, and we go the extra mile to assist with your post-graduation employment prospects.

Your education shapes your future, and at Griffith College, we take this responsibility seriously. With a history of excellence, diverse programs, global recognition, and a supportive environment, we’re not just a college; we’re your partners in success. Join us on a journey that turns your dreams into reality. Choose Griffith College for a future filled with promise and achievement.

Advanced Automation Solutions in MedTech

Modular Automation’s solutions enable the world’s leading medical technology companies to manufacture sophisticated, life-changing products, at scale

Modular Automation, based in Shannon, is a Tier 1 automation company offering automation and integration solutions to the world’s leading medical technology manufacturers. It excels in the integration of the latest, enabling technologies such as collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), machine vision systems, robot tending cells and industry 4.0 applications. The company’s excellence is rooted in a fusion of pioneering design, advanced engineering, and an unwavering dedication to precision.

Modular’s purpose is to enable the world’s leading medical technology companies to manufacture sophisticated, ultra-high quality, life-changing products, at scale. Over its almost 40-year history, it has garnered a significant reputation with its customers for delivering high quality, reliable automation solutions.

Modular Automation was recently acquired by Automated Industrial Robotics Inc. (AIR), from Los Angeles, USA. For Modular, this new ownership and participation in a growing global automation entity opens up new

markets particularly in the US and offers opportunities for growth in new business and technology breadth.

Modular Automation has been a Platinum Deloitte Best Managed Company for ten years in a row. Its culture is founded on strong values of customer focus, safety and respect, throughout the team of 150 based at Smithstown. The company prides itself in the development of world class business processes and systems across all its functions. Career opportunities are plentiful, and we are always delighted to meet potential new candidates to the team.

For more information, please visit us at www.modular-global.com or on LinkedIn @ ModularAutomation.

From our state-of-the-art campus in Shannon, our talented team help the world's most innovative MedTech companies advance their manufacturing capabilities.

us and become part of a tightly-knit team shaping the future of automation.

Reflections on Business in 2023

an impact, but we still have a backlog of several years of under-investment to make up for.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this year’s InBUSINESS Recognition Awards, and celebrate another year of resilience, success and growth for our members and business in Ireland. Reflecting on the year 2023, it already seems very far away, living as we do in a time of exponential change, in the age of Artificial Intelligence. On the other hand, some things remain unchanged, global political tensions still at play, and worsening with the war in Ukraine still ongoing, and the unspeakable humanitarian crisis playing out in Gaza.

It has been a year marked by a multitude of challenges, both domestically and globally, that tested the mettle of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders alike,

as the numbers bore out that Ireland officially entered a recession. However, in a time of full employment it does not feel like the recession of the 1980s or the crash of 2008. It’s a very different beast.

Ireland remains a success as one of the most productive and competitive economies in the world, yet on the flipside we are still dealing with a housing crisis, rising costs of living and disinformation threats as we move into an election cycle.

The housing shortage and underinvestment in infrastructure continue to pose a significant challenge for businesses in Ireland. The shortage of affordable housing not only affects employees’ quality of life, but also impacts businesses’ ability to attract and retain talent. Government policies are now having

Here at Chambers Ireland, we believe that communities and business are two critical elements that will drive Ireland towards a stronger and more resilient future.

Each year the Recognition Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of businesses who have exemplified excellence, innovation, and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges which continue to evolve in the global and geopolitical landscape.

The Awards are more than just a celebration of success; they are a testament to the power of collaboration, vision, and perseverance in a world that is constantly throwing curveballs to the business community and its leaders.

PLANNING FOR GROWTH

Particularly in light of global challenges, the surplus shown in the 2023

Ian Talbot, CEO of Chambers Ireland reflects on the business landscape over the last year, and the resilience and innovation of Irish businesses

Exchequer Returns indicates much to be positive about for the Irish economy. Record levels of employment and the extraordinary turnaround in our economy since the dark days of 2008 – 2010 give grounds for cautious optimism this year, in spite of ongoing wars, new threats to global trade and several important elections globally.

As a small, open, trading economy Ireland cannot isolate itself from potential impacts of these and other events and, at the same time, we must also plan for future growth in our economy and population. Government must therefore be ambitious and retain focus on improving productivity and competitiveness, particularly of indigenous companies, and increased supports should be available to SMEs to help them meet new legislative obligations. There also needs to be continued emphasis on housing, and increased investment in public services and the development of infrastructure in accordance with the National Development Plan and our obligations under the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In order for businesses to capitalise

on opportunities, the demand for skilled professionals must be met. Our members are struggling to find people to work as our country has been in full employment for years – 95,000 people joined the workforce in Ireland last year and the unemployment rate has remained flat. Training and upskilling is vital to create the workforce of the future. We need to be sure that a mismatch between the skills required by businesses and those possessed by the available workforce do not hinder our growth potential, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and renewable energy. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, includ-

IN ORDER FOR BUSINESSES

TO CAPITALISE ON OPPORTUNITIES, THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED PROFESSIONALS MUST BE MET”

ing investment in education and training programs, attracting international talent, and upskilling the existing workforce, to ensure a sustainable talent pipeline for future growth.

LOOKING AHEAD

Looking ahead to the remainder of this year, Irish businesses stand poised to seize new opportunities while addressing ongoing challenges. Ireland’s reputation as a hub for innovation and business remains strong. With the right strategies in place, Irish companies can tap into emerging markets, capitalise on digital transformation, and strengthen their competitive edge. Collaboration and cooperation within the business community will be essential in finding innovative solutions to global challenges. By working together, businesses can create an environment that attracts and retains top talent, fostering innovation and driving economic growth.

You will probably all be aware of the Local and European Elections on 7 June. You may not all be aware of the Referendum on the same day to approve Ireland joining the EU’s Unified Patent Court, where a “yes” vote is very important for business innovation. Above all we ask you to encourage and facilitate your colleagues to vote – understanding of and strengthening our democracy has never seemed more important in our lifetime.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

InBUSINESS, the official publication of Chambers Ireland, as Ireland’s leading business quarterly, continues to highlight the successes of the best of Irish business. The annual InBUSINESS Recognition Awards recognise and reward exceptional business achievement and innovation and aim to acknowledge the contributions of individuals to grow business in this country.

Winners this year, across the categories, were nominated by editors, based on the broad criteria including growth, profile of business, range of services and customer care. All are very worthy of this recognition and set the standard for business in Ireland today. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all of this year’s award winners. Your achievements are a testament to the power of innovation, strategic thinking and business vision, creating a vibrant ecosystem in Ireland, to build on the success of the past and look with an innovative eye to the future.

Ian Talbot, CEO, Chambers Ireland

Next time your business is looking for a loan, give us a call and you’ll get through to real people, who’ll give you real decisions, real quick.

Capitalflow’s People First Expansion Plans

Stephen

Byrne, Chief Commercial Officer of Capitalflow on the flexible finance company’s cutting-edge technology and putting customers first

Since its inception in 2016, Capitalflow has focused on providing fast, flexible finance options for Irish businesses, offering loans from €10,000 up to €25 million. Capitalflow has supported businesses in the acquisition of everything from equipment and vehicles to property, with technological innovation and a people-first ethos as the cornerstones of how the company operates.

SUPPORTED GROWTH

Stephen Byrne, Chief Commercial Officer of Capitalflow says that since being acquired by Dutch neo-bank bunq in 2021, “We have had the backing from our owners with ample liquidity and capital to support our lending growth.”

The company’s lending book has grown by over 40% across Asset Finance and Commercial Real Estate since the start of this year alone, as well as the purchase of a Commercial Real Estate loan book from Lunar last December valued in excess of €120m.

“Despite interest rates and inflationary challenges, the economy, and our customer base, have remained resilient and strong. I think this reflects the resilient economic performance in Ireland and continued strong employment numbers,” Byrne adds.

In 2022, Capitalflow was authorised on a transitional basis as a retail credit firm by the Central Bank of Ireland and is currently progressing through the Central Bank’s full assessment process. “Upon successful

IN A WORLD THAT HAS BECOME MORE ANONYMOUS, PROVIDING A PERSONAL TOUCH SUPPORTED BY EFFICIENT PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY HAS HELPED US STAND OUT”

completion of this process, we anticipate being in a position to expand our product offerings in the coming years,” Byrne notes.

“Taking into consideration the market, competitive landscape, and our lending appetite, we are planning for substantial growth in the next couple of years – doubling our business through 2025 and increasing our workforce through 2026. This is very exciting for us and our customers.”

ACCESSIBLE TEAM

Capitalflow’s scale and reach across the Irish SME lending market is assisted by a nationwide network of relationship managers, brokers, and partners who ensure personalised service and accessibility for customers across Ireland.

“I think that accessibility to our team is a key quality,” says Byrne. “In a world that has become more anonymous, providing a personal touch supported by efficient process and technology has helped us stand out.”

On winning a Recognition Award, he says, ““It’s an honour when people in business recognise what we are trying to do in the market. We try to keep finance as simple as possible for our customers – have honest conversations – and let customers know if we can do a deal or not, as quickly as possible. We believe that time is money and letting our customers know where they stand in a timely manner is key to our service. Being recognised as a leading finance provider in Ireland by our peers is a great endorsement of our approach.”

Credit Unions: The Most Trusted Financial Brand

Credit Unions are at the heart of communities, digital when you want it, but human when you need it; a trusted and worthy winner of the Recognition Award for Brand of the Year

Often viewed as the David to the Goliath of the commercial banks, credit unions play a vital role in the economy, with 375 million members globally who turn to them for their financial needs.

Established 63 years ago, credit unions are known for small, personal loans, but many are unaware of how their services have evolved, with a growing number offering mortgages, current accounts, and large loans. Alice Grant, Head of Brand and Member Experience with the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) says: “Our job is to build the brand so that all consumers in Ireland understand why they should open a credit union account. We are on a journey to collectively unlock the power of the credit union brand, helping communities sustain their way of life now, and for generations to come. That journey includes re- engaging with under 35’s, creating a meaningful connection to a younger audience to ensure that they too can benefit from the services our credit unions provide for them to really understand that we are a multi- channel solution.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive the Chambers Ireland Recognition Awards Brand of the Year Award on behalf of our member credit unions, who continue to champion the needs of their members and strive to deliver services that resonate and positively impact those members every day. To be recognised for that commitment and awarded Brand of the Year, across all industries and sectors, truly is testament to the work that is being done, on the ground, in each and every credit union across the island of Ireland.”

SUSTAINABLE PROMISE

Credit unions live by their member promise every day, treating each of over 3.2million members of the credit union

movement across the island of Ireland as individuals. From opening a first credit union account in a local town or village or online via an app or other digital engagement, at a time when other financial institutions are reducing their presence and visibility, credit unions are focused on delivering more choices in how customers can engage whilst staying true to the personal approach they are renowned for. To being digital when you want it, but human when you need it.

Sustainability is front and centre of everything the credit union movement does. As a UN SDG Ambassador, our focus is on the sustainability of com-

OUR JOB IS TO BUILD THE BRAND SO THAT ALL CONSUMERS IN IRELAND UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SHOULD OPEN A CREDIT UNION ACCOUNT. WE ARE ON A JOURNEY TO COLLECTIVELY UNLOCK THE POWER OF THE CREDIT UNION BRAND, HELPING COMMUNITIES SUSTAIN THEIR WAY OF LIFE NOW, AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME”

munities we are part of, whether it be supporting members in living and working there; in investing further and in supporting community initiatives, or through supporting environmental initiatives. The entire brand positioning, ‘For You’ is built on this message. Credit unions are For You, whether you are male, female, young, old, an entrepreneur, employed in the public or private sector, or just opening your very first savings account. This is the essence of supporting a thriving community – there is something for everyone at the credit union.

Accelerating a green future

Bord na Móna’s Accelerate Green project is helping emerging innovators in the sustainability space across Ireland to grow and thrive

At the 2024 InBUSINESS Recognition Awards, Bord na Móna was recognised for its work towards a more sustainable future. The company took home the ‘Best Support To Business’ award at the event which celebrated Accelerate Green, the first scaling sustainability accelerator in Ireland The culmination of that journey occurred last year when the company closed its last remaining peat briquette factory at Derrinlough and stopped supplying peat to its Edenderry power plant in December of last year. “We were also delighted to announce our best financial performance in 90 years, which was driven by our renewable energy portfolio growing by 35% over the previous year,” said Sharon Doyle, Head of HR and Corporate Affairs.

Since the start of 2024, Bord na Móna announced three significant joint ventures and partnerships. “Firstly, in partnership with the ESB, we completed the first two phases of Ireland’s largest wind farm in Oweninny in Co Mayo. We also announced a major new joint venture with SSE Renewables, developing up to 800MW of onshore wing energy projects across the Midlands over the next decade. Most recently, we welcomed AWS as the first business to join our Bord na Móna Eco Energy Park in Co Offaly. Furthermore, the success of Accelerate Green in helping budding innovators from across the country has been a huge success for Bord na Móna capped off with this great award win.”

Bord na Móna decided to establish its Accelerate Green programme to provide practical and meaningful support to early-stage businesses including SMEs and start-ups that are delivering innovative products and services that address a range of business needs in a sustainable way.

“Since first launching in 2022, 42 budding green innovators from across the country have participated in Accelerate Green while navigating different stages of their scaling journeys. We are extremely proud of the impact the programme has had on these business leaders, with many

Sharon Doyle, Head of HR and Corporate Affairs

growing their workforces, scaling investment and operations here in Ireland and internationally since completing Accelerate Green.”

The mission of Accelerate Green is to help emerging innovators in the sustainability space across Ireland to grow and thrive. With a bigger and stronger network of climate solutions businesses, Ireland will be better placed to hit its targets and safeguard a greener and more sustainable future for communities across the country. “This award means a lot to us and is a credit to the excellent team that runs the programme at Bord na Móna along with our strategic partners Resolve Partners and not forgetting the excellent and innovative leaders who have leaned into the programme since 2022 and now form part of a thriving alumni of green entrepreneurs.”

It was just over five years ago when Bord na Móna first embarked on its ambitious Brown to Green journey to transform from a traditional peat business into a climate solutions and renewable energy leader in Ireland.” We’ve seen huge changes in the energy sector, with the renewable energy transition firmly now front and centre. This transition will help bolster the State’s overall energy resilience and security by alleviating the pressure on Ireland’s electricity grid and we can expect to see more announcements across the sector over the coming years.

Going forward, a main focus for Bord na Móna will be identifying and investing in meaningful partnerships with large-scale, well-established businesses within the renewable energy space. “That is integral to supporting the acceleration of our 5GW renewable energy pipeline and securing this energy supply. Partnerships like these allow Bord na Móna to leverage joint expertise and resources to ultimately deliver a greater impact when it comes to our own green energy outputs.”

As a business, Bord na Móna is now very much focused on the green phase of its journey. “As one of the largest producers of renewable electricity in the State, we are 100% committed to the continued expansion of our climate solutions and renewable energy portfolio to support Ireland in achieving its ambitious renewable energy requirements by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050.

“We also look forward to welcoming more businesses to our Eco Energy Park, where we are partnering with large energy users, as this will be pivotal in the overall decarbonisation of the industrial sector in Ireland. These parks will open up Ireland’s grid capacity in partnership with employment generating businesses in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, agrifood, ICT, transport and logistics sectors in the coming years, supporting the delivery of our renewable energy pipeline, which ultimately will contribute to the achievement of Ireland’s 2030 climate action targets.”

WE’VE SEEN HUGE CHANGES IN THE ENERGY SECTOR, WITH THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION FIRMLY NOW FRONT AND CENTRE”

Our success is built on four main pillars.”

• Cyber Security

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• Cyber Threat Intelligence

• Managed Services & Professional Services

Intercept Technologies: Staying Ahead of Cyber Security Threats

Joe McCann, Managing Director of Intercept Technologies, on offering innovative solutions in the evolving digital landscape of cyber security

Winning Cybersecurity Firm of the Year is a testament to our team’s dedication, innovation, and commitment to excellence,” says Joe McCann, Managing Director of Intercept Technologies, commenting on their Recognition Award win. “It reaffirms our position as a leader in the industry and motivates us to continue delivering cutting-edge solutions to our clients.”

With a staggering growth of circa 400% over the last year, Intercept’s trajectory is a testament to its exceptional service delivery, trusted client relationships, and a visionary outlook that anticipates and mitigates cyber threats before they materialise.

ADAPTING AND THRIVING

“Despite the challenges posed by the past global pandemic, geopolitical tensions and cyber warfare, we’ve managed to adapt and thrive in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape,” says McCann.

“Our company stands out due to our relentless focus on proactive cyber threat intelligence with offensive security, innovation, customer-centric approach, and ability to adapt quickly to emerging threats. We prioritise collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement in everything we do.”

McCann reflects on the successes of the past year, including: “securing major contracts with top-tier clients within the banking, asset management, insurance, government and pharmaceutical industry; expanding our cyber threat intelligence, governance risk and compliance and product portfolio to address emerging threats, and achieving notable milestones in our research and development efforts to change

the way the global economy addresses cybersecurity.”

STAYING AHEAD

The significance of robust cyber security and governance cannot be overstated, and Intercept have worked hard to stay ahead of threats.

“The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving—four times faster than the world economy in 2023, in fact, with new threats emerging daily. Organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect their assets, data, and reputation in an interconnected world. We’re helping them go to next level.”

Similarly to businesses across many sectors, supply chain has been an increasingly fragile factor to securing equipment, according to McCann. “We have worked with our supply chain partners to build

up stock of next generation equipment to assist organisations with their defence. Our proactive approach and resilience enabled us to overcome these obstacles effectively. Our approach to cyber security allows us to stay one step ahead of the adversary at all times.”

After Covid-19 prompted Intercept to accelerate digital transformation efforts, its unique cyber threat intelligence capabilities now prioritise remote collaboration, providing peace of mind for distributed teams: “Our enhanced cybersecurity measures protect against new threats targeting remote workers and digital infrastructures of our clients,” says McCann.

Looking to the future, he reveals, “In the coming year, we plan to further expand our team by 22, strengthen partnerships with industry leaders, and continue investing in research and development to stay ahead of emerging threats.”

Facilities Management: The Invisible Essential

Les Sheridan, Managing Director, Mitie Ireland, on growing out the business in the competitive Facilities Management sector, the importance of great staff benefits packages and supporting clients with sustainability in their real estate

Established in 2010, Mitie Ireland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitie Group PLC – the UK and Ireland’s leading facilities management (FM) and professional services company. Mitie offers a range of specialist services including technical services, security, cleaning, industrial cleaning, landscaping, energy and sustainability, waste, and professional consultancy. While a lot of FM activities are relatively invisible, taking place behind the scenes, it’s the work that nobody notices—unless it’s not done, when the crucial importance becomes abundantly clear. “Cleaning,” [or lack thereof], “can close a building,” says Les Sheridan, Managing Director, Mitie Ireland. It’s wise advice he received from a mentor in his career.

FULL SERVICE

Mitie is a total facilities management (TFM) provider, which means it provides all required facilities services to its customers. Mitie also has a comprehensive range of technical capabilities – mechanical and electrical, HVAC, lighting, energy, and commercial fitouts included. With the highest of standards across all arms of the business, even Mitie’s cleaning services stay on the cusp of the latest

AT MITIE WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CLIENTS AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER RETENTION RATE”

technology, with innovations such as UV robotics and misting robots complementing the expertise of dedicated personnel.

In Ireland Mitie’s teams are responsible for looking after a large, diverse, blue-chip customer base, from telecoms and pharmaceutical manufacturing, financial institutions, and retailers, to schools and government offices, across the island of Ireland in every town, city, and county.

“At Mitie we work in partnership with our clients and that is why we have an outstanding customer retention rate. Whilst it is easy to talk about partnership, actually being a partner of choice and adding value takes real focus on doing the basics brilliantly, recognising where our expertise is needed, being innovative and flexible and moving with our customers business and ensuring our people understand the importance of what they do,” says Sheridan.

BRAVE BUSINESS

Reflecting on the Recognition Award from Chambers Ireland, Sheridan says, “It’s been a very successful year for us. We’ve renewed and extended several of our key accounts. I’ve also put some time into cutting the tail on some underperforming contracts. By doing that we’ve delivered modest revenue growth, and while it meant letting some customers go, by focusing on the key partnerships and the right areas of our business, we’ve delivered very strong bottom-line growth.”

Sheridan is a believer in taking a calculated risk, particularly in such a sector, where standing still is not an option: “FM is a very busy space to be in. It’s fast-paced, so you have to be a little bit agile and you certainly have to be brave.”

While the FM sector in Ireland is not as mature as in the UK, nonetheless it is a growing market. “It’s a very busy space, though it is a very competitive space. At the moment it would certainly benefit from some consolidation. And it’s a space that’s really impacted by the war for talent at all levels, but particularly our frontline colleagues—such as cleaning operatives and security operatives— it’s a very competitive space for talent at the moment.”

PEOPLE AND SERVICE

Mitie’s teams self-deliver almost all services to their customers—with technical, cleaning, industrial clean-

ing, security, front of house and energy management teams, supported by a 24/7/365 Swords based service desk, the backbone of Mitie’s service offering. Delivering a cradle to grave operation, the service desk team interact with customers, operations teams, and suppliers to ensure tasks are appropriately prioritised and completed within agreed response times.

The customer engagement team and the planning and scheduling team ensure all bases are covered, regardless of the ask, with processes in place to maximise Mitie’s first-time fix rates by dispatching the right resource first time round.

In order to keep employee engagement and staff retention high, Sheridan focuses on providing great benefits packages, and messaging. “You have to look for innovative ways of advertising…But we have a benefits package that we would say is unmatched in our industry, and we’re always looking at ways to enhance that.”

TAPPING INNOVATION

After taking great care of their staff first, Mitie’s approach is to take care of their customers’ people and buildings by delivering the basics brilliantly and by deploying advanced technology—

pioneering the Connected Workspace, using smart analytics to provide valuable insight and deliver efficiencies to create outstanding work environments for Mitie’s customers. “People are using their properties in different ways,” says Sheridan. “Your traditional office of desks and people coming in Monday to Friday is gone. It’s now about creating more collaborative spaces in offices and helping clients utilise their space differently.” One example he cites is the use of IoT sensors to track uses of restrooms, and demand-led cleaning for areas of heavier traffic, rather than cleaning on the same schedule for low traffic and high traffic areas. “That’s just one way in which working smarter and more efficiently eliminates waste too, supporting clients on their journey to net zero.”

“Customers have an awful lot of data, whether it’s from sensors or from their BMS systems, and we’re helping them interpret that data and create outcomes by constantly working with our supply chain. An advantage of Mitie Ireland is that we’re part of a large PLC; Mitie Group has 4.5 billion pounds sterling revenues a year and invest significantly in innovation and technology. One of the benefits we get from being part of a big organisation is that we tap into that innovation and roll it out in Ireland.”

YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS OF ADVERTISING…BUT WE HAVE A BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT WE WOULD SAY IS UNMATCHED IN OUR INDUSTRY, AND WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS TO ENHANCE THAT’

WE DON’T JUST LOOK FORWARD, WE DRIVE FORWARD

THE VIRGINIA GROUP A

Story for Today

A family-owned business located in Virginia, we operate from Co. Cavan; Kells, Co. Meath; Ballycoolin, Co. Dublin, Ireland; and Tamworth UK. We are celebrating an incredible 40 years in business. Positioned strategically, we service a wide target market across Ireland, UK and Continent, our customers include clients in the food, electronics, pharma and manufacturing space and we are building capabilities and certifications to ensure that we are well positioned and meet tomorrow`s requirements – today. The Virginia Group acts for continued improvement and inspires others to do the same. The Virginia Group believe that we win together. Taking a Triple-Bottom-Line approach, we do our best to look after our Customers, People and Planet. Join our family by contacting us on enquiries@virginialogistics.ie or www.virginialogistics.ie

• Temperature Controlled Fridges and Dry Freight

• Freight Forwarding

• ADR, GDP, Airfreight & Waste Transport

• Intermodal Transport

• 3PL & 4PL

• Warehouse Facilities

• Customs Clearance

• Outsourcing Services

Transport Committing to Sustainability

Blending family business with cutting-edge technology, Virginia International Logistics is earning accolades for industry excellence while pioneering green logistics initiatives

Virginia International Logistics is a family-owned business founded in 1982 which is looking towards the future of the business by blending cutting-edge technology with an ingrained commitment to innovative environmental solutions. Over the years the company has evolved into a powerhouse in the transport and logistics sector, with offices and warehousing facilities spanning Ireland and the UK, and a fleet comprising 140 trucks and over 400 trailers servicing routes across Ireland, the UK and Continental Europe.

As well as holding waste licences covering Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, it offers a suite of services including temperature controlled, dry freight and containerised transport, catering to diverse industries including food, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. Specialist services include intermodal transport, freight forwarding, customs clearance and warehouse facilities.

The company’s dedication to quality is underscored by its ISO 9001:2015 Quality Logistics and GDP Passport accreditations, alongside commitment to memberships of industry bodies such as the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), Irish Exporters Association (IEA), and the Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTA) and is BRCGS accredited. It has held the FTA Truck Safe Silver Standard and Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) accreditation since 2017.

Beyond industry compliance, Virginia International Logistics has set the bar higher, reaching finalist status in Health and Safety Company of the Year, Green Award, Excellence in Warehousing and SME of the Year in 2023.

STATE OF THE ART

At the heart of Virginia International Logistics’ operations lies a state-of-the-art fleet

comprising articulated tractor units and trailers equipped with integrated GPS tracking. Compliant with European standards and boasting an average fleet age of just four years, the company’s vehicles cover over 14 million kilometres annually, ensuring timely and efficient delivery of goods across vast territories.

However, what truly sets Virginia International Logistics apart is its pioneering approach to environmental sustainability. In 2018 Virginia International Logistics bought its first compressed natural gas (CNG) truck and became the first logistics company to complete a zero carbon journey to mainland Europe and back. Since then, it has added significantly to its CNG fleet year after year, resulting in 20 CNG trucks in 2023. In August 2022 Virgina International signed a partnership with Flogas Ireland to supply 100% renewable gas to fuel the CNG fleet, and it has installed refuelling stations at its sites in Dublin and Virginia.

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

The company’s dedication to sustainability extends beyond its fleet. The roof of the onsite truck workshop in Virginia, Co Cavan, was identified as a suitable solution to reduce dependency on the electric grid and accommodate 268 solar panels, which went live in October 2021. Along with rainwater harvesting, tree planting initiatives, responsible waste management and the provision of electric vehicles and charging points for staff, Virginia International is actively engaged in mitigating its environmental footprint.

With plans to further invest in fleet growth, adopt new technologies, and certify for additional industry standards, the company is looking to continue to grow a thriving business while embracing sustainability as a core value.

BEYOND

INDUSTRY COMPLIANCE, VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS HAS SET THE BAR HIGHER, REACHING FINALIST STATUS IN HEALTH AND SAFETY COMPANY OF THE YEAR, GREEN AWARD, EXCELLENCE IN WAREHOUSING AND SME OF THE YEAR IN 2023

Woodie’s Transformation: Putting People First

Woodie’s became one of Ireland’s premier workplaces through a focus on employee engagement, training, and inclusive leadership development

Established in 1988, Woodie’s is Ireland’s market-leading DIY, Home and Garden retailer with 1,500 colleagues across 35 locations. It is listed as one of the 75 Best Large Workplaces in Europe, the highestplaced retailer in the Great Places to Work index in Ireland and is one of only two organisations to be listed as a Best Workplace for Women six years running, as well as being recognised as one of the “Best Workplaces in Ireland” for the seventh consecutive year. Woodie’s was the rst retailer in Ireland to be accredited as a gold-standard Investor in Diversity by the Irish Centre for Diversity & Inclusion.

PEOPLE BEFORE STRATEGY

In 2014, there was a need for signi cant operational and cultural change across the business. A new leadership team came on board and established the HR function. One of the rst

tasks undertaken was to complete a colleague engagement survey in partnership with Great Places to Work; the company failed to reach the Great Places to Work benchmark in any of the 72 areas of employee experience measured within the survey.

WOODIE’S WAS THE FIRST RETAILER IN IRELAND TO BE ACCREDITED AS A GOLDSTANDARD INVESTOR IN DIVERSITY BY THE IRISH CENTRE FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION”

e leadership team understood the link between a highly engaged workforce and business performance, and set about changing the organisation’s culture.

e results were briefed to everybody in the business, and listening forums were established with every team. Each team provided feedback on the change needed at a company level to make Woodie’s a Great Place to Work. Each team also created an individual action plan to improve employee experience in areas within their control.

e company strategy to make Woodie’s a Great Place to Work for all colleagues, covered: Leadership; Communication; Personal Development; Reward and Recognition; Corporate Social Responsibility; and Diversity and Inclusion.

e new approach has been tracked and measured by an annual Great Place to Work survey, Pulse surveys and collaboration with the colleague committee and regional managers.

Trust Excellence

Zurich Master Trust

Your people trust you to put the best pension solution in place for them and with Zurich being voted number 1 for investment excellence since 2014 by Brokers Ireland*, you can trust our commitment to excellence.

Trust our experience

• Providing pension excellence for employers and employees in the Irish market for over 40 years.

Trust our innovation

• Driving employee engagement with forward thinking products and investment design, makes managing your corporate pensions easy.

Trust our active management

• Delivering better retirement outcomes through excellence in active investment management.**

To find out more about the Zurich Master Trust talk to your Zurich Broker Consultant or visit zurichcorporate.ie

Warning: Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.

Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up.

Warning: If you invest in this product you may lose some or all of the money you invest.

Warning: Benefits may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

* Awarded Investment Excellence by Brokers Ireland in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

** Independent survey, Rubicon Investment Consulting Limited. Annualised return of 8.1% over 20 years as of 29th February 2024. Zurich Life Assurance plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Shaping Ireland’s Financial Landscape

Through consistent focus on helping customers achieve their financial goals, Zurich Life Assurance plc has almost doubled its market share in Ireland

Zurich Life Assurance plc is one of Ireland’s largest Pension and Investment providers, employing over 700 employees. Over the last decade Zurich has seen its market share almost double and has grown to become the second largest pension and investment provider in the Irish market. This growth has been achieved through a consistent focus on supporting and helping customers to achieve their financial goals, delivered through a programme of year-on-year incremental improvements across different strands of the business including product development, technology, marketing communications and investment management.

INNOVATION AT HEART

In an industry perceived as resisting change, Zurich consistently breaks the mould to deliver new and fresh approaches to its product development. Offering ‘easy access’ investment and savings products has helped to challenge the hold that traditional banks had on customers’ savings and deposits. This simple change, instigated by customer research, saw significantly more customers enter the savings and investment markets thereby giving customers the potential to generate better returns on their money. Innovation and breaking the ‘it’s always done this way’ cycle is at the heart of Zurich’s operations, whether it’s developing new ‘Master Trust’ retirement solutions for corporate and SME businesses, listening to life insurance customers’ needs for immediate funeral support, or providing female focused cancer cover protection.

LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS

Technology and digitalisation are fundamental to the business success and over the years Zurich has consistently delivered online solutions, which it constructs in such a way that smaller

advisory businesses it works with can benefit from. This agile approach to development has enabled Zurich to support many businesses who do not have the IT and marketing capacity of an organisation of Zurich’s scale.

This resourcefulness has ensured that Zurich continues to build a strong reputation for product excellence while strengthening its relationship with distributors and customers.

Zurich’s B2B strategy emphasises long-term strategic partnerships rather than a focus on short-term transactional wins. Likewise, when a person becomes a customer of Zurich, they enter into a trusted relationship that could last for 40 years (or more) as they save, invest, and retire with Zurich.

As an investment manager, Zurich’s focus is to deliver consistent investment

excellence while at the same time be conscious of the need to invest policyholder and shareholder funds responsibly. It also invests in communities, working with charitable and non-profit partners, and the Z Zurich Foundation. Education (Power2Progress), mental health (Tackle Your Feelings), health and wellbeing (Down Syndrome Ireland and Alzheimer Society of Ireland) and social innovation (Rethink Ireland), are some of the areas it focuses on.

Zurich in Ireland is part of the Zurich Insurance Group, which aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. As part of the Group Zurich in Ireland is also playing its part in achieving this goal, recognising the importance of building a brighter future for its customers, its people, and our planet.

Joe Creegan, Head of Corporate Life & Pensions, Zurich

Forward Momentum

The Company of the Year award winner, National Broadband Ireland, is helping to close the rural urban digital divide

“AT NBI, WE’RE INCREDIBLY PROUD TO BE DELIVERING THE GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN (NBP)”

National Broadband Ireland was the proud recipient of the Company of the Year accolade at this year’s InBUSINESS Recognition Awards. Peter Hendrick, CEO at NBI, attributes the win to the critical work being undertaken by the company in closing the rural urban digital divide. “At NBI, we’re incredibly proud to be delivering the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP). The project is one of the most ambitious large-scale fibre rollouts in the world and I think the judges recognised the tremendous progress that we’ve made to date. January 2024 marked the end of the fourth year of our rollout and the project has received praise for being

on schedule, and on budget.”

NBI started work in January 2020. A huge amount of credit must, says Peter, go to the Government for its ambition in developing the NBP. “Their blueprint coupled with our execution provides a model for other countries to follow, as Ireland will soon become the most connected country in Europe.” Since its inception, NBI has scaled its operations from a small bid team to employing 2,000 people, either directly or indirectly. Its team brings together some of the most talented individuals from Ireland and abroad, each with the required knowledge and experience to deliver a project of this scale and complexity. “Four years on, we have made real headway in the rollout, with 85% of all premises designed and over 75% premises either constructed or currently under construction. Today, around 45% of premises can place an order on the NBI network.”

The need for high-speed connectivity touches all aspects of our lives, from work and education to the way we socialise and seek healthcare, says Peter. “The Government recognised that high-speed broadband had become a vital utility service and took bold action with the NBP, developing a clear strategy to intervene in areas of the country that had been left behind by commercial rollouts.” While it’s still early days to measure the impact, we are already seeing key indicators, says Peter. “Firstly, the rates at which people are taking up the service far exceeds the original projections. In areas where the network has been live for more than two year, we’ve seen take-up rates approaching 50%.” An independent report from EY in 2022 also found that the total economic impact could exceed €5.9 billion. “What is abundantly clear is that the NBP is playing a key role in closing the digital divide and not just empowering rural communities, but making Ireland Inc far more competitive.”

NBI’s performance during Covid exceeded all expectations and remains one of Peter’s proudest moments. “That first year as NBI came through the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic was certainly an extremely proud time. As a company that was established three months prior to the pandemic hitting, our team showed incredible resilience and passion to establish this hugely important project. My ethos has always been to build a fantastic team and surround myself with smart, committed people. We have that in abundance at NBI and it was clearly

on show during Covid and since.”

NBI believes that better broadband networks promote social progress, equality and sustainability. “With equal access to local, national and global opportunity, every person, community and organisation in Ireland will be empowered to achieve more. This is the mission that we all strive for.” People are the greatest asset at NBI. “We focus on employee engagement and experience. We’re delighted to have received a number of

WE’RE

accreditations and awards for our efforts – namely the Ibec KeepWell Mark which benchmarked our performance against eight standards in workplace wellbeing. NBI has also been recognised for our wider colleague engagement programme, called ‘Connected’ which includes employee wellbeing initiatives.”

Going forward, the priority at NBI is to continue the momentum achieved in 2023. “That will see us consistently hit major milestones in the rollout and continue to be on schedule, and on budget. We’re expecting 100,000 connected customers on our network later this year, which is a big achievement that we’re looking forward to.” NBI also recently announced its work in the Black Valley, which has been underserved by utility services for generations. “We want to buck this trend and complete our construction in the area so that residents can start to realise the benefits of high-speed broadband.”

The company is also excited to highlight its business products which are in place for SMEs and larger enterprises. “Our specialist business products provide increased speeds (up to 5 Gigabits per second) to eradicate bottlenecks during busy periods. Businesses need even more reliable, resilient, and futureproofed connectivity, and the products we’ve developed come with that peace of mind.”

EXPECTING 100,000 CONNECTED CUSTOMERS ON OUR NETWORK LATER THIS YEAR, WHICH IS A BIG ACHIEVEMENT THAT WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO”

€2,000

Save

Leading SSE Airtricity’s Decarbonisation Drive in Ireland

Business Woman of the Year and SSE Airtricity Managing Director, Klair Neenan values the recognition of SSE Airtricity’s commitment to supporting customers on the transition to net zero

SSE Airtricity has a longstanding commitment to working with customers and communities, ensuring an innovative and responsible approach to supporting Ireland’s decarbonisation agenda. Following her appointment as Managing Director in 2019, Klair Neenan’s approach to prioritising customer needs and their long-term decarbonisation goals has been fundamental to SSE Airtricity’s success. Responsible for a workforce of almost 1,000 across the island of Ireland, Klair has guided the business through a period of significant volatility. In this unpredictable environment, strategic decision-making, as well as Klair’s ability to adapt at pace, ensured equitable delivery of business results.

Under Klair’s leadership and direction, SSE Airtricity’s strategy is wholly focused on supporting the transition to Net Zero. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023 aims for a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030: an unprecedented economic opportunity and an unprecedented challenge.

PIONEERING MODELS

Klair has worked with her team to spearhead the growth of SSE Airtricity’s Energy Services business, including the pioneering one-stop-shop model for home retrofit in Ireland and the launch of innovative low carbon products. The success of the one-stop-shop model is best demonstrated by its role in the delivery of Ireland’s National Retrofit Programme, receiving recognition as

a best practice model from countries looking to launch similar energy efficiency models. Having introduced a €25 million Customer Support Fund in 2022, the first and largest of its kind in Ireland, Klair’s customer centric approach and commitment to doing the right thing, played a critical role in SSE Airtricity’s decision to forgo profits in the last financial year. The Fund included significant donations to two reputable charitable organisations in Ireland and Northern Ireland – totalling more than €3million and available to all service users rather than being ringfenced for SSE Airtricity customers. Under Klair’s stewardship, SSE Airtricity’s leadership on customer supports was solidified in March 2023 when €8.6 million of profits were redistributed back to customers in the form of household credits.

ROLE MODEL

Central to her success are Klair’s measured approach and planning skills. To keep pace with rapidly evolving priorities, Klair maintains regular touchpoints with her leadership and delivery teams, while fostering a cascade approach to communication across the business. This ensures an inclusive working environment, whilst also supporting employees to be fully engaged with the relevant customer updates and priorities for the business at any time. An enriching and inclusive workplace is a key leadership objective for Klair and she recognises the importance of

supporting people where they are at. She is a driving force for teams balancing their work and family life and actively encourages people to avail of SSE’s Flexible First hybrid working model and enhanced family leave benefits. Klair’s leadership is reflected in the support of her team. Carolanne Henry, Director of Customer Experience and Operations, said “Klair is more than a leader; she is a role model. Her authenticity sets her apart, making her approachable and relatable, and has empowered many to embrace their unique strengths and perspectives, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive workplace. I’m proud to be part of Klair’s team.”

On receiving the Business Woman of the Year Award, Klair acknowledged it as a great recognition of the effort by the team in SSE Airtricity and really honouring SSE Airtricity’s commitment to support customers on their transition to net zero. Looking to the future, Klair spoke of the opportunities that the transition to net zero brings. That ultimately it is about bringing more renewables on the system and decarbonising the economy at pace. To do that requires delivering net zero in a way that is meaningful and fair for everybody and that brings everyone on the journey. Klair looks forward to seeing the role that SSE Airtricity and the team are going to play in making that happen.

Klair Neenan, Managing Director, SSE Airtricity

Transition to Sustainability

Now, more than ever, companies need to ensure that their employees have the skills to compete in a low carbon, resource efficient and circular economy

Climate change and sustainable development are a key focus for Further Education and Training (FET) to make a strong contribution to the Government’s call to action and assist companies to make that transition to sustainability.

Responding to the critical challenges that businesses are facing, SOLAS has recently launched FET Micro-Qualifications – a new FET offering to address the skills needs of the Irish workforce. These include several sustainability programmes in collaboration with Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and strategic partners such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA, EPA, SEAI, Uisce Eireann and Regional Skills Fora.

Micro-Qualifications are a new route to futureproofing Now, more than ever, companies need to ensure that their employees have the skills to compete in a low carbon, resource efficient and circular economy SUSTAINABILITY TRANSITION to businesses, upskilling staff in line with future business needs and flexibly delivered to fit busy work schedules. Areas cover Environmental Sustainability, Lean Practice, Resource Efficiency, the Circular Economy and Sustainable Supply Chain Procurement. All Micro-Qualifications are QQI accredited and are little or no cost to employees and employers.

For further information on what’s available in your locality, contact your local ETB or visit www.skillstoadvance.ie

COMPANIES NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE THE SKILLS TO COMPETE IN A LOW CARBON, RESOURCE EFFICIENT AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY.”

Access to credit for viable borrowers

Credit Review – ensuring viable SMEs and farms have access to bank credit, with information and support to appeal loan refusals

At Credit Review, we provide an appeals mechanism for borrowers who have had their credit applications rejected by an Irish bank (AIB, BOI and PTSB); 8 out of 10 businesses we support get a credit solution from their bank.

Our appeal process is informal, affordable, and available to all Irish SME and farm businesses. We can review requests for credit facilities such as overdrafts, term loans, invoice or asset finance up to a value

of €3 million. Restructuring proposals for credit facilities of up to €3 million can also be appealed.

Refinance and restructuring requests are increasingly important at present as businesses continue to deal with changing economic circumstances, including increased business costs, rising interest rates and the repayment of tax debts warehoused by Revenue during Covid.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

When a business applies to us for a review, one of our experienced reviewers is assigned to assess the business, looking at its track record, existing debts, future potential, management and markets, as well as the reason for the new credit application or restructuring request. The bank is also asked

Credit where it’s due.

Having difficulty getting a new business loan or restructuring your existing debt with your bank?

Established by the Minister for Finance, Credit Review is here to help.

Talk to the credit experts today on 0818 211 789 or visit creditreview.ie

to provide detailed information to Credit Review on how it views the business and specifically why it has refused to lend.

In most cases we review, we can support the borrower by recommending a credit solution that works for both the business and the bank. However, where the reviewer is unable to recommend the credit facility requested, we will suggest a roadmap to make future bank applications more likely to succeed; and will signpost SMEs towards other government supports that can help them to grow and develop their businesses.

For more information on our independent appeals process and information services, visit creditreview.ie where you can request a call back, or call the helpline directly on 0818 211789

Reasons to reward your staff

There’s a wealth of opportunities yearround to celebrate achievements and demonstrate appreciation to your staff

While many companies traditionally reserve recognition for the end of the year, it’s essential to broaden our perspective on when and how to acknowledge employees. “While festive seasons undoubtedly carry a special charm, there’s a wealth of opportunities year-round to celebrate achievements and demonstrate appreciation”, says Nicola Roche, Senior Sales Development Representative at One4all Rewards. Under the Government’s Small Benefits tax exemption policy, businesses can reward their staff up to €1,000 per year, completely free of tax, PRSI and USC. With One4all Rewards, you can offer your staff tax-free gift cards on an ongoing or annual basis, saving up to €1,313.54* per employee. The maximum reward of €1,000 can be split across two payments in one financial year.

OCCASIONS WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING

• Employee Milestones: Celebrate years of dedicated service and achievements

• Meeting or Surpassing Targets: Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments

• Team Motivation or General Recognition: Inspire collaboration and camaraderie

• Birthdays: Make individuals feel valued and appreciated on their special day

• Maternity/Paternity Leave: Show support for life-changing events

• Long-Service: Honor dedication and loyalty

• Retirement: Bid farewell with gratitude and appreciation These occasions serve as fantastic opportunities to uplift and recognise the efforts of colleagues, boosting workplace morale and camaraderie, which are crucial for employee motivation and retention.

For more information on employee rewards and incentives, contact the experts at One4all Rewards on (01) 870 8181 or email rewards@one4all.ie.

Mayor of South Dublin County Council launches five-year tourism strategy; Minister Ryan opens bus interchange in Navan Town Centre; Minister Ryan launches ambitious Meath County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029

Cork County Council launches economic and community development plan; Cork County Council launches first Climate Action Plan; multi-million euro Renewal Scheme launched; Kilrush included in Town Centre First programme Sligo takes home Best Mental Health Initiative award; Co Sligo allocated €1,742,899 under the Community Recognition Fund 2024; €304,186 CLÁR funding for Leitrim

Glenties selected for Historic Towns Initiative; over €4.3m PEACEPLUS funding for Cavan; new Belfast Agenda sets targets for 150,000 new trees, 6,000 new homes and 7,000 new business start-ups by 2028

Funding confirmed for Kildare Heritage Conservation Projects

Kildare County Council is delighted to confirm that four Kildare projects will receive funding under the recently announced Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and a further 15 projects under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) which, cumulatively, exceed €324,000.

The funding follows the recent announcement by Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, that a total of 676 heritage projects across every county in Ireland will benefit from €9m in financial support for conservation projects through the HSF and the BHIS for 2024.

Both conservation schemes fund a variety of essential repairs and sensitive conservation works to prevent deterioration, protect character, and encourage the re-use of protected structures. The schemes also provide important support for the employment of traditional craftspeople and conservation professionals.

5-YEAR TOURISM STRATEGY FOR SOUTH DUBLIN

FIRST CLIMATE ACTION PLAN FOR CORK

NEW BELFAST AGENDA SETS TARGETS

In Association with

Mayor of South Dublin County Council launches five-year tourism strategy

The Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Alan Edge, launched the council’s new five-year tourism strategy at an event in Tallaght Stadium. The document is intended to guide the activities and work programme of South Dublin County from 2024 to 2029.

“South Dublin County, with its rich history, diverse communities and stunning landscapes, stands poised to become a beacon for visitors from home and abroad, eager for all the authentic experiences that the gateway to the Dublin Mountains has to offer,” says Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Alan Edge. “This comprehensive strategy reflects our commitment to unlocking the full potential of South Dublin County as a vibrant and sustainable tourist destination. By embracing innovation and fostering collaboration between local stakeholders, we aim to create an environment where tourism not only thrives but also contributes significantly to the wellbeing of our communities.”

The strategy aims to plan sustainably for the next phase of the county’s tourism evolution, position South Dublin to capitalise on its

strongest assets, build on the previous tourism strategy and ensure that tourism supports inclusive economic growth in South Dublin.

“Our €100m planned investment in tourism under this strategy, including for projects such as the Dublin Mountains Visitor Centre, Tallaght Heritage Centre, 12th Lock along

€257M

Increased Cost of Business Grant announced

As part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257m for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) Grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses facing rising costs. A once-off grant payment is available to qualifying businesses and online applications are open until May 1st. For further details, visit your local authority’s website.

the Grand Canal and The Castle Stables and Courtyards at Rathfarnham, along with our active travel network incorporating the Dodder, Grand Canal and Canal Loop Greenways, demonstrate an ambitious but sustainable approach to tourism,” adds Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council Colm Ward.

Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Alan Edge with councillors and staff of South Dublin County Council at the launch of the South Dublin County Tourism Strategy at Tallaght Stadium.

[ SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY ]

[ COUNTY MEATH ]

Minister Ryan opens bus interchange in Navan Town Centre

Mayor of Navan Cllr Eddie Fennessy was joined by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and the National Transport Authority (NTA) to o icially open the bus interchange on Kennedy Road, Navan, Co Meath. The project was funded by NTA through the Government’s Project 2040 and is aligned with the Sustainable Mobility Action Plan, the Climate Action Plan and the GDA Transport Strategy.

Close co-operation between NTA and Meath County Council has led to major improvements to the public transport network for the people of the Navan area, over the last six years. This includes the high-frequency NX express service from Navan to Dublin; better connectivity with Dublin Airport on the 109A; enhanced regional connectivity with Drogheda, Mullingar and Athlone on the 190;

new Local Link routes 188 and 189; and a significant upgrade of the N1/N2 Navan town bus service.

“We know that when we invest in public transport, by making it more useful, more frequent and more reliable, people respond,” says Minister Eamon Ryan. “In recent years, thanks to an ongoing programme of investment in infrastructure and services, including the N1 and N2 introduced in 2020, patronage on the regional and local buses network in the Navan area has grown from 1.4m to 2.4m passengers per year. That’s an increase of 71%. The new Kennedy Road interchange will facilitate further increases in public transport usage in Navan over the next few years and will act as the focal point for more enhancements of the public transport network.”

Minister Ryan launches ambitious Meath County Council Climate Action

Cathaoirleach Cllr Tommy Reilly and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD o icially launched Meath County Council’s Climate Action Plan 2024-2029. The plan outlines ambitious strategies aimed at building a climate-resilient, biodiverse-rich, environmentally sustainable, and climate-neutral economy. These strategies will support healthy lifestyles and economic growth in Co Meath. Central to the plan is the

Plan 2024-2029

concept of decarbonising zones with nine towns identified. These designated zones will serve as focal points for targeted measures to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy e iciency, and enhance environmental sustainability. Furthermore, they will provide opportunities for sharing experiences and learnings between communities.

“Change requires local engagement, local community involvement, local community support, and leadership,

which is why this Climate Action Plan in Meath is important,” says Minister Eamon Ryan TD. “What everyone’s involvement has done to date has given this plan its grassroots strength. I have had the great privilege of visiting every single county and every Local Authority, with great e orts being made in making this shift; it belongs to every political party, we cannot a ord not to make this change, and it has to belong to everyone, and that is quite evident in Co Meath today.”

Brian Daly, Local Link; Deirdre Murtagh, Local Link; Kieran Kehoe, Chief Executive, Meath County Council; Minister Eamon Ryan TD; John Burns, Local Link; John Halpenny, Halpenny Travel; and Conor O’Donovan, National Transport Authority.

Cork County Council launches plan for economic and community development

The Cork County Local Economic and Community Plan 2024-2030 has been formally adopted by the Elected Members of Cork County Council. The plan provides a framework for how Cork County Council itself, and in partnership with stakeholders, will promote and support the economic and community development of the county over the next six years.

This plan sets out a series of high-level goals representing the specific vision that Cork County Council wishes to achieve. These include sustainable, resilient and empowered communities and places; a socially inclusive county; a healthy and active county; a low carbon and climate resilient county that protects biodiversity and the environment; a county that supports enterprise; and a smart and innovative county.

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Frank O’Flynn highlighted the collaborative effort between Cork County Council, its economic and community stakeholders and the citizens of Cork County in the development of the plan: “As we unveil this comprehensive roadmap which will guide us through the challenges and opportunities presented over the next six years, I am reminded of the strength that lies in the power of collaboration. The input and participation of Elected Members, economic and community stakeholders and the citizens of Cork County throughout this process demonstrates our shared vision and aspiration to promote the development of our county as an attractive, competitive and sustainable place to live, visit and do business.”

€83.2M

road grant allocation announced for Cork County

Cork County Council welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Transport of the 2024 Roads Grant allocations. A total of €83,199,560 has been allocated by the Department of Transport in respect of the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads in Cork County this year – €42,496,500 for restoration improvement and maintenance for roads, with €1,887,840 dedicated to bridge rehabilitation works.

Cork County Council launches first Climate Action Plan

Cork County Council has launched its first Climate Action Plan (2024-2029) which aims to support the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient county. The plan includes actions and projects which support the local authority in reducing its direct carbon emissions by 51% by 2030 in line with national emissions targets. It also outlines how the council will work with communities and national and state agencies to advocate for positive and meaningful climate action.

Key goals in the Climate Action Plan include actions and projects to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity across the county and support the transition to a low-carbon transport system. This includes the promotion of active travel and the delivery of new greenway infrastructure.

One significant aspect of the Climate Action Plan is the establishment of Macroom as Cork County Council’s first Decarbonisation Zone, which will act as a key pilot zone and testbed for climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures, as well as community-led climate action projects.

The plan also supports the delivery of the Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP), which provides eligible community organisations with up to 100% funding to deliver local climate action projects (to a maximum value of €100,000).

“The formal adoption and publication of the Cork County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029 marks a significant milestone for the council and emphasises our ongoing commitment to meeting national climate targets,” says Chief Executive of Cork County Council Valerie O’Sullivan. “The publication of this first-ever Climate Action Plan for the council is an important moment for the local authority sector, as we strive to continue to address the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change.”

Multi-million euro Patrickswell Village Renewal Scheme launched

The completed Patrickswell Village Renewal Scheme, which has been completed by Limerick City & County Council’s Active Travel team and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA), has been officially launched. The scheme aims to prioritise pedestrians and traffic calming measures, with controlled crossing points installed and improved sightlines designed for safety purposes. New bus stops in the village centre have also been provided and opportunities to link in with current developments in the village have been optimised, including the new Community Centre, which opened in October 2023.

Cllr Sarah Kiely; Pat Daly, Chief Executive Limerick City and County Council; Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Office of Public Works and the Gaeltacht; Cllr Dan McSweeney, Deputy Mayor of Limerick City and County; Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications; Trina O’Dea; Cllr Fergus Kilcoyne; Sean Kelly, MEP; and Richard O’Donoghue TD. Photo: Don Moloney.

Limerick City & County Council has worked closely with the Patrickswell Tidy Towns Committee throughout the project with regard to design of the landscape and planting proposals and future maintenance requirements. The scheme provides additional landscaped green areas, including more than 50 mature indigenous trees. The project also provides for bike parking in the area, along with solar compactor bins at locations throughout the village and public lighting upgrades. The project received an allocation of €1.25m in funding from the NTA in 2023, having been allocated €750,000 in 2022.

Kilrush included in Town Centre First programme

Clare County Council has welcomed the inclusion of Kilrush in the Town Centre First programme, which focuses on the social and economic revival of towns across the country.

The Government has confirmed that the West Clare town is among 26 urban centres across Ireland that will benefit from Phase 2 funding to complete a comprehensive masterplan to help develop their town centres.

Working in collaboration with the local community, Clare County Council has already produced a Town Centre First plan for Sixmilebridge, which was included in Phase 1 of the programme and was officially launched by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell TD.

The Town Centre First programme is supported by Government through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the

Limerick City & County Council’s Active Travel team has been allocated €21m for the design, planning and construction of infrastructure in 2024 by the National Transport Authority. The funding will be used to further expand and improve Limerick’s walking and cycling facilities, with approx 11km of infrastructure completed since the establishment of the Active Travel unit in 2021. €21M funding for Limerick City & County Council’s Active Travel team in 2024

Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, European Regional Development Fund, Town Centre First Heritage Revival (THRIVE) Scheme and the Historic Towns Initiative.

Pictured at the Town Centre First announcement were (from left) Mark Noonan and Eileen Moloney, Sixmilebridge Town Team; Minister Heather Humphreys TD; Minister of State, Kieran O’Donnell TD; Joan Tarmey, Town Regeneration Officer; Anne Griffin, Shannon Municipal District; and Carmel Kirby, Director of Economic Development, Clare County Council.

[ COUNTY MAYO ]

[ COUNTY LEITRIM ]

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin and the Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne announced a record investment of almost €30m in core funding support to sporting organisations, through Sport Ireland, for 2024; €17.3m for National Governing Bodies of Sport and €11.4m for Local Sports Partnerships – the highest-ever level of Core investment into these organisations, an increase of almost €11.9m over the lifecycle of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027. Pictured (from left): Sport Ireland Chairperson John Foley, Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne TD, and Chief Executive of Sport Ireland Dr Úna May.

Minister Heather Humphreys visits Ballinamore to officially open The Junction

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys officially opened The Junction Ballinamore, which received €2.4m under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund. The Junction project promotes the regeneration of Ballinamore town and surrounding areas by restoring two protected buildings and a derelict site at the former Station House. This preserves local heritage assets for future generations to enjoy and improves the public realm space in Ballinamore. It provides opportunities for employment, digital technology, arts, culture and youth services. The Junction is fully operational with the hosting of youth services by the North Connaught Youth and Community Services, by the provision of arts programmes by the Leitrim School of Art and in the Junction hub, flexible hot desking and office space for enterprises.

€304,186

CLÁR funding for Leitrim

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced almost €6.2m in funding for schools and community and sports facilities nationwide. The funding under CLÁR is being provided as part of Our Rural Future, the Government’s strategic fiveyear plan to revitalise rural towns and villages nationwide. In Leitrim, eight projects were successful in securing cumulative funding of €304,186 for the development of new facilities such as playgrounds, school gardens, or upgrades and repairs to existing facilities.

Sligo takes home Best Mental Health Initiative award

Sligo County Council won the Best Mental Health Initiative at the Local Authority All Ireland Community and Council Awards 2024 for the Sligo Comhairle na nÓg LGBTI+ animation

“Here for You”.

The awards were hosted by the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) to celebrate community and councils working together and provide the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the work done within our communities.

Sligo Comhairle na nÓg is one of 31 child and youth councils established in the local authority structures across the country. Their purpose is to give children and young people the opportunity to be involved in the development of local services and policies.

“Here for You” is a short animation designed by young people and targeted at young people within the LGBTI+ community in Sligo aged 12-17. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the supports and services in Sligo town and online to the LGBTI+ community; to help young people realise they are not alone and that there are services to help young people who are struggling with their identity, or just still finding their way.

The initiative is a collaboration between Sligo County Council, its Comhairle na nÓg and Foróige with creative animation provided by Studio Meala. It was funded by the Department of Rural Community Development under the 2021 Dormant Accounts Funding for LGBTI+ organisations. The purpose of the Dormant Account funding was to help provide services to LGBTI+ organisations nationwide, targeting marginalised people experiencing exclusion on account of their LGBTI+ identities.

Co Sligo

allocated

€1,742,899

under the Community Recognition Fund 2024

The Minister for Rural & Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, together with her colleague Minister Joe O’Brien TD, have announced a further €50m in funding under the Community Recognition Fund.

The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced last year to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50m was approved for some 900 projects in supporting cities, towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries. A further €50m is now being provided to deliver projects over 2024 and 2025. Local authorities, in collaboration with communities, will be funded to develop projects that will deliver long-term benefits to those living in the areas selected. Co Sligo has been allocated €1,742,899 under the Community Recognition Fund 2024.

Projects that will be funded include the development or refurbishment of community or cultural facilities including play areas, walkways, parks, community/sensory gardens, allotments, and recreational areas; development or refurbishment of local club and sports facilities; enhancement to school/parish facilities which are open to use by all of the community after school hours; purchase of equipment for local clubs, festivals, community events and organisations; and transport infrastructure such as community vehicles.

[ COUNTY SLIGO ]

Glenties selected for Historic Towns Initiative Over €4.3m PEACEPLUS funding for Cavan

The Special EU Programmes Body has announced a funding award of €4,334,408 for Cavan County Council through the PEACEPLUS Programme. The Cavan PEACEPLUS plan was developed after extensive consultation using the co-design process to address needs within the Cavan County Council area and in particular how PEACEPLUS can address a lack of historic investment due to conflict and enhance peace and reconciliation in the county.

The Shared Spaces projects in the plan are deemed the best vehicle to create the conditions to bring people together both from within the county and on a cross-border basis. The lack of these facilities has had a direct and negative impact on efforts to integrate the communities of Cavan and the border counties and build inclusive and shared communities. Respecting the changes in our society with the increasingly ethnically diverse community, this PEACEPLUS plan places an additional emphasis on increasing sustained and meaningful engagement with participants from minority ethnic communities and those of different racial backgrounds. The Action Plan has 27 projects across three themes: community regeneration and transformation; thriving and peaceful communities; and celebrating cultural diversity. The PEACEPLUS Programme is a European Union initiative, which helps address the peace and reconciliation needs of Northern Ireland and the Border region. The funding is administered by the Special EU Programmes Body.

The town of Glenties will benefit under the Heritage Council’s Historic Towns Initiative following Donegal County Council’s successful application to the scheme. The Conservation Office and Heritage Office of Donegal County Council in partnership with the Brian Friel Trust, Dedalus Architecture and local property owners were awarded €350,000 under The Heritage Council’s Historic Towns Initiative. The award will be augmented with €150,000 (30%) funding from Donegal County Council as well as in-kind contributions by property owners.

Structures that will benefit from conservation works under the scheme include The Laurels – playwright Brian Friel’s mother’s home and the setting for his play, Dancing at Lughnasa; the mid-19thcentury Glenties Courthouse that is being leased to the Brian Friel Trust to establish the Brian Friel Centre; the community-run St Connell’s Museum and the steel-arched gateway which forms part of the curtilage of St Connell’s Church. The project also involves the design of two road crossing points. The conservation works are due for completion in November.

Three other towns countrywide secured

The Laurels is Brian Friel’s mother’s home in Glenties in which he spent time during the summer holidays when he was young. The house and his aunts who lived here served as the inspiration for his play, Dancing at Lughnasa. Donegal County Council in partnership with the Brian Friel Trust and the local community have secured funding from The Heritage Council for conservation works to this protected structure of national significance under the Historic Towns Initiative.

funding for capital works under this year’s Historic Towns Initiative: Ballina, Co Mayo (€240,000); Midleton, Co Cork (€350,000) and Birr, Co Offaly (€80,000). A further four towns also secured funding for the preparation of heritage-led regeneration plans: Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan (€50,000), Passage West, Co Cork (€50,000), Strokestown, Co Roscommon (€50,000) and Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare (€50,000).

basis for a Brian Friel Centre to celebrate the life and works of the Irish playwright.

The mid-19th-century Glenties Courthouse and St Connell’s Museum will benefit from funding under the Glenties Historic Towns Initiative. Glenties Courthouse is in the process of being leased to the Brian Friel Trust to provide the

The Library Service has partnered with the Donegal Education and Training Board’s Further Education and Training Service to deliver Digital Hubs in libraries. The Digital Hub is a free service where you can receive support for all your digital needs. The Digital Hubs are available in the following libraries: Tuesdays in Central Library, Letterkenny 2pm-5pm; Tuesdays in Bundoran Library from 10am-12pm; Thursdays in Carndonagh Library from 2pm-4pm; the last Thursday of the month in Buncrana Library from 9.30am-12.30pm.

[ COUNTY ANTRIM ]

€4M

for Letterkenny under Urban Regeneration

& Development Fund

Funding support of €4m has been provided to Donegal County Council under Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration & Development Fund to tackle long-term vacancy and dereliction in Letterkenny Town Centre. Under this programme, 44 vacant/derelict properties have been identified as having potential to be brought back into use as homes.

New Belfast Agenda sets targets for 150,000 new trees, 6,000 new homes and 7,000 new business start-ups by 2028

Plans to support the most vulnerable in Belfast while growing the economy, regenerating neighbourhoods and achieving climate targets have been published in a refreshed strategic plan for the city. The Belfast Agenda was first published in 2017, setting out a joint vision for the city up to 2035. With significant economic, social and environmental changes in recent years, it has been reviewed and updated to reflect current priorities.

City partners have agreed to deliver a significant programme of actions by 2028 which will include building 6,000 new homes, planting 150,000 trees, reducing chronic homelessness, increasing the number of business start-ups by 20%

and reducing the economic inactivity rate by 5% each year.

“Since we first published the original Belfast Agenda seven years ago, there have been seismic changes both economically and politically as a result of Brexit, the global impacts of Covid-19, austerity measures, societal changes and the ongoing climate emergency,” says Belfast Lord Mayor Cllr Ryan Murphy.

“While our vision for Belfast and its people hasn’t changed, when we began the process of reviewing the Belfast Agenda it was clear that city partners and the public had new priorities, so we needed to rethink our approach, re-evaluate how we utilise our resources and establish ambitious new targets.”

“If

you build it, they will come” stands as an enduring mantra that has fuelled the passions and aspirations

of innovators, disruptors and entrepreneurs across the decades, none more so than those featured in this quarter’s book corner.

MAKING CHANGES

GHOST TOWN LIVING

MINING FOR PURPOSE AND CHASING DREAMS AT THE EDGE OF DEATH VALLEY

By Brent Underwood

Cerro Gordo, a remote ghost town overlooking Death Valley, captivated many since the 1800s, but none as deeply as Brent Underwood, who relocated there in March 2020 in a quest for a non-traditional challenge, only to be snowed in for weeks. Once California’s largest silver mine, it yielded over $500 million in ore. Legendary figures like Butch Cassidy and Mark Twain were rumoured to have visited, amidst reports of weekly murders, though over a century has passed since. Underwood staked his life savings and existence on this rugged town that had dashed the dreams of many. What ensued were fires, floods, earthquakes, unexpected fame and a journey that pushed him to his limits and demanded every ounce of his being. To revive the abandoned town, Brent had to acquire diverse skills from generous mentors. Ghost Town Living is not just a gripping tale, but a call to challenge conventional lives, embrace adventure, create something novel, redefine work and embrace uncertainty. It shows what it means to dedicate your life to something, to take a mighty swing at a crazy idea and like the cardsharps who once haunted Cerro Gordo, go all in.

ONE FOR THE COMMUTE

Audio books to make the most of the M50 backlog

LOSING AND FINDING MY VIRGINITY: THE FULL STORY

BY RICHARD BRANSON. READ BY RICHARD BRANSON

Available exclusively in audio, Losing and Finding My Virginity is both of Richard Branson’s multi-million-copy bestselling autobiographies in one combined edition, fully revised and updated, and read for you by the author in full for the first time. From living on a houseboat to a paradise island home, growing a small business into the global Virgin brand, turning a childhood dream of flying to space into a reality and building a better world through business, this is an account of almost six decades of entrepreneurship, overcoming the odds and reaching for the stars. With lessons in life and in business, Losing and Finding My Virginity is a must-listen memoir and an inspiring guide from the ultimate entrepreneur.

Poor

By Katriona O’Sullivan

As the middle of five kids growing up in dire poverty, the odds were low on Katriona O’Sullivan making anything of her life. When she became a mother at 15 and ended up homeless, what followed were five years of barely coping. This is the story of how Katriona turned her life around. How the seeds of self-belief planted by teachers in childhood stayed with her. How she found mentors whose encouragement revitalised those seeds in adulthood, leading her to become an award-winning academic whose work challenges barriers to education. Dr Katriona O’Sullivan now works as a senior lecturer in Digital Skills in Maynooth University’s Department of Psychology. She has worked with policy-makers to develop strategies around education and inclusion and has been an invited speaker at the UN, the World Education Forum and the European Gender Action Workshop on Women and Digitalization. Most recently, the programme she leads to improve working class girls’ access to education in STEM subjects won the Most Impactful Initiative award at the Women in Tech Europe Awards in Amsterdam.

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue GLAMOUR AND POWER AT THE DAWN OF AMERICAN FASHION By

Julie Satow

While the men may have owned the buildings, inside US department stores, women ruled. Here, journalist Julie Satow draws back the curtain on three visionaries – Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller who came to her husband’s department store as a housewife tasked with attracting more shoppers like herself and wound up running the company; Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor who championed American designers during World War II, becoming the first businesswoman to earn a $1 million salary; and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel, who re-invented the look of the modern department store.