Lilly Scoops Top Award

Eli Lilly Awarded Cork Company of the Year 2021. This year marks the twenty-third year of the awards.

The coveted Cork Chamber awards, which are sponsored by Vodafone Ireland, were presented at a ceremony livestreamed by media partner The Irish examiner.

There is no shortage of vision and ambition in Cork and our winners show exemplary ability to innovate and evolve to meet the changing demands of our modern world. There was a remarkably high standard among our finalists in each category and that is testament to the outstanding business culture in our region and its importance for our local and national economy. Cork Chamber announced the overall winner of Cork Company of the Year 2021 as Eli Lilly along with the 4 individual category winners.

• Cork Emerging Company of the Year - Altada

• Cork SME Company of the Year - Granite

• Cork Large Company of the Year - Zyte

• Cork International Company of the Year - Eli Lilly

Paula Cogan added: “It has been our pleasure to provide the platform for these awards for 23 years now and to witness the numerous success stories we have seen from finalists in that time. Throughout this year’s judging process, it has been inspiring to see companies enthusiastically embrace the issues of sustainability, climate action and diversity, and therefore play an active role in making our communities more resilient, and ensuring Cork is a great place to live and work. True leadership calls for visionaries, for change-makers and for disruption to our norms and I congratulate our winners today for the valuable contribution they are making to Cork and our country.”

Michael Smith, General Manager at Eli Lilly and Company GBS Centres in Cork, Kuala Lumpur & Mexico City said: “Winning the Cork Chamber Company of the Year means so much to us because it recognises the efforts of so many people over the years to make Lilly Kinsale and Cork what they are today. We have a quote in Lilly that we hold very dear, it says “take what you find here and make it better and better” It’s a piece of wisdom that our founder, Colonel Eli Lilly passed onto his son J.K. Lilly as he joined the company over 100 years ago. It has truly been a Team Lilly effort and it is such an honour and privilege for Todd and myself to represent that, in accepting this award.”

Todd Winge, Vice President and General Manager, Eli Lilly Kinsale commented: “We are delighted to be chosen as winners of the Cork Chamber Company of the Year Award for 2021 - it is a such a well-deserved tribute to work of the wonderful teams at both sites. Cork is an excellent place for business and Lilly has thrived here for forty years, thanks to the talented people who joined us on that journey. We have exciting plans for continued growth in both Kinsale Manufacturing and the Cork Global Business Solutions Centre as we work together to bring the next generation of Lilly medicines to patients around the world. The future for Lilly in Cork looks very bright!”

Elaine Collins, Vodafone Ireland added, “We are excited to once again be part of the Cork Company of the Year. These awards showcase the very best of business talent in Cork and celebrate outstanding achievements. The past year has brought digitalisation forward by five years, so it is great to see so many Cork companies leading the charge in technology innovation and adoption. Underpinning this is high-speed, reliable connectivity and Vodafone supports businesses all over Cork and nationwide through our joint venture with SIRO to deliver gigabit broadband, and through our award-winning ‘best in test’ mobile network. The future is exciting for Cork and I am looking forward to watching the city grow and thrive into the future, with the support of cutting-edge technology. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every one of the winners and wish them continued success”.

2021 Judging Panel

John Higgins, EY (Chair); Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber President; Ronan Murray, Deloitte & VP Cork Chamber; Conor Healy, Cork Chamber; Elaine Collins, Vodafone Ireland; Frank Walsh, Enterprise Equity; Thia Hennessy, Cork University Business School; Deirdre Waldron, Fuzion Communications; David Owens, Solarwinds; Orla Rimmington, Kernel Capital; Mark Whitaker, Johnson & Perrott Motor Group; Gerard O’ Donovan, MTU Cork; Hugh Smiddy, Tyndall National Institute.

International & Overall Cork Company of the year: Eli Lilly

Pictured: Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Elaine Collins, Key Account Director, Vodafone Ireland with Todd Winge, Vice President & General Manager at Eli Lilly & Co. Kinsale and Mike Smith, General Manager at Eli Lilly & Co. GBS Centres in Cork, Kuala Lumpur & Mexico City; and Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber President.

2 SME Cork Company of the year: Granite

Seamus White, Conor Buckley, and Robert Carpenter, Co-Founders, .

3 emerging Cork Company of the year: Altada

Sinéad O’Sullivan, Business Development Director and Martin O’Brien, CFO

4 large Cork Company of the year: Zyte

Shane Evans, Founder & CEO of Zyte

Pictures: Darragh Kane