Chamberlink Issue 1 2020 - Distilling Success

chamberlink ISSUE 01 2020

distilling success

Sustainable Cork Open for applications

Cork Chamber, in partnership, with Social Innovation Fund Ireland (SIFI), has proudly launched the Sustainable Cork Fund.

New and established not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises across Cork can apply for funding for projects that are innovative and have an impact in the following areas: climate action and environmental awareness; community inclusion and cohesion; and sustainable employment and economic development.

Applications must be made online: www.socialinnovation.ie/sustainable-cork-fund/ The application deadline is Friday 3rd April 2020 (More details on page 7 or contact katherine@corkchamber.ie)

CorkChamber.ie

C O NTENTS COVER Story 8

Recogising Success - Cork Company of the Year Awards 2020

10 In the Chair with Paul Wickham

TRANSFORMING CORK

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Annual Dinner

4

Election Manifesto

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Working together to build a better Cork

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Sustainable Cork Fund Launch

EMPOWERING YOU 11

Upcoming Events

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Connecting You

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Cork Chamber’s Annual Dinner 2020

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

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Opening Up New Opportunities for China-Ireland Relations

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Radius’ ISO Awards extends IT Security Services to Cork

20 FMC - Forever Growing Our Talent 22 New Appointments

China-Ireland

23 Members News 24 New Members 26 Meet the Team - Upskilling You

Welcome to the first Chamberlink of 2020.

Paradigm shifts in politics and economics are the new norm globally and Ireland today must have a clear vision and delivery focus to retain our competitive edge.

Fifteen years ago, 80 percent of people said they chose a job before a location. Today, 64 percent choose the location before they choose the company or the job. Quality of life, placemaking, culture and economic resilience are the defining factors of success.

In the formation of the next Government we will champion these issues and the essential need for stability as the backdrop for any progressive narrative.

In this issue we feature the highlight of our events programme, a vibrant annual dinner and prestigious Cork Company of the Year Awards followed by an unrivalled series of occasions that bring our business community together. We also welcome new sponsor Ronan Daly Jermyn to the Business Breakfast series for 2020.

Our international team are focused on representing Cork in a series of engagements in the UK and US over the coming months.

Our Skillnet programme is refreshed and focussed for 2020 and you can reach out to our team at any stage to discuss bespoke requirements.

Chamberlink is published by Cork Chamber and is a bi-monthly publication exclusive to members. The opinions expressed in Chamberlink are not necessarily those of Cork Chamber, Chamberlink main sponsor neither do they accept any responsibility or liability for any legal implications arising there from. Registered in Ireland no. 13918

Finally, we are immensely proud to have launched the €200,000 Sustainable Cork Fund that will drive innovative social projects of value for our city region.

Conor

Conor Healy Chief Executive, Cork Chamber.

T +353 (0)87 9471858 E conor@corkchamber.ie

Fitzgerald House, Summerhill North, Cork, T23 TD90.

CorkChamber.ie

Chamberlink Main Sponsor

TR ANS FO R M ING CO R K

Sarah Foley, Senior Public Affairs Executive; Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Paula Cogan, President, Cork Chamber, and Thomas Mc Hugh, Director of Public Affairs.

E lec tion Manifesto Our elected representatives are key to ensuring that the climate, civic, transport and housing foundations are in place to realise our full potential. Ahead of the 2020 General Election, Cork Chamber published an election manifesto guided by our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We have asked all elected representatives to support the following policy priorities:

1. Urban Living & New Housing

To avoid sprawl and ensure a thriving urban environment we must increase housing density and facilitate more people living close to where they work and to public transport hubs. Ireland has some of the lowest-density cities in the world, with Cork city just one third as dense as similar-sized cities.

» Delivery of more brownfield apartment living is a fundamental need for business and society.

However, a lack of viability of apartment construction is currently holding back private sector development across Irish cities, thus posing a risk to our future economic and population growth. 91% of our members support targeted, timebound measures to stimulate construction of more urban accommodation. » A Minister for City Regions should drive a progressive urban agenda to ensure our cities are internationally benchmarked and competitive.

2. Sustainable & Public Transport

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A modern sustainable public transport network capable of carrying the City’s growing population is crucial to realising the commercial and social potential of Cork, while also tackling climate change and improving our urban environment. Sustainable and public transport should be integrated.

» Delivery of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, including new dedicated bus corridors, enhanced suburban rail, and prioritising the Cork Cycling Network Plan. » New planning applications must support the delivery of sustainable transport by connecting places of living with those of work.

» Improved inter urban rail speed and reliability.

3. Infrastructure

The value of a plan is only realised through action. The National Development Plan must be delivered. »

Key strategic transport corridors, such as the Dunkettle Interchange, the M20 Cork-Limerick motorway and Northern Ring Road, the M28 CorkRingaskiddy Road, the N22 Cork-Kerry Road have all been committed to in the National Development Plan and must be delivered with urgency.

» Immediate subsidy support for large scale renewable energy generation.

TR ANS FO R M ING CO R K

the Gr e at de bate This exclusive breakfast event gathered political parties to debate Cork’s top business priorities. Broadcaster and Political Editor with the Irish Examiner, Daniel McConnell moderated the debate.

Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner; Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin; Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil; Sinéad Halpin, Social Democrats; Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Paula Cogan, Presiden Cork Chamber; Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael; Cllr. John Maher, Labour; Tom Fitzpatrick, Irish Examiner, Cllr. Oliver Moran, Green Party.

4. A Green Ireland

5. An Attractive Business Environment

»

» Increase public investment in accessible, affordable and high-quality childcare services.

Ireland’s track record on climate change must improve.

Ireland will be paying significant fines for failing to meet our 2020 greenhouse gas emissions target. Climate change poses the largest risk to our future health and economic wellbeing. Our ability to act will determine Ireland’s future appeal as a place to live and work.

Renewable energy sources must be prioritised and enabled through regulatory measures and incentivisation if we are to significantly alter Ireland’s energy and carbon profile.

» Delivery of the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme to protect the city centre from flooding. » Delivery on the Climate Action Plan.

Cork is home to innovative companies, creating the value that drives our economy. From playgrounds to hospitals, quality of life takes many different forms. Our national policies must support entrepreneurship and the scaling of business. Equally important is our social infrastructure which must support people, from early childhood through to retirement and old age.

» Complement our corporate tax rate with an effective and attractive personal tax regime that avoids average wage earners falling into the higher tax bracket.

» Decarbonising our electricity and gas grid is the utmost priority for Ireland.

» Support the scaling of indigenous business and innovation, while reducing Capital Gains Tax to support economy activity and new company formation.

» Accelerated rollout of electric car charging infrastructure and deep retrofitting of buildings.

» Ireland’s role as an active and valuable member of the EU and global community must be supported.

» Renewable energy for commuter bus and rail.

» Delivery of public services and infrastructure investment should be a priority over income tax cuts.

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TR ANS FO R M ING CO R K

Working Together to Build a Better Cork

by Juliette Crowley, EU Project Manager / Atlantic Social Lab Project Cork City Council wants a strong, robust and dynamic social enterprise sector in Cork. The Council sees strategic value in social enterprises and since 2017 has been involved in the Atlantic Social Lab project which works to support social enterprises.

The term social enterprise might not be clear to all. With the National Social Enterprise Policy, published in July 2019, we now have a common definition of social enterprise and a government department with responsibility for supporting social enterprises. In this policy a social enterprise is defined as an enterprise whose objective is to achieve a social, societal or environmental impact, rather than maximising profit for its owners or shareholders.

It pursues its objectives by trading on an ongoing basis through the provision of goods and/or services, and by reinvesting surpluses into achieving social objectives.

According to the Cork City Local Economic and Community Plan, social enterprise in Ireland has the potential to grow significantly to generate at least 65,000 jobs and 5% of GDP. The Atlantic Social Lab project (funded by the EU’s Interreg Atlantic Area Programme) has built on this potential and enabled the council to identify and address issues being faced by social enterprises.

The Council has been working with experts and key social enterprise activists to provide networking and training to social enterprises through the organisation of workshops on topics such as funding, finance, governance,

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“B

ringing together social enterprises to share problems, experiences and find solutions has been key to creating a strong social enterprise sector in Cork. The next step is to strengthen links between social enterprises and the business community in Cork which will benefit both sectors and lead to enhanced collaboration.” storytelling, measuring social impact and procurement. It has strengthened relations between social enterprises in Cork as well as externally with support organisations and social enterprise experts therefore building capacity and giving social enterprises access to expertise across a range of subjects.

The next key Council Atlantic Social Lab event will be a workshop on the 8th of April in Republic of Work organised in conjunction with Cork Chamber which will introduce social enterprises in Cork to the business community.

This event aims to link social enterprises with private businesses in Cork strengthening relationships and opening up opportunities for collaboration. It will give social enterprises a platform to inform the business community about their objectives, activities, beneficiaries and social impact and give private businesses a chance to consider their social impact locally.

There is a vast amount of work being carried out by social enterprises in Cork and this event will provide an opportunity to learn about the many projects that are taking place and for sharing experience and networking.

Examples of social enterprises in Cork include Deaf Enterprises which is Ireland’s only dedicated employer of the Deaf community; Churchfield Community Trust which provides work and training to ex offenders and other disadvantaged groups and Sailing into Wellness which teaches sailing and personal development to recovering addicts.

And there are many more.

Cork City Council is fully committed to supporting social enterprises with Adrienne Rodgers, Director of Services in the Council commenting “The work of the City Council through the Atlantic Social Lab project and beyond will ensure that we have a strong social enterprise sector and that social enterprises can emerge, grow and develop to meet the needs of the city.”

For further information on the Atlantic Social Lab project and the “Introducing Cork’s Social Enterprises” Workshop please contact juliette_crowley@corkcity.ie

TR ANS FO R M ING CO R K

Sustainable Cork fund launched

Cork Chamber, in partnership, with Social Innovation Fund Ireland (SIFI), has proudly launched the Sustainable Cork Fund.

The fund of €200,000 is the outcome of a Cork Chamber funding drive to raise €100,000 through the support of the Cork business community last year, which has been match funded from the Department of Rural and Community Development Dormant Accounts Fund.

Cork is growing. We have a city region that is home to innovative companies and entrepreneurs all creating the value that drives our economy. A strong economy is crucial, as are vibrant communities, and a quality of life that works for its citizens. As a Chamber, we have a platform that unites, driving strong collaborations and positive action, bringing the business community together.

The launch of the Sustainable Cork Fund is a perfect example of what a strong business community can achieve, and we hope that is will be transformational in supporting new initiatives that strengthen Cork’s social, environmental or economic sustainability and resilience.

The Sustainable Cork Fund will have sustainability at its core, in line with the Chamber’s commitment to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Five specific goals have been identified by the Chamber Network which we are actively advocating for throughout our work, and these are reflected in our application criteria, which look for projects with an impact in the following areas: Climate action and environmental awareness: increasing sustainability, climate change education, increasing efforts in recycling, the circular economy, green production and waste awareness, etc.

Community inclusion and cohesion: generating a positive sense of belonging, particularly for

Conor Healy, CEO and Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber with Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Social Innovation Fund lreland launching the Sustainable Cork Fund.

marginalised and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, people in minority ethnic groups, etc.

Sustainable employment and economic development: supporting good quality jobs for all, strengthening Cork’s business environment sustainably and increasing localised economic development.

What kind of projects can apply?

Projects must meet the criteria set by both SIFI and the Sustainable Cork Fund. These are: SIFI Core Criteria

• • •

• •

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The project must address a critical social or environmental issue.

The project proposed must be innovative in an Irish context.

The project must be based on the island of Ireland and must make its’ main impact in the Republic of Ireland.

The project must have the potential and desire to scale or replicate in Ireland.

The project must provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way Applicants must come from an entity that has a ‘not for profit’

legal form e.g. charity, voluntary organisation, etc.

Sustainable Cork Criteria •

• •

Projects focus on the environment, social inclusion and/or economic empowerment of their communities Projects that have a direct and sustained impact on the economy in Cork city or county Projects have a strong research and evidence base

Advantageous Criteria: • • •

Projects that work with communities and groups experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or geographic isolation Projects that have outcomes in two or more of the following areas will have an advantage: environmental, social inclusion and economic empowerment

New and established not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises across Cork can apply for funding for projects that are innovative and address a critical social issue. The application deadline is Friday 3 April and applications must be made online: www.socialinnovation.ie/ sustainable-cork-fund/

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Cov e r Story

Recognising Success Cork Company of the Year Awards in association with Vodafone Ireland and media partner the Irish Examiner The most innovative of Cork businesses were presented with the prestigious Cork Company of the Year Awards 2020 at Cork Chamber’s Annual Dinner held in Cork City Hall.

work and passion has put us on the world stage.”

Accepting the award on behalf of Irish Distillers, Paul Wickham, General Manager of Midleton Distilleries said: “We are truly honoured and humbled to receive the prestigious award of Cork Company of the Year. Led by Cork Chamber, our home county, where we have operated since 1825, is a vibrant, supportive and inspiring environment and is one of the best places in the world to do business.

Category winners include: • Emerging Company of the Year 2020 - WorkVivo whose internal communication platform is designed to increase employee engagement.

• SME Company of the Year 2020 - AnaBio, whose mission is to improve health and performance through microencapsulation of sensitive functional ingredients.

• Large Company of the Year 2020 - Crest Solutions, an engineering services provider to multinational Life Sciences clients in Ireland, UK, Europe and the US. • Corporate and Overall Company of the Year 2020 Irish Distillers whose brands are driving a global renaissance of Irish whiskey. From Cork, Irish Distillers’ brands are exported to over 130 markets, with over 70 of those experiencing doubleor triple-digit growth in 2019.

There has never been a more exciting time for Irish whiskey and today Jameson is one of Ireland’s most recognised brands worldwide.

This award is a tribute to the tireless dedication and excellence of all the craftsmen and women at Midleton and Dungourney, along with all the people who have worked with us through the centuries, whose hard

Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber, noted the remarkably high standard of shortlisted finalists, saying: “We know that there are so many companies in Cork always moving forward, driving innovation and growing teams. The Cork Company of the Year Awards provide a wonderful platform for Cork’s most pioneering businesses

Run in association with Vodafone Ireland and media partner the Irish Examiner the Awards involve a thorough four-month judging process with an experienced mix of professionals from across the business community. The overall winner of the Cork Company of the Year 2020 was awarded to Irish Distillers.

The 2020 Finalists were:

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Debbie Power, IoT Country Manager, Vodafone Ireland added, “We are excited to once again be part of the Cork Company of the Year Awards. These awards showcase the very best of business talent in Cork each year by celebrating outstanding achievements within the local business community. The future is exciting for Cork, like the rest of the world it is embracing a technological revolution driven by 5G, the internet of things, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Vodafone enables this revolution through high-speed connectivity and our award-winning global network, allowing us to connect people and businesses worldwide.”

2020 Judging Panel:

Emerging

Large

Getvisibility Glavloc Workvivo

Crest Solutions Rowa Pharmaceuticals Trigon Hotels

SME

Corporate

AnaBio Hopkins Communications Keelvar

to celebrate their success.

Throughout this year’s judging process, it has been particularly exciting to meet companies that excel in sustainability, diversity and inclusion thus leading on delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals while also leaving a lasting mark on both Cork and the world.

We would like to thank our longstanding award partners, Vodafone and our media partners the Irish Examiner for amplifying these awards.”

Clearsteam Irish Distillers MSD Brinny

John Higgins, EY (Chair); Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber President; Conor Healy, Cork Chamber; Debbie Power, Vodafone; Mary Power, Westboro Partners; Frank Walsh, Enterprise Equity; Thia Hennessy, Cork University Business School; Deirdre Waldron, Fuzion Communications; Orla Rimmington, Kernel Capital; DC Cahalane, Republic of Work; Mark Whitaker, Johnson & Perrott Motor Group; Hugh Smiddy, Tyndall National Institute.

Cov e r S tory

Category winners Joe Lennon and John Goulding, Emerging Company from Workvivio; Best SME SinĂŠad Bleiel, AnaBio; Over All Winner Paul Wickham from Irish Distillers; Debbie Power, IOT Country Manager Vodafone and Best Large Company Frank Madden from Crest Solutions at the Cork Company of the Year 2020 in Cork City Hall. Picture: Darragh Kane

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IN THE CHAIR

Brought to you by

with Paul Wickham, General Manager, Midleton Distillery at Irish Distillers What does it mean to you and Irish Distillers to have won the overall Cork Company of the Year award for 2020?

We are truly honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award. This award is even more special as it has been awarded by our home county of Cork where, since 1825, we have been distilling and maturing some of the world’s most well-known and successful premium Irish whiskeys. This award is a tribute to the tireless dedication and excellence of all the craftsmen and women at Midleton and Dungourney, along with all the people who have worked with us through the centuries, whose hard work and passion has put us on the world stage.

What do you think have been the key attributes to Irish Distillers’ success and growth?

The key to our success and growth has undoubtably been our on ongoing innovation, coupled with an increased focus on the presentation of Irish whiskey as an exciting component in mixed drinks and cocktails. This has resulted in Irish whiskey being embraced by more diverse consumer segments in markets across the world. The potential for growth is infinite as we continue to deliver quality, innovation-led, products, building on our reputation for excellence. We have invested almost €350 million since 2012 in our Midleton Distillery, Dungourney maturation site, Micro Distillery, Irish Whiskey Academy and Archive in Co. Cork to facilitate the global growth of Irish whiskey.

Tell us about the significance of Irish Distillers’ innovations in recent years.

Our continued dedication to innovation has allowed us to penetrate new markets and grow Irish whiskey sales across our portfolio. The Micro Distillery in Midleton is an innovation and experimentation hub, where we train the up-and-coming distillers of

What are Irish Distillers doing to promote sustainable initiatives and practices? tomorrow while experimenting with new distillates and mash bills. In recent years we’ve introduced innovations across our entire portfolio, creating new and successful whiskeys like Method and Madness and Jameson Caskmates in the process.

Describe the culture within Irish Distillers.

Any success that we have enjoyed has only been achieved thanks to our highly engaged, passionate workforce and high-performance culture. To deliver on our vision to be makers of the world’s most enjoyed whiskeys, we have invested heavily in developing our values and embedding them throughout the business. We have established a cross functional team which is committed to maintaining and improving our corporate culture and addressing feedback from employee surveys.

Our mission is to mobilise a new generation to use their ideas to drive success in the workplace and positive change in the world.

Our responsibility to society and the environment is central to our drive for competitiveness. Investing €100million since 2012 to reduce our environmental impact, we have achieved a 33% reduction in energy use, 28% reduction in water use and zero waste to landfill. In 2019, we launched our 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility Roadmap, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which will build on our past successes to ambitiously push our business further. We strive to be sustainable and responsible at every step of our production – from grain to glass.

Outline the future plans and what’s next for Midleton Distillery.

The world is our oyster. Led by Jameson we are incredibly proud that our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. As the category leader, one of the ongoing challenges for Irish Distillers is to ensure that we have the capacity to keep pace with the growth of our whiskeys. In order to sustain this growth, we are constantly investing in our capacity to meet future demand for our products.

Outline the impact that that the Midleton Distillery has on the local economy.

The distillery is synonymous with the region and is, literally, central to the town of Midleton. We employ 245 people in East Cork, making us one the biggest employers in the area. Our barley comes from farms located within 100 miles of the distillery and our water is sourced from the nearby Dungourney river.

Jameson Distillery Midleton welcomed almost 150,000 visitors last year. It is the number one tourist attraction in the area with many visitors coming to East Cork specifically to visit the distillery. This also provides business to many hotels, restaurants and retail outlets in the area.

MEETING

PODS

IDEAL FOR

OPEN-PLAN

IT EE O IT F U O R R S YO H U O RS W E R LF O O

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OFFICES

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Tel: 021-2066100 | Email: sales@officemaster.ie | Web: www.officemaster.ie

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Northpoint House, Northpoint Bus. Park, New Mallow Rd., Cork.

e mpow e r i n g yo u

UPCOMING E VENTS See more at CorkChamber.ie

Net work ing at Noo n Tuesday 25 February | 12pm-1.30pm | KPMG Offices, 85 South Mall We will be kicking off our first Networking at Noon of the year in KPMG’s new offices at 85 South Mall. The Mall is the traditional heartland of business in Cork and has been home to KPMG in Cork for nearly 50 years. KPMG has recently moved to 85 extending their long history on the Mall.

The next generation office space and first development on the Mall in over a decade provides capacity for KPMG’s team in Cork to grow and expand their service offerings across multiple disciplines including management consulting, eForensics and a broadening of their Deal Advisory services.

This is a great opportunity to network with fellow Chamber members while enjoying unique views of the South Mall and Cork City.

March Business B r e akfast Tuesday 10 March | 7.30am – 9.00am | Clayton Hotel Cork City €30 Members, €55 non-members Jane has worked in the financial services industry for more than 39 years. Operating at Executive level for the last 15 years Jane has led large-scale operations and customer facing businesses. Jane’s role, prior to joining Ulster Bank, was that of Managing Director, Personal Banking for RBS, one of the largest UK Banks.

Under Jane’s four-year leadership, Personal Banking implemented Financial Health checks for customers and reshaped the network so that customers have more physical and digital ways to bank than ever before.

Don’t miss the chance to hear about the highlights that shaped Jane’s impressive career at this month’s Business Breakfast!

in association with

media partner

Featuring Jane Howard, CEO, Ulster Bank

Se lec t USA in partnership with the US Embassy in Ireland Friday 3 April | 7.30am – 11.30am | Maryborough House Hotel | FREE If you are looking to expand your business internationally and the US is on your horizon, then this event will offer an overview of the US economy as well as combination of practical tips from support agencies and advice from companies that have set up US operations in recent years.

Speakers from the US Embassy; US Consular and US Customs & Border Protection and OCO Global will be joined by industry panellists including: • Sean Sheehan, CEO, Wisetek • Andrea Doolan, CEO, Atlantia Food Clinical Trials Ltd. • Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy, CEO, ApisProtect

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e mpow e r i n g yo u

Connec ting You busi n ess Br e akfast Cork Chamber’s first Business Breakfast of the year welcomed Sean Doyle, CEO of Aer Lingus, in association with Ronan Daly Jermyn and media partner The Irish Examiner, at the Clayton Hotel Cork City. Sean spoke about his diverse career in airline management along with his exciting plans for the future of Aer Lingus!

Michelle Dorgan, Grant Thornton and Ciara Kissane, Irish Management Institute (IMI). Picture: Denis Minihane

At the Cork Chamber Business Breakfast in association with Ronan Daly Jermyn with the Irish Examiner as media partner were Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Seán Doyle, CEO, Aer Lingus, guest speaker; Richard Martin, Managing Partner, RDJ; Paula Cogan, President, Cork Chamber, and Tom Fitzpatrick, Editor, Irish Examiner.

N e t work ing M aste rcl ass 2020 We kicked off 2020 with a sold-out Networking Masterclass at the Imperial Hotel. Networking expert, Caitlin O’Connor gave her best networking tips and tricks on the day to members from several sectors all over Cork.

Annie FitzGibbon, Director of Member Services with speaker Caitlin O’Connor, Accelerating Performance.

Networking Masterclass in action.

“My Bran d is a liar ”

We were delighted to partner with the Marketing Institute of Ireland Cork to hear from Niall Tracey, Director of Marketing for Fáilte Ireland at the Cork International Hotel. Niall’s presentation entitled ‘My Brand is a Liar’ focused on well-known brands that have delivered on their brand promise and those that missed the mark!

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Paula Cogan, President Cork Chamber; Fiona Ryan, Chair of the Marketing Institute of Ireland Cork, and Niall Tracey, Director of Marketing, Fáilte Ireland.

Karen O’Reilly, Employ Flex; Linda O’Connell, Digi Nomad and Pamela Kiely, Johnson and Perrott.

Katie O’Neill, B2B Signs; Melanie Morrissey, Junior Chamber President Cork and Bernadette Dullea, Gas Networks Ireland.

e mpow e r i n g yo u

Cork can be European Green Capital by 2025 Cork Chamber President Paula Cogan speaking at this year’s Annual Dinner called for political and business support for Cork to become European Green Capital by 2025 The Cork Chamber Annual Dinner 2020, sponsored by Kearys Motor Group, was held in Cork City Hall on Friday 7 Feb and was attended by over 1,000 leading business and political representatives.

Phillip King, curator, musician and film director, was keynote speaker at the event.

Setting a target for Cork to become European Green Capital by 2025, Paula Cogan, President Cork Chamber said: “In 2025 Cork should celebrate the honour of being the European Green Capital. Joining the ranks of Stockholm, Bristol, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Essen, Oslo and Lahti. I set a goal so that we may measure success. I call on all stakeholders, the City and County, the next Government, the NTA, TII and our members to back this objective forcefully and with urgency. The award is not an end goal. It is a means of measuring first steps. For Cork to differentiate, for it to be internationally competitive, nothing short of excellence will suffice.”

“Fifteen years ago, 80 percent of people said they chose a company or job before a location. Today, 64 percent choose the city before they choose the company or the job. Quality of life, placemaking, culture and economic resilience are the defining factors” Paula elaborated.

Challenging the delivery of sustainable infrastructure projects needed for Ireland to retain its competitiveness, Paula added: “The race is competitive, but are we training like amateurs? Timelines come and go. Our neighbours become the global leaders in offshore wind while our powerplants creak. We talk about public transport but build no bus lanes. We set density targets, but we don’t enhance construction viability.

Cork slowly begins to sprawl. If we want to stop playing like amateurs we need to stop acting like amateurs.

Let’s put it simply: If over the lifespan of the next national Government and current local Government, we do not comprehensively deliver cycle and public transport infrastructure and services, we have lost.”

“Between us all, we have the power to be the change. There can be no downside to confidently pursuing a better quality of life for our City region.”

Paula concluded “Tomorrow we go the polls and in time we will have a new Government. Their every move will be judged. Ireland must win. And a successful, progressive, and sustainable Cork is the metric that will define us.”

Annual Dinner 2020

HOTEL

Annual Dinner Committee

Paula Cogan (Chair) CorkChamber.ie Bill O’Connell Natasha Lynch David A. Power Maxine Hyde Frank Boland

Judy Hopkins Raymond Kelleher Annie FitzGibbon Naoimh Frawley Lisa Dennehy Vicky O’Connor Conor Healy

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Standing Ovation for keynote speaker Philip King

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Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber, President of Cork Chamber Paula Cogan and Bill Keary, Managing Director - Keary Motor Group.

Michelle Power, UCC, Cllr. John Sheehan Lord Mayor of Cork, Ann Doherty, Chief Executive, Cork City Council.

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Ger O’Mahoney, PWC with Martin Shanahan and Ray O’Connor, IDA. Philip King giving the keynote address at Annual Dinner 2020.

Bill Keary, Kearys Motor Group and guests

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Gráinne Varian, Laura Houlihan, Niall McCarthy, William Fry Solicitors, Susie Horgan, Springboard PR, Daryl Broderick and Ciara McDonnell, Ronan Daly Jermyn.

Patrice O’Keffee and Yvonne Joyce, Comyn Kelleher Tobin Solicitors.

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8 Brendan Keary, Kearys Motor Group at Cork

Chamber’s Annual Dinner 2020.

9 Colette Quinn, Real Insights, Rose Phelan, UCC,

Eoin Kennedy, UpDate Digital, Fionnuala Wall,

CorkBIC and Leigh Gillen, Leigh Gillen Events 10 Tony O’Regan, Tony O’Regan Associates with

Michelle McAleer and Niamh McCarthy, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

11 UCC President Prof Patrick O’Shea; CIT President

Dr Barry O’Connor; US Ambassador to Ireland

H.E Edward F Crawford and President of Dublin

Chamber Niall Gibbons.

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12 Emer O’Leary and Lynn O’Brien, Grenke Ltd 13 Donal Sullivan, Johnson Controls with Barry

McPolin, Chief Superintendent, An Garda Síochána.

14 Annual Dinner attendees from Bibby Financial

Services (Ireland), Coombes Corporate Finance

& HRM, Cork Airport and AnaBio Technologies.

15 Carmel Guihen, Finola Twomey, Fota Island

Resort and Carmel Lonergan, Cork International Hotel.

16 Regina Moran, Vodafone and guests.

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Alan Healy, Irish Examiner; Majella Gallagher, MD Irish Examiner & The Echo; Lisa Coughlan, Deputy Marketing Manager Irish Examiner; Susan Cox, Irish Times Group Head of Recruitment Solutions and Liam Kavanagh, MD Irish Times Group.

Pictures by John Sheehan Photography & Darragh Kane Photography

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G ROW ING YO U R BUSINESS

Opening Up new Opportunities for China-Ireland Relations The Southern Branch of the Ireland China Business Association held its first event of 2020 on Friday 10 January. The event was run in partnership with Cork Chamber and Republic of Work and was sponsored by PwC. The Keynote address was made by Ambassador Eoin O’Leary, Ireland’s Ambassador to China, followed by a panel discussion, featuring Therese Healy, Ireland’s Consul General in Shanghai; Joe Perrott, CEO, Remote Signals; Richard Linger, Nimbus Centre, CIT; Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber/Doyle Collection; Bill Liao, Partner, SOSV. The panellists shared their insights into the business environment and cultural nuances when doing business in China.

These included the following: • Many SMEs can struggle to identify business partners in the market and fail to put in enough preparation when looking at new markets.

• Rules and regulations can change quickly in China, and without a local contact, it can be challenging to navigate these changes.

• The scale of China is so vast, that it is important to be very focused on a specific region or city.

• The ‘soft power’ associated with finding human connections cannot be underestimated in China, and familiar names in Irish music and culture are a good starting point for building relationships.

• Using networks, such as the DFA and other industry and diaspora networks can be extremely valuable in building your understanding of the market.

According to Enterprise Ireland, some of the key sectors where opportunities exist for Irish companies in China, include: • Education • ICT – mobile; ecommerce; smart cities/IoT, Software, Traveltech • Healthcare • Medical devices • Pharmaceuticals • Agritech/Equine

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2 3 4

Front: Cllr. Derry Canty, Cork City Council; Cllr. John Sheehan, Lord Mayor of Cork; Eoin O’Leary, Ireland’s Ambassador to China and Therese Healy, Consul General, Shanghai; Back: DC Cahalane, Republic of Work; Caroline Devlin, Chairperson Ireland China Business Assoc; Ann Doherty, Chief Executive, Cork City Council; Enwright de Sales, PwC and Paula Cogan, President Cork Chamber.

Eddie Cao and Nicola Quinn, PWC. Bill Liao, SOSV with DC Cahalane, Republic of Work.

Ernest Cantillon, Kinsale Spirits with Katherine Fitzpatrick, Director of International Relations, Cork Chamber.

Pictures: Brian Lougheed

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Radius’ ISO Awards Extends IT Security Services to Cork IT services company, Radius Technologies, is delighted to announce that its Cork office has also been awarded ISO 27001 Information Security and ISO 9001 Quality certifications. The company has offices in Dublin, Waterford, and Cork.

Jerry Buckley MD of Radius Technologies states, “it’s part of the overall strategy with our expansion in Cork, bringing the latest in Information Security audit and standards to our existing clients. Our clients trust us to manage their IT platforms, with evolving Cybersecurity threats companies need to be proactive about managing their risks”.

Kevin O’Regan, Regional Director says, “companies are coming to us after they have been hit with ransomware, email redirection scams or data breaches and in most cases, it’s too late. We also know the true number of cyber-attacks are underreported as companies don’t want their clients knowing that their systems or information have been compromised”.

Kevin goes on to add, “there is no single tool to protect against evolving threats, it starts with educating your employees and highlighting where they need to improve their existing systems. Our responsibility is to provide all the options and make recommendations, ultimately the client has to decide what level of risk is acceptable to them”.

Jerry Buckley MD with Kevin O’Regan Regional Director, Radius Technologies.

For more information on IT Security, contact Radius on 0818 592 500 or visit radius.ie

IT SECURITY AUDIT Protect your business from Cyberattacks and Data Breaches Don’t wait until it’s too late, contact Radius today

Private Cloud Solutions

Managed IT Services

Telecoms Services

IT and Data Security

Let’s start a conversation call Radius on 0818 592 500 or visit www.radius.ie 19

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Forever Growing Our Talent

Having started operations in 2015, FMC Agro Ireland Ltd has quickly established itself as a Financial centre of excellence for FMC Corporation in Europe employing a workforce of 160 highly talented employees from a range of diverse and multicultural backgrounds. As part of the overall FMC Corporation which is the fifth largest Agricultural Sciences company in the world, FMC is committed to building a knowledge-based team of professionals in Cork to support worldwide operations. FMC Agro Ireland is now a strategic component of FMC’s Global Financial Management Model with the structures and talent in place to attract further investment to Cork.

As a Global Agricultural Solutions business, FMC employs over 6,500 people and has a presence in all four global regions. With sales of more than $4 billion, FMC is a global market leader in Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides and Plant Health.

Since its establishment, FMC Agro Ireland Ltd has grown steadily and now employs 160 people. This number is expected to reach 185 this year.

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As a global centre of excellence (COE), FMC Agro Ireland is at the core of FMC’s Business Process Modernisation and Service Delivery Model. Regional and Global financial processes have been established in Cork across a number of workstreams: Financial Accounting and Statutory Reporting, Fixed Assets, Credit Management and Cash Applications, Direct and Indirect Tax, Operations Finance, Plant Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis, Internal Controls and Payroll.

With a multinational, multicultural and highly educated workforce, FMC puts a lot of emphasis on diversity and inclusion, positive culture, fostering core values, people development and safety. Innovative technology driven solutions and future state automation are key initiatives in making Cork a strategic COE for FMC Corporation.

Corporate and Social Responsibility is at the centre of FMC’s core values and pride’s itself in supporting various local community groups.

Additionally, since 2018 the company’s employees have established a charity subscription scheme and have raised significant funds supporting Cork based charities.

FMC believes that there is nothing more important than its commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees. As one of FMC’s core values, there is great emphasis on employee safety and welfare.

Sustainability is also one of FMC’s core values and it continues to inform and guide the company in three prime areas: •

creating innovative solutions whist preserving the environment for tomorrow

•

making a positive impact on the communities where we live and work

•

stewarding the responsible use of our products and our consumption of natural resources

FMC Agro Ireland Ltd believes in nurturing its talent and developing each individual’s potential. It provides its team with endless opportunities to grow and flourish within a dynamic multinational environment. FMC is committed to the continuous professional development of employees and has a dedicated training resource to support employee learning.

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With a tight labour market here in Cork, FMC has adopted new methods of attracting and retaining top talent. In February 2019 it introduced an employee referral programme which rewards employees who refer potential candidates which has proved to be a tremendous success.

FMC has partnered with local third level institutions when sourcing talent for its Internships and highly successful Graduate programme which is now in its third year. Members of the FMC team participate in career fairs and student presentations where they engage with students, graduates, lecturers as well as networking with other companies, sharing with them the FMC story and the great opportunities that the company has to offer.

The FMC Graduate programme continues to go from strength to strength with an intake of 5 new Graduates into the programme in 2019. Last year, FMC was shortlisted by Grad Ireland for a Diversity in Recruitment Award which recognises companies who have met their stated objectives in developing excellent diversity recruitment practices, campaigns and initiatives.

In 2019, the introduction of a Flexible Working hours initiative has been hugely popular enabling

greater flexibility to enhance and support employee work life balance.

Other recent initiatives include Tax saver and Cycle to Work schemes, both providing attractive tax benefits for public transport users and cyclists.

FMC is committed to Diversity and Inclusion and has an active participative programme in place to raise the awareness of its diverse group. Within its workforce there is representation from 20 different nationalities and languages.

Many employees are from nonEU countries and have specific immigration requirements which are all funded and supported

by FMC through its Trusted Partnership status. The D&I team at FMC organise initiatives and opportunities for employees to connect with colleagues and the general public. Initiatives include Inclusion Month, mental health awareness, as well as volunteering their time working with people with disabilities and other fundraising activities.

FMC has worked hard on building a culture where every individual plays their part in making the company a great place in which to work. The workforce is highly skilled with over 95% of employees having achieved graduate or post-graduate level of education and are members of professional associations. In 2018, FMC achieved Approved

and Training partner status with Chartered Accountants Ireland, ACCA and CPA accountancy bodies.

FMC is currently modernizing its business processes and systems including significant investment in the new SAP S/4 HANA suite. This implementation will not only deliver reliable real-time data but will also enable faster decision making for a more agile organisation.

To accommodate the growing number of employees, FMC has carried out extensive refurbishment work in its Little Island offices and have put in place state of the art office space to create a pleasant working environment while at the same time responding to the evolving needs of our growing workforce. FMC has engaged local contractors to carry out the refurbishment who would have worked closely with sub-contractors within the community and would all have benefitted greatly from FMC’s capital investment.

2019 continued to be a busy year on the recruitment front with the addition of 62 new hires and a further 30 planned for this year.

The availability of a wide pool of skilled professionals, coupled with their multi-cultural backgrounds and language skills, makes Cork a strategic location for future consolidation of FMC’s Global Financial Management Processes.

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G ROW ING YO U R BUSINESS

New Appointments

Shane Crossan O’Flynn Exhams

Shane Crossan has been elected as O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors new Managing Partner. Shane Crossan has wide experience across a range of practice areas having more recently served as head of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department.

PM Group announces New Directors

PM Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Helen Ryan and Brendan Jennings to its Board of Directors. Helen has over 25 years’ experience in the Medical Device Industry with previous roles in product development and research at Medtronic and Tyco Healthcare (Covidien).

Brendan has over 30 years’ national and international experience supporting the growth and development of Deloitte in Ireland and as well as advising international clients.

Lorraine McCarthy Spearline

Lorraine McCarthy has been promoted to Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) at Spearline, an award-winning technology company headquartered in Skibbereen, Co Cork, and with offices in Waterford, Romania and India.

In 2018, Lorraine joined the Spearline team as HR & Operations Manager and within 12 months was promoted to CPCO and joined the executive team.

Eimear Desmond Ronan Daly Jermyn

Conor McCarthy KPMG

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Conor McCarthy has been appointed as Director within KPMG Ireland’s Consulting practice in Munster. Conor will be focused on the Munster market, bringing a local relationship management focus, aligned to world class KPMG expertise, to bear on client solutions for complex business challenges.

Ronan Daly Jermyn has appointed Eimear Desmond as its new People and Culture Director. Prior to joining RDJ, Eimear worked across geographies in global organisations such as Diageo, Bupa, Carlton & United Breweries (a subsidiary of SABMiller), Lion Dairy and Drinks and Irish Distillers where she led talent management, business transformation and change management. Pictured at the announcement are Tom Noon, Chief Operations Officer and Richard Martin, Managing Partner with Eimear Desmond, People and Culture Director.

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member news

Tyndall 2025 Strategy Launch

Professor Rudy Lauwereins, Vice-President of Research & Development, IMEC Academy with Professor William Scanlon, CEO, Tyndall National Institute and Denis Doyle, Vice President and General Manager, Analog Devices, at the launch of the Tyndall 2025 Strategy at Tyndall National Institute, Cork. The five year strategy represents a shift in Tyndall’s focus towards addressing the world’s major societal challenges including energy and climate change, clean water, healthcare, disease prevention and gender equality using deep-tech R&D.

Granite Digital €2.5m investment

Granite Digital, Ireland’s leading full-service digital agency, announced that it will create 50 new jobs across its Dublin, Cork and Galway offices. The jobs announcement comes as part of a €2.5M investment in its business which will bring its Irish workforce to over 100 people within the next three years.

The investment comes as Granite marks a significant period of growth, having more than doubled its revenue to €5 million over the past three years with plans to double it again to €10 million by 2022. Pictured at the announcement are Rob Carpenter, Seamus White and Conor Buckley, CEO Granite Digital.

Discover Somewhere Special Nano Nagle Place are offering Cork Chamber members a 20% discount on conference, room bookings and shortterm apartment lets in February and March 2020.

Looking for that something a little bit special for your city centre conference, meeting, seminar or away-day? Five minutes from South Mall, Nano Nagle Place, set within four acres of stunningly restored walled gardens and architecture, is the perfect fit. A series of light filled Georgian rooms and a state-of the-art conference facility (that can accommodate 105 delegates) are available to rent seven days a week.

Working with the award-winning Good Day Deli a wide range of tailored catering options are available. Exclusive private dining and garden parties can also be arranged.

Four high-grade apartments are also available for short term corporate let.

Nano Nagle Place is a registered charity and all commercial activity is reinvested in their ambitious cultural programme, maintaining the beautiful gardens and delivering community education and development initiatives. Your custom drives socially focused urban regeneration in the heart of Cork City!

Discounted parking is available at Q-Park Grand Parade.

Events Manager, Susannah Ahern is available on 021 419 3585 / bookings@nanonagleplace.ie

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New membe rs We welcome the following new members

Active Connections CLG Charities Active Connections transforms lives through adventure.

T: 085 7479283 E: info@activeconnections.ie W: www.activeconnections.ie BGF Financial Services/Pensions/Investment BGF is an investment partner for growing companies in every sector of the economy.

We provide the tools you need to grow, from funding to expertise, while letting you set the course.

T: 01 554 1585 E: aine.walsh@bgf.co.uk W: www.bgf.co.uk

Flourish With Social Media Advertising/Marketing/Market Research Social Media Training on LinkedIn, Facebook Twitter and Instagram for businesses and organisations.

T: 086 3060630 E: marian@flourishwithsocialmedia.ie W: www.flourishwithsocialmedia.co.uk

B WELL HIVE Health & Safety I set up B WELL HIVE to share my love for the gut and real food, and build mental body resilience to function better at work.

T: 087 6704930 E: wellness@bwellhive.ie W: www.bwellhive.ie

GE Coaching Education/Training/Languages Performance Coaching and Coaching Skills/NLP training for young people, young professionals, teams and leaders.

T: 0044 7513430774 E: ed@gecoaching.net W: www.gecoaching.net

CC Solicitors Solicitors/Legal Services CC Solicitors is a market leading firm providing specialist advice to organisations, businesses and employees on employment law and related matters.

T: 01 9058681 E: regan@ccsolicitors.ie W: www.ccsolicitors.ie

Harlequin Transfer Transport We are a dedicated courier company based in Cork with contracts and ancillary relationships with some of the biggest global freight companies based in Cork.

T: 085 8757666 E: harlequintransfer76@gmail.com

Easy Peazy Family Breaks Entertainment/Leisure/Tourism Easy Peazy family breaks focuses on family holidays in Ireland providing a one stop shop for all you need to know about a family break in Ireland.

T: 086 1925645 E: info@easypeazyfamilybreaks.com W: www.easypeazyfamilybreaks.com Finance Order to Cash (O2C) Consultant Financial Services/Pensions/Investment Independent contractor selling finance order_to_cash consulting services to businesses requiring expert knowledge in Finance Transformation, Business Process design or Accounts Receivable.

T: 086 838 4247 E: financeo2cservices@gmail.com

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Firkin Crane CLG Arts Firkin Crane, the home of dance in Cork, is a place where dance artists, dance audiences and dance enthusiasts can make, see and join in dance of all kinds.

T: 021 450 7487 E: info@firkincrane.ie W: www.firkincrane.ie

Happy Feet Reflexology Healthcare Provider Happy Feet Reflexology specialises in corporate and mobile reflexology. Relax and enjoy our professional treatments available during your break at work or in your own home.

T: 087 6847417 E: anitasiegl@gmail.com Health and Fitness Ireland Ltd Healthcare Provider HFI are the leading health and wellness company in the public and private corporate market in Ireland today. The HFI team comprises of a panel of highly qualified and experienced professionals.

T: 087 4154998 E: Healthandfitnessireland@mail.com W: www.healthandfitnessireland.net

Health Innovation Hub Ireland Enterprise/Trade Development Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) works with Irish businesses to creatively solve problems in the health sector and improve patient care by harnessing innovation through the development of new technologies.

T: 021 4205560 E: caroline.mcgarry@ucc.ie W: www.hih.ie Immigrant Advice Bureau Services Immigrant Advice Bureau Ltd is a private consultancy and advocacy office based in Cork, Ireland. We offer extensive professional services by offering advocacy, information and support to clients.

T: 021 4802006 E: info@immigrant.ie W: www.immigrant.ie Inside Strategies Education/Training/Languages Inside Strategies provides Training, Coaching and Consultancy. Specialising in support for Introverts in business, people and culture consulting and positive workplaces of the future.

T: 087 9175785 E: Aoifelenox@gmail.com W: www.insidestrategies.ie Jacobs Engineering At Jacobs, we solve the most important problems, the ones for the real world making life simpler and more seamless along the way.

T: 021 451 5777 E: Reception.Cork@jacobs.com W: www.jacobs.com Joyce & Co Solicitors Solicitors/Legal Services Solicitors practice focusing on the areas of property, employment law, wills and estates, personal injury and immigration. We pride ourselves on results for clients and personal touch.

T: 021 427 0391 E: info@joycecosolicitors.com W: www.joycecosolicitors.ie JWR Ltd Importer/Exporter JWR Ltd is a family owned and run business.

As a company it imports and distributes day old chicks in the island of Ireland.

T: 025 27299 E: office@jwrltd.ie W: www.jwrltd.ie

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Ma ximise Your Membe rship Upgrade Your Company Profile We have introduced a newly enhanced Membership Directory to give you increased value as a Cork Chamber member.

Now you can: • Add Your Logo to be displayed on the search results page alongside your industry peers • Post up to 5 Highlights with outbound URLs linking to your website • Upload photographs and videos (via YouTube) to your profile Our Member Directory has seen traffic grow by 55% year on year. Ensure you take advantage log in to the Members Area via CorkChamber.ie and enhance your company profile!

L’Arche Ireland - Cork Charities L’Arche Cork is one of three communities in Ireland that enables adults with intellectual disability to live in the community.

T: 021 4318880 E: info@larchecork.org W: www.larcheireland.org Mainline Group Fuel/Energy At Mainline we design and build Energy and Utility infrastructure, working with you to solve your project delivery challenges, with our win win best value attitude.

T: 021 4867193 E: info@mainline.ie W: www.mainline.ie Old Quarter Physiotherapy Clinic Healthcare Provider Honest, reliable and skilled physiotherapy service in the heart of Ballincollig.

T: 083 3820063 E: patrickcarrollphysio@gmail.com W: www.oldquarterphysio.ie Pallas Foods Food/Drink Pallas Foods is proud to support a great group of chefs throughout Ireland to provide excellent quality products and services to their customers.

T: 069 20200 E: sales@pallasfoods.com W: www.pallasfoods.com P&L Life Coaching Services P&L Life Coaching is a life and executive coaching business in Cork. P&L can help you achieve the results that you want by focusing your attention on the actions that you need to take and how to implement them.

T: 086 8531767 E: info@pandllifecoaching.com W: www.pandllifecoaching.com

RG Media Audio/Media/Publishing/Video Production Digital Media Production with an emphasis on Videography and Motion Graphics.

T: 086 1541838 E: robin.guiton@gmail.com RoundTable Solutions Limited Health & Safety RoundTable is one of Ireland’s leading dispute resolution specialists. With over 30 years’ experience, we work with individuals and organisations to help them effectively manage and resolve conflict.

T: 021 2339350 E: info@roundtable.ie W: www.roundtable.ie Sharon Huggard The Style Coach Services Sharon create signature styles for women in business that reflects their brand and fills them with confidence to take their career to the next level.

E: style@sharonhuggard.com W: www.sharonhuggard.com Sophos Cyber Security Cybersecurity Company providing protection from cyber threats across all attack vectors.

T: 087 0625584 E: thomas.nestor@sophos.com W: www.sophos.com Speire Web Design Spéire is a company that delivers website development and graphic design.

E: dave@speire.ie W: www.speire.ie

StudioForty9 IT Services A recognised leader in the Irish digital sector, award-winning and proven track-record of delivering, maintaining and continuously improving high-performance e-commerce solutions for retail.

T: 021 2392349 E: info@studioforty9.com W: www.studioforty9.com The Chocolate Shop Ltd Retail We opened 20 years ago at The English Market with a mission to stock the widest range of the world’s finest chocolate. We seek out the best chocolate from the best chocolate makers in the world.

T: 021 4254448 E: Info@chocolate.ie W: www.chocolate.ie Travel Counsellors Ireland Travel Agents We create a bespoke corporate travel solution for your business while taking the time to get to know your travellers needs and preferences.

T: 021 2309378 E: ciara.macconnell@travelcounsellors.com W: www.business.travelcounsellors.com WeSwitchU.ie Services Sign up with us once and we’ll find the best gas and electricity plan for your household every year.

E: brendan.halpin@weswitchu.ie W: www.weswitchu.ie Website Services Ireland Advertising/Marketing/Market Research Digital marketing.

T: 087 9674303 E: una@webservicesirl.ie W: www.webservicesirl.ie

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Cork Chamber

me et the Te am - Upskilling You

Kate Murray Training Network Executive Kate has gained fantastic experience over her career to date having worked for Apple, Vancouver Film School, and UCC previously.

Kate is extremely passionate about training and particularly enjoys the customer service, logistics/ event management and finance elements of training.

As a result, Kate has extensive experience in Training Facilitation, Budget Management and Customer Service. As a trained journalist, Kate has also written for newspapers both at a national level in Ireland and Canada and is an ardent advocate of self-development and continuous training.

Interesting fact about Kate: She is a registered registrar.

Garrett O’Rourke Training Network Manager As Training Network Manager for Cork Chamber Skillnet, Garrett promotes and facilitates Skillnet Ireland funded workforce development and training within the Cork region.

Garrett brings both a wealth of training and financial expertise to Cork Chamber Skillnet having previously worked with Aviva and most recently with the commercial division of the National Maritime College of Ireland, where Garrett led the provision of short term maritime, oil & gas commercial training courses and consultancy services to national and international partners.

Interesting fact about Garrett: He is a keen surfer.

Whatever stage you’re at in your career, Cork Chamber Skillnet is here to help. contact training@corkchamber.ie or go to www.corkchamber.ie/training

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‘Let’s build your financial life plan together.’

At Davy we get to know what’s important to you before we talk numbers. By developing a more personal relationship, it’s easier when we do talk about financial life plans.

Knowing what’s really important to you, means we can create the financial life plan and investment strategy that’s right for you.

Talk to one of our Cork advisers today.

Call us on +353 21 425 1420 or visit davy.ie/Cork

J & E Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

We take our responsibilities personally.

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