Business Ireland - Q4 2014

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AWARDS 2015

6 categories. 1 big prize Tell the world about your company’s great idea.

It could win you a prize worth 150,000.

Find out more at:

www.irishtimes.com/ Joint Partner

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innovationawards

in association with

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MEET THE MENTOR

Two months into her new role as Dublin Start-up Commissioner, Niamh Bushnell spoke with JOSEPH O’CONNOR about her plans to unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

COVER STORY

NIAMH BUSHNELL

I

The role of Dublin Start-up Commissioner was born out of a recommendation contained in the Activating Dublin report #bestplacetostart.

Two months into the job, Niamh Bushnell spoke with JOSEPH O’CONNOR about her plans to unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

STRONG GLOBAL

REPUTATION FOR DUBLIN.

Colm McDermott

I WANT TO STIR A REVOLUTION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND HELP TO BUILD A

t is in the iconic ‘Warehouse’ building on Barrow Street that I meet the newly appointed Dublin Start-up Commissioner Niamh Bushnell. Stationed beside Google’s European headquarters and housing a community of peers that encourage a constant atmosphere of innovation such as Dogpatch Labs and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, the building seems the likely home for a serial entrepreneur who has been tasked with the job of maximising the potential of Dublin’s tech cluster.

This is not Bushnell’s permanent place of residence though, which is something I learned when organising the interview. In between meeting and greeting business leaders, university chiefs, stakeholders and start-ups, she can be found devising her strategy for Dublins start-ups somewhere between Barrow Street, the Dublin City Council headquarters and Dublin City University.

But that seems all the more appropriate given how she describes her role: “to connect the dots so that entrepreneurs can see a clear step-by-step process of how they can evolve”.

Luckily, Bushnell is no stranger to connecting dots. She’s been doing that for some time now. Following an early career in technology at Dublin-based multinational Frame Technology, she joined Enterprise Ireland’s New York office as Vice President of Software in 1998 where her focus was on assisting Irish technology companies gain entry and expand their businesses in the US market.

In 2004, she moved back into the private sector joining Orbiscom, a Dublin-based payments technology company which was acquired by MasterCard International in 2009. Most recently, Bushnell cofounded and runs two US-based start-ups, TechResources and IDIRUS. Now, sixteen years after residing in the US, Bushnell has returned home and on this miserable, rainy Tuesday in Dublin, she exudes a contagious energy, speaking with passion and conviction about how we can unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

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22 FEATURES

14

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: RETAIL

AOIFE LOY talks to some of Ireland’s top retailers in the run up to Christmas and assesses the outlook for the retail sector in 2015.

GO TO DUBCHAMBER.IE FOR THE ONLINE EDITION

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ENTREPRENEUR

ANNA MURPHY profiles James Whelton, Co-Founder of CoderDojo, who has built a successful career from “a foundation of sleeping on couches and easy to cook noodles”.

25 On the cover, Niamh Bushnell is wearing the Fraas cashmere flower print scarf, 100, Arnotts

THE LEASING FIRMS THAT’S LANDED

With the help of ConnectIreland, Lobo Leasing established its headquarters in Dublin last year. BUSINESS IRELAND talks to their Chief Commercial Officer John Contas.

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF PITCH

Twenty years ago Michael O’Keeffe was trotting out for Dublin at Croke Park. These days he is better known for making pitches as MD of PSG Group, writes JOSEPH O’CONNOR.

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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Some of Ireland’s biggest employers descended on the RDS in September to help Ireland’s jobless get back to work. BUSINESS IRELAND reports on the Back To Work Masterclass and Jobs Expo.

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DELUXE CONNECTION

Luxair is to expand its direct service between Dublin and Luxembourg. Benoit Berger, VP Sales and Revenue Manager, tells BUSINESS IRELAND about the impetus behind the move.

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Editor: Joseph O’Connor Commercial Editor: Valerie Jordan Managing Editor: Mary Connaughton

86

Motoring | Winter Essentials | Travel Briefs | Beer | Gadgets

Art Director: Alan McArthur Front Cover Photography: Colm McDermott

In

PLUGGED

Stylist: Rachel Murray

Will Mitsubishi’s hybrid 4x4 prove to be a game changer?

CONOR FORREST takes one for a charge and a test drive.

Production Executive: Nicole Ennis Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Contributors: Conor Forrest Valerie Jordan Aoife Loy Graeme McQueen Anna Murphy Dean Van Nguyen

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IN SAFE HANDS

Dan Davern of DX2 Training Solutions tells BUSINESS IRELAND how good practices around health and safety can impact positively on a company’s bottom line.

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33 BUSINESS IRELAND MAGAZINE is published by Ashville Media Group, on behalf of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce ASHVILLE MEDIA GROUP Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7.

Tel: (01) 432 2200; Fax: (01) 672 7100 Email: info@ashville.com DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7 Clare Street. Tel: (01) 644 7200; Fax: (01) 676 6043; Email: info@dublinchamber.ie; Web: www.dublinchamber.ie Material printed in this journal is not necessarily endorsed by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce or

by Ashville Media Group.

All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © 2014

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

BUSINESS IRELAND looks at ten must-have apps which can help get your company organised, connected and visible.

34

THE GIFT OF GIVING

BUSINESS IRELAND profiles five respected organisations which companies can partner with or contribute to during the season of goodwill.

36

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

MY DUBLIN CHAMBER 39 The latest news, events and

NEWS 4 8 11 12

001_BI Q4 2014_Contents.indd 2

One of the key components in securing Ireland’s economic future is smart investment, and that’s why devoting time and resources into research and innovation is so important. In this special report, BUSINESS IRELAND talks to those in the know.

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THE RISE OF THE DOCKS

The tech boom that started in Dublin’s Docklands is now spreading across the city. BUSINESS IRELAND profiles some of the companies that have moved here and the institutions encouraging foreign direct investment.

Celebrity stylist Clare Devereux gives BUSINESS IRELAND her top tips on looking professional in the workplace.

members at the Chamber.

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HEALTH OF THE NATION IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Briefcase SME Bites Capital Investment Movers & Shakers

LIFESTYLE 86 91 92 94 95 96

Motoring Winter Essentials Travel Briefs Beer Business Tech Timeout On a Lighter Note

95 15/12/2014 10:43

Going for Growth KPMG have been working with Irish entrepreneurs for decades, helping businesses fulfill their potential.

We are proud to partner with Going for Growth – a programme to encourage female entrepreneurship.

If your business would benefit from the next Going for Growth programme please see www.goingforgrowth.com The closing date is Wednesday, 10 December 2014.

kpmg.ie

© 2014 KPMG, an Irish partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity.

The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks of KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.

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12/12/2014 12:57

BRIEFCASE

BRIEFCASE TAOISEACH OPENS NEW GUINNESS BREWERY Taoiseach Enda Kenny was joined in Dublin by Diageo PLC CEO Ivan Menezes recently to officially open ‘Brewhouse No.4’, the a169 million state-of-the-art brewery at St. James’s Gate. The new brewhouse is one of the most technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable in the world.

Currently Diageo exports more than a1 billion in product from the site to over 130 countries while the Guinness Flavour Essence which is produced in St. James’s Gate enables further brewing of Guinness in 50 countries around the world.

THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS FROM DUBLIN

NEW BREWERY FACTS Brewhouse No.4 is the largest stout brewery in the world

a169 million investment in Ireland

4th

brewery on site since Arthur Guinness More than

255

Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes, Fourth Generation Brewer Paul O’Farrell, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Paul Armstrong of Diageo in the new Guinness brewery at St James’ Gate.

years of brewing experience

35%

of global beer for Diageo is now produced at St. James’s Gate

3

million pints produced at St. James’s Gate per day

1

billion pints produced per year Exported to

130

markets worldwide Diageo supports

20,000

jobs in Ireland

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12/12/2014 17:33

BRIEFCASE

Minister announces a25,000 in support for Business to Arts Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, has announced that her Department is providing a25,000 in support for Business to Arts. The funding will be leveraged to attract private sector support for New Stream, a training and development programme which helps arts organisations to build their fundraising and organisational capacity.

Love/Hate Apartment Block on the Market for a3.5m

ABOUT BUSINESS TO ARTS Business to Arts is a membership-based registered charity that brokers, enables and supports creative partnerships between business, individuals and the arts. The organisation believes that creating the structures to support and fund the Irish arts community is essential to both Ireland’s national development and international profile. For further details visit www.businesstoarts.ie

The Granary, a block of 14 apartments at Distillery Lofts, Dublin 9, has been brought to the market by Savills.

The guide price for the entire block is a3.5 million. The building – which was originally in use as a whiskey distillery dating back to the 1800s – is also the location of the penthouse apartment featured in the acclaimed Irish crime drama, Love/Hate. In season one of the series, the penthouse was the home of fictional drug trafficker, John Boy Power. The current tenants of The Granary will not be affected by the sale.

CLOUD COMPANY ENABLES ANIMATORS TO CONNECT

COVER STORY

NIAMH BUSHNELL

I

I WANT TO STIR A REVOLUTION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND TO BUILD A

The role of Dublin Start-up Commissioner was born out of a recommendation contained in the Activating Dublin report #bestplacetostart.

Two months into the job, Niamh Bushnell spoke with JOSEPH O’CONNOR about her plans to unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

STRONG GLOBAL

REPUTATION FOR DUBLIN.

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Strencom, the managed connectivity and cloud computing company, has provided a combined Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and managed connectivity solution to Brown Bag Films. This is enabling the Oscar nominated and Emmy award winning studio to successfully collaborate with its entertainment customers and partners worldwide.

The new three year contract is valued at a300,000.

Brown Bag Films produces animation series such as Henry Hugglemonster, Peter Rabbit, Octonauts and Doc McStuffins which are viewed by tens of millions of children around the world.

COVER STORY

“PEOPLE ARE GENUINELY ENTHUSED AND COMMITTED TO MAKING DUBLIN A GREAT STARTUP CITY.”

Colm McDermott

Pictured at Brown Bag Films studios in Smithfield are Tim Murphy, CEO Strencom and Cathal Gaffney, CEO, Brown Bag Films, with Henry Hugglemonster.

18

t is in the iconic ‘Warehouse’ building on Barrow Street that I meet the newly appointed Dublin Start-up Commissioner Niamh Bushnell. Stationed beside Google’s European headquarters and housing a community of peers that encourage a constant atmosphere of innovation such as Dogpatch Labs and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, the building seems the likely home for a serial entrepreneur who has been tasked with the job of maximising the potential of Dublin’s tech cluster.

This is not Bushnell’s permanent place of residence though, which is something I learned when organising the interview. In between meeting and greeting business leaders, university chiefs, stakeholders and start-ups, she can be found devising her strategy for Dublins start-ups somewhere between Barrow Street, the Dublin City Council headquarters and Dublin City University.

But that seems all the more appropriate given how she describes her role: “to connect the dots so that entrepreneurs can see a clear step-by-step process of how they can evolve”.

Luckily, Bushnell is no stranger to connecting dots. She’s been doing that for some time now. Following an early career in technology at Dublin-based multinational Frame Technology, she joined Enterprise Ireland’s New York office as Vice President of Software in 1998 where her focus was on assisting Irish technology companies gain entry and expand their businesses in the US market.

In 2004, she moved back into the private sector joining Orbiscom, a Dublin-based payments technology company which was acquired by MasterCard International in 2009. Most recently, Bushnell cofounded and runs two US-based start-ups, TechResources and IDIRUS. Now, sixteen years after residing in the US, Bushnell has returned home and on this miserable, rainy Tuesday in Dublin, she exudes a contagious energy, speaking with passion and conviction about how we can unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

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NIAMH BUSHNELL, Dublin’s Start-up Commissioner 5 |

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12/12/2014 17:33

BRIEFCASE

QUARTERLY CHARACTERS BUSINESS IRELAND looks at some of the tweets of the quarter @DublinAirport

Over 35 million passengers travelled through Terminal 2 since it was officially opened this day four years ago

Dublin Airport boasts impressive passenger numbers on its fourth birthday in November.

Facebook Opens New HQ in Dublin Sonia Flynn, Managing Director, Facebook Ireland and Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the analogue studio at Facebook’s new EMEA headquarters in Dublin.

Social networking giant Facebook has opened its new EMEA headquarters spanning 120,000 sq feet at Grand Canal Square in Dublin. Sonia Flynn, Managing Director, Facebook Ireland, joined Taoiseach Enda Kenny to officially open the Frank Gehry-designed building in the area that has become known as ‘Silicon Docks’.

Flynn said Facebook is entering a new chapter at Grand Canal Square. “We are proud to be here in Dublin, where we are able to find the talented people we need to enable Facebook to support the people who use it every day,” she said.

Facebook employs 500 people representing more than 50 nationalities at its headquarters in Dublin.

The firm continues to recruit to support the millions of people who use Facebook every day in Europe.

@paddycosgrave

A huge thank you to the 22,000 people who joined us in Dublin for #websummit & to the incredible team who pulled it all off: you rock!

Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave tweets to the conclusion of another successful event in the capital.

@AlexSalmond

Let’s not dwell on the distance we’ve fallen short - let us dwell on the distance we have travelled

@IDAIRELAND

Werner Vogels, Amazon’s highly influential CTO, is in Dublin and says Irish operation builds real services and software for company globally

The IDA on the confidence US e-commerce giant Amazon has shown in Ireland as it creates a further 300 jobs at its new Dublin operation.

@Whelton

Success and growth is born out of failures.

Co-founder of CoderDojo James Whelton shares an inspirational quote with followers.

For more on James go to page 24.

THE LOWDOWN

The man behind the Yes campaign looks on the bright side after conceding defeat in the Scottish referendum on independence.

Software company Symantec has uncovered a sophisticated new spying bug that experts say has hit Ireland significantly.

According to reports, Ireland is one of three countries most affected by the software, called Regin, along with Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Facebook’s real-time collaboration and productivity platform for workers, Facebook at Work, is reportedly set for launch in January. Facebook is banned in many workplaces due to its time-wasting and distractive qualities, but it has significant potential as a work tool for things like real-time collaboration, workflow, document sharing, video calling, selling and more.

Ireland has the most effective corporate tax system in Europe with the least amount of red tape, according to a study from PwC and the World Bank.

Ireland’s effective rate comes in close to the headline rate – 12.4 per cent – just 0.1 per cent below the Government’s much criticised 12.5 per cent advertised rate.

Irish consumers are increasingly switching from online to mobile banking, according to figures published for the first time by the Banking & Payments Federation. The data, for the first half of 2014, shows more than one in three of all online and mobile banking payments are being done on smartphones or tablets.

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12/12/2014 17:33

BRIEFCASE

NEW TRADE CAR TERMINAL OPENS AT DUBLIN PORT

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe officially opened Dublin Port Company’s new trade car terminal following a 13 month development and construction phase. Dublin Port has invested a3.4 million in the new facility, which will cater for 2,500 vehicles at a time.

New figures for the third quarter this year show the arrival of 14,802 trade vehicles, mostly new cars destined for car dealerships, up 48.8 per cent on the corresponding quarter in 2013. There were 58,399 trade vehicles in the first nine months of 2014, up 29.8 per cent on the 44,987 that arrived in the same period last year.

Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, Lucy McCaffrey, Chairperson, Dublin Port Company and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Paschal Donohoe.

GAA service EARNS ITS STRIPES GAAGO, RTÉ and the GAA’s online streaming service for Gaelic Games outside of Ireland announced at the recent Web Summit that payments disruptor Stripe, has been selected as the long-term payments partner of GAAGO. Pictured at the announcement were John Collison, President and Co-Founder of Stripe with Múirne Laffan, Managing Director of RTÉ Digital and Dublin GAA footballer Alan Brogan (centre).

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12/12/2014 17:33

SME BITES

Bites

SME

BUSINESS IRELAND takes a look at the latest news and advice for SMEs operating in the capital.

QUARTERLY QUOTE

“The continued difficulties facing SMEs underline the need for the EU and the member states to continue their efforts to improve the business climate.”

Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, responding to the findings of the latest SMEs Performance Review.

PEER-TO-PEER LENDER HITS A5M MILESTONE Linked Finance, Ireland’s largest peer-to-peer lending company, has hit the significant milestone of a5 million in peer-topeer pledges to SME businesses on their LinkedFinance.com platform. This money has helped businesses nationwide and across retail, manufacturing, education, professional services, distribution, agriculture, engineering and all other sectors. As well as helping established Irish SME businesses grow, the pledges have stimulated over 900 direct jobs in the Irish economy and is now a real alternative to traditional business lending.

SMES RAISE MORE VENTURE FUNDING

Irish SMEs raised 35 per cent more venture capital funding year-onyear in the nine months to September but the percentage of funding going to start-ups fell sharply, according to a new survey by the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA).

The survey of venture capital firms shows a314 million was raised by SMEs in the period - compared to a233 million in the same period in 2013 and a184.8 million in 2012 but just 5 per cent of the total went to start-ups.

Book Bite:

Guide to Professional Networking

The thought of networking is something that strikes fear into many people and drives others to tears of boredom, but in today’s connected world, networking can be the key to achieving business goals. But how can you develop the skills to network effectively?

Help is at hand from a new book, The Complete Guide to Professional Networking, which outlines strategies, practical techniques and exclusive tips from some of the world’s most successful networkers to achieve powerful results. The author, Simon Phillips, presents his ideas in an engaging style that makes it accessible and helpful to all readers, whether they are networking novices or experienced professionals looking to utilise their networks more effectively.

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12/12/2014 17:34

SME BITES

More than a quarter of SME owners and senior managers in Ireland actively reach out for business advice and support through social media, a survey has revealed. Of that number, 59 per cent admit that they now seek more guidance from social networks including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn than they would from traditional means, such as meetings with their accountant or lawyer.

The figures are taken from the latest Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly poll that canvasses the opinions of business owners and managers Harry Parkinson, Close Brothers Commercial Finance (Ireland) from a range of sectors across the UK and Ireland.

Managing Director of Close Brothers Commercial Finance (Ireland), Harry Parkinson said: “It is easier than ever before for SME owners to connect with their peers and social networks allow access to a growing platform for discussion and debate. They can use it to help develop both their business strategies and knowledge, and significantly, there are minimal costs involved.”

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1 SMES NEED INCREASED ACCESS TO FINANCE

SMEs in Ireland, while accounting for 70 per cent of employment in the private sector, need improved access to finance. This is according to the annual SMEs Performance Review published by the European Commission. Other findings in the report reveal that there was a slight increase in the number of SMEs in Ireland between 2008 and 2009, followed by a decrease of 13 per cent between 2009 and 2012. At EU level, the average number of SMEs decreased slightly between 2008 and 2009 but increased by 3-4 per cent between 2009 and 2010 and has stayed above 2008 levels since.

of small and medium sized firms across Ireland have received a fraudulent reference for a potential job candidate.

PROMPT PAYMENT CODE OF CONDUCT

IRISH SMES INCREASINGLY TURN TO SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BUSINESS ADVICE

WHAT IS IT? The code has been developed by business groups with the support of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and is designed to tackle the culture of late payments in Ireland.

WHAT ARE THE CODE’S MAIN AIMS? The three main focuses of the code are: to ensure best practice between businesses and suppliers; to improve cash flow between businesses; and to drive a change in payment culture.

WHAT WILL SIGNATORIES TO THE CODE NEED TO DO? • Pay suppliers on time within the terms agreed at the outset of the contract, or in accordance with legislation.

• Give clear guidance to suppliers by providing them with clear and easily accessible guidance on payment procedures.

Also, by ensuring there is a system in place for dealing with complaints and disputes which is communicated to suppliers. Finally, advising suppliers promptly if there is any reason why an invoice will not be paid to the agreed terms.

• Encourage good practice by requesting that lead suppliers encourage adoption of the Code through their own supply chains.

HOW CAN BUSINESSES SIGN UP? A new portal to host the Prompt Payment Code of Conduct and ensure businesses are paid on time will go live in the first quarter of 2015.

Close Brothers Business Barometer

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12/12/2014 17:34

Connect to research and innovation that drive business success

Knowledge Transfer Ireland makes it easier for business & investors to access technology, intellectual property & expertise from Ireland’s Higher Education Institutions & State Research Organisations.

• Overviews of the research capabilities of all Irish Universities, Institutes of Technology and Specialist Research Centres • More than 160 technologies available for licensing • Research specialists and facilities that can optimise R&D opportunities • Advice on intellectual property, licensing and commercialisation • Practical resources on engaging with research providers

For more information on how your business can access State-funded research to drive innovation and growth visit: knowledgetransferireland.com

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12/12/2014 12:56

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

CAPITAL

INVESTMENT BUSINESS IRELAND looks at companies expanding or starting operations in Dublin and the jobs that are coming on stream.

JOBS:

JOBS:

1,440

310

JOBS:

100

Company: BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB Location: DUBLIN

Company: TOPAZ Location: DUBLIN AND LAOIS

The biopharma company is to construct a new biologics manufacturing facility. 1,000 jobs will be created for the construction phase, while 440 jobs will be in manufacturing once the facility is completed.

Two new service stations are being opened in early 2015 which will see the creation of 110 new full-time jobs with 200 construction jobs created during the development.

The estate is to create 50 jobs in hospitality and leisure sector over the next 12 months. The remaining 50 jobs will be created for the Christmas period this year.

JOBS:

JOBS:

JOBS:

50

32

Company: PALMERSTOWN HOUSE ESTATE Location: KILDARE

JOBS:

60

Company: MCDONALD’S Location: DUBLIN The fast-food chain opened a new drive-thru restaurant at Dublin Airport.

JOBS:

Company: MAZARS Location: DUBLIN AND GALWAY

Company: PATTERSON PUMP IRELAND Location: WESTMEATH

24

Company: SUPERVALU Location: MEATH

10

The accounting firm has said stronger than expected economic growth means they need staff in areas including consulting, audit, tax and payroll.

The company which manufactures fire-fighting pumps is expected to create the new jobs over next five years.

The retailer is to open a new extended store in Enfield.

The IT company is to create new jobs as part of a a700,000 investment that could see the company expand to 50 employees in the coming months

1.9M

EMPLOYMENT: THE LASTEST STATS

11%

people now in work, up 31,600 in Q2 2014 compared to Q2 2013

current unemployment rate (Oct 2014) down from 15.1% (Feb 2012)

1.7%

6.8%

increase in employment compared with the same period last year

long-term unemployment rate (Q2 2014), down from 8.1% (Q2 2013)

EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

Company: LEAF Location: DUBLIN

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has published a new employer engagement strategy entitled ‘Education and Employers: A Strategic Approach to Employer Engagement’. The publication highlights the role of employers in the education and training system and encourages them to participate more at local or national level. For further details visit: www.qqi.ie/Pages/ QQI-publishes-strategy-foremployer-engagement.aspx

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12/12/2014 17:34

MOVERS&SHAKERS

MOVERS&SHAKERS PREVIOUS ROLE: MARKETING MANAGER, EBS Fyffes has appointed Emma Hunt-Duffy as Sales and Marketing Manager. Previously, she held positions as Marketing Manager at EBS and Marketing Executive and Media Buyer at Ryanair. In her new role, she will be responsible for the management of key retail accounts, enhancing the sales of branded and non-branded fruit in Ireland and implementing the Group’s brand marketing activity.

NEW TITLE: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EMPLOYER: BUYANDSELL.IE PREVIOUS ROLE: HEAD OF eCHANNELS, KBC BANK IRELAND Nóirín Ní Laocha has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of BuyAndSell. ie. Ní Laocha will be responsible for the strategic development and oversight of BuyandSell.ie as the organisation re-launches as a digital only platform.

A business graduate from NUIG, Ní Laocha holds a Masters in Business Studies from UCD and a postgraduate qualification in Digital Marketing from DCU. She has extensive experience in strategic management and marketing, most recently as Head of eChannels at KBC Bank Ireland.

SIOBHÁN DUFFY

EMPLOYER: FYFFES

NÓIRÍN NÍ LAOCHA

EMMA HUNT-DUFFY

NEW TITLE: SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER

NEW TITLE: HEAD OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & RELATIONS EMPLOYER: AUDI NORTH DUBLIN PREVIOUS ROLE: OWNER, WWW.SDX2.IE AT LUXE IRELAND Audi North Dublin has announced the appointment of Siobhán Duffy as Head of Customer Experience and Relations. The move cements Audi North Dublin’s commitment to further ensuring that customers are delighted with every element of their business. With over 15 years’ experience in companies from Ryanair to Brown Thomas, Duffy knows what customers expect from a premium brand such as Audi and the importance of customer retention.

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12/12/2014 17:35

MOVERS&SHAKERS

NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE.

PREVIOUS ROLE: BUILDING SERVICES MANAGER, MCALEER & RUSHE LTD Seán McCormick has been appointed Head of Engineering by leading mid-market hotel group, Jurys Inn. In his role, McCormick will be responsible for providing direction on all engineering matters including maintenance provisions and energy consumption, as well as assisting in the project management of a number of extensions and refurbishments across the group which consists of 31 city centre hotels. With over 25 years’ experience in engineering and project management, McCormick was previously Building Services Manager at McAleer & Rushe Ltd.

NEW TITLE: CHAIRMAN EMPLOYER: SAVILLS IRELAND PREVIOUS ROLE: OFFICES DIRECTOR International real estate advisor Savills has appointed a new Irish Chairman. Offices Director Roland O’Connell takes over from Larry Brennan, who will now focus on his role as Head of the Transactional Commercial Division at Savills Ireland, as a result of strong business growth. After 33 years, O’Connell is one of Savills’ longest serving employees.

He joined the firm in 1981 and during this time he was primarily responsible for the Office Agency Department and has advised numerous high profile clients in their search for office property in Ireland.

FREDERIC LANDTMETERS

EMPLOYER: JURYS INN

ROLAND O’CONNELL

SEÁN MCCORMICK

NEW TITLE: HEAD OF ENGINEERING

NEW TITLE: MANAGING DIRECTOR, MOLSON COORS UK AND IRELAND EMPLOYER: MOLSON COORS BREWING COMPANY PREVIOUS ROLE: CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Molson Coors Brewing Company has announced that Frederic Landtmeters, Chief Commercial Officer, Molson Coors Europe, will take over as Managing Director, Molson Coors UK and Ireland, succeeding Simon Cox who will take on the role of CEO Molson Coors Europe from January 1st 2015.

Landtmeters is a proven commercial leader with an exceptional track record in building great beer brands. He has held a number of senior leadership positions with Cadbury Schweppes and AB InBev since joining the drinks industry in 1998.

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15/12/2014 10:22

THE TALE OF

RETAIL

In this issue’s industry spotlight, AOIFE LOY looks at the outlook for the retail sector and asks some of Ireland’s top retailers about current shopping trends, the need to be mobile, and challenges facing the industry. | 14

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12/12/2014 17:37

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

A

fter years of cuts and tax hikes, October 2014 saw a more positive Budget, with Minster for Finance Michael Noonan proclaiming “the end of an era of budgetary austerity”. The Budget comes towards the end of another year of gradual economic recovery, with the most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office showing an annual increase of 5.9 per cent in total retail sales, but a monthly decrease of 0.6 per cent if motor trades are excluded.

With the unpopularity of water charges playing havoc to any true positive outlook, the ultimate question is: are we there yet? Evidence from a range of reports on the retail industry give voice to an optimistic outlook on the months ahead – Christmas spending is expected to see considerable growth this year, with Webloyalty estimating an increase of 3.5 per cent from last year in Christmas spending. However, they also found that while sales are up, a quarter of those surveyed intend on spending less than they did last year.

Reports also highlight an ongoing shift towards online shopping, finding that the majority of people now prefer to mix shopping in store with online shopping. They also highlighted the increased number of online shoppers making purchases through mobile devices – particularly smartphones and tablets, which is expected to grow this year by 79 per cent compared to 50 per cent in 2013. However, reports have also found a concerning trend emerge, known as ‘showrooming’, whereby the majority of online shopping is going to businesses based abroad with a 40 per cent minority going to Irish websites. In Ireland’s small open economy the importation of goods is bound to be prevalent, however, there is a growing need for Irish retailers to better tap into this market and to be more relevant to their customers.

THE FUTURE IS OMNI-CHANNEL As the managing director of Shop Direct, trading as Littlewoods Ireland, Geoff Scully has seen online retailing become mainstream. Most online retailers work towards shortening delivery times to make online shopping more convenient.

“In years gone by if you were shopping

Geoff Scully, Managing Director, Shop Direct Ireland (trading as Littlewoods Ireland)

online, you may have been required to get an order in at the start of December to make sure you’d to get it by Christmas,” he says. As online shopping has become more convenient, this has had a doublesided effect as, while it is indicative of improvements in the industry, it also means that there is a lot of pent up demand towards the end of the season.

During the austerity years, Scully says, the festive season has become increasingly important for retailers as it was the time of year that consumers had a need to spend. “If ever you were going to do your business for the year, it was always around Christmas with spring/ summer seasons becaming a little more difficult,” he says.

One particular trend that Scully highlights is the number of people accessing the Littlewoods Ireland site through mobile devices. “Over 50 per cent of our sessions on a daily basis now come through a smartphone or tablet,” he says.

“Some days this figure can be as much as 55 per cent.”

However, Scully disagrees with the assumption that consumers are largely moving away from the traditional retail experience and more towards online shopping – he believes that the future of retail is omni-channel. “You get a lot of people telling you that high street retail is dead and online is going to take over,” he says. “I don’t think people are going to turn their backs on high street retail, but there’s no doubt that if retailers want to optimise their return, those with an online presence and a consistent experience

OVER 50 PER CENT OF OUR SESSIONS ON A DAILY BASIS NOW COME THROUGH A SMARTPHONE OR TABLET. SOME DAYS THIS FIGURE CAN BE AS MUCH AS 55 PER CENT.”

BARCLAYS BANK IRELAND SURVEY FINDINGS (NOVEMBER 2014) • 68 per cent of retailers surveyed expect consumers to spend more this festive season • 52 per cent rank a fall in consumer confidence as the number one risk to the success of Christmas trading • 68 per cent expect purchases made by smartphones and tablets to grow by 79 per cent

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

PEOPLE WILL SHOP WHERE THEY GET THE THREE KEY THINGS THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. ONE IS VALUE FOR MONEY, THE OTHER IS CHOICE AND THE OTHER IS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.” across all channels will prosper and do well, because it’s about being relevant to your customer.” This, he says, is down to the prominent majority of shoppers who prefer to mix online and in-store buying.

Despite the improved shopping experience for online consumers, Scully says that too many Irish people are making online purchases from non-Irish companies. “There’s a lot of business going to companies that are based outside Ireland. The industry as a whole probably needs more retailers retailing in Ireland. It’s easy to say that, but what it actually means is that there’s a massive capital outlay required for any business to be trading in Ireland. It’s a scary thing to do, but it’s definitely the right thing to do.” Cultivating an online presence should now be part of any retailer’s longterm strategy to stay ahead of the game, he says.

WEBLOYALTY REPORT FINDINGS (NOVEMBER 2014) • a839.9 million to be spent on Christmas presents • A mix of online and in-store shopping is the most popular way to shop for the 68 per cent majority • One in four Irish consumers plan to cut back on spending, with 40.3 per cent of those surveyed saying they will not shop in the seasonal sales.

Don Nugent, Director, Dundrum Town Centre

CHOICE, VALUE FOR MONEY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE Dundrum Town Centre is one of the biggest shopping hubs in Ireland. After almost ten years, the business continues to grow and according to Centre Director, Don Nugent, they expect to finish this year with a 1 to 1.5 per cent growth in footfall.

In addition, the feedback from the tenants has been positive, Nugent says, despite the stretch of mild weather between September and October. “People weren’t in the headspace for jackets, coats and boots during that very mild weather,” he says. Inevitably, these sales have picked up again since the drop in temperature.

But it is Christmas, according to Nugent, that really kicks off trade for the town centre and that starts with their ‘Shop & Rock’ event which took place on November 13th. “We had some stores last Thursday night doing the equivalent of a week’s business. It was startling to see the level of spend,” he says. One change in consumer behaviour Nugent has noticed is that Christmas started earlier this year. “There was evidence of consumers budgeting their Christmas spend from an earlier point. They were spending a lot in September.”

Dundrum Town Centre also has a significant online presence, with 150,000 Facebook followers and 30,000 Twitter followers, which they use to market events like Shop & Rock. In addition, Nugent says they are using their online facilities to ensure they are flexible for customers. “If a store doesn’t have a particular size in a product, consumers are given the option to place an order instore online and that can then be posted

to their house or they can pick it up here.”

Online retailing has also worked in the centre’s favour as it has lead to a significant increase in comparison shopping. With its wide spectrum of retailers, Nugent says that the centre is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend. “People will shop where they get the three key things they’re looking for,” he says. “One is value for money, the other is choice and the other is good customer service.”

Overall, Nugent is positive on the outlook for the centre for 2015. They are currently looking at initiatives which will give customers the option to buy online through the centre and then shop with their tenants. “It’s about embracing the whole area of online retailing. Online is here to stay – we think. There will come a point when it will peak in terms of the percentage of the overall retail business that it accounts for. We can’t lose sight of the importance of the social aspect that people place on meeting their friends, going for a coffee, getting their hair done – the things that you can’t necessarily do online. They’re very much about the things that Dundrum offers. It’s about trying to get that balance right,” he says.

CONVENIENCE IS KEY Managing director of Brown Thomas, Stephen Sealey has seen the business edge up its sales and profitability every year since 2009, despite the economic downturn. “Our business is up across the stores and we’re certainly outperforming the CSO figures that I’ve seen,” he says.

Accessories is the area where Brown Thomas has seen the most growth.

“That’s been incredibly buoyant and across all price points, from brands like

Stephen Sealey, Managing Director, Brown Thomas

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Michael Kors right through to the top-end luxury brands like Chanel,” Sealey says. In addition, the homeware business has seen positive growth. “One of the drivers has been the sale of products such as Vitamix and NutriBullet – an interest in health and wellbeing and producing your own juices and smoothies.”

Brown Thomas recently launched its Loyalty app as part of its wider strategy of offering convenience to the customer.

“It was launched because we received feedback from customers that it was annoying when they didn’t have the card with them. We also received the same feedback from our salespeople, so it was a bit of a no-brainer to develop the app.

It’s got a few other advantages: it’s an easy way to find things like store opening hours and it also holds your receipts of your recent transactions. So much in retail is about making the customer experience easier and better,” he says.

A significant amount of people are also accessing the Brown Thomas site via mobile devices. “When we launched the website, we recognised the importance of having an online presence and made sure that we had a properly mobile-optimised website,” Sealey says. Interestingly, he has spotted a shopping trend which could prove valuable. “If you look at the time the orders are made, they are based on PCs and are generally during working hours which peak at lunchtime. Then in the evening, they’re buying from mobile or tablet devices.”

Sealey believes that consumers are more confident than they have been in previous years, with the first indicator being car sales, showing that people are once again investing in high ticket items. “It’s a pity that the Government squandered the feel good factor from the Budget by handling the water charge issue the way they did, but the acceptance of the last of the austerity budgets is welcome,” he says. “The real thing is that people have, in general, got more money in their pocket and that’s what will drive confidence.”

He is positive on the outlook for 2015 and is hopeful that next year they will start to see a real lift in sales. They have invested in the new ground floor of their Dublin store and also have plans to spend on their Limerick branch and further develop their online facilities.

“We’re going to invest in online because,

although it’s relatively small business at the moment, as time goes on it will become more important. If we, as Irish retailers, don’t invest in this, customers will be buying online from companies based outside of Ireland – that’s money and jobs taken from the country.”

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM As the longest established department store in Ireland, Arnotts is a Dublin shopping institution and has come a long way since it first opened its doors on Henry Street in 1843. After a few years of difficult trading, CEO, Ray Hernan, has seen patchy growth this year. “We have seen improvement in various categories,” he says. In the tougher years the areas that were related to home were very difficult, such as furniture – a big part of Arnotts’ business and one area that has seen significant growth this year.

They have also seen their menswear department performing well, which Hernan says has been helped by the arrival of a number of new brands such as Hugo Boss, Gant and Lyle & Scott.

“They’re established brands in the Irish marketplace, and they’ve really helped us,” he says. Within two months of being introduced to Arnotts for the first time, Hugo Boss has become one of their top selling brands in menswear.

With Santa arriving in store on November 16th, and Christmas decorations and window displays in place, the festive season has kicked off in earnest at Arnotts. A wariness among consumers, Hernan says, has deterred any significant increase in consumer spending at this point. “I think the mindset of the Irish consumer has changed permanently as a result of our experience over the last six years. People are much more discerning about what they buy. They’re always going to be out looking for more in terms of value for money, more so than they would have going back to the 2006/2007 timeline.”

Hernan also believes that retailers need to embrace the internet and become multi-channel. Arnotts have had an online presence since 2001, which he says they are still developing, and the recently launched Wonder app is just one of their digital offerings to customers. “We launched it on September 1st and almost 100,000 people have signed up to our loyalty programme in that period – an

Ray Hernan, CEO, Arnotts

excellent experience from our perspective.

It’s something that we felt we needed to do because we didn’t know who our customer was and this is a way of getting data about what our consumer habits are in store.”

On the immediate future of retail in Ireland, Hernan says that cautious optimism is what he thinks most retailers are feeling. “It’s all about trying to give the customer something different. Apart from just selling product, we’re actually selling an experience and we have to create an atmosphere in our stores. It’s no longer just about location, location, location it’s all about convenience and experience,” he concludes.

GRAFTON STREET FULLY OCCUPIED AGAIN Grafton Street – Ireland’s main shopping thoroughfare – is now at full occupancy following the lettings of 57/58 and 23 Grafton Street to Life Style Sports and Claire’s Accessories respectively. The lettings were handled by international real estate advisor Savills who said each property received a high-level of interest from major global retailers.

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COVER STORY

I WANT TO STIR A REVOLUTION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND HELP TO BUILD A

The role of Dublin Start-up Commissioner was born out of the work of Dublin Chamber’s Activating Dublin project.

Two months into the job, Niamh Bushnell spoke with JOSEPH O’CONNOR about her plans to unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

STRONG GLOBAL

REPUTATION FOR DUBLIN.

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NIAMH BUSHNELL

Colm McDermott

I

t is in the iconic ‘Warehouse’ building on Barrow Street that I meet the newly appointed Dublin Start-up Commissioner Niamh Bushnell. Stationed beside Google’s European headquarters and housing a community of peers that encourage a constant atmosphere of innovation, such as Dogpatch Labs and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, the building seems the likely home for a serial entrepreneur who has been tasked with the job of maximising the potential of Dublin’s tech cluster.

This is not Bushnell’s permanent place of residence though, which is something I learned when organising the interview. In between meeting and greeting business leaders, university chiefs, stakeholders and start-ups, she can be found devising her strategy for Dublin’s start-ups somewhere between Barrow Street, the Dublin City Council headquarters and Dublin City University.

But that seems all the more appropriate given how she describes her role: “to connect the dots so that entrepreneurs can see a clear step-by-step process of how they can evolve.”

Luckily, Bushnell is no stranger to connecting dots. She’s been doing that for some time now. Following an early career in technology at Dublin-based multinational Frame Technology, she joined Enterprise Ireland’s New York office as Vice President of Software in 1998 where her focus was on assisting Irish technology companies gain entry and expand their businesses in the US market.

In 2004, she moved back into the private sector joining Orbiscom, a Dublin-based payments technology company which was acquired by MasterCard International in 2009. Most recently, Bushnell cofounded and runs two US-based start-ups, TechResources and IDIRUS. Now, sixteen years after residing in the US, Bushnell has returned home and on this miserable, rainy Tuesday in Dublin, she exudes a contagious energy, speaking with passion and conviction about how we can unlock the capital’s start-up potential.

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COVER STORY

NIAMH BUSHNELL ON...

The fear of failure

It’s funny, some people now think ‘I’m never going to succeed if I don’t fail first’.

I don’t subscribe to ‘you’re nothing unless you have failed’. I think it’s okay to succeed from day one! The point is that if you fail the chances of you succeeding go up significantly the second and third time round.

Failure is a badge of honour.

The importance of teams in start-ups

We don’t put enough emphasis on teams here.

I don’t believe in single founder companies. That may be controversial but you need a partner or people with specific expertise to collaborate with. You also need a bit of non-conformity and maverick thinking on one side or the other that clashes now and then. That’s all necessary for success.

People’s perception of Dublin

I hosted one of the pub crawls at the Web Summit and the people were delirious to be here. Dublin gives people a feeling of having arrived. Dublin has always been that brand for me and that brand for a lot of people internationally. So how can we make it so that people are afraid to miss out if they don’t come to Dublin?

Start-ups versus SMEs

Start-ups are an important and distinct subset of what we in Ireland call SMEs. Unlike your classic, locally focused company or SME, start-ups set their sights on going global with a scalable business model. That means they need different supports and measuring their development is distinct too.

I’m concerned that the distinction between the two isn’t made clearly or often enough.

Bushnell’s new position came about as a result of a recommendation contained in the Activating Dublin report entitled ‘#bestplacetostart’. The report estimated that 2,800 jobs could be created with an economic impact of a200 million on an annual basis by “making Dublin the best place to start a tech business”.

It is Bushnell’s objective to bring this vision to life and having seen the strong talent and thriving tech ecosystem that already exists in the capital, she seems unfazed but excited by the job at hand.

“There is a chance here to really listen to the community, discover ways of enhancing what’s already great, and then be the instigator of new initiatives, new messages and a new unified approach.

‘By Dublin, For Dublin, About Dublin’, that’s the mission essentially.”

THE PRODUCT As Bushnell sees it, we need to build a strong brand which shows Dublin as a great start-up city which can compete with the likes of Startup Chile in Santiago and Tech City in London, but she is adamant that we cannot seek to emulate the likes of Silicon Valley and New York when selling our ‘product’. We need to identify and promote what is unique about the Dublin story. “We’re our own unique city with our own unique strengths,” she argues. “Our strengths are size, culture, people and diversity. We have a lot of things going for us. We are of that physical size where a lot of people in the community know each other and if we can really collaborate, that’s a massive competitive advantage.”

Bushnell suggests that we must hone the sectors which we are good at. “We’re great at FinTech, games and entreprise tech. The Internet of Things is currently a huge new movement in Ireland, gaining

WE’RE OUR OWN UNIQUE CITY WITH OUR OWN UNIQUE STRENGTHS. OUR STRENGTHS ARE SIZE, CULTURE, PEOPLE AND DIVERSITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING FOR US.”

massive momentum thanks to people like Liam Casey and the DCU hackathons.

It was great to see people like John Scully, the former CEO of Apple, get pitched on Irish start-up Drop’s product at the recent Web Summit. These entrepreneurs are the new face of business in Dublin and in Ireland. They can see into the near future, see around corners, see opportunities. We want them to recognise the importance of the role they play for themselves and the next wave.

We want them to do some shouting from the rooftops!”

THE RIGHT RECIPE So what makes a good start-up and what’s the first thing an investor looks out for when identifiying a venture with great potential? Bushnell has had her judging hat on recently for start-up competitions in the capital, such as ESB’s Spark of Genius and DCU UStart. She believes the most important factor is the people behind the business and how they pitch their idea. She offers the example of Funked Up Fixies, the providers of customisable bikes, who were winners at the recent UStart and Propeller Showcase Day at DCU. “Those two guys got up on stage and made everyone in the audience want one of their bikes,” she recalls. “They spoke about their vision, about changing people’s behaviour and it reminded me of Apple, a belief system about what ‘cool’ is and how you can be cool by by connecting to what is essentially great design. They have a big vision, make a great team and they’re on a journey. I can’t wait to follow that journey.”

One deficit which Bushnell has identified in Dublin’s bid to show the world what a great start-up city we are is what she sees as our reluctance to think big and sell ourselves. She says that developing a strong entrepreneur brand is almost revolutionary for Ireland due to the fact that the ‘I suppose’ phrase is so prevelant here, something she was not accustomed to hearing Stateside. “You can’t equivocate in front of investors,” she stresses. “You say: ‘I am the best thing since sliced bread and here are the reasons why’. You don’t have to have all the boxes ticked, you don’t need all the answers but you’ll figure out the things that are missing

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NIAMH BUSHNELL

NIAMH’S TOP START-UPS

PEOPLE ARE GENUINELY ENTHUSED AND COMMITTED TO MAKING DUBLIN A GREAT START-UP CITY. THE WILL AND THE SPIRIT IS THERE IN BUCKETLOADS AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON INITIATIVES TO PUT DUBLIN ON THE MAP.”

Niamh provided us with a sample of ten great companies going global out of Dublin today, which she says are representative of the quality and potential of our start-up community.

as you go. If you have a vision, if you have good advisors and if you’re well connected, you’ll move confidently in the direction of your dreams.”

Recommendations on how we should sell ourselves more are all well and good in theory but they count for nothing if the basic supports are not on the ground for entrepreneurs and start-ups looking to launch and scale quickly. That includes multinationals, universities, Government agencies and business organisations.

Bushnell believes there is a myriad of resources available but again the importance lies in a unified approach.

“I’ve met all the universities in Dublin and they’re all embedding entrepreneurship into what they’re teaching but unfortunately they’re not working together very closely,” she says.

“That’s a pity because we’re missing out on an opportunity for collaboration in recognising great research skills, great entrepreneurs, building teams, and then at a later stage, connecting people with strong research backgrounds with people who have strong business heads.

Universities in Dublin from what I’ve seen today are very siloed institutions and when it comes to entrepreneurship I think there’s a real opportunity for them to become more collaborative.”

Multinationals, on the other hand, are active and eager to engage with the start-up community, according to Bushnell. “They can always do more and I think they’re just waiting to be asked how they can help. There is no shortage of interest and support that they’re

Colm McDermott

SUPPORTS FOR START-UPS

willing to give but it’s important that they understand what’s needed. They need to put their arms around specific initiatives or projects that they can be part of. We need to figure out how to make it easy for them to engage.”

Getting all sectors to engage with the start-up community is something Bushnell will be focused on over the coming months and her role will be instrumental in developing a unified approach to the services being offered to start-ups and the brand that we communicate to the world. As a 2013 Central Bank study found, younger firms are the largest contributors of new jobs to the Irish economy, so the strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that already exists gives Bushnell a welcome headstart. “People are genuinely enthused and committed to making Dublin a great start-up city. The will and the spirit is there in bucketloads and people are already working on initiatives to put Dublin on the map. I want to stir a revolution in entrepreneurship and help to build a strong global reputation for Dublin.”

Fraas cashmere flower print scarf, a100 at Arnotts

www.britebill.com

www.coindrum.com

www.currencyfair.com

www.getdrop.com

www.fluidui.com

www.funkedupfixies.com

www.logentries.com

www.loveandrobots.com

www.pharmapodhq.com

www.restoredhearing.com

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ENTREPRENEUR

FROM COMPUTER CLUB TO

BIG BUSINESS

In the final instalment of our entrepreneur series, ANNA MURPHY profiles James Whelton, Co-Founder of CoderDojo, who has built a successful career from what he describes as “a foundation of sleeping on couches and easy to cook noodles”.

I

n 2013, Forbes magazine identified James Whelton as one of the “30 Under 30” to watch. Now only 22 years old, he is already co-founder of CoderDojo, a global network of computer training centres which boasts a reach of 525 clubs around the world, teaching 25,000 children how to code on a weekly basis.

PLUGGING A GAP Whelton hails from Cork and from an early age showed a strong interest in computers. He started hacking and programming when he was just nine years old. As his LinkedIn profile describes it: “Growing up, some kids had friends.

James had keyboards.”

During his time in school at Presentation Brothers College in Cork, Whelton looked beyond his ordinary schooling environment for stimulus, investing much of his time in extra-

curricular activities. He set up and worked at weekends in a shop called Cartridge Kiosk. Somewhere in between, he found time to establish the school’s AV club, to act as Vice Chairman of the Debating Society and to head up a computer club which would ultimately be the foundation for CoderDojo.

Whelton found the focus on sports and music and the lack of a social environment for children interested in computers to be a personal irritation and decided to plug that gap. As Whelton told The Guardian: “As a young person who wasn’t academic, wasn’t sporty and couldn’t play guitar, computers were my thing. And not having that outlet in school was incredibly frustrating.”

The idea was to launch a free youth club for computer programming. The venture proved extremely popular and the number of clubs grew at a rapid pace. It was during this period, he met Bill Liao, an Australian venture capitalist

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ENTREPRENEUR

Young coders at the CoderDojo Coolest Project Awards in DCU

and entrepreneur, who was interested in developing the project further and with whom he founded CoderDojo in June 2011.

Awareness of the movement spread quickly through social media sites and to date over 180 so-called ‘Dojos’ have sprung up around the world. Whelton and Liao managed to start a global movement in computer coding for kids in little more than three years.

SO WHAT IS A DOJO? CoderDojo describes itself as “a global network of volunteer-led, independent, community based programming clubs for young people.” The aim of a Dojo is to teach children to code, to learn to be creative, and to become adept at practical problem solving, all useful skills to develop at a young age and ones which are integral in the world of business.

At an average Dojo class children are taught by young volunteers how to

do simple (and as they progress, more complex) pieces of code, to allow them to build their own websites, make games and applications. The Dojos also provide a semi-structured environment for children with a keen interest in coding to meet other like-minded children and to work on projects together. It is a relaxed, social environment with computer programming as its central principle.

The volunteers (who are mostly young people interested in coding) give their time free of charge and usually the venues are provided without a cost.

Parents add support by bringing old laptops, adapters, hard drives and other hardware. Whelton was inspired to have young people act as mentors after sitting in on some college lectures and finding the method of teaching difficult to relate to. He believed a young person would be able to explain coding to another young person more effectively. This approach has remained in place to date.

WHAT NEXT? With such impressive achievements under his belt at the tender age of 22, what’s next in store for Whelton? He has already moved on to new ambitions, having recently handed over operations of CoderDojo to Mary Moloney (formerly of Accenture), believing he didn’t have the skills to further execute the vision he had for the project.

Unsurprisingly however, Whelton

has his fingers in a lot of pies; a mix of start-ups, entrepreneurial initiatives and charitable organisations. In 2012, he accepted an advisory role with Resolute.vc, a new fund founded

by Mike Hirshland, a technology investment veteran. In 2013, Whelton became Director at Inspire as well as Advisor to WhatSalon. Earlier this year, he took on additional roles for Polaris, Triperna and Cobone.

Most recently, the Cork native was appointed CTO of online travel platform Safarna which is based in Dubai. He realised that he wanted to try working for someone else in order to learn more about business and to see things from a different perspective.

He recently told The Irish Times that the move gives him more freedom in his work: “You are still passionate but able to be more objective. It’s definitely easier to manage your mental state. I’d be sick to the stomach over issues with CoderDojo.

I cared too much. I put my blood, sweat and tears into it.”

Meanwhile, Whelton is in demand.

He has been a contributor for a list of well-known publications – The Huffingdon Post, The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch to name a few. The list of blue chip companies he has already worked with is staggering – Google, Microsoft, and Twitter for example. He regularly guest speaks on tech, education and entrepreneurship at schools, colleges and conferences. He has an endless list of accolades to his name, including Social Entrepreneurs Ireland 2012 Impact Award, Irish Software Person of the Year 2012 and Ashoka Fellow 2013.

Whelton is evidently an extremely bright, busy and driven person, given the scale of his current responsibilities, the sheer number of companies that clamour to work with him and the numerous awards he has received to date. Described by himself as “Entrepreneur, Developer and Just Plain Trouble”, he recently stated that he is aiming to achieve everything he wants to do by the time he’s 40. That gives us 18 more years to watch this whiz-kid put more blood, sweat and tears into other exciting projects.

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FEATURE

THE LEASING FIRM

That’s Landed With the help of ConnectIreland, Lobo Leasing successfully established its global headquarters in Dublin last year. BUSINESS IRELAND talks to Chief Commercial Officer John Contas about how they came to choose the capital as their base.

M

any international companies seeking an ideal location to establish their global headquarters have been drawn by the attractive business environment which exists in Ireland. But with such stiff competition among countries clamouring to secure investment from such successful companies, sometimes a special connection or incentive helps to push the deal over the line. Lobo Leasing is one such company with which a special Irish connection was made.

Founded in Austin, Texas in 2011, Lobo Leasing provide helicopter leasing and fleet management services. Since December 2013, they have used Dublin as their global base to service clients across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, West Africa and South America. Despite being headquartered here for just one year, they already have ambitious plans

Minister Richard Bruton, John Contas, CCO, Lobo Leasing and Michael McLoughlin, CEO ConnectIreland.

to expand and develop their operations.

Ireland is no stranger to aircraft leasing companies and according to John Contas, Chief Commercial Officer, the country offered the same attractive proposition to Lobo that it did to so many other leasing firms in the past: “Ireland offers the wealth of a talented workforce.

There are a lot of very qualified people from the financial and leasing sector, so we thought it was a good place for recruitment. Being a very international business, the reciprocal tax treaties that Ireland enjoys with many countries and low corporate tax rate make it a favourable place to be.” Contas also cites Ireland’s unique proximity to other markets as an added incentive.

But all of these attributes which make Ireland such an attractive place to do business might not have been on Lobo’s radar without the help of one man and ConnectIreland, a Government initiative aimed at “attracting foreign companies that are expanding internationally to Ireland through ordinary people”. The company had been considering a move to Ireland when they came to the attention of New York-based Donald Paynter, whom Contas had known for many years.

Paynter, who had been aware of the ConnectIreland initiative, convinced Lobo to contact them and soon thereafter the introductions were made. The rest, as they say, is history. “ConnectIreland were instrumental in educating me about Ireland and setting up an office and doing business here,” says Contas. “They also assisted me with getting my green card work permit.”

Lobo Leasing has now grown to seven employees with further expansion on the horizon. “We’re growing and we have big expectations to grow further,” he says.

“We have a financial controller and a senior accountant but as we grow, our portfolio is going to require two or three more in the accounting and bookkeeping area.” In addition, he says they will source more staff at a management level and plan to take a number of positions inhouse which are currently outsourced.

“Our goal is to grow the headquarters here. We have a few people in the US, but all the growth and new jobs are here in Ireland.” In order to facilitate this, Lobo are in the process of moving into a bigger office space, which they hope to complete by the end of the year.

“I really love Dublin,” says Contas.

“I’m really pleased with the business environment, but also the people. We’ve been fortunate to have recruited a top quality team over the last twelve months and so we have really good quality staff.

We’ve got a lot of really good resources here and we’re very pleased that we’ve chosen Dublin.”

CONNECTIRELAND: TIME THE STATS (AT OF PRINT)

40,009 1,707

Registered Connectors

Approved Companies

88

Companies in Negotiations

2,771

Potential Jobs

36

Projects Approved

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FEATURE

A

DIFFERENT KIND OF

PITCH Twenty years ago Michael O’Keeffe was trotting out for Dublin at Croke Park. These days the unlikely PR man is better known for making pitches as MD of what is now one of Ireland’s leading communications firms, writes JOSEPH O’CONNOR.

THERE’S NO ‘I’ IN TEAM O’Keeffe lists the people who were the driving force behind the recent merger: Marian Ryan, Finance Director Padraig Slattery, Executive Chairman Angie Grant, Graeme Slattery and Lisa McDonald in the Consumer Team Alan Tyrrell in Corporate Kelli O’Keffe in Sponsorship

M

ichael O’Keeffe, Managing Director of the newly established Pembroke Slattery Group, has not had much sleep of late. O’Keeffe, along with others at Pembroke Communications and Slattery Communications, played a critical role earlier this year in helping secure a merger between the two PR firms. However, it is not the fine details of the deal which have deprived O’Keeffe of sleep. When I speak with the Dubliner, he sounds a little worse for wear having been kept awake the previous night by his four-month old son. Even still, I find him in fine form and putting on a brave face, a skill any good PR person is familiar with.

The merger took place earlier this year but it involved some 18 months of planning, and the outcome has been the creation of one of the largest communications agencies in the country.

The new entity follows the completion of a management buyout at Pembroke, led by O’Keeffe, from media giant Publicis. The amalgamation of Pembroke and Slatterys (which was headed by Padraig Slattery, O’Keeffe’s father-inlaw) made perfect sense given both companies’ background, according to O’Keeffe. “Pembroke Communications was founded in 1991 and Slatterys was founded in the early ’80s so both companies had a long heritage and both were around the same size in terms of turnover and staff numbers. The services

we both offered complemented each other so it made perfect sense”.

The merger was announced publicly in June but work on establishing the structure of the new company had been in place well before then. Pembroke Slattery Group – “or PSG for football fans”, jokes O’Keeffe – is divided into four agencies. They are PSG Sponsorship which specialises in sponsorship negotiation, procurement and activation; New/Slang which is a digital agency; PSG Plus, a corporate PR agency; and a consumer and brand agency called Notorious PSG, which O’Keeffe is quick to point out that he didn’t name.

“Things have gone really well, asserts O’Keeffe. “It has gone better than we thought in some respects. Obviously there is upheavel when a merger takes place but our staff and clients were always our primary concern during the process.” Given the highly confidential nature of high profile clients’ ad campaigns, clients must have been concerned when they first heard of the merger plans. O’Keeffe admits that bringing ‘conflict clients’ under one roof was definitely something the team had to carefully consider. “Having a group structure enabled us to have one agency manage one client and one agency manage another client with very different teams, so this was a huge advantage from the outset. We also consulted Accenture and the Public Relations Consultants Association in terms of best practice.”

But sitting down with clients faceto-face and giving them reassurance

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of the implications was paramount to O’Keeffe and the team. “We proactively went to all clients before the merger was finalised to tell them what we were doing,” he says. “We wanted to make sure they were comfortable with the structures we had put in place.

They were all very comfortable with the plans. A lot of them have worked with us for several years so there’s a trust there. This model of handling conflict clients is something that’s quite common in news, media and advertising agencies where they are managed by completely different teams in completely different parts of the building, where access to information is securely locked away. We take it very seriously and thankfully all our clients are comfortable with it.”

A NON-PR PERSON IN A PR WORLD O’Keeffe once described himself as “a non-PR person in a PR world” and I was interested to find out just what he meant by this. He says it is the result of having such a mixed background. O’Keeffe is most likely the only PR boss to have represented Dublin in gaelic football and Ireland in soccer. He won three Dublin senior medals with Kilmacud Crokes. He stood for the anthem as an underage Irish soccer international, was offered a three-year deal with Middlesbrough FC, had trials with Manchester City, Spurs and Tranmere Rovers, and later had spells with UCD and Shamrock Rovers in League of Ireland.

Aside from an impressive sporting background, O’Keeffe worked in Brussels with employers’ body IBEC. He was a foreign exchange currency dealer at Anglo Irish Bank (which he says is still on his CV). He was employed by RTÉ as a political researcher and for a short time in Australia he worked as editor of an Irish newspaper. On returning to Ireland at 26, he felt as though he still hadn’t started his career. But ironically, it was after turning down an internship at Slattery Communications for an account executive role at O’Herlihy Communiations that his PR journey began. “I took the account executive job because I needed the money,” admits O’Keeffe.

“My MA was in European Economics and Politics and I always had a passion for media so working in PR was as close to working in journalism as it could possibly get at that stage. So when I say I’m a non-PR person in a PR World, I didn’t go the traditional PR route, I didn’t study PR, I didn’t have the dream of working in PR when I was 18. I had gone around the houses in various media jobs and fallen into something that suited me and thankfully since then I haven’t looked back.”

Michael O’Keeffe, Managing Director, Pembroke Slattery Group O’Keeffe hasn’t done too badly in a career that he essentially stumbled PR AGENCIES upon. His work has been acknowledged HAVE TO BE with 11 PRCA awards for excellence in INNOVATIVE PR over the years, and he is a regular IN THE media analyst.

SERVICES THEY So what does the future hold for a OFFER IN ORDER communications firm in its infancy TO FUTUREPROOF and a PR chief who started his career THEMSELVES. I THINK IN at a late stage but who, now just 38, SOME PLACES PR WAS has made up for any lost time he may SEEN AS A LUXURY have incurred? And how does O’Keeffe BUT PEOPLE STILL view the current state of the PR sector NEED REPUTATION given the fact that during the downturn MANAGEMENT AND some businesses viewed the services EVEN MORE SO IN A offered by agencies as something of RECESSION.” a luxury? “Thankfully, in the last year and a half we’ve seen a big uplift in demand and the media landscape has changed completely,” he says. “The PSG CLIENTS services we offer have had to change INCLUDE: too so we now provide a lot of media BORD GAIS training, we focus on digital, and METEOR we’re involved in a lot of sponsorship PETER MARK negotiations. PR agencies have to be innovative in the services they offer LEINSTER RUGBY in order to futureproof themselves.

MICROSOFT I think in some places PR was seen as a luxury but people still need SUBWAY reputation management and even more GAA so in a recession. We survived, have come through the other side and are DUBLIN ZOO definitely poised for more growth.”

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ALL IN

A DAY’S

WORK Employers took the lead recently in organising a major RDS event aimed at helping Ireland’s jobless get back to work. BUSINESS IRELAND takes a look at what was on offer at the Back To Work Masterclass and Jobs Expo.

T

ackling Ireland’s unemployment crisis needs a better employer interface and Dublin Chamber’s Activating Dublin project assisted in bringing together some of the biggest employers at a free event. The Back To Work Masterclass and Jobs Expo was held on September 29th in the RDS and featured some of Ireland’s biggest companies who offered assistance to unemployed members of the public in their attempt to find work.

In attendance were more than 40 employers including PWC, Deloitte, Tesco, Kepak, Keelings, The Irish Independent and KMPG who sought to highlight the 400 plus job vacancies on offer in areas such as retail, food preparation, healthcare, cosmetics, IT and property. In addition, practical career advice in CV preparation, interview skills and career guidance were given to jobseekers.

Speaking in advance of the event, Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton described the Back To Work Masterclass and Jobs Expo as “a unique opportunity for jobseekers and those who want career change to tap into Ireland’s biggest employers to hear about new job vacancies and make real progress on the ladder to employment”.

“As a country, we have a duty to be more ambitious for our people and we have a duty to provide opportunities, whether that’s work experience, training or education, so that each person can develop the potential for growth that exists in all,” she added.

The event was part of a nationwide jobs week organised by the Department of Social Protection.

COACHING IN DEMAND Present at the event was Worklink, a registered charity that provides free information, advice and employability skills training to jobseekers across the island of Ireland. The organisation also works with employers to help them develop their recruitment processes so that they can access new pools of talent through a more inclusive and diverse approach to hiring. Twenty of its career coaches attended the expo, providing over 230 jobseekers with 15-minute sessions on the day.

“We were particularly excited to be assisting with the RDS Back to Work Masterclass as we felt it was a unique event that brought together a new combination of state and non-state actors and employers under one roof, presenting great opportunities for the jobseekers in attendance,” says volunteer and programme coordinator Darren Cannon. “As there were a number of employers there on the day who were hiring, we knew that any assistance made available to the jobseekers, such as having their CV reviewed or being able to practice their ‘personal pitch’ with our career coaches, would be invaluable and could lead very directly to them landing an interview or being offered a job on the day.”

According to Cannon, the feedback from both jobseekers and volunteers was overwhelmingly positive: “The demand for coaching was even greater than anticipated – if we were helping to run the event again next year the only change we would make would be to include a bigger space for coaching!”

The event’s organisation was spearheaded by Tony Keohane, chairman of both Tesco and the Employer Engagement Committee of the Labour Market Council, a collective of industry and policy experts established by Minister Burton in 2013 to help drive the

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THE BACK TO WORK MASTERCLASS AND JOBS EXPO - A JOBSEEKER’S TESTIMONIAL Pictured with Tánaiste and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton launching the Employment and Youth Activation Charter at the Back to Work Masterclass and Jobs Expo at the RDS were Tony Keohane (left), Chairman of the Employer Engagement Committee of the Labour Market Council and Chairman of Tesco Ireland and Minister of State for Employment, Community and Social Support Kevin Humphreys.

implementation of the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy. He was surprised by the diversity in jobseekers who arrived at the RDS. “The big learning for a lot of people was that the people on the Live Register are from varying backgrounds and varying levels of education,” he says. “The majority are well educated and some of the employers were overwhelmed and impressed by the levels of candidates attending.”

A WRITTEN AGREEMENT One of the functions of the event was to launch the Employment and Youth Activation Charter, a key strand in the Pathways to Work strategy. Employers were invited to sign the agreement, therefore pledging that at least 50 per cent of candidates who interview for vacant positions will be taken from the Live Register. The 46 companies who have signed the Charter thus far have also agreed to implement a selection of measures designed to prime the unemployed to take up jobs.

The Charter was proposed by the Labour Market Council and, according to the Tánaiste, it is vital to the success of the programme. “Overall, employment has increased by over 75,000 since the beginning of 2012, but there remain too many people out of work, and the Charter shows how the Government is working with both employers and jobseekers to help grow

business and reduce the Live Register so that everyone benefits,” she said.

According to Keohane, the calibre of people available on the Live Register is very high and all that is lacking on both sides of the playing field is “a bit of confidence”.

“We felt we needed to give not only the jobseekers confidence that they would find a job, but also the employers confidence that there were good people coming from the Live Register that could do something really worthwhile,” he says.

A WORTHWHILE EVENT According to figures released by the Government in April, the number of jobseekers on the Live Register fell to 388,559, which represented a reduction of 29,034 or 7 per cent in just 12 months.

However, Pathways to Work will continue to be pushed in 2015. As well as the Employment and Youth Activation Charter, initiatives such as JobPath, through which third-parties are hired to provide supplementary employment services for the long-term unemployed, and young jobseekers support scheme Youth Guarantee, will also continue to operate.

Keohane is also keen on seeing another jobs expo organised for next year: “We felt the benefit from it was so overwhelming in terms of connectivity of employers, helping jobseekers gain confidence and just a general feeling that people felt it was a really worthwhile event.”

What were the benefits you received from Career Coaching at the Back to Work Masterclass?

I got the chance to talk with some of the professionals invited at the workshop and received some useful advice about my career plan. Also, I benefited very much from the mock-up interview opportunity, as I received tips about how to manage an interview and how make my CV more effective. Later on, I got the chance to use those tips during a real interview.

Furthermore, I expanded my professional network by meeting people attending the event and sharing with them insights about job searching.

Is it something you would recommend to a friend?

I would definitely recommend it to a friend. And I actually did. I attended the Back to Work Masterclass with a friend of mine, whose feedback was also positive.

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FEATURE

DELUXE

CONNECTION BUSINESS IRELAND recently brought you the news that Luxair is to expand its direct service between Dublin and Luxembourg.

Benoit Berger, VP Sales and Revenue Manager, explains the impetus behind the move and how business passengers will benefit.

Q: What was the main driver behind relaunching the Dublin to Luxembourg service last spring?

A: We always knew there was a strong Irish community living in Luxembourg but in the past we failed to reach them with the right product and price. In 2014, we had the opportunity to use aircraft with larger capacity, allowing us to offer more affordable prices to reach not only the existing demand from business, but the leisure community as well.

The Irish community has always stayed in close contact with us and feedback from them gave us an indication that such a new route would be received quickly and positively.

That’s what we have seen throughout the summer season, encouraging us to maintain our schedule service throughout the winter and, even better, to extend the service, beginning in summer 2015, by opening a daily flight connection between Luxembourg and Dublin.

Q: Have you made any significant changes to the service since the relaunch?

A: There hasn’t been any significant changes.

We have kept the service quality unchanged in terms of inflight product and schedule service. We have continued to communicate the message of our product to the market through advertising, partnerships and through other communication means such as press releases, newspapers, bannering and online media.

Q: How many passengers would you expect to carry between Luxembourg and Ireland next year?

A: In 2015 we expect to reach around 27,000 passengers which means a growth of 45 per cent versus one year ago. There will be a significant increase in capacity due to the fact that we will fly the whole year in 2015 whereas we only started in April this year.

In relation to passenger numbers on all our routes, in December we managed to exceed the milestone of one million passengers transported over a year.

Building on this success, Luxair is aiming for 1.2 million passengers in 2015.

Q: What would you say makes Luxembourg an attractive place to do business?

A: I think both Luxembourg and Ireland are known for their business attractiveness and as places where it is easy to do business. Both have been reforming their models to welcome startup enterprises in order to make the countries a good place to start and grow a business at a fast pace. Both countries are still highly driven by the financial sector but in the past number of years they have been investing in other sectors to develop a more diverse economy.

Q: How would you say Luxembourgers view

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Ireland in terms of a place to do business?

A: Luxembourg and Ireland are major centres for cross-border European funds, together accounting for around 90 per cent of authorisations received by EU funds. This is due to a number of shared features, including the long-standing and respected reputation of each jurisdiction as a fund location and a global recognition of the experience and expertise in establishing and servicing the widest range of funds.

Luxembourgers are aware that Ireland offers excellent access to the European and US market and they appreciate its central location (two hours flight from Luxembourg and Brussels, seven hours from New York, around one hour from London and two hours from Frankfurt). Like in Luxembourg, Ireland benefits from a young workforce with a “can do” attitude and from highly qualified and flexible employees. Last but not least, the unemployment rate in Ireland is decreasing steadily and the economy is stabilising.

caves to learn about wine vinification. Luxembourg is also home to a number of picturesque lakes, rivers and forest which can be of interest to visitors who enjoy hiking and fishing.

Q: From a leisure point of view, what are the main attractions for people visiting Luxembourg?

A: Luxembourg may be the second smallest country in the EU, after Malta, but there is a whole lot packed into its compact size, and it has a rich history dating back to Roman times.

Luxembourg is known for its castles spread throughout the country, such as Vianden Castle. Vineyards are also popular attractions and tourists have the opportunity to visit wine

Q: Any major news on the horizon for Luxair in 2015?

A: Yes, we have set ambitious development plans for 2015 through an overall capacity increase of 11 per cent and an expected passenger increase of around 13 per cent. This will be managed by the extensive use of bigger airplanes and through an increase in the frequency of network destinations. The changes have been introduced to better serve our business customers by offering them more flexibility.

Q: What are the major challenges facing the airline industry?

A: There are many challenges facing the airline industry, which include increased competition and the need to fulfill customers’ expectations. I think the major one will be related to customers’ technology needs. Technology is moving at such a fast pace, customers want to be able to use smartphones, tablets, laptops at any time and anywhere they choose. The airline industry must respond to these changes in customer habits. Connectivity in an airplane remains quite a challenge but many improvements have already been implemented. The real challenge in the future is to manage such huge technology investments while dealing with growing pressure on yields.

Q: Do you have any special offers or services you would like to promote to business people in Ireland?

A: In 2014, we improved our inflight business class offering by reintroducing a meal-tray on-board service.

We deliver all our own onboard products ourselves and don’t outsource them to other firms, as most companies do nowadays.

In addition, we have subscribed to the fast lane access at Dublin Airport which our business class

passengers or Miles & More card holders can avail of.

As mentioned previously, one of the main key advantages we now offer the Irish business community is flexibility through the extension of our direct route. From the 2015 summer season, we will allow them to better connect to Luxembourg and avoid complicated connections which lead to the loss of valuable time which today’s business traveller cannot afford.

E X I S T I N G L U X A I R S E R V I C E S DUBLIN TO LUXEMBOURG SERVICE Flight Number Operating Days LG4886 MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS LG4888 SUNDAYS

Flight Times 13.20 – 16.20 19.40 – 22.40

LUXEMBOURG TO DUBLIN SERVICE Flight Number Operating Days LG4885 MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS LG4887 SUNDAYS

Flight Times 11.35 – 12.50 17.50 – 19.05

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IRELAND FUNDS GREAT RESEARCH…. maybe it’s your turn to join us!

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) supports excellent research in Ireland. This includes: SFI Research Professorship aims to attract outstanding senior research talent to Ireland.

SFI Industry Fellowships Programmes facilitate both long term and short visiting exchanges between academia and industry worldwide.

SFI/EI Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) is designed to enable researchers to focus on the first steps of an applied research project.

President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA) aims to attract to Ireland exceptional early stage researchers.

ERC Development Programme supports ERC applicants to resubmit to the ERC through an Irish Higher Education Institution.

SFI Partnership Scheme aims to build strategic collaborations with key partners such as industry, funding agencies, charities, philanthropic organisations, etc. with the goal of co-funding outstanding research opportunities.

SFI Conference & Workshops Programme supports the hosting of scientific meetings and conferences in Ireland.

US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership supports research collaborations across the three jurisdictions, United States of America, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

To find out more view – www.sfi.ie or follow us on Twitter@scienceirel.

233683_1C_SFI_AMA_BI.indd 1

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FEATURE

THERE’S AN

APP

FOR THAT As apps become more prevalent in our everyday lives, entrepreneurs and small businesses are relying on these savvy tools to help their firms grow and run more smoothly.

BUSINESS IRELAND looks at ten must-have apps which can help get your company organised, connected and visible.

EVERNOTE Ever had a great idea while on the go?

Evernote is an app that makes sure users “Remember Everything.” By allowing users to store, organise and share text, photos, and voice notes, businesspeople can easily keep track of all of their brilliant ideas.

GOOGLE DRIVE Google’s Drive app lets users seamlessly port and edit files from PC to tablet to smartphone.

Not only is it a fully-featured office suite, the software also acts as a full cloud drive, letting you store any file type via a virtual drive app or a web interface. The app also allows you to work with the apps offline, too.

LOCALVOX LocalVox is a web marketing app that allows small businesses to build their brands online. The service enables users to publish news, events and deal announcements with a click-of-abutton across a number of online channels, including social media, websites and email newsletters.

DROPBOX For those not familiar with Dropbox, it allows you to upload, download or access documents, photos or other files across a range of devices. It’s convenient if you want to give lots of people access to a collection of large files without having to email them. It has become an everyday tool for many businesses.

PRIZMO This app has optical character recognition which translates photos into text. Simply take a shot of a page of text and it does a reasonable job turning it into editable text. Once you have performed the scan, you can export the file as PDF/Text, vCard, or JPEG/PNG.

HANGOUTS Hangouts is a communications app that lets you send and receive messages, and more importantly for business, start free video and voice calls one-on-one or with a group. While Google+ is struggling to gain traction, Google’s free Hangouts service is an increasingly useful way to hold impromptu conferencing sessions.

DOCUSIGN DocuSign is a handy mobile app which provides professionals with a simple way to legally sign and return documents from anywhere, anytime, on any device. Prepare and send documents for signature, complete in-person signing, and get instant visibility into your document status directly from your smartphone.

FIVERR Getting small professional services done when you’re a small business can be tricky. Fiverr could be described as the eBay of service-providers. From artwork to design to photography to other business needs, this has plenty of services available at reasonable prices.

CLEARER Clearer does a fantastic job of simplifying tasks and schedules in an extremely accessible way. There’s no shortage of ‘to do’ apps, but Clear’s playful and clutter-free interface makes it easier than most to organise your business.

LINKEDIN LinkedIn’s app is nicely designed for all platforms and makes it even easier to build your personal brand, make connections, stay informed with personalised news, and more – right in your feed.

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FEATURE

GIFTOF

GIVING

DIABETES IRELAND

Choosing which charity to donate to this Christmas may seem like an overwhelming task. BUSINESS IRELAND profiles five respected organisations which companies can partner with or contribute to during the season of goodwill.

Diabetes Ireland are calling on corporate Dublin to bear the charity in mind for any Charity of The Year partnerships they may be putting in place for 2015.

A key focus for additional corporate funding in 2015 is the expansion of the Diabetes Care Centre located in Santry in order to cater for extra podiatry patients alongside a new nationwide initiative to help tackle the epidemic obesity rates and slow the growth of Type 2 diabetes in Ireland.

If you can help contact Gary at gary.brady@diabetes.ie or on 1850 909 909.

COOLMINE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY

THE

Coolmine Therapeutic Community has been working in Ireland for over 40 years helping people and their families overcome addiction.

Addiction can affect anyone; mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, colleagues, employees, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, but the good news is that there is hope. Coolmine Therapeutic Community provides this hope.

Addiction destroys lives, breaks up families, harms communities and has a damaging impact on society as a whole. In some way it affects us all. However, with the help from your business, we can fight this issue by supporting Coolmine who offer a wide range of services in order to give our clients and their families the best chance of recovery. Our aim is to provide people with the tools and life skills, not only to continue their recovery after they complete the Coolmine TC programme, but to become a contributing member of society.

We would love to work directly with your organisation to provide advice on addiction awareness as well as providing your business with real staff volunteering and team building opportunities through our services. Please support our worthy cause and help break the addiction cycle. For further details contact Jennifer Donovan on 086 8240014 or jdonovan@coolminetc.ie, www.coolmine.ie

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FEATURE

TRÓCAIRE

PETER MCVERRY TRUST

FOCUS IRELAND

Focus Ireland works to end homelessness across Ireland. Founded in 1985

by Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, the charity has adapted, innovated and expanded to meet demand. Today, it has over 70 services nationwide working with those who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes. Demand on Focus Ireland’s services has never been so great.

Homelessness can happen to anyone and the group works with people from all walks of life. Last year Focus Ireland made a difference to over 10,000 people’s lives that’s a 25 per cent increase on 2012. So far this year, more than 800 children and their families have become homeless.

Focus Ireland could do little without the support of companies which share their belief that homelessness is a problem that can be solved together.

Focus Ireland works with companies and employees across Ireland to make an impact on those at risk of or experiencing homelessness. It engages with organisations, large and small, and works in partnership with them to solve each other’s needs.

To find out more about a dynamic and transformative charity partnership with Focus Ireland please contact Mary O’Donovan on 01 881 5900 or at odonovanm@ focusireland.ie.

Established by Fr Peter McVerry in 1983, the charity provides homeless and housing services for people from the age of 12 upwards.

In recent years the charity has experienced an unprecedented rise in the number of people accessing its services. Since the onset of the recession in 2007 we have experienced a 1,000 per cent increase in the number of people we work with, the majority of whom are young men aged 35 or under. This year we will work with approximately 4,000 people and will end 2014 accommodating 350 people on a nightly basis.

We would simply not be able to do the work we do without the support of Dublin’s business community. Many of our frontline services receive little by way of state funding. Our open access drop in centre, where Fr McVerry is based, receives no state funding and relies solely on charitable donations.

In order to tackle and reduce homelessness in our communities we need the support of businesses.

You and your company can help us by supporting our Corporate Christmas Appeal.

For more information on our work please visit www. pmvtrust.ie or call 01 823 0776 to speak to a member of our fundraising staff.

At Trócaire, we are very grateful for the generosity of the business community, even during the difficulties of the past few years. Over the past twelve months, we have witnessed great human suffering in Sierra Leone, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, South Sudan and the Philippines as well as the continued hardship faced by millions enduring the indignity of poverty on a daily basis throughout the developing world.

Please help by making a company donation to Trócaire this Christmas. You can find out more at www. trocaire.org/companygiving or by contacting Frances Haworth at fhaworth@trocaire. ie or 01-6293333. We are happy to provide a digital signature for emails, content for your website or other communications materials. Locally sourced ethical Trócaire Gifts are also available from a7 on our website or by visiting Trócaire, 12 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1. Thank you for ensuring that the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our world are not forgotten.

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FEATURE

DRESS FOR

SUCCESS T

Celebrity stylist Clare Devereux has worked with big name stars at the Oscars, Emmys, and MTV Awards, as well as being a makeover expert for major TV productions. Now back in Dublin creating style seminars for companies and organisations, she gives BUSINESS IRELAND her top tips on how to dress for success.

1.

SOPHISTICATION IS THE QUALITY OF REFINEMENT

Whether you’re male or female, looking and feeling professional and sophisticated will guarantee you leave the best first impression. Remember, you don’t have a second chance to make a first impression.

2.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

What’s worse than a bad handshake? Bad hands! Freshly painted and manicured nails are a must for ladies. Gentlemen - take the time to freshly shave, cut and clean nails, and polish your shoes.

3.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATED THE POWER OF ACCESSORIES

Invest in a few key accessories. A good statement piece – whether it is a bag, tie, scarf or watch – will lift day-to-day office wear from drab to fab.

4.

SHOW YOUR COLOURFUL STREAK

Wearing a pop of colour, maybe a bright cravat or a red shoe, can add interest to your look, and be a great talking point. A striking tie with a good business suit will always work for the men, so invest in a classy collection.

hey say that you should dress for the job or position that you want, not the one you are in.

We are all visual creatures and we make instant assessments based on what we see, before a person has even uttered a word. Remember, you are your own brand and at work you represent your employer. How you present yourself can boost your own confidence, and inspire confidence in those around you, both colleagues and clients. Here are my top ten tips for looking professional in the workplace:

5.

9.

6.

10.

SIZE MATTERS

When it comes to the allimportant suit, size matters.

For men, the best advice for buying a suit that fits is to check the waist fits properly, ensure the shirt doesn’t rise when you lift your arms, and give the trousers enough slack at the bottom.

THE RIGHT MAKE-UP

Ladies, take a lesson in applying your make-up; a professional will know exactly how to enhance your look, and not only will you feel amazing, but you will also be able to get ready in half the time!

7.

YOU ARE YOUR BRAND

Different sectors have different styles of dress, so keep in mind the message you want to convey, every time you dress for work.

Your look shapes how you are perceived, from the time you enter a room.

8.

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF HAIR STYLING

Less is more; this is key with office hair styling. Make sure your hair is clean and learn how to create the perfect ponytail. Either a high or low ponytail can take you from day to night, while looking professional and classy.

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

A great shoe can take you from the office to a business dinner in style.

Find a comfortable on-trend court that’s not too high but makes you feel spectacular. For the men, always have a comfortable dress shoe, this will finish off a great suit, and work for dinner nights as well.

CONFIDENCE IS KEY

Ultimately, dressing for success is all about confidence, and the key to confidence is ‘comfortability’. Steer away from anything that will make you feel self-conscious or uncomfortable, while remembering that a little bit of effort in the style stakes won’t go unnoticed!

My key to dressing for success is captured in one of my favourite Oscar Wilde quotes: “One can never be over-dressed or overeducated!”

For information on Clare’s services contact devereuxclare@yahoo.com

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Not only do business owners have both legal and moral obligations around health and safety in their organisation, but good practices can impact positively on their bottom line, as BUSINESS IRELAND discovered when we spoke to Dan Davern, Managing Director, DX2 Training Solutions.

D

X2 Training Solutions provides health and safety training, consultancy and supplies to businesses, clubs, organisations and individuals. The company is accredited by recognised bodies including The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, QQI (formally FETAC) and ECSI. On the training side of the business DX2 provides legislative training and staff training on first aid, manual handling, fire safety and childcare training. Qualified instructors tailor teaching methods to suit the participants of each course.

“Training and education is one of the things that makes a real difference when it comes to health and safety. Not only do employers have a legal responsibility to provide instruction, supervision and training, as it’s worded in legislation, but they have a moral obligation to their staff to keep them safe and give them a safe place to work,” advises Dan Davern, Managing Director, DX2 Training Solutions.

DX2 also provides a health and safety

PROFILE

IN SAFE

HANDS

consultancy service for SMEs, covering areas such as risk assessment, safety statement review and drafting, the creation of policy and procedures and VDU/ergonomics assessment.

“Smaller companies might not have an on-site health and safety officer so we can provide a review of their safety statement, or drafting of their safety statement if they haven’t got one, which is required annually by law. We also carry out risk assessment, draft policy and procedures for managing staff and ensure that they’re complying with current legislation.

“We ensure that our clients are compliant to protect their business and minimise their risk of accident and injury, which is going to lead to litigation, an increase in insurance premiums and staff absenteeism,” says Davern.

Davern admits health and safety isn’t always a top priority for employers, particularly in small or new businesses.

“However, even if you’re a one person sole trader operating from your home you’re required to have a health and safety statement and you’re required to

carry out risk assessment.”

DX2 provides a free consultation for businesses on what their responsibilities are around health and safety. “We don’t want people to be afraid of health and safety, we want people to embrace it because it is more productive for the company.

“Some companies have good health and safety practices at the core of their business and that translates to high staff morale, excellent productivity, low turnover, low insurance premiums and low absenteeism. Then there are some companies where the owner or managing director isn’t aware of their legal obligations; that’s where we come in. We are trying to educate company directors, managers and supervisors about their legal obligations around health and safety, and how to incorporate it into their business – it can make a much more productive and safer workplace,” concludes Davern.

For more information or a free quote please contact: www.dx2training.ie E: help@dx2training.ie • T: O1 442 7650

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CHAMBER CREW FLEX

BUSINESS MUSCLES IN BRUSSELS The latest Dublin Chamber DIGITAL Business mission took ECONOMY place in mid-November, with The Chamber a delegation of 25 business delegation heard how a people making a two-day proposal on the expedition to Brussels.

T

he trip included meetings with senior EU Commission officials, such as John Berrigan and Robert Madelin, as well as Commissioner Phil Hogan and MEPs Brian Hayes and Deirdre Clune. Some of the main topics discussed and information learned on the mission included:

FINANCIAL REGULATION The Chamber had a number of discussions with officials on the macroeconomic surveillance measures required under the Economic and Monetary Union. The Chamber delegation heard how the Commission is working on proposals aimed at dealing with the issue of how to cover financial institutions that are “too big to fail.” A key focus is on the balance between risk and growth under the macroeconomic prudential framework.

The main risks to an economy come from excessive credit growth fuelling consumption and housing in particular.

The goal of imposing restrictions, such as an 80 per cent mortgage limit on the purchase price of a house, is to achieve a medium term balance between growth and stability.

digital single market will be published

by Easter 2015. Digital innovation is a priority in Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber, Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, MEP Brian Hayes and Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber. the EU, as is a connected and fair digital market. Europe consumes BUSINESS TAXATION 25 per cent of all digital output but There are a number of developments produces a far lower proportion. A on the corporate taxation front, the goal here is to provide some level of delegation learned. New announcements “fairness” between large and small on the progression towards a Common companies.

Consolidated Corporate Tax Base – designed to prevent aggressive tax planning and reframed to take account TRADE of the Base Erosion and Profit Sharing The growth in economic power of (BEPS) process – are expected shortly, the Asian economies sets the context with a view to adoption by 2018/19. for the trade talks between the EU Significant progress is expected by year and USA. The possibility exists to set end on the question of the income nexus agreed trade standards and rules for for inclusion in the patent box. The new goods and services, which may become joint paper by the UK and Germany sets the de facto global standards. Trade out the scope of patent box income but liberalisation, in all cases, is a tough says nothing about the rate. However, sell, as liberalising markets also means there is a view that a failure to critique displacing jobs. Although trade is an the UK’s 10 per cent rate by Germany is, exclusive EU competence, the deal in effect, an acceptance of that rate. covers a broader range of issues, visas for example, which are still with the One of the highlights of the trip member states’ national competence. was a dinner with Phil Hogan, EU Therefore any deal may require the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural parliaments of the 28 member states to Development. The dinner was kindly ratify the agreement. sponsored by McCann Fitzgerald.

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chambernews SAVILLS AWARDS Savills was the winner of two awards at the recent Fit Out Awards 2014, which recognised the best office fit-outs in Ireland this year. Savills’ new Molesworth Street office in Dublin was awarded the ‘Overall Fit Out Project of the Year’ gong, the marquee award of the the evening, as well as the award for ‘Fit Out Project of the Year for a Medium-Sized Office’. The judging panel was made up of architects and interior design experts who looked for excellence in office design. The awards were given out at a gala dinner at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin on Burlington Road.

Finbarr Crowley, Non-Executive Chairman and Eamon Moore, Managing Director, E-MIT Solutions.

ASA TURNS 30

E-MIT EXPANSION

ASA Marketing recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company, which specialises in promotional products, direct marketing and database/web development services, is now being operated by the second generation of the Bourke family in the form of Michelle Johnson and Caroline Bourke. ASA has bases in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Lisburn. Details: 1850 272 172 or sales@asamarketing.ie

IT consultancy firm E-MIT Solutions has announced the creation of ten new jobs at its headquarters in Santry, Dublin. The jobs are being created as part of a a650,000 investment to fund the expansion of technology services provided by the firm. This includes the development and enhancement of services such as IT Consultancy, IT Security, Cloud and Infrastructure Management.

BKRM APPOINTMENT

E-MIT’s growth is in response to the addition of new Cloud and IT Security solutions and increased demand from customers who want to architect more advanced technology systems and infrastructures to further their business objectives.

BKRM Corporate Services has announced the appointment of Darren Benham as audit manager and associate partner.

BKRM is a medium-sized accountancy practice based in Dublin 3. Darren is a qualified chartered accountant with prior experience as a practice manager and audit compliance manager in a number of medium-sized firms.

Founded in 2003, E-MIT provides strategic management of a wide range of ICT solutions and services. E-MIT will begin recruitment immediately and plans to fill the ten new roles before the end of 2015. The new jobs being made available include technical consultants, IT service management and sales and marketing roles. The firm is also appointing Finbarr Crowley as a non-executive Chairman. Crowley is a founding partner of well known legal firm Crowley Millar Solicitors.

Eamon Moore, Managing Director of E-MIT Solutions, said: “This investment in new employees, new infrastructure and services gives us an excellent platform to provide enhanced services to our existing customers, and achieve significant growth in new sectors and markets. Our technology solutions are designed to align fully with customers’ business objectives and improve the way they understand, interact and engage with technology.”

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ISE SIGNING

RADISSON REVAMP

The Irish Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the exchanges.

According to Deirdre Somers, ISE CEO: “We are very happy to sign this MOU with our peers from Shanghai. We will be looking at opportunities where our exchanges can leverage our respective strengths to further develop the financial services industry in Ireland, Europe and the People’s Republic of China.”

A major revamp of the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel on Stillorgan Road has been completed. Formerly one of Ireland’s most important historic houses, the hotel has been meticulously restored and adapted to create an international luxury hotel. Originally built in 1750, the hotel overlooks the picturesque Dublin Bay and mountains. Set in four acres of formal gardens, St Helen’s boasts 151 deluxe guest accommodation and a choice of 11 unique meeting and private dining suites.

MERRION MOVE Merrion Vaults, Ireland’s only purposebuilt safe deposit box vault, has commenced seven day access for clients.

The company said this is the result of increasing demand for the firm’s safe deposit boxes, which start from a199 per annum. “In order to serve our clients as best we can, we are happy to expand our hours to suit those who need access at the weekends,” said Nigel Doolin, Communications Director at Merrion Vaults. Details: info@merrionvaults.ie.

BUSINESS TODAY

TAXSAVER TICKETS

The Irish Times has launched a new daily business news update service called Business Today. Users can sign up to the free service by entering their email address on the Irish Times website. They will then recieve an email each morning from the Business Editor, outlining the main happenings in the business world that day, with links to relevant stories.

Details: www.irishtimes.com/business/ business-digest

The Taxsaver scheme has proved incredibly successful for both companies and their staff over the past 14 years. The Taxsaver scheme offers fantastic savings of up to 52 per cent off the cost of their monthly or annual ticket, whilst the employer can also save up to 10.75 per cent through PRSI savings as the employee’s gross income is reduced. To find out how much you could save, a handy caculator is available on the Taxsaver website – www.taxsaver.ie

DEALS WEBSITE Rehab Group has launched a new shopping website called RehabDeals.ie, where consumers can avail of bargains on a range of high-end products including Apple iPads, Samsung TVs and Nespresso coffee machines. The website operates in a completely different way from other shopping sites, according to John Fleming, Director, Rehab Deals.

“Players pay a small fee to view the price of any product they want. Once they see the price offered, the player has ten seconds to decide if they want to accept or not. If they accept, the product will be dispatched to them but if they do not accept, the price of the item drops for all other players,” he explained. The funds raised from the website assist specific projects within Rehab centres around the country.

MEMBER OFFERS 10% Off

Sandymount Hotel, next to Aviva Stadium, is offering a 10 per cent discount off the price of its Christmas menu to members who quote ‘Chamber’. Minimum number of 50 guests required.

Details: www.sandymounthotel.ie

50% Off

Belfast Telegraph nijobfinder are offering an exclusive 50 per cent discount to members of Dublin Chamber before the end of 2014.

Ads will appear in the Belfast Telegraph, Sunday Life and on www.nijobfinder.co.uk

15% Off

International Corporate Centre is offering a 15 per cent discount to any member who takes one of the firm’s serviced offices. Details: www. internationalcorporatecentre.com

20% Off

The Corkscrew is offering Dublin Chamber members a 20 per cent discount on their first order on the website. Enter “dublinchamber” on the final checkout screen.

For every purchase thereafter, a 10 per cent discount is available. www.thecorkscrew.ie

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AMBASSADORS TO HELP CONNECT AND ENGAGE Dublin Chamber has appointed a team of ‘Ambassadors’ to help you make all-important business connections.

GREG CANTY, FUZION Greg is a senior partner/joint owner of Fuzion, Marketing & PR. He is responsible for client strategy and online consultancy, and has extensive experience in online strategy. He is considered one of the leading B2B bloggers in Ireland and is a highly sought after social media trainer and consultant. His blog has attracted a large following with submissions printed regularly in local and national publications. Fuzion have been a member of Dublin Chamber for over four years. Details: greg@fuzion.ie or www.fuzion.ie

CLAUDE SAULNIER, WANDSOFT Claude is the founder of Wandsoft, a software and service company. Claude joined the Chamber in early 2014. He says: “I have found Dublin Chamber to be good value for money given the number of events organised, the mix of attendees and the networking opportunities available.

The secret to networking? Be prepared, ensure you know what you have to offer, be able to explain it in less than one minute, listen to the other party, be yourself, and stop selling!” Details: claude.saulnier@wandsoft.com or www.wandsoft.com

MICK HANLEY, DUBLIN CITY FM Mick is the CEO/Station Manager of 103.2 Dublin City FM, Ireland’s only special interest radio station. Dublin City FM broadcasts nearly one hundred diverse radio programmes each week.

Mick says: “I have been a member of the Chamber for a number of years now. I regularly attend the Business Owners Network meetings which I find hugely beneficial, both in terms of networking and learning. Details: mickhanley@dublincityfm.ie or www.dublincityfm.ie

LAURA FITZSIMONS, SKILLWORKS Laura is the founder and training and presenting coach at SkillWorks. In this role she helps people face any speaking challenges that they encounter by using psychometric profiling to better understand their communication style and how to adapt their communication style to engage others. Laura works with groups as well as individuals on presenting and public speaking, interview skills and communicating assertively. Laura has been a member of the Chamber for the past five years. Details: laura@skillworks.ie or www.skillworks.ie

CIARAN BLACKALL, BLACKALL FINANCIAL Ciaran is owner and General Manager of Blackall Financial, a financial services firm specialising in the provision of financial and pensions advice. Ciaran has chaired the Chamber’s Business Owners Network in the past and currently sits on the Chamber’s Council. Details: ciaran@ blackallfinancial.ie or www.blackallfinancial.ie

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FRANK O’DONNELL, PRINT DEPOT Frank is the founder and director of Print Depot, a trusted print supplier to a host of small, medium and large Irish businesses since the company was established in 1990. Over the years, the company has grown from conventional printing to being a full service communications partner to its clients, including POS material and marketing collateral both general and specialised. Details: frank@printdepot.ie or www.printdepot.ie

PJ TIMMINS, THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD PJ is owner and managing director of The Alternative Board, the world’s largest business peer advisory and coaching franchise. PJ says: “I originally joined the Chamber because there was no plan to connect the Luas lines. I got far more than I bargained for and had the pleasure and honour of leading the Chamber as its President in 2009. Like all things in life, you get out more than you put in, but it takes a while to recognise what you are receiving.” Details: pj.timmons@ thealternativeboard.ie or www.thealternativeboard.ie

STEPHEN KELLY, EMERGENCY FREIGHT INTERNATIONAL Stephen Kelly is Global Manager of Emergency Freight International, which offers international time critical emergency logistics solutions worldwide. The company has been involved in the Chamber since the late ‘70s, with Stephen having been active for more than ten years. Stephen mainly attends BON meetings, as well as after-hours and lunch networking events. “I am a very active member of the Chamber and have built up many excellent relationships. At all times, I try to get business for new and existing members alike,” says Stephen. Details: sk@emergencyfreight.com or www.emergencyfreight.com

SÉAMUS DIAMOND, FREEMAN CONTINGENT Séamus Diamond is co-founder and director of Freeman Contingent, a custom web development firm with in-house expertise to design and develop custom websites and web applications.

Séamus says: “My first year of membership in the Chamber allowed me the opportunity to engage with other business owners on many occasions. To unlock the potential of the Chamber, it’s essential to commit and participate with the events they offer.” Details: seamus@ freemancontingent.ie or www.freemancontingent.ie

NAOMI GARGAN, ABSOLUTE OFFICE Absolute Office is a family-run Irish business established 10 years ago. The company sells everything from pens to full office fit-outs. Naomi has been a member of the Chamber for the past five years. “The Chamber is excellent for support, meeting potential clients and also for advice. Being a member is also great for referrals and sharing ideas,” she says. Details: naomigargan@absoluteoffice.ie or www.absoluteoffice.ie

KATIE O’DRISCOLL, DRAGON Katie is responsible for New Business Development at Dragon, a marketing and advertising agency. She says being a member of the Chamber has enabled her to grow her business and grow personally within the business arena. Katie joined after starting her own company. She recalls: “I attended every possible event I could and quickly recognised familiar faces and developed business relationships which I have carried forward into the next stage of my career.”

Details: katieodriscoll@dragon.ie or www.dragon.ie

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MEMBER PROFILES SUZANNE BOLAND GLOBAL MOTIVATION INC www.jordanbelfort.com T: 086 045 9721 In this the digital age, the important role of telephone and face-to-face sales and customer service can often be overlooked as companies strive for the best online marketing strategy. However, it is important to remember that sales alone without marketing can close a deal but marketing alone without sales is pretty useless. Poor tonality or simple semantics can be the tipping point between you or your competitor getting the business. Jordan Belfort, AKA the Wolf Of Wall Street, had a very public fall from grace, but beyond all the Hollywood hype, this man is the master of sales and persuasion. He has tweaked, fine tuned and refined the art of sales to come up with his Straight Line Sales And Persuasion System. His elegant sales technique has earned him custom from brands such as Virgin Atlantic, RBS, and Investec to name but a few. I was trained by the “wolf” himself and as one of his certified affiliate partners, I can work with you and customise the system to fit your brand and train your front line staff to be master closers. Contact: Suzanne Boland on 086 045 9721 or suelboland@live.com.

EXPERIA TECHNOLOGIES www.experia.ie T: 01 678 8500 At Experia Technologies, we are passionate about technology. It is the sole focus of our business and we specialise in ensuring that your business can operate in a seamlessly connected, fully integrated, secure environment. Based in Dublin, we work with board members, CEOs and executive management teams of companies, in Ireland and the UK, who are facing the challenge of implementing the correct technology solutions for their business. We provide a range of consulting, design and development services that help them to do this effectively in order to create a sustainable competitive edge for the future. Our approach is to clearly understand and agree what our clients wish to achieve, prove that their vision can be executed and then help them to make it happen. The value in our service lies in enabling clients to make the correct decision about their technology needs and then move quickly, decisively and with confidence.

Details: 01 678 8500 or www.experia.ie.

ACARA ENERGY www.acaraenergy.ie T: 01 902 2412

language training of a consistently high standard.

Acara Energy designs, supplies, installs and maintains heating, plumbing and renewable energy systems.

BAR COUNCIL OF IRELAND www.lawlibrary.ie T: 01 872 0622

ADI STUDIO www.adistudio.ie T: 087 292 6205 ADI Studio partner and participate in joint ventures with award-winning architectural practices to produce consistently highquality schemes and detailed bespoke fit-out packages.

AHAIN GROUP LTD www.ahaingroup.com T: 087 234 2238 Ahain Group is a digital agency specialising in the development of business-effective solutions to create greater short and long-term value for companies, brands and organisations that require greater returns from their investment in social and digital channels.

AIRBNB www.airbnb.ie Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone.

ALPHA COLLEGE OF ENGLISH www.alphacollege.com T: 01 874 7024 Alpha College was established in 1989 and has continuously sought to provide English

The Irish Bar provides its clients with the highest level of expertise in all areas of law through skilled advocacy (pleading a case) by professionals of integrity and independence.

BARR ACCOUNTANTS www.barraccountants.ie T: 01 296 4488 Barr Accountants are a financial advisory practice with a team of highly skilled, experienced and professional financial advisors at your service.

BCC RISK ADVISORY www.bccriskadvisory.com T: 01 681 5330 BCC Risk Advisory help people and organisations navigate through their security concerns, providing penetration testing services and helping to ensure secure software development practices.

BILFINGER REAL ESTATE www.realestate.bilfinger. ch/en Bilfinger Real Estate was founded in 1999 as a joint venture of M+W Zander UK Limited and Hardwicke Property Ltd. The firm became an independent facilities management service provider for the IFSC in Dublin. Today, the firm manages a number

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of properties and building complexes in the greater Dublin area, with services including on-site building and property management as well as health, security and energy management.

DAME MEDIA www.damemedia.ie T: 087 915 0986

CB MEDIA www.cbmedia.ie T: 01 442 8974

DEADLINE COURIERS www.deadline.ie T: 01 661 0000

CB Media specialises in providing tailor-made solutions to suit all business needs in video. The CB Media production team combines over 18 years of experience and expertise in broadcast and short film production, having worked for TV broadcasters such as RTE, TV3 and City Channel.

Deadline Couriers’ mission is to understand and serve our clients’ needs in a fair and equitable manner. We provide couriers, vans and trucks, nationwide and worldwide deliveries.

CERIDIAN IRELAND www.ceridian.ie T: 061 507 470 Ceridian Ireland is a leader in human capital management.

The firm’s solutions include human resources, payroll, workforce management and employee assistance programmes. Ceridian is currently the (IPASS) Irish Payroll Association’s Outsourced Payroll Provider of the Year and Employer of the Year.

CFO SERVICES www.cfoservices.ie T: 01 661 9631 CFO Services provides outsourced accounting and financial planning and control services to small and mediumsized Irish businesses. CFO Services is led by Fionan Dunne.

CURO www.curo.ie T: 01 4100 600 CURO bring control to business change through project management training and mentoring.

Dame Media produce films for businesses in Ireland, including formal, informative and fun commercial videos.

DRAGON www.dragon.ie T: 01 662 0311 Dragon are an award-winning creative agency based in Dublin and London who specialise in creating attention-grabbing TV, print and direct mail campaigns.

They also design websites and visual media.

DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPER GROUP www.gazettegroup.com T: 01 601 0240 Gazette Group Newspapers is dedicated to launching quality, weekly suburban newspapers aimed at representing, and giving a clear and strong voice, to the rapidly developing communities circling Dublin city.

EVENTSERV www.eventserv.com T: 01 505 5888 EventServ have extensive experience in supplying a vast range of services and infrastructural products for all public and private events across the UK and Ireland.

FAIR TAILOR www.fairtailor.biz T: 087 226 0239 FairTailor create high-quality custom menswear at a fraction of the market price. FairTailor

THE KUBICLE www.thekubicle.com “Microsoft Excel should be taught by business people, not IT people.” That’s the opinion of The Kubicle, a Dublinbased start-up that provides online Excel training to individuals and organisations.

According to founder Aidan Aidan Corbett, The Kubicle Corbett: “Excel is a really flexible tool for lots of business-related tasks, from analysing sales team performance to valuing investments. Traditional IT training won’t teach you how to do this, but we will. We’ve gathered content from business experts in sales, management consulting, and finance, making our library fully available for just a15 per month.”

Launched just over a year ago, the company has already acquired an impressive customer base, including Laya Healthcare, Dropbox Ireland, the Irish Stock Exchange and Smurfit Business School. The Kubicle library currently contains over 200 individual video tutorials and a new Excel course is added each month. Details: www.thekubicle.com or sales@thekubicle.com.

CFO SERVICES www.cfoservices.ie At CFO Services, we provide outsourced accounting and financial planning and control services to small and medium-sized Irish businesses. Our clients are good at what they do, whether it’s real-time credit card processing, making software or working in retail. Rather than devoting time and effort to accounting, they stick to what they’re good at and hire us to do what we do best – manage their finance function. CFO Services is led by Fionan Dunne. Our team understands the complexities of small and medium-sized business accounting. Unlike large accounting firms, we can give our clients responsive, personal service at a price suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Many of our clients have basic accounting knowledge, so we work hard to clearly explain essential accounting principles and processes without industry jargon that can confuse and frustrate business owners. In many cases, our clients happily let us manage the financial aspects of their organisations so they can get on with serving their customers without the constant worry of having to muddle through financial management and accounting. www.cfoservices.ie.

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BCC RISK ADVISORY www.bccriskadvisory.com www.edgescan.com E: info@bccriskadvisory.com E: info@edgescan.com BCC Risk Advisory Ltd is an Irish security consultancy company founded in 2011 by OWASP Global Board member, Eoin Keary. We specialise in supporting companies across the globe with internet and network security issues by providing: technical (developer) and executive security training; web, network and mobile penetration testing; social engineering; policy development; systems development improvement; and digital forensics services. Our security, our engineers and consultants embrace the “builder” (developer) mentality which provides a pragmatic and sensible approach to risk mitigation and technical security.

Whether your organisation is a small start-up or a large global organisation, BCC Risk Advisory can assist you with managing technical, logical and business risk.

With its managed penetration testing service Edgescan, BCC Risk Advisory offers cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) security solution which is highly accurate, easy to use and very cost effective. Details: www.bccriskadvisory.com / www.edgescan.com or info@bccriskadvisory.com/info@edgescan.com

is a social enterprise and a low profit organisation: 50 per cent of its profit is given back to the community, providing disadvantaged children with an education.

FIRSTAFF PERSONNEL CONSULTANTS www.firstaff.ie T: 01 679 7766 Established in 1967, Firstaff is one of the longest established recruitment agencies in Dublin. The firm’s offices are located on Grafton Street in Dublin city centre, making the firm one of the most central recruitment agencies in Dublin.

INVISIO www.invisio.ie T: 045 900 810 Invisio provides management and team development training, executive coaching and facilitation services to a wide range of organisations.

IRISH RED CROSS www.redcross.ie T: 01 642 4600 Irish Red Cross is dedicated to the provision of emergency and humanitarian relief, both at home in Ireland and abroad.

PLANIT www.planit.ie. / E: info@planit.ie.

T: 01 201 1850 Antoinette Redmond and Spencer Simmonds are market leaders in Events Management and Corporate Event Planning for over thirty years based on their no nonsense and honest approach to value for money and high-quality service. Driven by a passion for what they do, combined with flexibility on all levels, enables Planit to continually replenish itself in response to the fluctuating dynamics of the events management industry. Planit are known for their friendly, no nonsense advice, clear pricing policy and simple honesty. They have recently had a number of clients return to them who realised that money spent wisely on quality events multiplies the return on the bottom line. Planit have built trusted relationships spanning twenty years with high end and blue chip clients. Details: 01 201 1850 or info@planit.ie.

JACKSON WINE ESTATES www.jacksonfamily wines.com/en T: 01 400 4189 Jackson Family Wines, based in Sonoma County – in the heart of California’s wine country – is one of the few family-owned and operated winery groups of its kind. Founded in 1983 with a focus on artisanal wines.

KEARY LETTINGS www.kearylettings.ie T: 01 668 8961 Keary Lettings provides a dedicated one-to-one service in the letting, management and refurbishment of

residential properties, covering all parts of the Dublin area.

KNIGHT FRANK www.knightfrank.ie T: 01 634 2466 Knight Frank is Ireland’s only wholly Irish-owned global property consultancy following the merger of Knight Frank and HT Meagher O’ Reilly in October 2013. The firm advises clients ranging from private investors, clients and homeowners to major developers across Ireland and globally.

LFL WORLDWIDE CHAFFEUR SERVICES www.lflcs.com T: 086 608 3668 LFL is a chauffeured transportation company with a fleet of executive cars, MPV’s and coaches of all sizes. Services include airport transfers, hourly hire, golf outings, point-to-point between Dublin and anywhere in Ireland and site visits.

LYNQ IRELAND www.lynq.co.uk T: 01 901 0229 LYNQ aims to provide business software that enables manufacturers to extend and modernise their existing ERP systems, providing an affordable alternative to upgrading or replacing.

MALCOLM HOLLIS www.malcolmhollis.com T: 01 447 5133 Malcolm Hollis is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading commercial building surveying consultants.

MML CAPITAL www.mmlcapital.ie T: 01 619 0000 MML Capital provides growth capital to private businesses on the island of Ireland for

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expansion, acquisitions, recapitalisations and shareholder reorganisations, contributing between a2 million and a12 million as part of each bespoke investment.

MOURNE SEAFOOD BAR www.mourneseafood.com T: 01 668 8862 The Mourne Seafood Bars are known the length and breadth of the country and beyond for serving no nonsense, affordable and delicious locally caught seafood. With restaurants in Belfast, Dundrum, Co. Down and our new location on Charlotte Quay in Dublin.

NAOMI FITZGIBBON www.nothing.com T: 086 853 4714

OPTIMUM EVENTS www.optimumevents.ie T: 086 829 0390 Optimum Events offers full, professional, event management services. They help choose service elements that suit particular projects, for a memorable event.

PARAMOUNT COLLEGE www.paramounthr.ie T: 01 291 1960 Paramount HR Solutions are expert service providers in the areas of HR, training, careers and recruitment advice – to the SME sector.

Founded in 2005, the company employs qualified HR and training personnel and has combined experience of over 100 years in the area of HR in the Irish marketplace.

NATIONAL RECRUITMENT FEDERATION www.nrf.ie T: 01 816 1754

PKF O’CONNOR LEDDY & HOLMES www.pkf.ie T: 01 496 1444

The National Recruitment Federation is a voluntary organisation set up to establish and maintain standards and codes of practice for the recruitment industry in Ireland. Founded in 1971, the NRF seeks to provide its members with the best possible service in terms of support, communication, advice sharing and problem solving, and in doing so, to promote professional competence within the industry.

PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes is a full service firm of accountants and business advisors. The company aims to provide the technical expertise of a larger firm with the intimate approach of a smaller practice. The firm offers a full range of accounting and business advisory services, delivered through its audit and assurance, taxation, business services, and corporate recovery divisions.

NIALL FEELY

PLANIT EVENT MANAGMENT www.planit.ie T: 01 201 1850

Niall Feely is a dynamic business leader who grows and transforms organisations.

NSI TECHNOLOGY NSI Technology engage in business and management consultancy activities.

Planit is one of Ireland’s longest standing and most experienced events management and corporate event planning companies.

Jason Clarke and Helen Creaven, Studio Manager (left).

JASON CLARKE PHOTOGRAPHY Established 1994, JCP is an independently owned photography agency, a member of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland and the NUJ. Under Jason Clarke’s direction the company has earned a reputation for its personal approach to client relationships and excellence in photography.

The studio, based in Dublin, specialises in public relations, press/media and corporate photography, representing companies and agencies across a wide range of sectors, for example Dublin City Council, UCD, Science Foundation Ireland. Our reputation within these areas has gained us vast recognition.

The studio has three full time employees. Our studio manager, Helen, ensures the smooth running of dayto-day activities and is always available to answer your queries. Both studio manager and photographer will liaise with your team prior to each job to discuss ideas and offer advice and suggestions on any given assignment. JCP hosts a fully digital studio providing clients with the most up-to-date digital technology ranging from photographic distribution to image alteration. We use a bespoke workstation which enables us to organise and process our imagery effectively. This system is backed up online and we have a dedicated IT Support company. We have the ability to digitally transmit images via FTP and email.

UPS UPS® is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight, the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. The company offers services to more than 220 countries, delivering over 16.9 million packages every day.

UPS first entered the Irish market in 1988 through a joint venture with Walsh Western Express, which UPS acquired in 1989. UPS has over 680 employees in Ireland. Operating facilities include three small package and two SCS including more than 2,000m2 of warehouse space, and a delivery fleet of more than 115 package car, vans and tractors. Andy Smith has been Country Manager for Ireland since January 2014.

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POLUS INTELLIGENCE LTD www.polusintelligence.com T: 087 332 97 65 NATIONAL RECRUITMENT FEDERATION The National Recruitment Federation is a voluntary organisation set up to establish and maintain standards and codes of practice for the recruitment industry in Ireland. Representing recruitment agencies throughout the country, NRF members aim to communicate their commitment to providing quality service by agreeing to abide by a strict code of conduct. Founded in 1971, the NRF seeks to provide its members with the best possible service in terms of support, communication, advice sharing and problem solving and, in doing so, to promote professional competence within the industry. As part of this mission, the NRF has inaugurated a formal education programme, the Certificate in Recruitment Practice to ensure all new entrants to the industry have a solid ground in legislation, customer service operations and sales to equip the graduates of the programme with the tools and knowledge to provide a quality service to clients and candidates alike. Membership of the NRF is granted only to organisations that meet criteria of excellence (including adherence to the provisions of the Employment Agency Act 1971 and all other relevant Government legislation and amendments) and who agree to abide by the NRF Code of Conduct.

Polus Intelligence Ltd provides competitive intelligence consultancy and services that increases clients’ competitiveness and minimises their risk exposure through the implementation of competitive intelligence analysis, security risk management, crisis management, business wargames, and specialised training for corporations and third level education institutions.

PROCOM VOICE SOLUTIONS LTD www.speechpath.ie T: 01 619 0619 Speechpath is an innovative cloud telephony service provider, offering remote phonebook integration, multiple fail-over solutions and much more.

PRODUCTIVE SOLUTIONS www.productive solutions.ie T: 01 624 7725 Productive Solutions have over 20 years’ experience in providing training solutions to a wide range of industries.

JSI LOGISTICS Founded over 30 years ago, JSI Logistics is a top-tiered global provider of customised supply chain solutions. With a direct global presence and thousands of team members throughout the world, JSI Logistics delivers comprehensive transportation, distribution and value-added services to companies, from start-up ventures to large multinational corporations. Our mission is to help your company gain a competitive advantage by adding value to every step of your supply chain. Details: www. jsilogistics.com or contact Colm Lydon, Country Director, Unit F4, Swords Enterprise Park, Feltrim Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.

RATIO BRAND DISTRIBUTION www.ratiovending.com T: 1890 321 000 Ratio is a third-generation family business, operating in Belfast since 1967 and Dublin since 1975. The firm provides over seven million drinks and 1.6 million snacks annually. The company now offers a wide range of professional vending equipment in Ireland.

ROBERTS NATHAN www.robertsnathan.com T: 01 876 4550 Roberts Nathan is an

accountancy firm offering end-of-year audits, detailed tax advice, as well as ensuring that clients’ businesses are compliant with all financial reporting requirements. They also ensure that personal and family financial needs are protected.

SANDLER TRAINING www.ie.sandler.com T: 01 825 4814 Sandler Training is a world leader in innovative sales and sales management training.

For more than 40 years, Sandler has taught its distinctive, non-traditional selling system and highly effective sales training methodology, which has helped sales people and sales managers take charge of the process.

SCREENTIME SHINAWIL www.shinawil.ie T: 01 406 6434 Set up in 1999, specialising in entertainment, factual entertainment, live event programming and now scripted drama, Screentime ShinAwiL is one of the largest independent production companies in Ireland.

Screentime ShinAwiL is the production powerhouse behind some of Ireland’s biggest entertainment series’ including The Apprentice, Dragons’ Den, and most recently The Voice of Ireland.

SPINNEYBECK LTD www.spinneybeck.com T: 01 672 9192 Spinneybeck is the world’s leading and largest supplier of quality upholstery leather with a standing inventory of 2,000,000 square feet in its global headquarters facility located in Getzville, New York.

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SUZANNE BOLAND GLOBAL MOTIVATION INC www.jordanbelfort.com T: 086 045 9721 Suzanne Boland is a certified affiliate partner for Jordan Belfort’s Straight Line Sales System.

TFT CONSULTANTS www.tftconsultants. com Property and construction consultancy company Tuffin Ferraby Taylor LLP (TFT) brings you innovation, insight and understanding of commercial property issues.

Since 1973, the firm has been advising investors, developers, occupiers and owners, helping you to achieve the best value from your property assets, and in plain English.

THE KUBICLE www.thekubicle.com The Kubicle is a simple, userfriendly way to learn Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel. The company teaches software through its library of online video lessons. A number of free videos are available on the firm’s website.

THE SPENCER HOTEL www.thespencerhotel. com T: 01 433 8800 The Spencer Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the heart of Dublin’s cultural attractions and business district.

THETASTE.IE www.thetaste.ie/wp T: 085 850 4392 Dedicated to Ireland’s growing foodie culture, theTaste.ie is an online food magazine created with a mission to find all of Ireland’s top food hotspots and share them with the public.

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF LINKS & HOTEL IRELAND www.trumphotel collection.com/ireland T: 065 905 5600 Close to the village of Doonbeg, out on the water’s edge, sits one of Europe’s most distinguished five-star destinations, the Lodge at Doonbeg. The spectacular property was recently purchased by the Trump Organisation and has been renamed the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland.

TWITTER www.twitter.com T: 01 669 4682 Twitter helps you create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF IRELAND LIMITED www.ups.com T: 01 400 6000 Founded in 1907 as a messenger company in the United States, UPS has grown into a multi-billion dollar global corporation. Every day the firm manages the flow of goods, funds and information in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

In Dublin, UPS has bases in Ballymount Real Estate and Finglas.

Full contact details for all member companies are available at www.members. dublinchamber.ie

CB MEDIA www.cbmedia.ie.

VaVaVoom TV has rebranded to CB Media as part of their new business strategy. The rebranding follows a change in course to target the corporate market. In 2012, the creators of the fashion and makeover show You Are What You Wear broadcast on City Channel, bounced back after the collapse of City Channel by creating VaVaVom TV which specialised in video production. Having used the internet as a platform to produce a new generation of TV programmes focusing on fashion, celebrity gossip, beauty and makeovers, VaVaVoom TV has changed strategy to conquer the corporate market by offering professionally produced videos to businesses in support of their digital marketing strategy. CB Media specialises in providing tailor-made solutions to suit all business needs in video. The CB Media production team combines over 18 years of experience and expertise in broadcast and short film production, having worked for TV broadcasters such as RTE, TV3 and City Channel.

Details: www.cbmedia.ie.

MOURNE SEAFOOD BAR E: Dublin@mourneseafood.com www.mourneseafood.com The Mourne Seafood Bars are known the length and breadth of the country and beyond for serving no nonsense, affordable and delicious locally caught seafood. With restaurants in Belfast, Dundrum, Co. Down and our new location in Dublin, we have the country covered. The new Dublin restaurant is located on Charlotte Quay, right on the water’s edge. With beautiful views across the Grand Canal, it makes for a majestic location both day and night. There is a fully licenced bar for those who just wish to enjoy a quiet drink or an aperitif, as well as a large outside seated area. The restaurant itself will comfortably seat 50 guests with an additional raw bar with seating for 28 guests. There is a private bar and dining room which can host 40 guests. Details: Dublin@mourneseafood. com or www.mourneseafood.com.

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EVENTS GALLERY

ANNUAL DINNER

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber and keynote speaker Sir Alex Ferguson

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Alex Ferguson Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce & Managing Director, Hewlett Packard

Keynote speaker Sir Alex Ferguson

Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce & Managing Director, Hewlett Packard; Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber, Bernard Byrne, Director of Personal, Business & Corporate Banking, AIB and keynote speaker Sir Alex Ferguson

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EVENTS GALLERY

SMART SERIES

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director, Vodafone Ireland

Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director, Vodafone Ireland; David Delaney, Director of Innovation, Fujitsu; Jerry O’Sullivan, Deputy CEO, ESB; Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Regina Moran, CEO, Fujitsu; Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director, Vodafone Ireland; Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Roland Tritsch, Director of Business & Application Services, Fujitsu; Regina Moran, CEO, Fujitsu; JP Donnelly, Group Chief Executive, Ogilvy; Aisling Hassell, Head of International Customer Experience, Airbnb and Site Lead, Airbnb in Dublin

Roland Tritsch, Director of Business & Application Services, Fujitsu; JP Donnelly, Group Chief Executive, Ogilvy; Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Aisling Hassell, Head of International Customer Experience, Airbnb and Site Lead, Airbnb in Dublin

Aisling Hassell, Head of International Customer Experience, Airbnb and Site Lead, Airbnb in Dublin

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EVENTS GALLERY

DINNER IN CAMERA

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

DINNER IN CAMERA WITH GARY KENNEDY

DINNER IN CAMERA WITH ROBERT WATT

Gary Kennedy, Chairman, Greencore Group plc

Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Greg Clarke, Vice-President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Gary Kennedy, Chairman, Greencore Group plc; Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte

Aebhric McGibney, Director of Public & International Affairs, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland, Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte

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EVENTS GALLERY

LEADERS SERIES EVENTS

David O’Beirne, Partner, Eversheds, Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Gary McGann, CEO, Smurfit Kappa

DUBLIN CHAMBER BOOK LAUNCH Jo O’Donoghue, Londubh Books, David Murphy, Business Editor, RTÉ; Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Author of A Most Respectable Meeting of Merchants, Enda MacMahon

Author of ‘A Most Respectable Meeting of Merchants’, Enda MacMahon

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Gary McGann, CEO, Smurfit Kappa, Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, David O’Beirne, Partner, Eversheds

LAUNCH OF ‘A MOST RESPECTABLE MEETING OF MERCHANTS’ WITH BEAUCHCAMPS SOLICITORS Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce

David Murphy, Business Editor, RTÉ

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EVENTS GALLERY

TECHNOLOGY FORUM STEPHEN MCINTYRE, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EMEA ONLINE SALES & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TWITTER IN IRELAND.

KINDLY SPONSORED BY COLT AND MASON HAYES & CURRAN

SIGNING OF MOU WITH GUIZHOU

IN OCTOBER, DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE CHINESE PROVINCE OF GUIZHOU WAS SIGNED BY GINA QUIN, CEO OF DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND GINZHI LIU, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATION DEPARTMENT, CCPIT GUIZHOU.

THE THREE MARKETEERS

DECLAN GRAY OF EVOLVE DESIGN, GREG CANTY OF FUZION, AND MARK RICHARDSON OF INSTANT MARKETING PRESENTED TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS NETWORK IN LATE NOVEMBER ON HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR MARKETING AND PR.

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Investment in research and innovation is vital to securing Ireland’s future economic success: it has the potential to create jobs, stimulate growth and boost competitiveness.

Research and innovation is also necessary to find solutions for social and environmental challenges.

Innovation in Ireland remained strong throughout the economic crisis, ranking third out of 28 EU member states in the European Commission’s Indicator of Innovation Output in 2013. Ireland stands as one of Europe’s most innovative nations and has attracted billions of euro in foreign direct investment (FDI) from hi-tech companies. However, in its Economic Survey of Ireland for 2013, the OECD recommended that while Ireland offers a supportive innovation environment for hi-tech multinational companies, innovation in indigenous firms needs to be boosted. In this special report, BUSINESS IRELAND looks at some of the organisations driving and supporting research and innovation in Ireland.

HEALTH OF THE NATION IN

RESEARCH AND

INNOVATION

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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > MINISTER DAMIEN ENGLISH

ENSURING INNOVATION

WITH IMPACT

> Minister for Skills, Research & Innovation, Damien English tells BUSINESS IRELAND about his main objectives since taking up his junior cabinet post.

Q: How have you been finding your first few months in your role as Minister?

A: It’s been a very busy few months but they have been very rewarding and inspiring.

I was delighted when the Taoiseach asked me to take on this extremely important brief, which not only has research and innovation, but an added skills dimension.

My time as Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation was definitely a help but I still had a fairly steep learning curve. Science Technology and Innovation – along with skills – are, by definition, dynamic areas and they are central to Ireland’s continuing recovery.

The timing of my appointment meant that one of the first tasks I had was to work with Richard Bruton to make sure that the science budget for 2015 is maintained. I am pleased to say that the Estimates figures published for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

show that the aggregate capital budget which funds the Research, Development and Innovation programmes of our enterprise agencies – EI, IDA and SFI – has increased by over a13 million, from a344 million in 2014 to a357.4 million in 2015.

This level of commitment by the Government is hugely significant at a time when resources are still constrained.

Q: What are your main priorities and goals in the areas of research and innovation in 2015?

A: I have a number of priorities that I will be emphasising for the duration of this Government’s term.

First is to continue to embed research prioritisation to ensure that our scarce research funds are allocated in identified areas that will yield maximum economic impact, jobs and social progress. This includes reviewing how well our prioritisation strategy has been implemented and making any adjustments that may be needed, including

systemic changes and supporting technologies.

A second priority is to seek ways of rewarding greater collaboration on research and innovation. This includes collaboration between higher education institutions as we see happening with regard to SFI’s new research centres. However, it also extends to promoting much greater collaboration between industry and the research system, for example by enhancing our IP management and possible new instruments such as the Knowledge Development Box. A third priority is to ensure that we have in place a robust, target-driven, well managed plan to draw down maximum EU funding for research based on the two policies I have mentioned.

The Government has set an ambitious target for Irish researchers to win funding of a1.25 billion over the lifetime of Horizon 2020, the a80bn EU Programme for Research and Innovation from 2014-2020. A key priority for 2015, and

THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET AN AMBITIOUS TARGET FOR IRISH RESEARCHERS TO WIN FUNDING OF 1.25 BILLION OVER THE LIFETIME OF HORIZON 2020, THE 80BN EU PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FROM 2014-2020.

A KEY PRIORITY FOR 2015, AND THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF HORIZON 2020, IS TO MOBILISE ALL THE RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS AND ENSURE IRELAND MAXIMISES ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAMME.”

Damien English, Minister for Skills, Research & Innovation

throughout the period of Horizon 2020, is to mobilise all the relevant stakeholders and ensure Ireland maximises its participation in the programme.

Another priority will be to set the foregoing core strategies in context by renewing our new national strategy statement for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Q: Given Máire Geoghegan Quinn has left her post in the European Commission, has Ireland lost an important portfolio within Europe?

A: Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has had a great term as Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. She has played a major leading

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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > MINISTER DAMIEN ENGLISH

role in ensuring that research and innovation are at the forefront of Europe’s growth and jobs agenda and in addressing European and global grand challenges.

Naturally, having a Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science who was very familiar with the Irish system was useful, but I have absolutely no doubt that Ireland will have an excellent relationship with Carlos Moedas, the new Commissioner, who is a very able and committed person.

Q: What would you say is Ireland’s standing in relation to its European peers when it comes to innovation?

A: We compare very favourably with our European peers. The annual Innovation Union Scoreboard provides a comparative assessment of the research and innovation performance of the EU member states and the relative strengths and weaknesses of their research and innovation systems. The 2014 Scoreboard shows that Ireland has moved up one place from tenth to ninth in the overall ranking of 28 EU Member States. In addition, Ireland is the overall leader in the indicator of the economic effects of innovation. I think our European colleagues recognise that we have a very focused strategy.

Q: What role do our universities and institutes play in ensuring Ireland remains among the top ranked European countries in terms of research and innovation?

A: The Irish higher education sector performed extremely well under the Seventh Framework Programme in

which approximately 62 per cent of Ireland’s a620 million funding secured was won by the sector. This is a great performance, even if it is not too surprising given that the vast majority of our publicly funded research is carried out by HEIs. The challenge is to ensure that this model of funding continues to work for Ireland and remains relevant to our economic recovery.

Q: How can we best harness young talent to ensure they contribute to the knowledge economy and are not forced to look for opportunities overseas?

A: Ultimately, the answer to this question is to grow our innovative enterprise base and increase the levels of collaboration between HEIs and industry, including the flow of PhD and postdoctoral researchers between both.

The Performance Framework for the HEI system notes that programmes and disciplines

are well aligned to what the market needs, that there are high rates of employer satisfaction with graduates entering the workforce and that there is good and improving graduate employment.

Q: What Government initiatives will boost Ireland’s ranking in R&D in the near future?

A: New initiatives, such as the Knowledge Transfer Ireland Office launched last May, will make it easier for companies to access the wealth of technology, skills and ‘know how’ available in Ireland’s higher education system. This new office, a first in Europe, will greatly increase the flow of innovative knowledge and technology into companies in Ireland with the aim of increasing their turnover and employment. Recent changes announced in the Budget will see improvements in the R&D Tax Credit and consideration is to be given to the development of a ‘Knowledge Development Box’.

Of course, we have also just recently announced Government and industry funding of a245 million for the establishment of five new world-class SFI Research Centres in Ireland, which will add to the seven already in place since 2013.

Additionally, we are planning a National Innovation Showcase in December which will include representatives from all national research centres of scale involved in research across the 14 priority areas. This is an initiative of my department and Enterprise Ireland is leading on coordinating it, working closely with SFI, IDA and other research funders.

A National Directory of Research Centres will also be published with details of all of these centres of scale and their key areas of research – this directory will complement the work of Knowledge Transfer Ireland in helping companies to more easily navigate our research system.

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IRDG is a non-profit, business-led Innovation Network of member companies and colleges, working together to drive excellence in Innovation within Ireland’s industry to create growth, jobs and prosperity.

• Innovation Network

• Led by Industry

• Growing membership

• All Sectors & Sizes of Business

• Members are Companies & Third Level Colleges • Combination of Irish & Multinational Industry

• Key Interest for all Members: Research & Innovation

Services to Members under IRDG’s 5 Pillars: • Representation • Funding & Support • Innovation Networking • Collaboration • Learning

Find out how joining IRDG could add value to your Research & Innovation - www.irdg.ie

233884_1C_IRDG_AMA_BI.indd 1

CONTACT: Denis Hayes, Managing Director E: denis.hayes@irdg.ie T: 086 2544473 Mary Byrne, Membership Development & Communications Manager E: mary.byrne@irdg.ie T: 087 6501215

12/12/2014 13:00

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > IRDG

Fostering Business Innovation

& Competitiveness

> IRDG is a non-profit innovation network, led by industry, for companies and third level colleges involved in research and innovation throughout Ireland. Denis Hayes, Managing Director of IRDG talks to BUSINESS IRELAND about driving excellence in innovation to create growth, jobs and prosperity.

I

RDG is a vibrant and growing organisation. Our membership has more than doubled in the last two years, from all industry sectors including engineering, healthcare, food and beverage, software and ICT, financial services and electronics. We also have many of the leading third level research institutes amongst our membership. For start-ups with two employees or multinationals with several thousand employees, the IRDG is a go-to organisation for companies striving to develop and improve their innovation capability. Everything we do is focused on our members’ needs. We respond to their demands and work hard to bring new thinking, new ideas and new opportunities.

Beyond the membership, our network is equally extensive. Annually more than 600 companies and organisations attend seminars and workshops right across the country, and our relationships with key State agencies, such as DJEI, Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Department of Finance and Revenue, mean we are a well-respected voice when it comes to policy and programme decisions. Overall our knowledge and contact list in the research and innovation field makes us a truly nationwide, cross-sectoral innovation network.

Big topics for IRDG include R&D tax credits, funding for research and innovation via the State or Horizon 2020, design thinking, lean product development, IP, systematic innovation and collaborative opportunities for research and innovation. Major highlights of 2014 included the Lean Innovation Conference in May, and the IRDG’s Annual Conference: Design Thinking in October, attended by over 200 delegates.

FOR START-UPS WITH TWO EMPLOYEES OR MULTINATIONALS WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND EMPLOYEES, THE IRDG IS A GO-TO ORGANISATION FOR COMPANIES STRIVING TO DEVELOP AND IMPROVE THEIR INNOVATION CAPABILITY. EVERYTHING WE DO IS FOCUSED ON OUR MEMBERS’ NEEDS”

Denis Hayes, Managing Director, IRDG

Ultimately, everything we do is connected with research and innovation.

We break it down under five pillars of activity: • Representation – relaying the views and experiences of our member companies to Government and State agencies and relevant policy decision-makers • Funding and Support – working with members to identify and access appropriate sources of funding for research and innovation programmes • Innovation Networking – bringing together all players in the innovation ecosystem, and connecting people with like-minded innovation leaders across all business sectors • Collaboration – helping members to expand their research via the expertise available in the third level colleges and institutes

• Learning – leading best practice in innovation through shared experience, expert speakers, dedicated workshops and innovation practice groups Companies are recognising that there is a need to reach out and embrace a more open approach to innovation.

In doing so, they are becoming more engaged with innovation leaders across the country, maximising their potential and improving their competitiveness.

And many of them are joining IRDG. If your organisation is active in research and innovation, you need to be part of this growing national innovation network. www.irdg.ie Denis Hayes, Managing Director – denis.hayes@irdg.ie – 086 254 4473 Mary Byrne, Membership Development & Communications Manager – mary.byrne@irdg.ie – 087 6501 215

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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IRELAND

Encouraging

ENTERPRISE > How business is benefiting from working with Ireland’s universities and institutes of technology.

R

esearch and innovation is a cornerstone of Ireland’s economic development policy. Significant State investment has built a strong base of research expertise and new technologies. There has also been a focus on linking companies and entrepreneurs with researchers and new commercial opportunities to drive innovation and deliver competitive advantage for business. Why? Because we have confidence in the knowledge economy to support company growth, high-value jobs and to deliver real products and services that will make a difference to our lives.

Engaging the research base gives business a competitive edge and Ireland’s universities and institutes of technology are flexible in how they work with business, depending on the interests of the company. The most common way is collaboration on specific research programmes to solve problems or generate new knowledge. Last year, Irish research organisations signed over 1,500 new agreements with companies in Ireland and worldwide. There are a range of State supports that make it easy and costeffective for companies to engage with and benefit from the Irish research base. These include the successful Innovation Voucher and Innovation Partnership funding programmes available through Enterprise Ireland.

Sometimes companies need specific advice and, with their in-depth experience in a science or technology area, a researcher can provide a swift and focused consultancy solution. Ireland’s HEIs are well-attuned to identifying new opportunities for commercialisation and to protecting these ideas so that they may be licensed to companies or used as the basis of new business. In 2013 over 120 patent applications were filed and around 140 licences to IP and technology were signed.

BECAUSE WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY TO SUPPORT COMPANY GROWTH, HIGH-VALUE JOBS AND TO DELIVER REAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO OUR LIVES.”

Dr Alison Campbell, Director, Knowledge Transfer Ireland

FINDING THE WAY IN There are usually two main gateways for companies into HEIs. The first is directly through connections with researchers.

The second is via the HEI’s Technology Transfer (or Industrial Liaison) Office.

This is where companies will find staff dedicated to making the connections for industry to the right expertise and technology and who will help put in place the underpinning contracts which protect the company and the institution.

Often these staff will have a commercial background and understand the needs of businesses.

Ireland has a third way for industry to navigate the rich research base.

Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) is a new resource that works to make the research and commercialisation system more visible and accessible for business.

KTI is supported by Enterprise Ireland

with the Irish Universities Association.

The KTI web portal enables businesses and the public sector to leverage the potential of Irish research and innovation, providing an overview of the research landscape and the capabilities of the country’s universities, institutes of technology and other research performing organisations. The portal also provides practical guidance on IP, licensing and commercialisation including a step-by-step guide that explains the engagement process with the technology transfer offices and researchers. The KTI Practical Guides to contracts and sample agreements have been designed to make the process of contracting between business and the research base simple and understandable.

A NATIONAL APPROACH KTI works with key stakeholders, such as Ireland’s research funding agencies, business, investors and publicly-funded research performing organisations, to develop a visible and predictable knowledge transfer system in Ireland.

The shared goal is to maximise business innovation from State-funded research. www.knowledgetransferireland.com

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12/12/2014 17:58

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND

BACKING RESEARCH

WITH IMPACT

> Science Foundation Ireland continues to support outstanding

research that will assist international and indigenous industry to grow and flourish in Ireland, as Professor Mark Ferguson explains.

I

reland is building a reputation as a world leader in scientific research capability. Climbing the international innovation rankings, we are now placed in the top 20 countries overall for citations; the first, third and fourth in immunology, nanoscience and computer science research respectively.

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) supports outstanding research that will assist international and indigenous industry to grow and flourish in Ireland.

SFI delivers programmes that help industry and academia build competitive advantage by: enhancing their R&D capacities; engaging in projects of scale, excellence and relevance; and exploring both novel opportunities and priorities.

SFI provides researchers with funding, helps link them with companies to work on research projects and provides the supportive environment that is essential for such collaboration.

SFI plays a complementary role to that of its sister agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in assisting foreign and indigenous industry here in Ireland.

These programmes, which have been put in place to support research in Ireland, are creating and continue to create jobs and economic benefits, help attract investment, and strongly position Ireland’s research community to compete for external funding through programmes such as the EU Horizon 2020 research funding programme.

In October, SFI announced a 245 million investment – between State and industry – in the establishment of five new research centres, bringing the total number of world-class, large-scale research centres in Ireland to twelve. These centres will collaborate with industry to seek to identify solutions to the most pressing

SFI PROVIDES RESEARCHERS WITH FUNDING, HELPS LINK THEM WITH COMPANIES TO WORK ON RESEARCH PROJECTS AND PROVIDES THE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCH COLLABORATION.” issues in areas of national importance.

Their research will focus on critical and emerging areas of the economy such as medical devices, software, smart networks, connected devices and applied geosciences.

These SFI Research Centres combine scientific research with deep and significant enterprise engagement – excellence and impact. Importantly, these centres will also strongly position Irish-based scientists to win funding through the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.

Industry collaboration is a hugely important part of SFI’s remit – creating commercialisation and enterprise opportunities for Ireland’s researchers, bringing excellent research from the lab

to market and delivering impact. The SFI Industry Fellowships Programme has to date provided new funding of over 2.2 million to support 27 new industryacademia partnerships. The funding provides researchers from academic institutions with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in a commercial research environment, while also providing industry with access to highly specialised researchers from academic institutions.

As well as growing industry links, it is also important to support and grow research capabilities within our third level institutions. The Targeted SFI Research Professorship Programme aims to attract the world’s top researchers to the seven Irish universities, providing research funding of approximately 5 million for each successful applicant. This programme is a critical part of the Government’s strategy to build research capacity in key areas of economic importance.

SFI is committed to supporting early career researchers in Ireland and this year announced 23 million in new funding to help support 40 of Ireland’s most promising research talent to become fully independent researchers working on projects in areas such as sustainable and renewable energy, cancer research, neurological disorders and smart networks.

Ireland is now well placed to take the lead in developing cutting-edge research and new technologies, ultimately delivering more commercial ideas and jobs. We will continue on this upward trajectory, supporting excellent research with impact, into 2015 and beyond.

Professor Mark Ferguson is Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government.

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12/12/2014 17:58

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > TOMKINS

A Knowledge Box

FOR IRELAND?

> The possible introduction of a Knowledge Box for Ireland was announced in the recent Budget. Dr Christina Gates, Managing Partner, Tomkins examines some similar schemes around Europe.

I

n the recent Budget Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, discussed the possibility of introducing a Knowledge Box scheme in which a reduced tax rate would be levied on assets such as patents located or managed from Ireland. The Minister’s plan is to initiate public consultation on the scheme. If viewed favourably, it is possible that a scheme could be introduced in 2015.

The introduction of patent boxes in a country makes holding patents and other IP in that country more attractive.

Interestingly, Ireland operated a scheme allowing tax relief for profits earned under a patent for many years.

However, it fell into disrepute because a number of companies were benefiting from the scheme on foot of patents widely considered to be dubious. One of the issues with the old scheme was that it was possible to claim tax relief based on an unexamined Irish short-term patent. No Patent Office had decided these inventions were patentable. It is hoped that any new scheme introduced in Ireland would not repeat this error.

The introduction of such a Knowledge Box would allow at least some companies to benefit from a lower tax rate following the phasing out of the Double Irish, which some are worried will result in an exodus of multinational companies from Ireland.

Other European countries, such as Britain, operate a ‘patent box’ scheme in which patent assets managed under the scheme attract a ten per cent tax rate, which is half the standard corporate tax rate which applies in Britain. The incentive was introduced to encourage tech companies to commercialise their

THE INTRODUCTION OF SUCH A KNOWLEDGE BOX WOULD ALLOW AT LEAST SOME COMPANIES TO BENEFIT FROM A LOWER TAX RATE FOLLOWING THE PHASING OUT OF THE DOUBLE IRISH, WHICH SOME ARE WORRIED WILL RESULT IN AN EXODUS OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES.” Dr Christina Gates, Managing Partner, Tomkins

IP in the UK. However, many European countries believe that such a scheme encourages the artificial shifting of profits to countries with patent boxes. It appears Britain has agreed with Germany that this preferential tax treatment of IP is dependent on substantial economic activity in the country granting the relief. It also seems the scheme will be amended to restrict the tax break to R&D carried out in Britain, to deter multinationals from moving their tax domicile to the UK, as they would also need to relocate their R&D facilities to take advantage of the patent box.

Previously a company could benefit from the patent box in Britain if it was liable to corporation tax and made a profit from exploiting patented inventions. To qualify for tax relief the company must have made a significant contribution to either the creation or development of the patented invention or to a product incorporating the patent. Relief was also given to a company which owned or exclusively

licensed patents granted in the UK, the European Patent Office or in a number of European countries, of which Ireland is not one.

The Netherlands has operated a patent box since 2007. Realising that there were some short-comings in its scheme, the Dutch government introduced an improved innovation box in 2010. Under the new scheme, a tax rate of only five per cent applies, compared to the standard Dutch corporation tax rate of 25 per cent, with no ceiling to the tax benefit which can be received. Belgium and Luxembourg have similar schemes, exempting 80 per cent of patent income from corporate tax.

It will be interesting to see how Minister Noonan deals with all these considerations if a scheme similar to that in Britain is introduced in Ireland.

The introduction of a scheme tied to R&D should be viewed as a positive stimulus for R&D in Ireland, particularly for SMEs, but also more generally for employment of highly skilled workers.

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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > DCU

University of

ENTERPRISE > DCU has long understood the importance of bridging research with industry to create successful commercial outcomes.

“D

CU’s Innovation and Enterprise Centre, Invent, on our main campus works with both external companies and DCU researchers to promote innovation, knowledge transfer and commercialisation of DCU innovations through research partnerships, licensing and start-up companies,” says Richard Stokes, Director of Innovation at DCU. “The team at Invent work closely with the researchers to bridge the gap between the university and business, help entrepreneurs to identify suitable translational research opportunities and provide them with the platform for consultancy expertise and contract research options,” he adds.

The large scale SFI-funded research centres at DCU, such as the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, the Centre for Next Generation Localisation and the Insight Centre for Data Analytics, work closely with industry to ensure that research programmes are aligned with commercial and societal challenges. Research carried out by DCU is not confined to science and technology: The Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce, a collaboration with UCC and Athlone Institute of Technology, is hosted by the DCU Business School and works with Irish businesses to explore the trust, security and privacy issues involved with migrating business services to the cloud.

A vital part of Invent’s work is to identify opportunities for partnership between DCU and industry. Invent also provides business incubation facilities, entrepreneurship programmes and a range of supports for start-up technology businesses.

Key to success is its ability to initiate

collaborative research projects with industrial partners. “We focus on projects that match DCU’s distinctive multidisciplinary research expertise to allow us to market opportunities identified by partner companies Richard Stokes, Director of Innovation, DCU and take advantage of State funding supports,” says Stokes. medium-term innovations with no upThis approach has seen DCU build front investment cost or drawn out legal a successful track record in helping negotiations. companies develop new products and Licences to the Licence Express services for the international marketplace. technologies are offered to companies DCU has worked with both indigenous that are not currently involved in Irish companies and multinational collaborative research programmes on corporations, including, Intel, IBM, generous terms with no royalties payable Microsoft, Symantec, Pfizer, Bristol Myers for four years and only then, at a rate of Squibb and Alltech. one percent annually.

Open innovation is thriving at DCU, which aims to make it easy for companies INNOVATION CAMPUS to do business with the university, through DCU’s capacity to work on a larger scale its fast track licensing scheme and new with industry has been enhanced with Cleantech Innovation Campus. the recent opening of its Innovation Invent DCU has a reputation as one Campus. According to Stokes: “It is of Ireland’s most progressive technology rapidly becoming a location of choice for transfer centres. In 2013, DCU had 20 cleantech start-ups, SMEs and larger per cent of the overall number of spin-out companies, expected to drive significant companies from Irish universities. DCU green economy growth in the greater has also been the leading Irish university Dublin region. The Innovation Campus in licensing innovations to industry over will leverage the capabilities of DCU the last five years. teaching and research in renewable energy, sustainability, green finance, ICT, big data/smart cities, water quality and LICENCE EXPRESS SCHEME sensor technology among others.”

DCU’s Licence Express fast track licensing scheme offers companies access to a range of technologies and For more visit: www.dcu.ie/invent and www.dcu.ie/innovationcampus/index.shtml incentivises companies to invest in

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15/12/2014 10:24

Look closely and you may just see the future!

Our research labs throughout the continent are focused on meeting Europe’s goals for the year 2020 Intel has made significant R&D investments throughout Europe. Innovations being driven by our labs will shape the future - benefitting people’s lives in unprecedented ways. With a network of Research & Development, Product and Innovation labs in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom, we are developing new technologies to respond to major challenges currently facing Europe: an aging population, sustainability, economic growth, energy efficiency and independence, transportation and logistics. Together with university, government and industry partners, these labs are helping to provide Europe with the technological advantage it needs to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s economy.

Intel Labs Europe: from silicon and circuits to services and society

www.intel.eu/labs

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12/12/2014 13:00

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > INTEL

Dublin’s

SMART CITY > Open Innovation 2.0 is a new paradigm for prosperity and sustainability, and Dublin has the potential to be seen as a global capital of innovation, writes Dr Martin Curley, Vice-President and Director, Intel Labs Europe, and Professor of Innovation, Maynooth University.

I

nnovation is a core driver of growth with technology innovation particularly important.

Since World War II, 75 per cent of US GDP growth has resulted from technological-based innovation.

However, there is increasing recognition that the old linear model of research and innovation is breaking down.

The idea of investing in research until it eventually delivers economic and societal benefits belongs to the 20th century. There is an increasing awareness that we need innovation systems and managed innovation ecosystems. Looking at breakthrough innovations, we can see how the linear research model is being replaced by a mash-up innovation model, where the innovation environment creates fertile conditions for the emergence of new solutions and businesses.

Today the problems that cities and societies face are too large to be solved by any one organisation. A new approach is needed and there is an emerging paradigm: Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2), co-evolved in Dublin, which provides tools and methods to dramatically improve innovation progress and results, delivering both societal and economic benefit. OI2 is based on principles of integrated collaboration, co-created shared vision/ value, experimentation and cultivated innovation ecosystems.

Together with Intel Labs Europe, Dublin city is an active driver and user of the OI2 methodology. Earlier this year Intel and Dublin City Council announced a unique collaboration to make Dublin the most densely sensed city in the world, creating an open infrastructure

DUBLIN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE, AND BE SEEN AS, A GLOBAL CAPITAL OF INNOVATION.�

Dr Martin Curley, Vice-President and Director, Intel Labs Europe, and Professor of Innovation, Maynooth University

which will sense parameters such as air quality, local weather conditions and enable new innovations from other stakeholders.

Research and innovation is not just about the technology. At the core of OI2 is the innovation ecosystem. At Intel Labs Europe, we have built a network of more than 40 European labs with more than 4,000 European R&D employees, managed from Dublin. But the real power of what we do is achieved by an ecosystem of more than 700 research and innovation partners who are aligned with us around a shared vision of a digital Europe that enables sustainable intelligent living. By working together, we can amplify and accelerate the collective efforts of all concerned.

Dublin has the potential to be, and be seen as, a global capital of innovation.

As well as a vibrant technology and start-up community, strong universities and the annual Dublin Innovation festival, the greater Dublin region also hosts the Innovation Value Institute (IVI) at Maynooth University, whose research has been adopted by hundreds of organisations worldwide. Dublin also hosts the annual Innovation Luminary Awards in a gala event organised

by Intel, the European Commission, and Dublin City Council. National Geographic and other sources are now calling Dublin a candidate to be one of the leading global smart cities.

Innovation is most powerful when performed in a quadruple helix innovation configuration with government, academia, industry and citizens/users working together around a common vision. I believe that in Dublin and in Ireland, we can tap into the potential of a creative and engaged citizenry who are open to innovation.

Ninety-two per cent of Dubliners who attended the OI2 future showcase at the Mansion House in 2013 said they thought that Dublin should be used as a test site for experimental technologies and that they would be interested in participating in the experiments. In a world where user driven innovation has become an important driver, imagine the potential if we could collectively harness the imagination and energy of our citizens around a shared future vision.

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15/12/2014 10:25

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > THE IRISH RESEARCH COUNCIL

COLLABORATION

IS KEY

> The Irish Research Council acts as an important bridge between enterprise and innovative research. Enterprise Programmes Manager, Dr Ross Mc Kiernan explains the Council’s objectives and its plans for 2015.

Q: What is the mission of the Irish Research Council?

A: The mission of the Irish Research Council is to create and sustain a vibrant research community. This community will contribute to the enhancement of Ireland’s education provision, to our understanding of the world, both past and present, to public policy, to health, to arts and culture, to improving our relationship with our environment, to economic development, and most importantly, to societal wellbeing. Where business is concerned, the Irish Research Council positions itself at the juncture where companies and innovative research intersect.

Q: How much collaboration exists between the Council and employers to ensure our top researchers are being placed in the right positions?

A: In delivering its mission, working with partners in all domains of society is very important. Enterprise and employers are key partners.

The Council offers unique opportunities to businesses of all types and sizes, including social, cultural, not-for-profit, indigenous SMEs and multinational corporations, to participate in collaborative projects

with experts in researchintensive domains. Over 250 companies have engaged with our enterprise programmes with a view to developing new products, streamlining processes, improving services or transforming their business model. These programmes provide funding to support the placement of excellent researchers in commerciallyoriented environments where they will learn key transferable skills, creating sustainable employment opportunities, and developing our future leaders and entrepreneurs. The Council’s Enterprise Programmes will continue to fuel our dynamic research ecosystem and deliver innovations that have significant societal, cultural and economic impact.

Q: What is Ireland’s standing in relation to its European peers when it comes to research and innovation?

A: A recent report, the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014, has indicated that Ireland is performing above the EU average in terms of international scientific co-publications, licence and patent revenues from abroad, new doctorate graduates and employment in knowledgeintensive services and exports. In terms of economic dimensions of innovation, Ireland is leading the charge, while we are in the EU top three with respect to human resources. This will be important for the future success of our knowledge economy, and the Council’s Enterprise Programmes will be a mechanism by which we can deliver on this.

Ireland underperformed on public-private sector copublications, which tells us that we have some way to go towards breaking down the barriers to research collaboration, but certainly our position is very strong, and our outlook is positive.

Q: Any major news ahead for the Council?

A: The Council has been actively strengthening existing collaborations and establishing new partnerships with enterprise, Government departments and civic society. We are gearing up to launch our Employment Based Programme in December 2014, followed by our Enterprise Partnership Scheme in March 2015.

We encourage companies to contact us to discuss these opportunities. Also in 2015, announcements will be made in respect of our other funding options available to researchers, including our Research Projects Grants and Government of Ireland Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Schemes.

For further details on the work of the Irish Reseach Council visit www.research.ie or contact info@research.ie

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12/12/2014 17:57

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION > KPMG

PULSE OF THE NATION IN INNOVATION > Ken Hardy, Partner and Head of Research & Development Practice, KPMG in Ireland,

outlines the findings of KPMG’s annual Innovation Monitor.

A

s Ireland shows early signs of economic recovery, a recent survey carried out

by KPMG has found that nine in 10 Irish companies believe the recession has actually made us more innovative. Furthermore, 87 per cent of companies believe Ireland is either more innovative or the same as other countries, while the US continues to be regarded as the most innovationfriendly country in the world.

KPMG’s annual Innovation Monitor, based on research undertaken by RedC Research, examines Irish industry’s outlook on the current innovation environment, from the performance

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of Government funding incentives to the challenges facing innovative firms.

Half of companies surveyed believe the Government needs to introduce more financial incentives in order to help and nurture innovation, while 36 per cent want the Government to address taxation issues.

The importance of funding to innovation projects is a common theme throughout the report, with 86 per cent of firms believing access to financing is either very or somewhat important to the successful completion of an innovation project. However, only one in six think there is sufficient information available.

A fifth of companies have claimed the research and development tax credit – the Government’s primary innovation incentive. Our research shows, however, that a third of companies not currently claiming the credit could, in fact, do so if they had sufficient information about the regime requirements.

When it comes to innovating, almost nine in 10 Irish companies are either currently innovating or planning to do so in the near future, with large companies more likely to be currently innovating than planning. This will no doubt make a very positive contribution to Ireland’s recovery.

15/12/2014 10:25

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > IDA IRELAND

THE RISE DOCKS OF THE

> The tech boom that started in Dublin’s Docklands is now spreading around the city.

Barry O’Dowd, Senior Vice President of Emerging Business at IDA Ireland talks to BUSINESS IRELAND about the role of the IDA in getting new businesses to Europe’s new tech capital.

A

s part of Horizon 2020, a division dedicated to attracting emerging business to Ireland was established within the IDA. Barry O’Dowd is responsible for that division, which has realised real success since its inception in 2010. The focus on attracting fast growth companies in their early stages was a departure for the IDA at the time, but one that has certainly proved worthwhile.

O’Dowd tells us about his thoughts in the early days of this division: “Back in 2010 when we set up, I was scratching my head and thinking what we need here is a few reference points, reference

Barry O’Dowd, Senior Vice President of Emerging Business at IDA Ireland

sites to get the image out. We got them: names recognised in the tech community internationally.”

O’Dowd is referring to nine out of the top ten global software companies that are based in Ireland and ten of the top ten ‘born on the Internet’ companies, such as Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, that call Dublin home. Dublin being the location of choice for these tech giants is a major marketing tool for the IDA to entice new business. “Now when it comes to marketing, we have those landmark reference points. We’ve built a strong base of names that work for

BACK IN 2010 WHEN WE SET UP, I WAS SCRATCHING MY HEAD AND THINKING WHAT WE NEED HERE IS A FEW REFERENCE POINTS, REFERENCE SITES TO GET THE IMAGE OUT. WE GOT THEM: NAMES RECOGNISED IN THE TECH COMMUNITY INTERNATIONALLY.”

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > IDA IRELAND

us in the modelling of Dublin, strong, carriable names in terms of marketing.”

More than 100 exciting tech companies have built a European base in Ireland over the last two to three years. Major players like TripAdvisor and Airbnb have established a Dublin hub; Etsy, a renowned name in e-commerce, has offices in the Digital Hub; and Nordeus, from Serbia, one of the leading European game developers, recently set up in Dublin. Fittingly, the job search engine Indeed opened its European headquarters here. In 18 months, Indeed had grown from one employee to 100, with plans to double the workforce to 200 this year. Last year Squarespace, a web publishing platform, announced 100 new jobs for its Dublin HQ and recently, cloud CRM software player Zendesk announced plans to grow from 52 to 150 people. The list goes on.

“What we market specifically is that companies can use Dublin as a bridge for expansion into new EMEA markets.

Particularly for US corporates coming into Europe, they like the idea of a comfortable bridge.”

The availability of a young, skilled workforce is another huge attraction.

“Having the talent available is the single most important piece of all this. Fifty per cent of our population is under 35, the youngest population in Europe,” says O’Dowd. “We’ve a very strong, educated talent pool and the location has proved very popular when it comes to bringing in international talent. You can get multilingual talent here. For example, Airbnb, only recently set up, the number of languages it’s operating in is phenomenal; Google are operating in around 48 languages. They can get that here.”

The IDA also help new businesses in negotiating bureaucracy, navigating red tape and fast tracking visas. “It’s all about speed, particularly with these early stage tech companies,” says O’Dowd. “They want to get into the market fast with as little bureaucracy and red tape as possible.

They want the right people, we plug them into the colleges or recruiters, and the right space. Whatever it takes, we help them get into the market quickly.”

O’Dowd’s division focuses on the tech sectors globally, and in particular in the US, that are rapidly spawning

these emerging businesses to market Dublin.

Ease of access between San Francisco, Boston and New York has proved important as a lot of this activity is centred in those cities and the new Dublin to San Francisco route has been a major addition to marketing efforts in Silicon Valley.

Google Dublin The IDA has a strong network of connections in these cities and is now opening a new office in Austin, Texas where a lot of technical growth is happening.

Four or five years ago, O’Dowd didn’t have a list of companies he could reel off that had set-up in Dublin; now he does. Tech giants and start-up companies have made Dublin their home. “We’re punching above our weight as a vibrant European city for early stage tech companies, because we’ve both ends – the vibrancy of the start-up scene and the actual established companies that can be their role models or customers. That’s important, the vibrancy and the supports to help the start-up end of it.

WHAT WE MARKET SPECIFICALLY IS THAT COMPANIES CAN USE DUBLIN AS A BRIDGE FOR EXPANSION INTO NEW EMEA MARKETS. PARTICULARLY FOR US CORPORATES COMING INTO EUROPE, THEY LIKE THE IDEA OF A COMFORTABLE BRIDGE.”

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > IDA IRELAND

The Ulster Bank Foreign Direct Investment Team: Darren Brennan, Lisa Taggart, Stephen Masterson, Yvonne Kennedy

Meet the

NEIGHBOURS

> IDA Ireland has teamed up with Ulster Bank for an iniatitive aimed at connecting Ireland’s newest companies.

Barry O’Dowd, SVP of Emerging Business Division, IDA Ireland and Stephen Masterson, Director of Corporate & Institutional Banking, Ulster Bank

U

lster Bank and IDA Ireland’s Emerging Business Division held the first of a series of new networking events aimed at strengthening ties between Ireland’s newest companies. The Meet Your Neighbours reception was held in Ulster Bank’s Georges Quay HQ last October.

The initiative gave those in attendance the opportunity to interact with some of Ireland’s most innovative companies.

More events are planned in a drive to connect the people and companies that are contributing to Ireland’s diverse international business environment.

“Ulster Bank is excited by the opportunities that exist for FDI companies across the Irish economy and these companies reflect

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > IDA IRELAND

Linos Owusu-Asare responds to a question from the audience

T’s

Barry O’Dowd leading the discussion between speakers John O’Keeffe, VP EMEA at Nitro, Orla Moran, European Sales Manager at New Relic, Kyle Fretwell, International Product Management at FindTheBest and Linos OwusuAsare, Content Partnerships at Udemy

Colm McDermott

WHY IRELAND – THE FOUR

TALENT

• Favourable demographics and a good education system ensures a plentiful supply of quality people.

• Dublin is ranked the best city in the world for human capital

TECHNOLOGY • Ireland has a rich history of achievements in science and technology and continues to invest in these sectors.

• a800 million State investment in R&D in 2012

TRACK RECORD Group from Nitro, EMEA Division: Stephen Giles, Kevin Whitty, Alison McCabe, John O’Keeffe, Sarah O’Shaughnessy, Jonathan Ward, Alan O’Malley

that potential,” said Stephen Masterson, Head of International and Institutional Banking at Ulster Bank.

“We were delighted to host this first event and look forward to supporting them as they contribute to Ireland’s thriving technology community.”

Head of Emerging Business at IDA Ireland Barry O’Dowd added: “While we want to bring companies into Ireland, we also want to create networks for them once they establish. This event marks the start of an exciting opportunity for companies to meet other enterprises, create ties and explore working relationships.”

Companies attending the event included Nitro, Datahug, SNP Communications, Google and FindTheBest.

• Ireland consistently scores highly in global business rankings.

• 92 per cent of overseas companies rate their investment in Ireland a success

TAX • Open, transparent corporate tax rates have been one of the principal elements of the favourable enterprise environment in Ireland.

• 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate *www.idaireland.com

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What makes us different?

Over 70%* of companies setting up in Ireland choose us

Why have these companies chosen us?

Because we’re the number one** corporate bank in Ireland.

Our dedicated FDI team offer a leading service to international companies setting up operations here.

And we have extensive experience of both the local investment market and the varied requirements of international investors. It’s why in 2013, some of the world’s leading companies chose to work with us.

To experience why we’re different contact: Derek Collins EVP Corporate Banking +353 (0)76 624 4595 +353 (0)86 259 2496

Dan O’Donnell VP Corporate Banking +353 (0)76 62 45538 +353 (0)86 389 4652

derek.collins@boi.com

dan.odonnell@boi.com

Corporate Banking

* Bank of Ireland analysis of publically available information in relation to FDI companies established in ROI, 2013. ** Bank of Ireland analysis of independent industry statistics 2013.

Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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13/11/2014 13:01 15:36 12/12/2014

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > BANK OF IRELAND

Banking

ON IRELAND > Derek Collins, Director, New Business & Foreign Direct Investment, Bank of Ireland, discusses providing a quality banking service for investing companies, and why we all have a role to play as ambassadors of Team Ireland.

B

ank of Ireland is Ireland’s number one corporate bank. The Foreign Direct Investment team led by Derek Collins, Director, New Business & Foreign Direct Investment, has a wealth of experience in supporting businesses, across all sectors and stages, when setting up in Ireland. Last year over 70 per cent of international companies setting up in Ireland chose to open bank accounts with Bank of Ireland.

Collins says: “We provide one point of contact, a deep understanding of what companies are looking for, and the banking services that new international companies need coming into Ireland.

We meet with customers. We explain who Bank of Ireland is and the range of services we can provide. The first thing we provide is a bank account, we give them an internet cash management system and we do things like process payroll, collect receivables and payables, foreign exchange. If they need working capital, we can provide that.

“We also provide a special service for executive employees relocating from overseas. All of this is done in a very

timely manner, that’s what customers want. We provide the banking service and we make the process easy.”

TEAM IRELAND But for Collins, his role is not just about securing business, but as an ambassador of Team Ireland. “We make a company feel welcome. We introduce them to business associations, social events etc.

We do those things as part of Team Ireland to make sure the investment goes well and people feel engaged.

“Ireland’s story is travelling well and there is a good awareness of what Ireland has to offer: the fact that we’re English speaking, the timezone, the access to the EU market and the tax rates.

“At the same time, Ireland has to stay competitive – companies will look at other locations across Europe and so it’s important that the strong Irish story is delivered by members of Team Ireland.

The Government’s commitment to the 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate in the recent annual budget and the exciting new prospect of the so-called ‘Knowledge Development Box’ tax rate on intellectual property are welcome.”

Collins is cautiously optimistic about the outlook for FDI in Ireland: “I would be as confident on the outlook as I have been in many years. The companies that have come here are growing and investing at a rate much quicker than The Foreign Direct Investment team at Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking

Derek Collins, Director, New Business & Foreign Direct Investment, Bank of Ireland

we expected; most are ahead of targets in term of job creation.”

How can we continue to attract companies here? “The challenge is to ensure Ireland captures its share of mobile FDI. The message I would give is we all have to work hard. We need to remain focused and we need to take on board companies’ issues as they are raised and they need to be addressed on an ongoing basis.

“The other challenges are things like talent availability and office availability.

We need to have an open mind on a regional basis; it’s important to have a balance on Dublin versus the regions.”

The IDA will be outlining a new strategy to Government in early 2015, which Collins and his team welcome: “We are looking forward to the outcome of the strategic review the IDA are completing: we welcome that as a stakeholder,” he concludes.

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12/12/2014 17:56

Ireland Your move in the right direction The future for FDI in Ireland is bright.

Thanks to further improvements in competitiveness, Ireland’s attractiveness as a location of choice continues to increase.

With international desks in key locations, Deloitte is promoting Ireland.

What’s more, we have the expertise and knowledge to help your company maximise its presence in Ireland; keeping you moving in the right direction.

Dublin: 01 417 2200 Cork: 021 490 7000 Limerick: 061 435500 www.deloitte.com/ie

© 2014 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

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12/12/2014 13:02

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > DELOITTE

OPPORTUNITIES

STILL KNOCKING > Joan O’Connor, Partner, Deloitte, tells BUSINESS IRELAND

there are many opportunities for continued foreign direct investment in Ireland.

W

ith the recent publication of Finance Bill 2014 Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, has reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to the multinational community in the context of developments on BEPS and the global political and media focus on tax.

A range of measures were announced which will aim to provide Ireland with the tax policy infrastructure to compete in a rapidly changing international tax landscape going forward.

With the introduction of the new Knowledge Development Box, expected to be introduced in 2016, there will be scope for companies to further maximise their IP operations in Ireland on an income basis. The Minister has taken a pragmatic approach by announcing a consultative process and allowing the EU’s Business Code of Conduct group to conclude its review of similar regimes around the EU. This provides Ireland with a unique opportunity to deliver a best-in-class regime that is fully compliant with EU law. At Deloitte, we look forward to being an integral part of the consultative process and we believe the regime will provide a credible alternative to the Double Irish and aim to complement the existing onshore IP regime.

The enhancement to Ireland’s onshore IP regime and the R&D tax credit regimes provide opportunities for companies to maximise cash tax benefits available from these regimes. In particular, the removal of the minimum corporate tax and the widening of the definition of IP to include customer lists are particularly welcome. The changes to the minimum corporate tax allows

Joan O’Connor, Partner, Deloitte

for a reduction in the minimum cash tax rate on IP-related profits such that the profits could be sheltered from all tax depending on the facts. The inclusion of customer lists in the definition of IP recognises that IP can constitute a variety of forms and that companies can have substantial value in their customer lists, derived in part from the value of their brands. Importantly, this regime is not subject to any ongoing review by the EU Code of Conduct group.

The enhancement of the R&D regime will provide a welcome cash tax benefit to longstanding R&D operations in Ireland. The tax credit is currently based on the incremental spend in excess of a company’s R&D spend in 2003, however, in a very positive development for both domestic and multinational companies, the Minister announced in the Budget that the base year will be removed from 1st January 2015.

Ireland is considered one of the leading locations for undertaking R&D in the world. Aside from the generous onshore IP and R&D regimes discussed above, Ireland, through its visa system, provides the opportunity for multinationals to recruit talent from the global R&D pool to live and work in Ireland. The development of the indigenous technology sector over 40 years is also attractive to VCs, PEs and multinationals for both funding and making acquisitions in R&D growth companies, as part of a diversified global R&D portfolio.

While the Double Irish structure had been abolished with a six year grandfathering period, the recent announcements by the Minister moved to reassure the international community on Ireland’s ability to foster a continuing environment for doing business while balancing the wider political pressures.

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12/12/2014 13:02

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > NORDEUS

PLAYING TO WIN

> One of the fastest growing video game companies in Europe, Nordeus expanded to Ireland in 2013. BUSINESS IRELAND spoke to Branko Milutinovic, CEI, Nordeus, about the gaming business and his experience of setting up an office in Europe’s new tech capital.

N

ordeus is well known as Eastern Europe’s best employer for the third year in a row and was also awarded Best European Start-up for 2011. The video game company is the product of the enthusiasm of CEI Branko Milutinovic and two friends, who founded the company in 2010. The itch to create something unique and neverbefore-seen in the gaming industry was only part of a transformative experience that led to the programming and publishing of Top Eleven – Be a Football Manager. The decision to make a sports video game was a simple one – most of the team were sports fans as well as keen gamers, and football is one of the most popular sports in the world. Their goal was to build a true cross-platform and multiplayer video game, that could be played seamlessly across different devices.

“I’m really proud that we were the first company to develop a truly crossplatform gaming experience, where you can play on a desktop computer and pick up where you left off on a phone, or start a game on a tablet on public transport and finish it once you reach your home, on a laptop,” says Milutinovic.

In May 2013, Nordeus expanded to

Skopje, Macedonia, and Dublin, joining the new offices with the already established San Francisco and Belgrade branches.

In September 2014, Nordeus achieved a milestone hiring its 150th employee.

Its workforce comprises 20 different nationalities, across its various locations.

“We chose Dublin because of the positive buzz around the city’s tech and IT scene, the fact that many of our partners have offices in Ireland and the chance to access and attract top-class people from the gaming industry,” says Milutinovic. “We managed to build an experienced customer relations team which focuses on providing the best support for our projects and millions of people worldwide.”

Nordeus is also focusing on developing new games outside the field of sports.

This will involve further talent acquisition.

Milutinovic says the Dublin office is international and diverse, and, above all, it’s a fun place to work.

“We have people who are passionate about more than sports and we want to give them an opportunity to build something that they would really enjoy playing, to engage a different audience.”

Nordeus guarantees a great working environment and employee satisfaction through its ‘people first’ policy. “We’ve managed to get 150 amazing people working towards our joint goals.

It’s good to be recognised as a good employer, but the most important thing is to have a workplace where people are smiling, where work is a source of energy. People are the most important resource that Nordeus has,” says Milutinovic.

This philosophy has been so successful that only one employee has ever left voluntarily, despite the numerous offers Nordeus’ employees receive every day.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the team at Nordeus, check out the opportunities at www.nordeus.com/jobs

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12/12/2014 13:03

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > DITA EYEWEAR

Eyewear

FOR ICONS > John Juniper and Jeff Solorio, friends and eyewear connoisseurs, shared a dissatisfaction

with uninspired designer eyewear, leading them to establish DITA Eyewear in 1995. DITA Eyewear Europe was recently established and headquartered in Dublin to serve a growing international market.

T

he founders of DITA Eyewear, John Juniper and Jeff Solorio, are lifelong friends with a shared passion for photography, filmmaking and design. They also shared a belief that eyewear is the most prominent and memorable of all fashion accessories.

Juniper and Solorio founded DITA in Los Angeles in 1995 with the mission to create innovative, finely crafted eyewear with a totally unique look and feel.

The founders and designers cite influences from the glamorous golden age of Hollywood to the mechanised beauty of the Industrial Revolution, and their mission is to enhance and transform a wearer’s persona. They are committed to the four essential properties of style, quality, fit and feel.

For Spring/Summer 2014, each frame was handmade in Japan by master craftsmen in the best factory in the world, dedicated exclusively to producing eyewear. The entire process can take anywhere from eight months to one year from concept to creation. At the unveiling of the Spring/Summer 2014 eyewear collection at opti 2014: the International Trade Show for Optics & Design, co-founder and designer Juniper said: “We’ve always had an appreciation for the sensibilities of the 1960s, a time when icons like JFK, Steve McQueen and Jackie O were synonymous with eyewear – what we consider to be the most important accessory.”

Solorio continued: “We wanted to resurrect the integrity of this era by dedicating the past year and a half to curating a new offering of timeless classics.”

DITA Eyewear has earned a cultlike following amongst the world’s

Founders of DITA Eyewear Jeff Solorio and John Juniper

most influential celebrities, stylists and trendsetters, including the likes of Heidi Klum, Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, Johnny Depp, Beyonce, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Robert Downey Jr., David Beckham, and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few.

DITA Eyewear is one of the last independent eyewear makers in the world. Globally recognised for innovative design, craftsmanship and subtle insignia, Solorio and Juniper blend sartorial elegance with modern sensibilities. Production is a costly and laborious combination of traditional and modern techniques and technologies to transform the world’s finest metals and acetates into luxurious eyewear. In 2013, the brand won the coveted Silmo d’Or ‘Frames category’.

The name DITA is printed on every frame as the brand’s ongoing pledge to innovative design, incomparable quality and passionate authenticity.

WE WANTED TO RESURRECT THE INTEGRITY OF THIS ERA

BY DEDICATING THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF TO CURATING A NEW OFFERING OF TIMELESS CLASSICS.” The new DITA dispatch will only be carried at the world’s finest retail destinations and optical stores including: Barneys New York, Colette, Dover Street Market, Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Fred Segal, Aloha Rag, Lane Crawford and Restir as well as flagship stores in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Tokyo.

DITA Eyewear is available in Optica, Dawson Street and Paul Gill Opticians, Dalkey. @DITAeyewear www.dita.com

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12/12/2014 17:55

Ambitious for your business? So are we.

With a full local banking operation and international banking service, we are here to help you achieve those ambitions.

Eddie Cullen and his sector specialist teams are on hand to help you.

Call: 01 608 4000, email: cib@ulsterbank.com or visit www.ulsterbank.ie/corporate

Transmission Banking Services

$170m Private Placement – Joint Agent

Term and Working Capital Facilities

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Ulster Bank Ireland Limited. A private company limited by shares, trading as Ulster Bank, Ulster Bank Group and Banc Uladh. Registered in Republic of Ireland.

Registered No 25766. Registered Office: Ulster Bank Group Centre, George’s Quay, Dublin 2. A member of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc. Ulster Bank Ireland Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Calls may be recorded.

www.linkedin.com/company/ulster-bank

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@ulsterbank

12/12/2014 13:04

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT > ULSTER BANK

RELATIONSHIPS

THAT LAST

> Ulster Bank’s Foreign Direct Investment Team is growing, which is reflective of the growth in the sector. Lisa Taggart, Relationship Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Ulster Bank talks to BUSINESS IRELAND about building and maintaining strong international relationships.

U

lster Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland, returned to profitability in 2014 and recently reported its third consecutive profitable quarter. RBS also confirmed the group’s commitment to Ireland and Ulster Bank’s strategic importance to its business. RBS is present in over 35 countries and the international arm makes Ulster Bank an attractive choice for companies investing in Ireland.

“We’re a full service bank operating in the local market. We are an Irish bank, but we have a more global offering given the structure we have with RBS,” says Lisa Taggart, Relationship Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking.

“That can be anything from giving access to RBS products, such as more sophisticated hedging or derivative products, or an international cash management system.

“Ireland is very much seen as the gateway to begin establishing European operations. Some companies may set up subsidiaries in other European countries, or the Asia-Pacific region, and we can assist them with their banking relationships in numerous markets. For example, we can provide international

Ulster Bank Foreign Direct Investment Team: Darren Brennan, Lisa Taggart, Stephen Masterson, Yvonne Kennedy

From left to right Yvonne Kennedy, Stephen Masterson, Lisa Taggart, (all Ulster Bank), Barry O’Dowd, Aimee Williams, Kathleen Bohan, (all IDA Ireland) at Ulster Bank and IDA Ireland’s ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ event.

cash pooling solutions and arrangements, which is a very efficient use of working capital.

“Our engagement with our RBS colleagues also gives us the opportunity to promote Ireland as a country in which to establish and grow operations.

We’re all working towards the same goal, supporting economic growth and job creation” says Taggart.

Ulster Bank is the only Irish bank that is part of the international banking network, IBOS, which can simplify processes for incoming businesses. “Silicon Valley Bank is one of the members, so if and when Silicon Valley Bank has a customer coming to Ireland, which they have plenty of, we are their partner here and there is an agreed simplified, account opening process,” explains Taggart. “We can get accounts opened for their clients before they come to Ireland or immediately when they get here.”

Efficiency and an ease of doing

business is invaluable to companies coming to Ireland. Ulster Bank also has a full retail offering and a process for setting up personal banking for a company’s personnel before they have a permanent address. Taggart says customers really appreciate this service as they focus on setting up operations.

Aside from attracting and acquiring business, Ulster Bank is committed to building networks for new and existing businesses. Together with IDA Ireland, Ulster Bank has hosted ‘Meet Your Neighbours’, a series of networking events aimed at connecting companies, at their headquarters in Georges Quay.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet the new companies, but what has really struck me is how dynamic it has become,” says Taggart. “No longer is it just about tax – it’s about the dynamism, the eco-system and the environment that we have here. People like coming to Dublin and Ireland.”

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“The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.”

- Elbert Hubbard

At Tomkins, our service ethos maximises the value of our clients’ business through the provision of cohesive IP strategies delivered by our accomplished team of technology and business professionals.

THINK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. THINK TOMKINS.

Tomkins, 5 Dartmouth Road, Dublin 6, Ireland.

T: + 353 1 202 6700 | F: + 353 1 660 6920 | post@tomkins.com

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12/12/2014 13:05

PENSIONS FEATURE > IRISH LIFE CORPORATE BUSINESS

TOO LITTLE,

TOO LATE

> How do you ensure your company’s pension plan delivers? David Harney, Managing Director, Irish Life Corporate Business tells BUSINESS IRELAND.

M

any companies in Ireland provide a company pension plan for employees but, in a lot of cases, the plan in place is not delivering what it’s supposed to – a decent income for people to live on in retirement. At Irish Life, we know this because we recently compiled a report examining the main factors affecting outcomes for employees at retirement.

The full report can be viewed in the news section of www. irishlifecorporatebusiness.ie. However, two of the key findings were that:

PEOPLE SAVE TOO LITTLE TOWARDS THEIR RETIREMENT The average contribution rate (including employer and employee contributions) for a Defined Contribution (DC) member is only 10.3 per cent of salary. We estimate that this level of contribution will result in an insufficient pension to provide a comfortable standard of living at retirement. We project that this level of contributions will provide members with a replacement income of 17 per cent of their salary in retirement, or 43 per cent of salary when the State Pension is also taken into account.

retirement. To illustrate this, if somebody joins a pension scheme at age 35, we estimate that their pension pot at retirement is about 18 per cent lower than if they’d started five years earlier at age 30. The potential pension pot at retirement is significantly impacted the later people start saving. This also then requires members to pay in more as retirement approaches in order to build up a sufficient fund.

At Irish Life, we’re focusing on putting the structures in place to help improve these outcomes for employees.

From an employer’s point of view, taking actions such as putting in place an auto-enrollment system where employees automatically join their company’s pension plan, or offering automatic-increase mechanisms where contributions increase at set stages, will encourage higher contributions and

lead to improved outcomes.

From the member’s point of view, we’ve focused over the last few years on providing market-leading, engaging communications which clearly set out a member’s current pension situation and whether they are on track for the pension we believe is adequate for them. We’ve developed a comprehensive, easy-to-use online portal, with accompanying smartphone apps, which allow members to constantly keep track of their current pension situation and what their situation is likely to be at retirement.

Focusing on increasing engagement amongst employees will lead to those employees valuing the benefit of their company pension planmore and contributing more towards their plan. This will ultimately lead to better member outcomes at retirement.

PEOPLE DON’T START SAVING INTO THEIR PENSION AT AN EARLY ENOUGH AGE Starting in a pension plan early, when coupled with a meaningful contribution, is important in order to build up an adequate pension fund at retirement.

Our report found that the average age that people start contributing to their DC company pension plan is 37. This does not give people enough time to build up their pension fund before

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12/12/2014 17:54

BI SURVEY > KPMG

Going for

GROWTH > Although more women are setting up businesses in Ireland, there is still significant untapped potential. Going for Growth is an initiative to give female entrepreneurs a unique peer learning environment with a focus on growth.

O

ver 12,000 women in Ireland are setting up new businesses each year, but there is potential for more: just one in three Irish females has a positive view of her entrepreneurial capabilities and fewer women than men indicate significant growth ambitions for their businesses, (GEM Report 2013).

There is a clear requirement for business development initiatives for female entrepreneurs in Ireland.

One such initiative, Going for Growth, provides a unique peer learning environment for women entrepreneurs with a focus on growth goals and defined milestones.

PEER SUPPORT Up to eight participants are selected by a Lead Entrepreneur to join her at a round table. Lead Entrepreneurs act as role models for the participants and share knowledge and experience with them on a voluntary basis. Lead Entrepreneurs taking part in the next Going for Growth programme include: Áine Denn, The TAS Group; Heather Reynolds, Eishtec; Miriam Byrne, City Analysts; Nikki Evans, Perfect Card Ltd; Siofra Flood, formerly of Swrve; and Susan Spence, SoftCo. Selection is competitive: successful applicants need to demonstrate significant aspirations for growth and should be working full time on the business, located in the Republic of Ireland. It is expected that the business will have been trading for at least two years. In exceptional cases, applications will be considered from those who have been trading for a shorter period, but those applicants must demonstrate that the business is highly innovative, has taken substantial time to develop

Four participants from the sixth cycle at the 2014 National Forum. Julie Currid, Induction Manager, Barbara Anne Murphy, Equilume, Yvonne Brady, EVB Sport Shorts & Fiona Egan, Sasta Fitness.

and has significant growth potential.

The programme, which involves a time commitment of one half day a month for six months, is free of charge to suitable applicants.

Six programmes have been completed since the pilot in 2009 and over 350 women entrepreneurs from all over the country and involved in a diverse range of businesses, have been supported.

Paula Fitzsimons, National Director and Founder of Going for Growth, says Irish women have the talent and spirit to succeed: “The Going for Growth initiative has been funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Justice and Equality under the Equality for Women Measure and by Enterprise Ireland. In making Going for Growth available to ambitious women entrepreneurs in 2015, we are delighted to welcome KPMG as a new sponsor. Women entrepreneurs need encouragement and support to develop their businesses to their full growth

potential. Going for Growth is designed to do just that by assisting them to fully exploit their entrepreneurial talent.”

Speaking about KPMG’s sponsorship of the programme, Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner of KPMG, said: “KPMG is delighted to be associated with the current Going for Growth programme to encourage female entrepreneurship. Ireland’s economy and prosperity is highly dependent on dynamic entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurs have a major role to play in delivering the economic benefits and job creation opportunities that successful businesses can bring.”

Going for Growth is calling for applicants for 60 funded places on its next programme, supported by KPMG, which gets underway in January 2015. Female entrepreneurs interested in applying can access information and register their interest at www.goingforgrowth.com

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15/12/2014 10:27

BI SURVEY > ESRI IRELAND

‘What’ is the Question?

‘Where’ is the Answer > Business success in the current era of data overload requires better information combined with better analytics. But what is better? The answer is location, writes Paul Synnott, Country Manager, Esri Ireland.

W

hen you put ‘where’ in your business, a new world of understanding opens. Location and place matters. It fundamentally influences and connects how we do business. Location is fundamental to all aspects of business, from deciding where to locate a new store to optimising a supply chain or creating more engaged marketing campaigns that resonate with your best customers. Companies have used geographic information systems for decades to analyse, visualise, and understand location information and make more informed business decisions.

Location-based data analytics reveal the ‘where’ in corporate data. Now, organisations can use location to add new insight by unlocking the geographic context of their business system. It extends the value of traditional data analytics applications such as Microsoft Office, IBM Cognos, SAP, Salesforce.com or MicroStrategy. Managers, executives, and frontline staff can all use location analytics and map data for everything from Business Intelligence (BI) to Customer Relationship Management (CRM); from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to Enterprise Asset Management (EAM); from real estate planning to field work force management and from risk management to operational awareness. All by using the power of location and place.

This helps businesses unearth relationships, patterns, and trends that would otherwise remain buried. The result is access to more complete information and analysis at every level to help better understand business performance. By not utilising the ‘where’ that is contained in their data, businesses may only be getting

half the picture, and could be losing ground to the competition.

‘Where’ provides deeper insights, so that you can see your business data in new and provocative ways.

Location-based data analytics lets you visually explore and craft business Paul Synnott, Country Manager, Esri Ireland intelligence far beyond putting dots on a map. For type of decision. When you tap into example, insurance companies perform demographics, lifestyle, business, and location-based risk assessment that weather data, you create a more accurate in turn informs our premiums. In this and actionable plan for success. For way, they use geography to identify example, retailers can analyse and localise relationships and patterns that charts and marketing effectiveness and add real-time graphs simply don’t reveal. visualisations of their market share and ‘Where’ facilitates more powerful target audiences when they need them. information via map-driven analysis, Healthcare can identify chronic illness providing a new way to tackle an old and pandemic patterns such as with the problem — how to query and manipulate recent and ongoing Ebola crisis. data. For example, businesses can ‘Where’ enables big data, only better, by instantly see where to maximise their allowing companies take back control of investments, thus reducing the risk their big data holdings. No matter the size associated with investment decisions. and complexity of data, businesses can They do this by asking new questions make the difficult easy and the complex and getting precise answers. Financial consumable when they employ locationinstitutions manage loan books, liability based data analytics. Location and place and risk to better understand consumer brings it together by exposing geographic behaviour and inform new consumer patterns, finding spatial relationships, services. Transport companies can preforming predictive modelling and optimise their routes to reduce operational mapping consumer sentiment through costs and ensure a more cost-effective social media. and efficient delivery service for their Knowing where things happen gives customers. real meaning and value to your business ‘Where’ delivers richer understanding to data, demonstrating that not only is ensure that businesses get the complete ‘where’ the answer but, in this fast moving picture. Geo-Enrichment allows you world of commercial activity, it’s fast to take advantage of location in every becoming the only answer that matters.

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Motori n g | Wi n ter E s s e nt ia ls | Tra v e l B rie f s | B e e r | Gad g ets

In

PLUGGED Will Mitsubishi’s hybrid SUV prove to be a game changer?

CONOR FORREST takes one for a charge and a test drive.

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LIFESTYLE: MOTORING

eet the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle for us mere mortals), a 4WD that can take you through a rough, muddy field with zero emissions. That’s thanks to the combination of a 2.0L petrol engine with a battery offering electric range of around 50km. It’s like a Nissan Leaf you can herd sheep with.

Available with five seats from a41,950, the Outlander PHEV is an incredibly easy to use vehicle. Three drive modes are available; electric power only – to drive the front and rear motors, a mixture of electric power with assistance from the engine, and parallel hybrid – the engine provides the power with a boost when needed from the electric motors. If it seems like it’s all getting a little complicated, don’t worry – the car takes care of this for you. You can also choose to hold the battery’s charge, ideal if you’re on the way into an urban environment. The hybrid aspect works best

for these short journeys – driving in around Dublin city we used no fuel at all, and regenerative braking helps recharge the battery.

A full charge at home will take around 4.5 hours, while a quick charge will give you 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes. There’s also a third method which uses the engine to charge the battery – 80 per cent capacity in 40 minutes. Do it at home on the nightsaver rates and you could fully charge the battery for around a1.40. Though it’s relatively comfortable on all road surfaces, it steers quite well (a little heavy at lower speeds) and there’s acres of grip at hand. We do have a few quibbles, however.

The media centre is a little cluttered, and could do with a few options to distract the eye. And, for the price, the trim isn’t quite worth it – there’s a relatively basic feel to it, although a few options like comfortable, heated seats, automatic headlights and voice control are welcome additions.

The PHEV is probably

at its most attractive as a commercial vehicle, or as part of a fleet. Besides the reduced fuel costs and emissions, companies can write off the purchase against their profit levels when buying “qualifying energy efficient equipment.”

Having said that, it works quite well as a family car too – plenty of space front and back, with a large boot too.

The Outlander PHEV comes in two styles – Instense+ and Instyle which retail at a41,950 and a47,450 respectively and is probably the best hybrid option for Irish roads. It’s rugged and pleasant to drive regardless of the weather, well able for Ireland’s mixture of (relatively) smooth surfaced motorways and the more uneven national and B roads.

Range anxiety is eliminated by in-journey charging and a petrol engine, and it’s only a2,000 more than the regular diesel equivalent.

Is it a game changer?

Hard to say. But one thing’s for sure – it’s well ahead of the game.

The first 4WD hybrid SUV offers 50km of electric range.

Battery and petrol range are located on the instrument cluster.

With 4WD capabilities, the Outlander PHEV is fit for on and off the road.

STATS TO KNOW

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12/12/2014 17:53

LIFESTYLE: MOTORING

Cherokee CONOR FORREST took the new Jeep Cherokee for a test drive and discovered a car built for comfort rather than performance.

PARTS

CAR

Thrill

NINE LIVES FOR AUDI? We’ve driven Audi’s A8, which sits atop Audi’s regular car pile. But that could be about to change. Meet the Audi prologue, which we could easily see slotting into the Audi line-up as a newly introduced A9. A two door coupe concept car, it’s a mixture of power, comfort and surprising efficiency. Powered by a 4.0L V8 TFSI engine, the prologue produces 605hp and 750Nm of torque, propelling it to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds. Better get used to the scenery passing by in a blur.

Interestingly, it also has all-wheel steering – the back wheels can turn up to five degrees, which means piloting the behemoth gets a little easier. If this is the prologue, we can’t wait for the full story.

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LIFESTYLE: MOTORING

Looking at the new Jeep Cherokee, you sense a coming together of past and present. The iconic front grille is still there, but has been pulled over the bonnet somewhat, the boxier shape and simple headlamps replaced by flowing curves and aggressive daytime running lights.

Stitched into the leather steering wheel, which features voice activation control, is the phrase ‘Since 1941’. It’s likely a divisive overhaul in the looks department, but you really need to see it in the flesh before you make up your mind.

Our test version was the Limited 2.0L turbo diesel with FWD and 138hp, married to a six speed manual gearbox.

You can also get 4x4 versions of the Cherokee with either 140hp (six speed) or 170hp (nine speed auto). Once you get behind the wheel, you’ll quickly realise that it’s a car built for comfort rather than performance. Max speed is 187, 0-100km/h takes 10.9 seconds (which, to be honest, feels a little sluggish). Annual road tax is a280, given CO2 emissions of 139g/km, and we averaged a combined 6.5L/100km (43mpg). It’s a little jumpy on the road at low speeds, particularly when moving off in first gear, but independent front and rear suspensions result in a smoother ride and decent handling when you get moving.

Equipment levels are one of the Cherokee’s strongest aspects. The basic

Longitude trim level offers some fancy gear including a touchscreen media centre, rear park assist and LED daytime running lights. The next step up is Limited, which adds a bigger media centre, rain sensitive wipers, keyless entry, privacy glass, automatic headlights, heated and cooled seats and quite a bit more.

The Cherokee is obviously designed with the family in mind too. There’s plenty of storage space spread across the cabin, lots of headroom front and back, and four adults comfortably fit inside. The boot measures 591 litres and can be extended to 714 by pushing the rear seats forward. With the seats folded flat, you’ll find yourself with 1,267L of room. It’s also one of the safest vehicles to drive on the road. With more than 70 safety features including forward collision warning with crash mitigation (which uses radar to help avoid or limit the impact of a crash), park assist and a reversing camera, the Cherokee was awarded five stars by EuroNCAP. Prices start from a36,000 for the Longtitude 2.0L 4x2 model, and rise to a50,900 for the 170hp automatic 4x4 version with several options in between.

Given the choice, we’d opt for the latter.

The extra Limited toys are nice, and then there’s the increased power and offroad capabilities – where the Jeep was originally born to roam.

DIGGING FOR SPEED

Imitation isn’t always flattery Jaguar Land Rover were understandably a little peeved when they discovered that a Chinese company had produced a carbon copy of the Range Rover Evoque and displayed it at the Guangzhou Motor Show 2014. At the same event, Land Rover displayed their first Chinese-built Evoque. You have to at least admire their brass neck. While a genuine Evoque will cost £40,000, the LandWind X7 is the equivalent of only £14,000. China is JLR’s biggest market, and sold more than 90,000 vehicles there last year. We’d be a little angry too.

It’s official – JCB have the fastest digger in the world. Built in Staffordshire, the specially-modified JCB GT vehicle broke the record at Bathurst, near Sydney, Australia, confirmed by Guinness World Records as 72.58mph. That’s quite impressive when you think about it – we’ve driven cars which had trouble getting past 60. JCB invented the popular machine in 1953, and sold more than half a million over the past 61 years. JCB’s demonstration driver, 43year old Matthew Lucas, was behind the wheel of the modified version, which was designed to perform high-speed wheelies at racing events. That’s not a typo. Just don’t expect to see a repeat performance next time you drive past a building site.

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12/12/2014 13:21

LIFESTYLE: WINTER ESSENTIALS

TRENDING [FOR HIM]

WINTER

Smith and Canova leather messenger bag

205 at Littlewoods

ESSENTIALS Want to know what to read, hear or attend this season? Let BUSINESS IRELAND be your guide.

[FOR HER]

Pour La Victoire Inez Carryall rouge multi

435 at Arnotts

READ

You Are Here

By Chris Hadfield In You Are Here, bestselling author and celebrated astronaut Chris Hadfield creates a virtual orbit of Earth, giving us the really big picture: this is our home, from space. The millions of us who followed Hadfield’s news-making Twitter feed from the ISS thought we knew what we were looking at when we first saw his photos. But we may have caught the beauty and missed the full meaning. Now, in this book of photographs from the International Space Station – many of which have never been shared – Hadfield unveils a fresh and insightful look at our planet. He sees astonishing detail and importance in these images, not just because he’s spent months in space but because his in-depth knowledge of geology, geography, and meteorology allows him to reveal the photos’ mysteries. Available in hardback for 19.99.

LISTEN

Tough Love Jessie Ware Two years on from Jessie Ware’s top-five, Mercurynominated debut Devotion, there are no signs of a difficult second album in Tough Love.

The cool London lady continues in much the same vein that she signed off in back in 2012 – minimalist, atmospheric and sophisticated. What really caught the public’s attention was her single Wildest Moments, a video for which delivered a masterclass in stylish simplicity. While there is no song on Tough Love to match the one which served as most people’s introduction to Ware, there are some gems among the eleven tracks. Tough Love finds her venturing just far enough out of her comfort zone to breathe new life into her sound. Highglights include Kind Of… Sometimes…Maybe, You & I (Forever) and Sweetest Song.

ATTEND

Temple Bar Tradfest 28 January – 1 February 2015

This festival started out in 2005 as a small niche traditional music festival but in the subsequent decade, it has grown into a festival showcasing the cream of both Irish and international trad and folk artists while also providing a platform to promote the next generation of Irish musicianship.

The festival has grown from modest beginnings (just 500 tickets in the first year) to having 8,000 tickets sold in 2014. The event has grown in musical breadth too, with a line-up that now appeals to the purist and the merely curious alike.

TradFest offers concert goers unique opportunities to experience live music in some of Dublin’s most historic places; from the breathtaking nave of St Patrick’s Cathedral to the grandeur of City Hall. For further details see www.templebartrad.com

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LIFESTYLE: TRAVEL BRIEFS

AER LINGUS ANNOUNCES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO CORNWALL

TRAVEL

Aer Lingus regional has announced a new, five-times weekly service from Dublin to Cornwall, launching on May 1st 2015. The airline, operated by Stobart Air, is targeting 20,000 passengers for the first year of the route – which will be Ireland’s only direct flight to Cornwall. Passengers will depart Dublin Airport and land at Newquay Cornwall Airport.

BRIEFS

BUSINESS IRELAND explores where’s hot, where’s not and what’s new in travel for both business and pleasure.

PASSENGER NUMBERS UP 10% AT DUBLIN AIRPORT

Quick guide to

Almost 2 million passengers used Dublin Airport in October, which was a 10 per cent increase on the same month last year. Passenger volumes to and from continental Europe increased by 7 per cent during the month, as almost 1 million passengers travelled to European destinations in October. Just over 700,000 passengers travelled to UK destinations during October, a 9 per cent increase compared to October last year.

ALBANIA

It may not be the likely destination for most, but voted among the Lonely Planet’s best value destinations in Europe, Albania has plenty to offer. And it seems that the once secretive Communist country is now witnessing a surge in tourists landing on its shores. The country’s national statistics office, INSTAT, reported an increase in foreign visitor numbers of 24.9 per cent from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014.

Here’s a quick guide on what to do if you find yourself in the Balkan state:

HOXHA BUNKER

Albania’s major Cold War-era bunker recently opened to the public ahead of the country’s WWII liberation day in November. The massive bunker, built in the 1970s by the regime of dictator Enver Hoxha, is located near the capital Tirana. It has five storeys, 106 rooms and a hall with 200 seats.

IOANIAN COASTLINE

Long a backpacker magnet, the Ioanian coastline has become a bit pricey and crowded in parts, as new roads and hotels appear along what is certainly some of Southern Europe’s most beautiful coastline. But there are still bargains to be had in places like Vuno and Drymades.

TIRANA

Lively, colourful Tirana is the beating heart of Albania, and the city is now unrecognisable from its Communist past. Its buildings are painted in horizontal primary colours, and the public squares and pedestrianised streets a pleasure to wander.

Loud, crazy, colourful and dusty – Tirana is anything but dull.

BERAT

A highlight on any trip to Albania is a visit to beautiful Berat.

The town boasts a collection of white Ottoman houses climbing up the hill to its castle, earning it the title of ‘town of a thousand windows’ and a place on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites in 2008.

EMIRATES APP Building on the successful launch of The Emirates App for iPad earlier this year, Emirates airline has now increased its mobile presence with the launch of The Emirates App for iPhone on the App Store. Already the most popular travel app in 25 countries, The Emirates App for iPhone has enhanced features such as the ability to check-in and download their boarding pass directly to Passbook.

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LIFESTYLE: TRAVEL BRIEFS

2015

DESTINATIONS With 2014 coming to a close, many travel experts are compiling their lists of the up and coming destinations for the New Year.

Here we look at 10 top travel destinations in 2015 as chosen by World of Wanderlust.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia & Herzegovina remains one of the few countries in Europe under the radar, which makes it all the more attractive.

BELGRADE SERBIA

Belgrade is one of Europe’s most underrated cities, particularly in summer.

TASMANIA AUSTRALIA

Tasmania has the world’s cleanest air, friendly locals, untouched wilderness and some of the world’s best hiking trails.

OMAN

A great place to experience the Middle East in all its authenticity, culture and traditions.

NEW ZEALAND

With its relatively untouched wilderness and Lord of the Rings publicity, New Zealand remains a top pick for many travellers.

NICARAGUA

Go Retro!

When in Rome...

Located in the heart of Rome and just a stone’s throw away from the Coloseum, the Retrome Vintage Boutique Hotel, is an award-winning concept property offering mid-century, vintage-styled guestrooms and apartment units. You’ll struggle to get a better location when staying in the capital, however the main attraction offered by this hotel is the interior retro concept which pays homage to the golden era of Italian cinema and design. All rooms have their own unique design and feature a private en-suite bathroom, 32-inch LCD TV, DVD, along with free WiFi internet and air conditioning. The reception and lounge area boast a fantastic vintage look and comfortable atmosphere where you can relax after a long day, enjoy a complimentary Italian espresso and get all the information you need from the welcoming staff. Be warned though, so cool is the interior decor, you may not want to leave the premises! For further information visit www.retrome.net

Nicaragua is quickly becoming Central America’s must-visit destination, with so much to offer long and short-term travellers.

MOROCCO

From Marrakech to Fez, Morocco is here to stay as one of the world’s most intriguing countries for travellers.

ATACAMA DESERT CHILE

This is the world’s driest desert, home to cactus, salt flats, and so much more to be discovered.

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI

South Africa is really embracing tourism and offers some of the best wildlife watching in Africa.

MADAGASCAR

This might be a bit off the beaten track but the wildlife alone will make it worth the trip.

CUBA

Modernisation is bound to hit the shores of Cuba sooner or later which is why it’s a mustvisit destination for 2015.

For further details on the above list visit www.worldofwanderlust.com

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LIFESTYLE: BEER

BEER BUSINESS BUSINESS IRELAND looks at all things related to good beer.

BUSINESS IRELAND’s

TOP 5 OFF-LICENCES

in Dublin to get good beer

Drink Store Stoneybatter

CRAFT SECTOR REPORT PUBLISHED Minister Simon Coveney joined Ireland’s leading craft brewers and industry influencers to launch the first official development and economic impact report on microbreweries in Ireland. The report was commissioned by the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI) and some of the key findings include: • There are 33 microbreweries operating in Ireland, the majority of which are microbreweries engaged in their own production. At least 17 other microbreweries are at development stage.

• Production of beer by microbreweries grew by 32 per cent by volume in 2013 and is set to grow by at least 45 per cent in 2014.

• Employment in craft brewing has almost doubled since 2011. It is estimated that at current production levels, microbreweries that are in operation are employing 153 persons in all.

• The micro-brewing industry is widely dispersed throughout the country. By end of 2014, there will be microbreweries in operation in 21 of the 26 counties.

SMITHWICK’S GETS IN THE WINTER SPIRIT It’s not exactly craft beer but Smithwick’s Winter Spirit – the limited edition seasonal brew – might be the closest thing you’ll get in some pubs this Christmas. Part of Smithwick’s Seasonal Ales range, this dark Irish ale is not a bad choice if you’re limited to the big brands. Smithwick’s were quick to jump on the craft ‘bandwagon’ with the introduction of their Pale Ale, leaving the likes of Diageo and Heineken pondering why they left it so late. Limited Edition Winter Spirit Brew is available in 500ml bottles priced at a2.59 RRP. ABV: 4.5%

Martin’s Off-Licence Fairview

McHugh’s Off-Licence Kilbarrack Road

Probus Wines

Fenian Street, Dublin 2

Redmonds Off-Licence Ranelagh

BEER OF THE QUARTER:

BREWDOG’S SANTA PAWS One thing about brewers – they love a bandwagon. As a result there are whole host of ‘Christmas ales’ on the shelves.

Some are better than others, but well worth a spot alongside the turkey on your dinner table on the 25th is Brewdog’s Brewdog’s Santa Paws and Hoppy Christmas superbly named Santa Paws. At just 4.5%, Santa Paws should ensure you’re not swearing at the in-laws before the starters are over, but the aniseed undertones are strong enough to warm your Christmas cockles. Santa Paws is brewed in the Scotch ale style, so there are plenty of honey notes, with hints of chocolate, treacle and raisins thrown in for good measure.

(Price a2.60)

A CANDID MOVE BY METALMAN Metalman Brewing called it ‘C-Day’. Following months of planning, the Waterford beer producers’ canning line arrived at the brewery. Three crates of the new cans sailed all the way from Canada to Cork, and finally found their way to Waterford in early November. The move makes Metalman the first microbrewery in Ireland to begin canning its product. Watch this space on when to expect to see them on offlicence shelves.

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LIFESTYLE: GADGETS

TECH

Looking for gadget gift ideas for Christmas?

BUSINESS IRELAND selects its top picks for all budgets.

TIMEOUT UNDER

50 Gloves with touchscreen fingertips.

PRICE: 14.99

AVAILABLE: Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide

UNDER

150

Yahoo has struck a deal with Firefox maker Mozilla to replace Google as the default search engine on the Firefox web browser in the US.

BUY 2, GET 3RD FREE

Kitsound mini speakers Robin/Rudolph.

PRICE: 14.99

Lava 7” Tablet PRICE: 99.99

TECH TALK

AVAILABLE: Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide

Denmark has overtaken South Korea as the world’s top country for mobile phone and internet use, according to a study by the International Telecommunication Union.

Samsung Electronics has announced plans to reduce the number of smartphone models it issues next year by up to one-third as it tries to cut prices in the face of intense Chinese competition.

AVAILABLE: Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide

Publisher Hachette and online retailing giant Amazon said they have reached a deal to end their dispute over online book sales.

Huawei B1 AVAILABLE: Carphone Talkband PRICE: 119.99

Warehouse stores nationwide

BLOW THE BUDGET

Samsung Note 4 PRICE: From 599.99 AVAILABLE: Carphone Warehouse’s Samsung Experience Stores

iPhone 6 PRICE: From 679.99 679.99 AVAILABLE: Carphone Warehouse on all networks

Samsung Gear 2 Neo AVAILABLE: PRICE: 199.99 

Carphone Warehouse’s Samsung Experience Stores

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Q&A

on a

BUSINESS IRELAND caught up with Paul Carroll, Business Development Director of CPL Resources plc, a busy bat out of hell who has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

What business is in your diary today?

Your dream holiday?

It’s a busy Monday, we have just appointed Mairead Griffin to head up our HR Recruitment practice, whom I am meeting later. I am also meeting one of our RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) clients to discuss extending our offer to include all their professional contract and temporary staff.

I was very lucky to have followed the Green Dragon around the world in the Volvo 70 Ocean Race and to get to stay and feel part of the sailing team. I would love to do that again.

The business person you most admire?

Last music purchase?

That’s easy, my wife Anne Heraty who is CPL founder and CEO. I also admire the leaders of multinationals who do so much work to bring jobs to Ireland, such as Martin Murphy of Hewlett Packard.

I am back into vinyl and I recently purchased the Horslips album Short Stories - Tall Tales in a little shop on Fade Street.

The actor that would play you in a film?

Last holiday?

By playing golf badly in the Castle.

Advice you wish you’d been given years ago?

Favourite food?

The egg white omelet in Voila on Baggot Street.

Florida.

Last concert?

I was privileged to have two great bosses in previous jobs. They both advised me to slow down. Great advice. I will take it soon!

Jimmy Smyth and Donal Kirk at JJ Smyths.

A start-up you’d invest in?

A teleporter.

The one item you’d bring to a desert island?

Brendan Gleeson when he uses his grumpy look.

How do you switch off?

Favourite sports?

I love them all but golf and rugby would feature most.

You’re Taoiseach for a day, what one thing would you do?

I am involved in a new company called iHeed Institute, which provides online training for Healthcare Professionals.

The soundtrack to your life?

Your first car?

The book you couldn’t put down?

I would spend my time promoting Ireland as the location to find the best staff in the world. I would double the tax allowance on charitable contributions and I would encourage more tourists to visit and see the great architecture of Merrion Square.

A Volvo 340. I loved it but watched it rust away in front of my eyes.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Something you’d like to plug?

Your current car?

The item of clothing that owes you nothing?

My friend and I turned 50 this year and we both bought a Porsche.

Meat Loaf’s Bat out of Hell.

My red shoes!

I am on the council of the Friends of St Luke’s and am always looking for people to support our great charity.

Get in touch – www.friendsofstlukes.ie

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PROFILES, VIEWS AND NEWS FROM SOME OF IRELAND’S LEADING FIRMS

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234060_1C_IrishJobs_CMD_BIRL.pdf

1

21/11/2014

10:42

finding good people doesn’t have to be hard work

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tel: +353 1 670 9900 12/12/2014 13:09

BUSINESS IRELAND: Guide to HR & Recruitment Services

IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR 2015?

Christopher Paye, General Manager, IrishJobs.ie shares his positive outlook on the year ahead with BUSINESS IRELAND. 2015 IS SHAPING UP TO BE A GREAT YEAR for Irish companies, and a great year for Irish candidates, according to Ireland’s number one recruitment website IrishJobs.ie.

“The more robust economic environment will tip the balance in favour of jobseekers and companies will have to work harder at finding, attracting and keeping talent,” says Christopher Paye, General Manager of IrishJobs.ie.

Ireland is tipped to have the fastest growing economy in Europe over the next 12 months.

According to the most recent economic forecast

The more robust economic environment will tip the balance in favour of jobseekers and companies

will have to work harder at finding, attracting and keeping talent.

from the European Commission, Ireland will have an impressive growth rate of 4.6 per cent compared to the EU average of 1.3 per cent.

This coincides with the Irish unemployment rate falling to a five-year low of 11 per cent, so it seems there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the year ahead.

IrishJobs.ie has been working in the Irish job market for almost 20 years. Paye says when the economy improves, it is always recruitment businesses, such as IrishJobs.ie, that experience it first.

“We’ve definitely seen indicators of improvements in the Irish economy throughout 2014. We have had one of the busiest years of recent times with more companies joining us on site and existing clients increasing the number of jobs they are advertising.

Applications are up 40 per cent year on year, showing the eagerness of jobseekers to find their next opportunity, and our renewal rate recently hit 97 per cent. The job market is buoyant and it certainly feels like everyone is getting ready to hire in 2015.”

As the experts in online recruitment in Ireland,

IrishJobs.ie track and monitor the Irish job market, publishing a quarterly job index. The most recent index recorded a two per cent increase in the number of jobs posted online in the last 12 months and a four per cent increase quarter on quarter, with jobs in IT, science/pharma, hotel/ catering and construction doing particularly well.

IrishJobs.ie works with businesses of all sizes; multinationals, Irish companies, SMEs and startups. Over 900 companies, across all industry sectors, find the right people for their roles using IrishJobs.ie. Companies such Apple, Amazon, Paypal, Bank of Ireland, Kerry Group, Bank of Ireland and Zurich use IrishJobs.ie to recruit, and the online platform logs over 1.2 million visits per month from active job seekers.

With a resurgence in recruitment expected in the year ahead, inevitably more companies will vie with each other to hire the best. However, sometimes companies need to look outside of Ireland to find the skills they need to help their business grow.

Paye says IrishJobs.ie can help. “Our expertise

Christopher Paye, General Manager, IrishJobs.ie isn’t confined to Ireland.

As Ireland’s number one recruitment website, we are members of an international federation of recruitment websites.

If you want to recruit in France, Germany, India or Brazil, then we can make that happen. No language barriers, no time zone issues, no fuss. Candidates and companies alike can look forward to the next 12 months. Now is the time for HR managers to prepare for a busy, exciting and positive 2015,” concludes Paye.

To find out more about advertising on IrishJobs.ie email advertise@irishjobs.ie or call on 01 670 9900

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Great IT Staff

doesn’t have to be this hard to find

We know IT DUBLIN OFFICE: 2ND FLOOR, THE COURTYARD, CARMANHALL ROAD, SANDYFORD, DUBLIN 18 T +353 1652 0652 E itjobs@real.ie

Follow us:

I.T. RECRUITMENT EXPERTS

/realtimeie

PASSION

BELFAST OFFICE: CATHEDRAL HOUSE 23-31 WARING STREET BELFAST, ANTRIM, BT1 2DX T +44 2895 211121

/realtime-recruitment

DELIVERY

TRUST

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BUSINESS IRELAND: Guide to HR & Recruitment Services

THE BROTHERS HAVE WORKED IT OUT Brothers and IT recruitment experts Declan and Niall McNiff set up realTime in 2005, providing IT resources to clients in Ireland.

In its tenth year, realTime is now widely recognised as one of the leading IT recruitment companies in Ireland, with offices in both Dublin and Belfast.

WITH OVER 30 YEARS’ IT RECRUITMENT EXPERIENCE between them, the McNiff brothers have pushed realTime business to meet the demands of the sector: their goal is to be the undisputed number one IT recruiter in Ireland.

“The IT market has been consistently busy, and being a niche player in this space has helped us excel.

Being able to give expert IT market advice, and backing that up with delivery has been key to our success.

We don’t cut corners: our professionalism, pride in our work, and ability to deliver has seen us retain clients and build strong, long-lasting partnerships.

We have retained over 90 per cent of the clients we have worked with” says

realTime MD Declan.

“It’s all about relationships, whether giving a candidate the best career advice and best opportunities available, or supplying the most suitable candidates to the best clients, the key for the realTime team is adding value for our candidates and clients,” adds Director Niall.

The brothers are aware that a highly skilled, high performance team is required, to consistently deliver the results for clients and candidates in a competitive environment.

“Except our Belfast manager, we have never hired anyone with prior recruitment experience.

We train all our staff the realTime way, to ensure consistency and professionalism, so that any client or candidate can receive the same service that Niall and I deliver,” says Declan. The realTime culture has allowed clients and candidates to build a relationship with a specific recruiter over the years. realTime is now at the scale that the biggest IT clients are approaching.

“We have a great team of 17 in Dublin, six in Belfast and both offices are hiring” says Declan. realTime can place multiple candidates simultaneously; provides project teams, from junior support roles up

Brothers Niall and Declan McNiff of realTime. to management level; and offers clients a onestop-shop for all their IT requirements.

“The recruiting landscape has changed dramatically. It takes continual investment to keep up with the changing trends including social media, although I feel this has lead to a lot of people losing the personal touch.

While we have embraced the likes of LinkedIn, we see it as another tool, nothing will ever replace lifting the phone or meeting face-to-face as the most effective way of getting our message across,” says Declan.

“Many senior candidates are tired of their personal profile being spammed by agencies – they want to deal with a trusted, experienced recruiter who can give them the best options and advice.

That has led realTime to

dealing with a lot of senior candidates exclusively, and I can only see this trend continuing,” says Declan “Being brothers helps; we trust each other implicitly, and the staff see this. The most important thing for clients and candidates is that we are involved in the business daily so we can make decisions instantly,” says Niall “Sometimes we do have differences of opinion alright,” laughs Declan, “but the business always comes out stronger for it, which is the key.”

Niall adds, “the demand for IT talent is going to increase and we are well placed to take advantage.

There will always be room for great recruiters in the market as they save clients hiring time by identifying great candidates, which saves money in the long run.”

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BUSINESS IRELAND: Guide to HR & Recruitment Services

RECRUITMENT – ART NOT SCIENCE Seamus Farrelly, Managing Director, Sales Placement tells BUSINESS IRELAND why it can afford to offer a 100 per cent money back guarantee.

SALE PLACEMENT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED IN 1973, and over the last 41 years we have developed a reputation as the go-to recruiter for high calibre, difficult to source sales and marketing talent for the Island of Ireland. Our long lasting relationships with many of Ireland’s most recognisable FMCG brands, best in class information technology providers and a large number of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and

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1

healthcare organisations have stood the test of time to this day.

The company has been built on a straight forward and uncomplicated philosophy. We provide an excellent service, value for money and always try to treat clients and candidates with courtesy and respect.

We also understand that recruitment is not an exact science and despite rigorous screening and background checking, placements can breakdown. We feel we should share the risk with

our customers and with that in mind, we created what we believe is an industry first guarantee. All placements are guaranteed for six months and if we fail to provide a suitable replacement, we refund 100 per cent of the fee paid, no questions asked. Since we have introduced this guarantee in 2012, we have only had to refund one fee.

Sales Placement is part of the Contract People Group. We have offices in Belfast, Dublin, Limerick and Sligo.

Name: SEAMUS FARRELLY Title: MANAGING DIRECTOR Email: Seamus@ salesplacement.com Experience: • C ontingency, retained search and advertised selection, FMCG, ICT/ Telcos, Pharma & Healthcare, B2B. • Sales, Marketing and Commercial Management.

04/12/2014 16:12

12/12/2014 17:25

EST.2002

25,000+ visitors per month Pricing from 99 per month - (annual account) Includes access to Cv database of 9,000+ Sales Rep’s T: +353 1 236 6636 or email: info@salesjobs.ie for media pack IRELAND’S NO. 1 JOBS SITE FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS

EST.2005

25,000+ visitors per month Pricing from 99 per month - (annual account) Includes access to Cv database of 7,000+ IT Engineers T: +353 1 236 6636 or email: info@computerjobs.ie for media pack IRELAND’S NO. 1 JOBS SITE FOR IT ENGINEERS

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BUSINESS IRELAND: Guide to HR & Recruitment Services

LIST OF MEMBER COMPANIES OFFERING HR AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES ARG WORKS 01 491 0555 ASF RECRUITMENT www.asfservices.ie 046 902 4848 BRIGHTWATER RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS www.brightwater.ie 01 662 1000

HALL RECRUITMENT www.hallrecruitment.ie 01 633 4040

MORGAN MCKINLEY www.morganmckinley.ie 01 432 1555

HAYS RECRUITING EXPERTS www.hays.ie 01 897 2481

NATIONAL RECRUITMENT FEDERATION www.nrf.ie 01 816 1754

HRFORSMES.IE www.hrforsmes.ie 01 278 8980

NEXT GENERATION RECRUITMENT www.nextgeneration.ie 01 662 9120

CANAVAN BYRNE www.canavanbyrne.ie 01 824 3627

HRM RECRUIT www.hrmrecruit.com 01 632 1814

CANDUCO www.canduco.com 01 500 6282

HUDSON www.hudson.ie 01 256 8705

CEI DUBLIN www.cei-dublin.com 01 671 7754

INTALEX INTERNATIONAL www.intalex.com 01 400 4400

CERIDIAN IRELAND www.ceridian.ie 061 507 470

IRISHJOBS.IE www.irishjobs.ie 01 670 9900

COMPUTER PLACEMENTS LTD www.cpl.ie 01 614 6000

MANPOWERGROUP (IRELAND) LTD www.manpower.ie 01 645 5200

CPL RESOURCES PLC www.cpl.jobs 01 614 6029

MARKS SATTIN LIMITED www.markssattin.ie 01 669 8509

EVERY121 LIMITED www.corporate121.com 087 238 9750

MARTINSEN MAYER www.martinsenmayer.com 01 614 4900

REED SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT www.reedglobal.ie 01 670 4466

GRAFTON RECRUITMENT LTD www.grafton-group.com 01 517 5040

MCEVOY ASSOCIATES SIGNIUM INTERNATIONAL www.mcevoyassociates.com 01 496 6500

ROSS HUMAN DIRECTIONS LTD (IRL) www.rossjuliaross.com 01 671 4433

GRAPHITE HRM www.graphitehrm.com 01 638 1405

MERC PARTNERS www.merc.ie 01 206 6700

THOMAS INTERNATIONAL www.thomasinternational.net 01 889 9004

ORANGE RECRUITMENT LTD www.orangerecruitment.ie 01 662 1500 O’REILLY RECRUITMENT LTD www.oreillyrecruitment.ie 01 703 0417 PARAMOUNT COLLEGE www.paramounthr.ie 01 291 1960 PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS www.pathwaystosuccess.ie 01 658 6808 REALTIME RECRUITMENT LIMITED www.real.ie 01 652 0652

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INNOVATION & ENTERPRISE

Dublin City University

Leading the way in problem solving for Irish industry

Dublin City University

Why with Leading collaborate the way in problem solving for Irish DCU? industry TrackINNOVATION record of success in solutions to industry &delivering ENTERPRISE • Industry focused researchers • Access to latest breakthrough research • Portfolio ofDublin technologies licensing Cityfor University • Licence Express Scheme Leading theof way in problem solving for Irish industryto industry • Track record success in delivering solutions • Industry-friendly business development team •

Why collaborate with DCU?

Why collaborate with DCU? • Industry focused researchers

• Access to latest breakthrough research “The level of expertise and research facilities at DCU were the primary factors in developing our collaboration with the for NICBlicensing at DCU. Without such resources we • Portfolio of technologies • Track of success in delivering solutions would have foundrecord it difficult to enable the research programtotoindustry develop to the • •Licence Express Scheme extent it has.”

Industry focused researchers Richard Director Research, Ireland • •Industry-friendly businessofdevelopment team Access toMurphy, latest breakthrough researchAlltech

• Portfolio of business technologies for licensing Contact the development team at Invent DCU • Licence Express Scheme Phone 00 353 1 700 7597 Email: info@invent.dcu.ie www.dcu.ie/invent • Industry-friendly business development team “The level of expertise and research facilities at DCU were the primary factors in developing our collaboration with the NICB at DCU. Without such resources we “The level expertise research facilities at DCU were theto primary wouldofhave found itand difficult to enable the research program developfactors to the in developing our collaboration with the NICB at DCU. Without such resources we extent it of has.”

Inventitacknowledges the support AIB and Enterprise would have found difficult to enable the research programIreland to develop to the Richard Murphy, Director of Research, Alltech Ireland extent it has.”

Richard Murphy, Director of Research, Alltech Ireland Contact the business development team at Invent DCU business development team at Invent DCU Phone 00 353Contact 1 700the 7597 Email: info@invent.dcu.ie www.dcu.ie/invent Phone 00 353 1 700 7597

Email: info@invent.dcu.ie

www.dcu.ie/invent

Invent acknowledges the support of AIB and Enterprise Ireland

Invent acknowledges the support of AIB and Enterprise Ireland

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49%

OF EMPLOYEES

IN IRELAND

DON’T THINK OF

TOMORROW

THEY DON’T HAvE A PENSION PLAN. The other 51% do - especially those whose company pension plan is administered by Irish Life. We help secure financial futures for members of almost 4,000 company pension plans, so we know a thing or two about Irish businesses.

With member specific investment solutions, online access for employers, trustees and members and always-on smartphone apps - we’ve been thinking about tomorrow for 75 years.

Call one of our Corporate Team on 01 704 1845, visit irishlifecorporatebusiness.ie or contact your pension consultant to find out how we can help your company think of tomorrow.

We know Irish life. We are Irish Life.

All information sourced for Irish Life, September 2014.

Irish Life Assurance plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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