Global Connections July 2020

Lucinda Creighton on What now for Brexit?

Niall Gibbons on the Irish Tourism landscape

KingseySUBHEADER Aikins on the Importance of Networking

IIBN

Global Connections www.iibn.com

Moscow Calling An Insider's View from Gerry MacCarthy

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

00

WELCOME

IIBN

Global Connections

A welcome message from Fionuala Pender, IIBN Global Chair

Global Connections magazine is published by: Irish International Business Network Registered address: 2nd Floor, 15 Greycoat Pl, Westminster, London SW1P 1SB, United Kingdom

Editor: IIBN Executive Team e: info@iibn.com Advertising Sales: Fiona Craughan, Chief Marketing Officer t: +44 (0) 7470 339799

Welcome to the first issue of Global Connections, the new IIBN eMagazine for our 9,000 members globally.

Who could have imagined, as we gathered for events in London, New York and Dublin in February, that four months later we'd be embracing face masks and swapping our cosy six degrees of separation for a clinical two metres?

The global economy has suffered huge losses and if you're lucky enough to still have a job, you could be working at the frontline or facing the invisible enemy on the daily commute. And of course, we are anxious that our families and friends remain well in such unsettling times.

e: fiona@iibn.com Design: Dean Coulter

As we move into Summer and the temptation to travel increases, no one is sure when we'll return to how things were, nor indeed what the ‘New Normal’ will look like.

Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk

Before introducing our Guest Contributors in this first issue, we thought it might be useful to highlight some of the major waves that Covid-19 is likely to bring and ask how companies will adapt to change.

www.iibn.com

© Irish International Business Network Global Connections is published

The ability to thrive under pressure and create a resilient business model is more important than ever. Companies that have survived the quick and devastating onslaught of Covid-19 will need to adapt to the changing times quickly and strategically. Rather than seeking to make all changes at once, companies should invest in research, analytics and debate.

6 times a year.

No reproduction of any part of the magazine is permitted, nor storage in a retrieval system without prior consent of the publisher. No commercial exploitation is permitted.

No warranty is implied in respect of any product or trader mentioned herewith.

04 l

The months following the end of confinement will present companies with an unpredictable scenario as Covid-19 is bound to cause fast, ground-breaking changes in behaviours, interests and values. Businesses will need to identify and analyse these changes, adapting or recreating their business model to satisfy demands and consider its workforce with a deeper emphasis on moral responsibility Now that many of us have experienced and, dare I say, enjoyed, the experience of working from home over the last three months, it is clear the trend towards remote working will continue to gain in popularity. It is likely that close to 30%

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

WELCOME

of the workforce will be working from home by the end of 2021, so companies need to plan now for the effective management of this.

The move to digital has accelerated over the past three months as Covid-19 changes the way we live, work and engage with people. The reliance on digital tools has increased, as video conference platforms like Zoom became a life saver during the peak of the pandemic. Many teams also began relying more on the Cloud to share files and work on documents.

Companies best placed to benefit from accelerated growth in Online Sales are also likely to solidify their status as winners in the months ahead. Those playing catch-up would be well advised to invest in better online shopping experiences, notably in relation to the range of product offerings and delivery mechanisms. Fortune magazine predicts that winning sectors will include telemedicine, digital commerce and automation. To this, you could easily add contactless technology, cyber security, collaborative technology, virtual shopping software and voice search.

Finally, companies wishing to survive or even flourish in what will undoubtedly be a difficult time, will need to be a step ahead in terms of environmentally friendly and ethical work practices. They will have to show a strong connection to the communities they operate in and a desire to make a difference, not just a profit.

We have a terrific line up of Guest Contributors this month, including Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, Lucinda Creighton, Former Minister of State for European Affairs and CEO of Vulcan Consulting, Kingsley Aikins, CEO of The Networking Institute, Moscow-based Gerry MacCarthy, Founding Partner of Impact Guidance, Paula Fitzsimons, CEO of Back for Business, and Peter Bracken, former Munster Rugby Player.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we are very grateful to our sponsors for their continued support of IIBN, many of whom you will see in the ads throughout this eMagazine.

If you would like to promote your own business in future issues of Global Connections, we would love to hear from you.

Finally, and as mentioned earlier, many of our Members may now be looking for new job opportunites and I am keen to stress that IIBN is well placed to help you deepen connections and / or advertise any job openings you may have in the coming months that can be shared with the IIBN community globally.

We hope you enjoy reading (and sharing!) this, our first issue of Global Connections, as much as we have enjoying preparing it.

Fionuala Pender IIBN Global Chair

CONTENTS 04 06 10 12 28

Welcome

Brexit - Demands on Both Sides Lucinda Creighton From Russia With Love Gerry MacCarthy Member Profiles

30 34 36 38

Networking and a PC World Kingsley Aikins Calling All Irish Emigrants Back!

Paula Fitzsimons Around the Globe in an Electric Car Peter Bracken IBN Programmes

Tourism Ireland Raring to Go! Niall Gibbons The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

05

BREXIT

Lucinda Creighton is the CEO and Founder of Vulcan Consulting.

She is a former Irish Minister for European Affairs.

Brexit Demands on Both Sides Since the UK departed from the European Union on January 31st, an emboldened Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Government have been very explicit in setting out the type of trade arrangements they want with the European Union.

The Prime Minister has abandoned all notions of close alignment with the EU Single Market and has determinedly settled on the Canada model - in other words the same type of agreement to that was finalised between the EU and Canada two years ago. The Canada arrangement involves a zero tariff, zero quota pact which allows for relatively smooth trade in goods.

Given that the value of UK exports to the EU are far greater in services than goods, this is an interesting and rather unambitious target for the UK. In simple terms, zero tariffs and zero quotas should be achievable, but needless to say the UK demands do not end there. It is also, of course, the case that the EU has ambitions and demands of its own in these negotiations.

From the outset it has been clear that a number of priorities for the EU would present sticking points for our British friends and so it proved. The EU intends to maintain access to UK fishing waters, a sensitive subject in Scotland in particular. The EU is also determined that the UK does not roll

06

l

Prior to delving into an analysis of the state of play in EUUK negotiations on the future trade relationship, it is perhaps worth recapping what the key dividing lines between the two sides are. back standards on environmental issues or social/labour laws and for the UK to follow EU state-aid rules Anything other than a level playing field would give the UK unfair competitive advantage . If the UK wants equal access to the internal market, they must implement the same rules as the EU. While the EU has been crystal clear that this is the price that must be paid for a free-trade agreement, the UK has so far rejected all of these demands.

Clock Ticking While four rounds of negotiations have now been concluded by the two negotiating teams, little progress has been made as talks ran aground on some of the priority points listed above, among other issues. Both

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

BY LUCINDA CREIGHTON Michel Barnier and David Frost, the respective EU and UK Chief negotiators provided rather pessimistic press briefings after the talks concluded last Friday.

The deadline for the UK to request an extension to the transition period is June 30th. At every stage, the Prime Minister and his government have been at pains to clarify that such an extension will not be sought under any circumstances. The problem with this stance is that relatively little time remains to tease trough complex issues and agree on a Free Trade Agreement before the transition period runs out on December 31st. Such a deal would not only have to be painstakingly negotiated before then, but would also have to be ratified by both sides.

On the UK side a straight forward parliamentary vote would be unlikely to pose too many difficulties now that Johnson commands a firm majority in the House of Commons.

However, the EU must go through a process of ratification by the 27 member states and the European Parliament. This will take some time.

So in effect a deal would need to be reached by early November at the latest in order to allow for ratification. Considering that complex trade deals ordinarily take anywhere between 5 – 8 years to negotiate, it seems an understatement to suggest that the remaining time available of roughly five months might be a tad ambitious.

BREXIT

No Deal?

The German Presidency of the Council of the EU will commence on July 1st and securing and ratifying a deal during the six month duration of the Presidency is a high priority for Germany. Last week the German Ambassador to the EU warned of the scale of this challenge and the incredibly tight timeframe.

Should both sides fail to secure a deal, the picture on January 1st 2021 will be bleak. Tariffs and quotas between the UK and the rest of the EU would return, and practical barriers to trade would be reintroduced causing inconvenience and adding costs to companies which have become accustomed to trading freely across the singe market.

Other major areas for cooperation would be disrupted overnight, which would cause great inconvenience and security risk to citizens in both

the EU and the UK. For example the movement of workers to and from the UK would be impacted and great uncertainty would emerge in the sphere of policing, intelligence sharing and counter terrorism measures. For all the bravado on both sides about the December 31st deadline, a wilful decision to leave the transition phase on that date, without any trade agreement in place, would inflict unnecessary and dangerous consequences on citizens on both sides of these negotiations.

British economy, unhindered by EU bureaucrats. The United States is the prime target in this regard, but this will not be plain sailing.

President Trump adopts a zero sum approach to trade discussions and he is unlikely to ease his tough negotiator stance simply because his friend Boris Johnson is sitting on the other side of the table. America First will mean that he wants access to the UK market of 60 million people for American agricultural products.

However, there is a big problem for Prime Minister Johnson here.

Sovereignty One of the driving factors behind Brexit was the concept of “taking back control” enhancing Britain’s sovereignty and ensuring that the UK could once again flex its muscles on the international stage. A lynchpin of this strategy was to seek out new Free Trade Agreements with other countries and regions presenting new opportunities for the

Major domestic pressure is mounting on the British government to impose a ban on cheap, lowquality food imports post-Brexit.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is lobbying the British government to ensure that imports from countries such as the US will be banned as US farmers will not need to adhere to the same high standards as British

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

07

BREXIT

farmers, thus finding unfair competitive advantage. Hundreds of thousands of British voters have already signed a petition to this effect, and the number will likely be millions when this campaign really takes off. Agri products could end up killing off the prospect if a US-UK free trade deal, which would have significant political consequences for Boris Johnson, especially if the UK fails to strike a deal with the EU.

Where to Now? The failure to make substantive progress over the four rounds of negotiations is not surprising. The UK and EU sides began the negotiations very far apart, and there has been no clear impetus to pull them together. Coronavirus has had two effects. Obviously it has diverted political attention away from Brexit and onto the public health crisis and the economic crisis.

It has also forced negotiations to

08

l

occur in the unnatural environment of video conferences, rather than face to face. The human engagement that occurs in side rooms and on the corridors between formal negotiations has not occurred.

These personal interactions and critical to progressing difficult issues and their absence have made the task all the more difficult.

All eyes will now turn to the UK-EU ‘Summit’ when Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet to attempt to unblock some of the more sensitive political issues. Both Barnier and Frost suggested on Friday that the two sides will continue to attempt to make progress and neither threatened to walk away from the process, notwithstanding the frustrating lack of progress.

There is no doubt that elevating the talks to the highest political level

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

should help to tackle some of the roadblocks. But it is unlikely that this meeting will take place without some carefully crafted compromises prepared in advance that will allow both leaders claim victory.

Judging from Michel Barnier’s press conference upon conclusion of the formal negotiations, it seems that one such area of possible progress might be around state aid rules. (The EU is not on a very firm footing here in any case since state aid rules have been set aside temporarily to allow member states bail out large companies like Lufthansa and Adidas). It is possible that the EU will step back from its demand that EU state aid provisions be effectively written into UK law, and rather find a flexible solution that allows the UK develop its own rules on state aid, but they would need to be close aligned with those of the EU.

COVER ARTICLE

From Russia With Love Ireland’s man in Moscow shares the secrets to doing business in Russia and why showing up is so important

BY GERRY MACCARTHY It may seem a bit delusional to start writing about any overseas market when 2 metres seems an ocean away.

To return anywhere close to where we were 3 months ago, a huge amount of work will have to be done domestically in re-establishing the micromesh of local business activity essential to community survival. But there is also a Bigger Picture, and some of you reading this will already be thinking ahead and considering trying something new (or picking up from where you left off) internationally to generate revenue in what will be – necessarily – a world of disruptive business strategising.

From a distance, it is unlikely that Russia will be your reflex choice for generating new opportunities and revenue streams. Russia’s reputation over the last few years especially since 2014 when the ‘grande idée’ of a Eurasian economic zone stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok went up in a puff of smoke - has made it appear less than ‘open for business’, despite the success of the FIFA World Cup, which seems a lifetime away now.

Helped along by Hollywood, the Russia stereotype is mafia, corruption, extortion. Most people

10

l

who haven’t been there presume that during the 8 years I ran Enterprise Ireland’s office in Russia and the CIS, I spent most of my time trying to extricate Irish businesses from court cases, payment disputes, currency squabbles and customs related Mexican stand-offs.

In fact the opposite is true. Spread over €1bn of trading by Irish companies, and €5bn+ of Irish goods exports to Russia during that time, we saw only a dozen or so payment disputes or delivery glitches, mostly caused by poor communication or business practice misunderstandings. All of them were sorted out by face to face meetings, or the Russian side stepping in to take a temporary hit in return for a discount dispersed over the remainder of the contract value.

Initially, these situations seemed

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

irresolvable, mostly because there was a presumption that there was a scam in play. But there wasn’t. There was a misunderstood delivery instruction, an overlooked line in a custom’s document, a comma in the wrong place, and all that was required to sort things out was benefit of the doubt and (quite a bit of) patience.

That’s not always the case. It is the unique privilege of the SME sector. Once you go too big (€100m+) or too small (hustler/street trader), that is where you will get caught out.

‘Too big’ also becomes an issue because that’s when the lines between the private and public sectors become blurred, and you can end up enmeshed in deals that become infinitely more restrictive and complicated due to State involvement – hidden or revealed.

The good news is that the vast majority of Russian business people who are working for reputable, verifiable companies, or who are behind some of the state-of-the-art start-ups that rely on international partnerships for their growth and expansion, value their reputations more than a quick profit. That means that once communication channels are properly established, and trust is gained, Russian business people for

Gerry MacCarthy is the Founding Partner of Impact Guidance, a Moscow-based Private Equity firm.

the most part just want to get on with things, take delivery, gain a competitive advantage and - from an Irish point of view significant – enjoy life.

That gives us a considerable advantage in a lot of cases. As in so many other countries, our positive reputation goes before us. For most Russians we are the land of Guinness, Jameson, and Joyce. Our culture is a key ice-breaker at all levels of society there. We’ve seen this up close over the years through our Irish Film Festival in Russia where alongside cinema aficionados and Hibernophiles, we see the best and the brave of Russian business and government. And, despite sanctions, that has in some oblique way contributed to the gradual recovery of our exports to Russia over the past few years, up 14% year on year in 2019 (back to where we were pre-sanctions in 2013).

Prior to the current lockdown, showing up in person was vital for doing business in Russia, hence our relief when the 4.5 hour (!) direct daily Dublin-Moscow flight was reinstated last year.

All the most successful Irish companies working in Russia made regular visits, and built strong personal bonds with their partners.

Turning a profit is far more attractive for Russia business people when accompanied by camaraderie. And Russians were never great fans of emails or Skype calls, especially in English. Relationships are all about ‘face to face’, dating back to Soviet times when really that was the only way you could be sure who you were talking to/who was listening.

In the same way Russia moved from telex to broadband by-passing the

fax, over the past couple of months Russian businesses – initially through gritted teeth - have very quickly taken to Zoom (this time bypassing WhatsApp and Skype!), although noticeably with a preference for a muted video feed.

And that has made a new era of business co-operation feasible.

So where are the opportunities?

In the current climate, with the forced, accelerated digitisation of our lives, and with limitations on walk-in retail, the e-commerce sector is booming in Russia through players like Ozon (Russia’s Alibaba/Amazon), and some of the major supermarket and retail chains which have been able to scale up their e-platforms very quickly.

Supply chains in Russia are focused on becoming more resilient through diversification and re-localisation of suppliers, implementing financing solutions (e.g. supplier finance and receivable finance), both to ensure the viability / survival of key suppliers, and also to allow working capital which is financing supply be more agile. While the Russians have plenty of their own solutions, the door is open there for any Irish company that has a bright idea.

COVER ARTICLE

On bright ideas, there are some fantastic young, fresh, modernthinking innovators in Russia. We initially set up Impact Guidance to tap into the wealth of underexposed IP trapped in the Russian university and R&D sectors, with a view to filtering and then packaging what we find to pitch to our international VC and scaling partners. And we are finding some incredible projects, often backed not just by cutting edge scientific principle (e.g. quantum computing), but also by very sharp business minds, founders and patent-holders who are held back only by lack of access to the right people at the other end, or a lack of experience in pitching to them.

And over the past 3 months, we have been increasingly approached by Russian manufacturers, suppliers, and entrepreneurs across a broad range of sectors who are actively seeking Western markets for what they produce, or Western investors willing to project finance their projects. So that’s kick-started a supplier-buyer search process as we attempt to match product to demand.

Finally, scale. Russia has a population of 146m. Moscow, with anywhere between 12.5m figure and 18m people, is rapidly evolving, very selfaware, and highly ambitious to be better, safer, faster, and ultimately more efficient economically, logistically and – sooner or later – ecologically, than its world competitors. That also gives rise to opportunity for any Irish companies that feel they have something unique to offer. We would obviously be very happy to be approached by anyone interested in exploring that opportunity.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

11

MEMBER PROFILES

Chris Burge CEO and Co-Founder of Spark Crowdfunding

Aileen Markey Owner and Director of Unglu-d Aileen lives in Annagassan, County Louth and is originally from Dundalk, County Louth. She lived overseas for more than 30 years returning in 2016.

During that time, she lived and worked as a HR Director in London, Sydney, Singapore and New York.

Her company, Unglu-d, is a dedicated gluten free food business located in Annagassan, County Louth. It started in May 2017 as a series of pop up shops and developed from that. Unglu-d is designed to help those living on a gluten free diet through necessity or personal choice. The company runs introductory baking classes where gluten ‘freers’ get to hang out and learn to bake, mostly from each other. They share news on products, producers and recipes AND just launched a new range of sauces and seasoning. It’s very exciting to finally have a product with the Unglu-d name on it.

Unglu-d has built strong relationships with producers, brands and bakers around Ireland to ensure it’s in the know about what’s happening in the gluten free space. Aileen is a coeliac, so she understands the challenges that others face. She spent 2 years as a Director on the Board of the Coeliac Society of Ireland and 18 months as Chair so this is not just a business for her - it’s very close to her heart and she is extremely passionate about supporting this community of people. Contrary to popular belief, Gluten Free is not a fad, quite the opposite......for those with no choice but to live on this diet, this is their medicine.

IIBN Members can help her business to achieve more by spreading the word about Unglu-d to friends and family who might be Coeliac or Gluten Intolerant and therefore living on a gluten free diet.

IIBN members can get a 10% discount on the new range of Unglu-d sauces and seasoning for the next month by using this code SAGF8AZAWGP6

12

l

Chris Burge is CEO of Spark CrowdFunding, Ireland’s only equity crowdfunding company. Spark CrowdFunding provides private investors with access to exciting Irish startups. Think of it like an online version of Dragons’ Den, where everyone can invest in the company raising money.

Spark CrowdFunding is based in Dublin but has raised money for companies from all over Ireland and the UK. The company has been operational for 2 years now and has raised over €2 million for 14 young, high-growth businesses.

Its database of thousands of investors can invest any amount in the campaigns from €100 to €100,000+, which appeals to everything from the regular investor to the High Net-Worth Individual. The companies seeking investment, many of whom are Enterprise Ireland HPSU (high potential start-up) clients, are typically looking for between €100,000 and €1 million. Many of these businesses are EIIS (Ire) or SEIS/EIS (UK) approved, meaning that there are good tax incentives for the investors – these incentives significantly de-risk the investment by as much as 40%.

If Chris was to ask something from the IIBN membership it would be for referrals to either good quality, high-growth businesses that are seeking investment or to investors that are looking for good quality, high-growth businesses in which to invest. But maybe you as an IIBN member might want to have a closer look at the Spark website site and decide to make an investment into one of Spark’s exciting businesses, so please register – it’s free and only takes a minute - and you will receive notifications of new campaigns.

Spark Crowdfunding also offers small to medium sized investors the opportunity to join one of Spark’s Investment Clubs and one such Club has been set up for members of IIBN. In the club, you are offered advanced access to campaigns that will go live on the site. The club members can together discuss the campaign and the pros and cons of it and get other members views and access their sector knowledge. You have the opportunity to fully review the campaign and also to invest early if you so choose. Please contact Chris through the IIBN site if you would like more information about Spark’s Investor Clubs.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

MEMBER PROFILES

Brendan Morahan Director and co-founder, Invennt Brendan is based in London with roots in Ballinagare, Co. Roscommon, where he often returns. He is the Founding Director of Invennt – a specialist business consultancy focussed on the construction sector.

With more than 40 years’ experience in construction, Brendan has a deep commitment to the industry, and has learned a thing or two about it along the way.

He believes that when done right,

construction is a force for good and a vital engine of economic growth.

The business supports clients the world over and has offices in London, Dublin, and Toronto with a multi-cultural team of specialists from nine different countries.

His role is to chart the strategic growth of the business and provide leadership to the Invennt Team, whilst providing positive support to Customers. One of the many upsides of the growth of the business is that Brendan can focus on what he does best – helping contractors, engineers and architects develop strategies that deliver profitable and sustainable results. Brendan embeds himself within client organisations so he can offer a fresh perspective, impart his extensive knowledge, and challenge entrenched thinking in a constructive way.

This includes the much-demanded

Business Health Check, a business excellence framework developed

by Brendan and his team that draws on best-practice management models adapted for a construction context. This, along with an ever-expanding slate of Constructive Governance and Insight clients – a service where Brendan acts as a non-executive director enhanced by a team of consultants and analysts – ensures there is an increasing portfolio of clients.

IIBN members can inspire the business to achieve more by sharing their learning and experience, making, and receiving connections and being a source of ideas, friendship, and the craic.

Brendan is happy to offer exclusively to IIBN members a complementary business consultation over breakfast in any of the Invennt locations.

David Gleeson Managing Partner of RBK David is Managing Partner of RBK and lives in Athlone near the company’s headquarters, He works between the Athlone office and the Dublin office in Clonskeagh, Dublin 4.

Established in 1958, RBK have offices in Dublin, Athlone and Roscommon and are easily accessible from anywhere in Ireland.

RBK is the largest independently branded accounting firm in Ireland.

RBK is led and managed by 17 Partners each of whom is an expert

in their particular field. RBK’s partners are supported by a 190strong team of technical and advisory specialists.

The company has grown from a relatively small, regional practice to a nationwide, indigenous firm with a sophisticated skills and services profile. RBK provides audit, accounting, taxation and business advisory services to domestic and overseas individuals and companies.

RBK is the only Irish member of LEA Global (Leading Edge Alliance), an international alliance of 220 professional firms providing accounting, financial and business advisory services.

David was appointed partner of RBK in 2000 and became Managing Partner in February 2016. He has over 30 years’ experience providing

business support services and advices to domestic and international businesses helping them achieve their strategic goals and objectives.

Deep economic changes are occurring, and business will never be the same. With RBK’s wide range of skill sets they are here to help.

IIBN Members could help RBK to achieve more by: Visiting the RBK website to learn more about their range of specialist sectors and services Reaching out to their experienced team for an alternative opinion Considering RBK when business opportunities arise Refer RBK to a third party RBK are happy to offer a free 1-hour initial consultation meeting to IIBN members.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

13

MEMBER PROFILES

Desmond Lyons Founder of Lyons McGovern LLP A founder of the New York based law firm Lyons McGovern, LLP, Desmond manages the legal needs of domestic and international high growth companies, finance professionals, government entities and high net worth individuals. For more than 20 years, Desmond has acted as outside counsel to businesses, corporate boards and executives, advising on all areas of contracts, litigation, employment/HR law and strategic planning.

A former Chair of the New York IIBN, Desmond assists Irish entrepreneurs and companies with their entry into US markets and their US based operations.

Desmond also serves as a Director

of a publicly traded U.S. bank and as a part-time elected Judge.

Desmond is the former Chair of the Federal Bar Council, Westchester Committee and a member of the Federal Magistrate Merit Selection Panel of the Southern District of New York.

Desmond is also a member of the Lawyer’s Committee for the InnerCity Scholarship Fund and the Ireland-U.S. Council. Desmond has been selected by his peers, for several years running, as a Super Lawyer in the New York metro area.

Desmond has appeared as a legal analyst on the FOX News Channel and on WFAS News Radio.

He resides in Westchester County with his wife Kerry and their five children Liam, Ciara, Kevin, Declan

Gerard Michael MacCarthy Founder and CEO of Impact Guidance Gerard is is originally from Dublin.

He completed an M.A. in UCD and then travelled throughout Europe.

Unlike the majority of his peers who went to the UK, or West to the US – he chose ‘the road not taken’, going East to what was still Leningrad, USSR (now St. Petersburg, Russia).

He has been working between Ireland and Russia since then, based between Dublin and Moscow.

IMPACT GUIDANCE was set up in 2019 as a business catalyser mostly between Ireland and Russia. Its USP is an extensive reach to a wide range of sectors, and a very strong understanding of the business cultures on both sides. This is supported by a high level of contacts across both public and private sectors.

In Russia/CIS, they primarily source early stage start-ups with underexposed IP and patents, or R&D spin-offs that have strong potential internationally.

They advise international companies looking at the Russian market how to assess and analyse if there is an opportunity, and if there is, they work with them to map ahead.

They work with international companies already in the market on

14

l

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

and Cormac. He is actively involved in his local community where he was recently awarded the Dave Wade Heart of Gold Award

by Abbott House, a not-for-profit that serves families with complex needs. Desmond also coaches Little League baseball, CYO basketball and youth lacrosse and is an avid reader, runner, skier and golfer.

developing local partnerships, with a focus on avoiding misunderstandings caused by glitches in communication and cultural differences. More recently, as the rouble weakened again, they facilitate more traditional lowtech/no-tech trading, matching supply with demand on both ends.

As the Founder and CEO of the company, Gerard fields all initial inquiries as the main client-facing contact.

There is a lot of disinformation about working in Russia that obscures the opportunity that the scale of the market alone offers.

IIBN members can help by being open-minded and curious about the potential! Impact Guidance would be happy to give IIBN Members a free of charge assessment of any business enquiry, and a discount of 30% on any first phase follow-up work.

MEMBER PROFILES

Gerry Collins Managing Partner of Ecovis Wingrave Years Gerry Collins is Londonbased, whilst home will always be Tullamore Co. Offaly.

Ecovis Wingrave Yeats is the UK network member firm of Ecovis International. Based in Soho, the company is 35 years in existence with currently 65 partners and staff. It is a a general accounting practice offering personal, corporate and tax planning services, audit and a wide range of accounting services. They can act as the outsourced finance function of overseas-owned businesses, including Irish businesses, where they deal with all taxation, payroll and accounting compliance roles. Ecovis Wingrave Yeats can develop complex and insightful reporting models for clients to give them a clear view of business KPI’s. They also assist clients in buying or selling their business, conducting Due Diligence type activities. Their newest offering is their Data Analytics service, mainly providing business profit improvement type analysis for the SME sector. Their focus on overseas owned businesses and the insights their DA team can bring to business performance improvement are their USP’s.

Gerry is the firm’s managing partner and, when not involved in that role, he engages in business development activities for the firm. Client-wise he acts for a very wide range of overseas owned businesses coming from the US, Ireland and mainland Europe. He has, for some years now, assisted Enterprise Ireland with their client enquiries and, more recently, he has run 2 webinars for Enterprise Ireland on “Irish Companies setting up in the UK: Do’s and don’ts” and “Covid 19 UK Government Support for Businesses”. He is a former chairman of IIBN. Gerry is very happy to speak with any Irish business that is considering both expanding to or increasing their presence in the UK, because of Brexit or for other commercial reasons, and could offer a fixed fee year 1 deal for £8.5k + VAT to do monthly payroll, quarterly VAT and management accounts and year-end statutory accounts and corporate tax return.

This is a significant discount on normal year 1 fees. Most importantly is the ad hoc advice Ecovis Wingrave Yeats can give in the early phase of start-up / expansion to save time and indeed money.

Kate McCabe CEO and Co-founder of Bog & Thunder Kate McCabe is the CEO and cofounder of Bog & Thunder, an ecotourism company which highlights the best of Irish food and culture through bespoke food tours and curated culinary events; pop-up events and retreats; and co-branding partnerships.

Originally from Short Hills, New Jersey, her family splits its time between Brooklyn, Ann Arbor, MI, and Ireland.

Bog & Thunder celebrates the artisans, chefs, farmers, and producers whose craft makes Ireland one of the best destinations for travelers interested in food and culture.

Her husband and co-founder, chef Max Sussman, and Kate began Bog & Thunder with a commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and they are currently pursuing B Corp Certification for the business. Their ideal client is someone who is: adventurous, curious, excited to learn and try new things; open-minded and interested in other people; cares about the planet; and is looking for a more intimate, curated experience.

They are looking for additional investors and any leads on potential collaborative partners.

Their first tours will launch in Spring 2021, and they look forward to collaborating with other IIBN members along the way. As they continue to grow their business and develop their connections, they would love to extend an exclusive discount to IIBN members across their services. They encourage IIBN members to contact Bog & Thunder directly so they can better understand their interests.

Kate is also a writer and a mother, and in her free time, she continues to design programming around creative arts interventions in peacebuilding in the north of Ireland via her nonprofit, Eist.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

15

MEMBER PROFILES

Marie Bradley Founder of Bradley Tax Consulting Marie Bradley lives and works in Dublin. She arrived in the “Big Smoke” from Cork to do a BComm in UCD and never went home! She established Bradley Tax Consulting about 11 years ago after spending many years in the Big 4 accountancy firms. Bradley Tax Consulting is a specialist tax consultancy practice that works closely with businesses and their shareholders to maximise tax efficiencies in business operations. All team members have extensive experience in advising across all tax heads. Their client base includes Irish companies expanding internationally, private equity and venture capital firms looking to buy and sell businesses, international companies establishing EMEA operations in Ireland and owner managed businesses operating in the Irish market. Bradley Tax Consulting takes a holistic approach to tax planning, placing equal importance on company and shareholder objectives. Their size is their greatest asset – there is direct access to Marie herself - as managing partner and as a business owner she understands the goals and pressures of growing a business. As a former president of the Irish Tax Institute, she is also very involved in committees that develop and influence Irish tax policy. Marie says IIBN has opened many doors for her business and she has advised members working in various sectors and countries on personal and corporate matters. Word of mouth and business referrals play a key part in their growth strategy so membership of the IIBN complements this strategic objective.

IIBN members who are looking for a tax specialist to work directly with them or with their existing accountant and legal advisor should reach out to Maire to discuss their requirements. Her promise is to deliver a tax strategy that maximises company and shareholder wealth during their career lifecycle.

16

l

Stephanie Wickham Founder and Managing Partner of Expat Taxes Stephanie is originally from New Ross, Co. Wexford and is currently living in Waterford with her two sons and husband. In her spare time, she is an avid road cyclist.

Her family returned to Ireland after 8 years in Australia and she realised there was a huge gap in the market in terms of expat taxes service offerings. She is a KPMG-trained Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser.

Expat Taxes are based in Waterford but they work with clients all over the globe (US, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, UK and even Kirabati in the Pacific!). Expat Taxes is a relatively new business (est. 2019) but the principals have over a decade's experience working with expats and international assignees.

The company’s services ensure employers meet their tax obligations when relocating employees internationally. They save their client’s time and money by ensuring the tax issues relating to relocation of employees are managed properly. In this new "work from anywhere" age it is crucial employers understand their obligations.

Their client profile is small-medium sized corporates who are relocating employees internationally.

Key employees don’t need the added stress of worrying about their Taxes. Employers need to be very clear about the cost of the employee’s move. That’s where Expat Taxes come in.

Their unique selling points are that they are personable tax experts who have experienced the expat lifestyle for themselves so they understand taxes can be stressful for expats and their employers. It is an area that most accountants are not familiar with.

IIBN Members are welcome to reach out to Stephanie if they need tax assistance with relocating employees to or from Ireland. She also works with expats who need tax advice when leaving or returning to Ireland. Expat Taxes would be delighted to offer a 15% discount to all IIBN members on their hourly consulting rates.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

MEMBER PROFILES

Mark Flood Co-Founder and Director of Renatus Five years ago Brendan Traynor and Mark Flood founded Dublinbased Renatus. They invest equity into companies with great management and help them on their journey from good to great. It might be a management team buying out a company MBO, an owner looking for succession or a

business looking for equity to flank debt to make a big capital investment acquisition or otherwise. They have invested in Boojum and grown stores revenue by 4-5x since acquisitions and thankfully have enough digital revenue to ensure they are alive on the far side of the lockdown.

Renatus also have brought exponential growth plans to Simtech (Pilot training) and

Rennicks (Road signs and car licence plates). Renatus just wants to get involved in great businesses with great people.

Shaun O’Shea Partner at Beauchamps Shaun O’Shea is a solicitor and partner in Dublin based law firm Beauchamps. Although now based in Dublin for over 25 years, he grew up in Killarney, County Kerry and tries to get back there as often as possible.

Unfortunately, in his own family, he is now the only one wearing the green and gold jersey on Kerry-Dublin match days!

Beauchamps is a Dublin based law firm with over 200 staff. It has a long history, having originally been established in 1803. It is a full-service law firm practising in all areas of law with a particular focus on advising businesses of all sizes across all sectors. It advises clients at every stage of business development from establishment through start-up fundraising, growth and expansion, financing and equity fund-raising, business acquisitions, restructuring and ongoing legal compliance to exit

and realisation. Beauchamps aim to provide first class pragmatic legal advices and solutions in a timely manner. Shaun believes their size is ideal for businesses because they are large enough to provide a full range of legal services, while making sure clients get to work with a consistent and experienced team.

Shaun heads up the corporate and commercial department in Beauchamps. This is one of the five main departments in the firm, the others being litigation, real estate, banking and private client. Corporate and commercial is a broad church; they advise clients across many areas, including incorporation, corporate governance, fund raising, joint ventures and partnerships, business expansion, employment, IP and IT, contract review, procurement, and business sale. His own work is primarily in the area of transactions, including sales, purchases, mergers, investments and reorganisations.

The majority of their clients are in the private SME space. They also act for a number of start-ups and for investors interested in investing in companies with potential. Law and compliance has increased in complexity Beauchamps are there to help IIBN members navigate their way through the various legal requirements they

may have in business and to help them mitigate risk. In addition to their work with entrepreneurs, they also assist family businesses which form such a strong backbone of the Irish economy and also form part of the IIBN membership. Most recently they have partnered with the Dublin City University National Centre for Family Businesses and are helping them in their aim to help family businesses through programmes of research, education and networking.

With expertise in over 30 specialist practice and sectors areas and an experienced team of over 200 people, Beauchamps continues to grow and expand in each of our chosen markets. Shaun believes their continued success has its foundation in (a) their people and their commitment to technical excellence and the delivery of the highest standard of client service, and (b) the ongoing business efforts and successes of our clients.

Ultimately, Beauchamps is a collection of individuals and teams who create strong, lasting relationships with clients and help them in achieving their business goals. They have clients who have been with them for decades and we would like IIBN members to join that team.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

17

MEMBER PROFILES

Tom O’Brien Founder and CEO of Sprintmodo Tom O’Brien is based in Dublin, but comes from a lovely village near the sea called Shanagarry in East Cork.

Sprintmodo is a team activation company, that helps teams to

unlock value with tangible actions.

Talking about business challenges without acting on them is frustrating teams and value is left on the table. Sprintmodo activates teams to move from ideas to action.

They help teams to boost performance, drive strategy execution, increase competitiveness and improve team efficiency with their agile SprintActivation process.

Sprintmodo operates internationally. They work with companies of all sizes to help them to unlock value by taking action.

As the Founder and CEO of Sprintmodo, Tom is busy identifying growth opportunities, in between running their SprintActivation process with teams. His background includes

Yvonne Dolan Founder and Managing Director of Blendi Yvonne Dolan is the Founder of Blendi and is based in Dublin. It’s hard to find a snack that packs the punch of taste and satisfaction without that "post munch guilt".

Blendi Snacks, an Irish Food Producer, seems to have cracked

the formula with a range of plantbased snacks that aren’t just tasty and low in fat, but also nutritious and naturally made.

BlendiSnacks have honed in on the humble broad bean as the next snack sensation and their new range of flavoured broad bean snacks have gone from strength with online sales quadrupling, and a deal secured to be the official player snack of Wimbledon 2020.

BlendiSnacks are roast Broad Beans and Peas in a range of delicious flavours like Firey Garlic, Red Onion, Salted & Bar-B-Q. Founder Yvonne is excited for the future of the product on the back of the massive popularity seen in the last three months, with high volume sales to the UK and Scotland, wholesalers and also being included in some subscription boxes, building online collaborations with other small food suppliers. With the

18

l

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

international product management, business development, sales and training in large pharmaceutical companies and a start-up drug development company. He is a pharmacist with an MBA from London Business School.

If you are looking for a performance boost for your team or you need to gain momentum on your commercial objectives, please get in Tom. Their approach will drive delivery. He is looking to learn more about how data science can be used to improve their offering, so is keen to speak with experts.

Tom would be happy to run a 1 hour challenge SprintSession on any IIBN member’s business challenge to help them to begin to explore tangible actions to unlock value.

recent change of circumstance and employees working from home, Yvonne is offering companies a stress-free way to send monthly snack boxes to their remote workers starting off from as little as €29 per month The beans will retail at €1.90 and BlendiSnacks has big plans for 2021 by growing their beans here in Ireland!! Ireland has the most suitable climate for growing beans in Europe, something that could be interesting for a potential Investor! Vegan snacks, tasting like roasted nuts, but with less calories and no allergens, with an undeniably broad (bean) appeal for both adults and kids.

Yvonne would welcome an opportunity to deliver Blendi's to remote employees working from home and is happy to offer IIBN Members a 10% Discount using the promo code: FRIENDS10.

MEMBER PROFILES

Niall O’Dowd Founder of Irish America Magazine, Irish Voice and Irish Central Niall O’Dowd is based in New York City and is originally from Thurles, County Tipperary. He came to America in 1979 and spent five years in San Francisco before moving to New York to start Irish America Magazine. He graduated from UCD and was later awarded an honorary degree by UCD for work on the Irish peace process.

He is the founder of Irish America Magazine (founded in 1985), Irish Voice (founded in 1987) and IrishCentral.com (founded in 2010). He still retains Irish America and Irish Voice, but Irish Studio headed by Liam Lynch became majority owners of IrishCentral a few years back. He is based in Manhattan. We cover all aspects of Irish America and Ireland and hold many prestigious events such as Wall Street 50, Business 100, Legal 100.

As founder I work on both editorial and sales side especially seeking major sponsors of our events. I also still write extensively and have authored four books. Combined there are about 20 personnel full and part time in the business.

IIBN Members help our business to achieve more by getting the word out about our presence and making sure to visit online (IrishCentral.com and Irish America.com). We would be happy to offer IIBN Members a yearly subscription to both Irish America and Irish Voice for a combined $12. Contact Mairead at accounts@irishvoice.com for details.

Jody Gannon CEO/Director of THE BIG B Animation Co. GmbH Based in Berlin and originally from Dublin, Jody is Founder, Producer & Creative Director of The Big B Animation Co. GmbH. The successful production company has been one of Germany’s primary animation services and content development studios. Established in 2008, The Big B has been involved in some notable animated productions in Germany in both childrens' TV and feature projects, such as the RBB/Kika hit 'Sherezade the untold stories' development on Kika’s current flagship ‘Mystery Museum’ and the hugely successful major series such as ‘Simsalagrim’ and ‘School for little Vampires’ The BIG B Animation Co. GmbH also produces animated corporate videos, commercials & moving graphics content for all modern platforms. With a new facility in India they offer reliable and cost effective overseas services. Jody is interested in the Irish market these days and feels the contacts and connections IIBN potentially offers to this end are invaluable. He would very much like to produce content for Irish clients, wherever they may be located. As the animation business is no longer location based, they work with artists & services in the EU, Canada, India & China.

Anyone interested in animated corporate videos, advertising or moving images promotions will receive an introductory 15% discount from Jody. As Vice President of the IBN in Germany he can also offer local information, networking & trade contacts in Germany.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

19

MEMBER PROFILES

Melissa Moyles Partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP Melissa is originally from Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh and studied law at Trinity College Dublin before moving to London. She is now in London for over 20 years, having trained and worked at a magic circle firm for 8 years before moving to Dorsey’s office 12 years ago.

Dorsey is a full-service international law firm with nearly 600 lawyers in 19 offices in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For over 100 years, Dorsey has provided trusted counsel and legal representation to businesses, individuals, and non-profit institutions. They practice in more than 60 areas of law, with a particular focus on six industries: banking and financial institutions; development and infrastructure; energy and natural resources; food, beverage and agribusiness; healthcare; and technology.

Dorsey is committed to providing value to their clients as trusted advisers and legal counsel and to contributing to their clients’ success through superior legal services that combine the highest levels of excellence, integrity and professionalism with cost-efficiency and a clear understanding of their clients’ business goals.

As a partner in Dorsey’s real estate group Melissa works on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. The real estate group acts for property companies, corporates, private equity investors and financial institutions. In addition to her client work, she is also the partner responsible for marketing and training in the London office.

Ronan Hannon MD of Protégé Ventures Originally from Cavan, Ronan recently moved back to Dublin after 10+ years in New York.

Protégé Ventures are business growth specialists helping SMEs to overcome market challenges and

20

l

Stephen Mullin Sales and Business Development Director with Cpl Resources Stephen lives in and is originally from Dublin but grew up in the Middle East as his father worked with the United Nations.

Over the past 30 years Cpl has grown into an international brand with over 13,000 staff and 21 brands. Cpl partners with organisations in every sector, from start-ups to multinationals, to design and execute the most impactful talent solutions for their business. Cpl is the largest talent provider in Ireland with a diversified range of connected service offerings including recruitment, flexible talent solutions and strategic talent advisory. Headquartered in Dublin with 48 offices globally, its network spans far, including partner agencies in India and the Philippines.

Stephen’s background is in financial services and he has headed up international corporate banking teams in global financial institutions. Currently, he works with both domestic and international clients, creating bespoke talent solutions tailored to the needs of their business.

IIBN Members could help Cpl achieve more by working in a collaborative manner, helping each other develop strong business relationships and referrals. Stephen would be delighted to offer a one to one consultation with any international company or otherwise looking to expand operations in Ireland.

Cpl’s Future of Work Institute is offering workshops and discovery sessions to help your business become more future focused.

achieve stronger growth, through a mixture of financial expertise and digital marketing strategies.

They believe their USP is their depth of real-world entrepreneurial experience – they’ve brought 6 different companies from 0 to €2M+ in revenue. They take a very practical, business-owner approach. They are sector agnostic, but with a focus on helping businesses in traditional industries leverage modern

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

opportunities. They believe that for businesses to stand out and excel, they require a modern approach that is purpose-driven, experiential and powered by digital.

Ronan would like to speak to any IIBN Member who has a business and is looking to grow either internationally or domestically. Protégé Ventures is offering an initial 2-hour workshop session for free to any client they believe they can add value to.

MEMBER PROFILES

Ronan Dunne EVP and CEO of Verizon Ronan, originally from Dublin, has been based in New York/New Jersey since 2016 after 29 years in London. Ronan is the CEO of

Verizon Consumer Group with Revenues of $93bn and 100m customers in the US. Prior to Verizon he was CEO of O2 in the UK. Verizon was founded exactly 20 years ago through the merger of regional players, and is the largest telecoms company in the US ($350bn enterprise value) with 130m customers, providing wireless and wireline services to consumers in the US and business customers worldwide. It is recognised as a world leader in

Michelle Lawlor Managing Director at Nude Wine Company Born in Portmarnock and now based in Kildare, having spent 10 years in London and Hong Kong.

Michelle launched Nude Wine Company last year, specialising in organic, natural and vegan wines and also offering virtual wine tastings. Being a modern business with no shop front they can be found here: www.thenudewineco.ie. They personally deliver across Kildare and Dublin, using a courier for nationwide deliveries.

Michelle is the founder of the company, and as she says “chief bottle washer”. Her background has always been sales and marketing and that is her focus while also acting as main wine buyer.

Michelle welcomes any introductions to companies who do client gifting and entertaining within Ireland, and companies that would like to offer increasingly popular virtual wine tastings to staff and clients.

Nude Wine Company is offering a 10% discount (code ‘IIBN10’) to all IIBN members and suggests for members outside of Ireland to consider gifting their excellent wine to friends and family at home.

deployment of new wireless technology including 5G and Mobile Edge Computing.

Ronan is very interested in attracting talent and ideas from outside - whether that be innovation around new technologies such as 5G or new business models. Verizon has an online brand “Visible” which allows friends and colleagues to access multi line discounts on unlimited plans which is ideal for people like IIBN members who may not have family in the US.

Kieran Hynes Founder & Managing Director of KMCO Group and Founder and CEO of MapAll Born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Kieran currently lives in London. KMCO Group, incorporated in 2008, helps Telecom Network providers do what they do, better. KMCO Group is a one stop shop for everything telecom. With over 100 vehicles in their fleet and 200 engineers, they supply civils, cabling, jointing and commissioning crews to clients; BT, Virgin Media & Vodafone, to name but a few. KMCO Group offers full turnkey solutions, working on all FTTP/C contracts, diversionary works and special projects covering the whole of Southern England. KMCO opened their own training school in 2016 to help train the next generation of engineers to the highest standard in servicing the Telecoms industry.

MapAll, incorporated in 2018 and based in Longford, is the first tracking, updating and record keeping mobile app and full management platform designed for the telecoms industry. MapAll proprietary technology enables its user to log the exact route and status of any cable, connection or joint on a Telecoms network, all in real time. At the World Broadband Forum in Amsterdam in 2019, Mapall won the Highly commended award and has just been shortlisted for the National Technology Awards in London.MapAll are currently in discussions with Virgin Media and Vodafone UK, alongside other network operators in Europe, receiving enquiries worldwide.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

21

MEMBER PROFILES

Joanne McEnteggart Managing Director of IQ-EQ in Ireland, Head of the Corporate Division in the UK and Ireland Originally from Oldcastle, Co. Meath, Joanne graduated from UCD with a degree in Business & Law, going on to train as an accountant with Irish Life. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered

Jennifer Sheahan Co Founder of Boppo Box Jennifer is based in Dublin but grew up in Clare, just outside Limerick city, where her cousin and business partner Sarah Hayes currently resides.

Their company is Boppo Box – an educational box filled with everything you need to try science experiments at home.

Inside the boxes are items to help characters (the Bops) get to the next phase of their adventure. Build them a rocket to get them to outer space, make a UV detector to check if it’s safe to go outside, then search for slimy aliens on new planets. Everything is designed to allow children to learn how they learn best –

22

l

Certified Accountants, a member of the Institute of Directors and the Irish Debt Securities Association, and Vice Chair of the Ireland Canada Business Association.

IQ-EQ is the world’s fourth largest independent investor services group, offering a comprehensive range of compliance, administration, asset and advisory services to global companies, investment funds, family offices and private clients operating worldwide. With over 2,800 people in 23 strategic locations operating across multiple time zones, IQ-EQ is perfectly placed to help clients achieve their goals.

Joanne plays a key role in

through storytelling and exploration. Information is also provided to continue the learning with everyday household items lurking in the back of your cupboards.

Sarah is the science genius, and Jennifer comes up with stories to make it fun and interactive. They both have science backgrounds, Jennifer in physics and computer science and Sarah in chemistry, physics, and biology.

Jennifer would love to get as much feedback as possible at this early stage of their business. If you are (or know) a parent of children aged 612, please spread the word about their beta product. IIBN members can avail of 20% off the listed retail price by filling out a feedback survey! Contact info@boppobox.com

developing the company’s corporate services segment across its global network. Her particular areas of expertise are Structured Finance, Aviation, Funds, Real Estate and most recently assisting private equity and investment bank clients. With a focus on FDI in both Ireland and the UK, she and her team develop businesses internationally, providing turnkey solutions in the jurisdictions in which IQ-EQ operates.

Joanne welcomes a conversation with any of her fellow IIBN members, should they wish to learn more about the corporate services solution they offer and how they can assist companies in setting up in Ireland.

Eoghan McMahon Fragrance Designer & Managing Director of Beyond Scent Born and based in Dublin, Eoghan looks after both the creative and operational sides of Beyond Scent, a specialised brand experience company, helping businesses connect with customers by engaging memory and emotion through scent. Each exclusive signature scent is designed to instantly communicate brand identity and drive market differentiation.

Launched in Dubai in 2012 and with offices in Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, Beyond Scent creates bespoke brand scents and private label collections for leading brands in aviation, banking, hospitality, and retail, supplying innovative solutions for live events, exhibitions and employee workspaces.

Awareness has been a large part of Beyond Scent’s success so Eoghan would appreciate it if members could help share their story and would be delighted to extend a complimentary consultation to develop a personalised proposal for any of their fellow IIBN Members.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

MEMBER PROFILES

Emer Moriarty Crowley Partner at Beauchamps Law Firm Dublin native usually based in the Beauchamps IFSC Dublin office at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay.

However, due to Covid-19 restrictions you will currently find her working remotely (with excellent broadband) from her home office in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Co Kerry – next Parish is America!

Beauchamps is a full-service law firm of over 200 people, providing legal services to Irish businesses for over 200 years. A unique feature of the Beauchamps team is that their lawyers have a wealth of experience in corporate and working in house. Emer practises corporate law and is a Partner in the Corporate & Commercial Group, advising Irish and international businesses on all aspects of Irish corporate law and governance. Her focus is on corporate restructurings and business transformation, cross-border mergers, and foreign direct investment. The clients she works with are varied, from multinationals to much smaller indigenous businesses.

Emer has been an enthusiastic member of IIBN since she joined Beauchamps in 2015, having been introduced to IIBN by her colleague Shaun O’Shea.

Together they would like to develop their relationship with the members of IIBN.training in the London office.

Barry Prost Co-Founder Managing Partner at Yala Born and based in Dublin and having 20 years recruitment experience both in Ireland and internationally, Barry co-founded yala.ie in Dublin in 2018 to provide an alternative approach to recruitment for SMEs. Yala offers SMEs the same capability as large corporations when it comes to attracting talent and enabling them to build great teams. They don’t just provide CVs for jobs – Yala helps companies to effectively tell the story of “you and your”

Ellen Gunning Director of Irish Academy of Public Relations Ellen Gunning is a Dubliner and a serial entrepreneur.

Her business – the PR Training Academy – is a membership platform for PR and Communications professionals which provides online, bite-sized training in negotiating sponsorship, digital storytelling, training your voice for radio and writing brilliant feature articles. Launched last September in Estonia (the European capital of e-Learning), the PR Training Academy now has a team of nine working from their Dublin HQ. The PR Training Academy won the American Business Association Gold Stevie for PR Innovation 2020, has been endorsed by IPRA and accepted for membership of EADL. The company serves clients in Australia, the USA, the UK and Europe. It’s uniquely the only membership platform designed by communications professionals for communications professionals. Starting with 14 courses initially, members are guaranteed 6 new courses each quarter with unlimited access to all courses for €575 p/a.

IIBN members could help by introducing Ellen to companies with large in-house PR or HR departments, or to member organisations like business associations. And IIBN members are welcome to take a free course of their choice HERE

company to your target candidate market. They help their clients compete for talent by communicating how it feels to work in, what it stands for and what people say about it as an organisation. It is essential to address these key issues to be a stand out employer today. While SMEs are their target market – Yala won its first contract in the public sector last month.

Barry would love to discuss candidate attraction strategies with IIBN Members and for any IIBN

Members who feel they are struggling attracting talent to their businesses he is offering a free audit, which looks at your employer branding under 3 distinct headings of 1) website 2) content and 3) social media. Their team of experts will provide a comprehensive report including areas that you can hopefully easily address.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

23

MEMBER PROFILES

Ciara Lynch COO of The Brilliant Club Ciara, originally from Castleblayney in Co. Monaghan, studied in Dublin and Paris and is now based in London where she has lived for ten years.

Founded in 2011, The Brilliant Club is a university access charity. It supports pupils from underrepresented backgrounds to progress to highlyselective universities by mobilising the PhD researcher community to work with state schools via its two programmes. The Scholars Programme offers pupils the opportunity to take part in seven university-style tutorials with a PhD researcher, and visit two universities. Upon completion, pupils are significantly more likely to apply to, receive an offer from and progress to a highly-selective university. Researchers in Schools supports PhD graduates to develop as excellent teachers and research leaders committed to closing the gap in attainment and university access.

In 2019, The Brilliant Club was Highly Commended for ‘Charity of the Year’ at the Third Sector Awards.

You can help The Brilliant Club to achieve more by introducing Ciara to anyone who may be interested in supporting them to help young people to realise their potential. They welcome working with individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate supporters who are aligned with their mission and committed to creating a fairer society.

24

l

David Duffy Founder and CEO of The Governance Company David is born, bred and based in Dublin where he has lived most of his life apart from doing Chartered Accountancy with PWC in London and an MBA at IMD in Lausanne.

He is CEO of The Governance Company, specialising in providing a range of corporate governance advisory services globally. This July, he launches a new entity called The Corporate Governance Institute www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com, offering an online and accredited Diploma in Corporate Governance. The first of its kind in the world, targeted at professionals looking to become or improve at being a director. The programme is based on over 200 governance assignments David has carried out and two books he has written which were published by Chartered Accountants Ireland; “A Practical Guide to Corporate Governance”, and “A Practical Guide for Company Directors”.

IIBN members can help David by spreading the word, offering feedback on the content or signing up!

The Diploma is priced at €2,900 but offered to IIBN members for €2,400 until 31/12/20.

Contact David on dwduffy@governance-company.com or +353 87 242 3046 anytime.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

Darragh Lynch Managing Director of Uccello Designs Kerryman Darragh Lynch was working in Australia as a business consultant to a number of start-ups, including Uccello Marketing, which evolved into Uccello Designs. He has since brought the company home to Ireland.

Headquartered at the Midlands Research & Innovation Centre at Athlone IT with warehouses in Kerry and Galway, Uccello Designs is selling its

MEMBER PROFILES

Deborah Smyth Owner and Director Tempo Housing UK Originally from Tallaght, Deborah is based in London but operates all over Ireland and the UK. She has been in the land and property business for over 17 years with particular expertise in the modular construction industry.

Tempohousing is a global company with its head office in the Netherlands and offices in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, New Zealand and in Ireland and the UK, the two offices Deborah runs. It offers high quality, rapidly built, modular homes. These are used for student accommodation, as hotels, and for both private and social housing. Templehousing has a variety of clients such as, private developers, councils and local government. Its unique selling point is that it uses aerated concrete in its modules, a strong but lightweight concrete which makes it much easier to transport. It’s also fire resistant, non-combustible and acts as an excellent thermal and sound insulator. Tempohousing has recently won a bid from Innovate UK as part of a consortium to design a new modern modular home for the future utilising the latest technology. This will come with all required certification and warranties and be showcased in 2021. Keep an eye out on LinkedIn and Twitter to follow the progress on this new exciting design.

Fellow IIBN members could recommend Tempohousing to any contacts looking to utilise off-site construction for their next project.

Deborah would offer a referral fee to any IIBN members upon completion of their referred contacts project. .

first product – the Uccello Kettle — in 17 countries and will launch three more products by the end of next year. Uccello Designs works to restore independence for people with disabilities and an aging population by manufacturing stylish, quality household products.

While running a business is tough, the rewards can be sweet. Darragh recalls an email from a woman in New Zealand, describing how her fiercely independent mother had been relying on others to make tea for almost 10 years due to her rheumatoid arthritis before getting the Uccello Kettle as a gift.

As Darragh had worked overseas for eight years before his five years in Australia, a lot of his business network was outside of Ireland. IIBN has enabled him to plug into the entrepreneurial ecosystem and helped in developing his professional network. Uccello Designs have a growing international customer base and often need service on the ground in these countries. To be able to tap into fellow IIBN members across the globe is a huge advantage. Use code ‘IIBN2020’ at checkout for 15% discount.

Byron Fry Founder & Managing Director VP Financial Services at IDA Ireland Originally from Dublin, Byron is currently based in London. He acts as the Irish Government representative responsible for engaging with UK financial services firms, building relationships at C-suite level within Tier 1 global institutions with a view to understanding corporate strategy and seeking to attract investment into the country.

IDA Ireland is a semi-state agency, which assists overseas firms in their due diligence process when assessing future growth strategy. It provides free advisory, introductions to Government, the Central Bank, research centres, service providers and peer firms as well as providing information and statistics to assist firms in mapping out their international plans. IDA is also one of the largest landholders in Ireland with a landbank of offices, industrial units and greenfield sites dotted around the country in order to promote regional investment. Today, IDA has twenty-four offices around the globe, employing 450 staff.

Byron has built a significant network across the UK and Ireland to source opportunities and keep up to date with market developments. He would welcome conversations with any IIBN members who may know of firms considering expansion and who may be open to speak with IDA to learn about its range of services and Ireland’s value proposition. Similarly, Byron would be happy to work alongside other IIBN members if they are assisting a company with expanding into Ireland by providing statistics, market intelligence and guidance on establishing a presence in the country.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

25

IIBN Have you registered your profile on the IIBN website yet?

Join today for free and make new connections from around the Globe. www.IIBN.com The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

27

TOURISM

Tourism Ireland Raring to Go When Lockdown Ends!

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on travel and looks forward to better days for the tourism industry on the island of Ireland In 2019, we welcomed around 11.2 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of almost €5.8 billion to the economies north and south, with tourism employing around 325,000 people across the island. As we embarked on 2020, we were certainly conscious that the year would continue to present some challenges – including the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit, economic and geo-political uncertainty, as well as constraints on the availability of aircraft. However, nothing could have prepared us for the biggest crisis the travel and tourism industry has ever faced across the globe – the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 in early 2020.

While COVID-19 remains first and foremost a public health issue for now, this virus has had, and continues to have, unprecedented and extremely serious consequences for tourism operators across the island of Ireland – with the closure of hotels, visitor attractions, bars and restaurants, as well as the

28

l

cancellation of events, conferences and sports activities. We have seen major restrictions on travel and the closure of borders, with Europe’s skies closed to all but a small number of repatriation flights and airlines having grounded most, if not all, of their fleets. Previous crises such as Foot & Mouth, SARS, 9/11 and the volcanic ash cloud in 2010 dramatically dampened demand.

COVID-19 has dwarfed all these other crises.

As an island destination, strong air and sea access links are vital for growth in overseas tourism. Last summer, there were more than 615,000 direct, one-way seats available on planes flying to the island of Ireland every week.

However, the landscape has profoundly changed in recent weeks.

Airline industry analysts OAG predict that it will be three to four years before Europe’s capacity returns to the levels seen in 2019.

The restoration of air connectivity will be essential to restoring growth

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

in overseas tourism to Ireland. Sea access levels have been retained, however, and are likely to provide opportunities for closer-to-home markets. Sea may, in fact, become a more attractive option initially – particularly for cautious travellers.

There is no question that the shape of the Irish tourism industry that emerges from this crisis will be different than it was at the beginning of 2020. Tour operators who have programmed the island of Ireland for many years may be forced to scale back their inventory significantly. It is too soon to say what, if any, of the ‘Ireland experience’ for overseas visitors will be changed. However, we in Tourism Ireland will do everything we can to support our industry partners to get them to the overseas marketplace – when the time is right.

In the face of the fundamental changes facing our industry, we need a comprehensive understanding of the changed consumer and the new marketplace. Tourism Ireland will

TOURISM Niall Gibbons is CEO of Tourism Ireland.

carry out an extensive COVID-19 programme of research in our major markets. Looking forward to when international tourism to Ireland is back, this research will help us identify when consumers are ready to consider holidaying again and which of our markets offer us the best short-term prospects. We will then explore in-depth which segments and demographics are most likely to travel, which products and experiences will most appeal to them and what messaging will most strongly convince them to consider holidaying on the island of Ireland. The insights we gain will ensure that our future promotional plan is as tightly targeted and as powerfully motivational as it possibly can be, in order to drive a strong recovery, as quickly as it is possible to realise it.

Almost all of Tourism Ireland’s paidfor promotional activity has been cancelled or postponed for now.

However, we are running an extensive online campaign, which is using the hashtag #FillYourHeartWithIreland. Because people aren’t travelling right now, the aim of the initiative is to bring the best of the island of Ireland onto people’s screens and to help ensure that Ireland stays ‘front-of-mind’ with prospective visitors for future

holidays. It involves the sharing of inspirational content that speaks to the world at this difficult time and connects people with the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland is sharing this content with its millions of fans and followers on its social channels – including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. The content is also being shared with Tourism Ireland’s database of influential

new taskforces, in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which have been set up to identify measures to enable tourism to recover from the devastating effects of COVID-19. Once the current crisis of COVID-19 is past, Tourism Ireland will be ready on the ground to roll out an extensive global recovery kick-start programme – but only when the time is right. We have

travel and lifestyle journalists, who are all looking for great ‘armchair travel’ ideas right now. Activity also aims to leverage consumers’ increased consumption of content online, during the COVID-19 pandemic period – by bringing entertaining, uplifting or otherwise compelling content to them from the island of Ireland.

begun the process of planning for the recovery of overseas tourism. Our focus is on having campaigns which will be ready to go, once there are signs that consumers overseas are getting back on the move and that Ireland is open for business. We will be working flat out to recover as much business as possible. We look forward to getting back in full swing, to continue to promote the island of Ireland as a ‘must-see’ destination across the world. Together with our tourism industry partners, we will be ready to extend a wonderful warm Irish welcome to all our visitors to the island of Ireland.

Given that tourism is our largest indigenous industry, responsible for in excess of 4% of GNP in the Republic of Ireland, a return to growth as quickly as possible is vital.

Tourism Ireland is represented on

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

29

NETWORKING

Networking and a PC (Post Coronavirus) World It might strike readers as a bit bizarre to be reading an article about Networking when everybody is cooped up like battery hens but the reality is that, eventually, these days will pass and we will get back to something approximating to normality.

BY KINGSLEY AIKINS These are indeed extraordinary times and today we don't know what tomorrow will bring. It reminds me of a quote from Lenin who said "Sometimes decades pass and nothing happens and then weeks pass and decades happen". So true.

So, this is a truly awful and tragic period. However when we look to history we see that even worse events such as the two World Wars and the Great Depression were followed by periods of great growth driven by innovation and creativity.

This will be no exception.

With many of us confined to working from home and obeying the rules of social distancing, now might be an opportune time to turn remote working into remote learning, and self-isolation into self-development.

Now that you have some time on your own, think about investing in yourself and getting better at something that is always important but rarely urgent. As the old saying goes "When business is down that's when you paint the shop". So don't get down - get ready. Tough times never last but tough people do.

30

l

A core truth about business is that everything is about connections.

Networks are built first and foremost upon a very basic human need enjoying people. One conversation or one introduction can change your life but they don't happen lying in bed or sitting at your desk. They happen when you are in motion.

They happen when you break your routines. They happen when you talk to people you don't know. So key now is to realise how important your network is going to be and put building a strong and diverse network front and centre. Life is a game of inches and you need every advantage you can get - your network can be the difference maker.

It all comes down to three things changing your attitude, altering your behaviour and learning some new skills. Building a strong and diverse network is a necessity, not a luxury there is a price to be paid in being an average networker. Having lived and worked in six countries I found networking was the key ingredient that made everything happen.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

However, let's be honest. There are some real problems with Networking - most people hate the thought of it.

It conjures up images of high energy, noisy, smarmy individuals flicking out business cards at a ferocious pace at a Networking event and constantly looking over your shoulder to find someone more interesting to talk to.

In addition, Networking is not taught at school or college, it's not a KPI, companies don't have strategies for it, and it doesn't show up in the recruitment process. In short, Networking is important but not urgent. People mix up Networking and sociability. They think that the most extrovert type person is the best networker. In fact, the exact opposite is often the case. Seemingly shy, introvert types can be terrific networkers because they do it with decency and authenticity - they listen, and they ask questions.

Okay- so we agree it's important what next? This is when you have to ask yourself the brutal question. Is my network good enough for where I want to go in the next five years and the only way you can find an answer

NETWORKING Kinsley Aikins is the Founder and CEO of The Networking Institute.

to this is to audit your network. Print it off and divide it into 4 categories as follows 1. Contact - a name on your database, but, for the life of you, you can't remember who they are. You must have met them at a conference or on a flight and exchanged business cards. This a pretty weak connection.

2. Connection - if they called you, you would know who they are and if you called them they would know who you are. There is nothing happening between you but there is a degree of familiarity.

3. Relationship - you know each other, you are doing something together, you like each other and you trust each other.

4. Friend - I have people I work with who are friends and I have friends who are friends. My definition of this category - somebody you could call on their cell phone on a Sunday afternoon. I don't have many in this category.

The benefit of this audit exercise is that you can clean up your contact database, spot gaps to be filled and identify old connections who are dormant and are worth reconnecting with. Prune your network and watch it grow.

What Networking is all about is building 'Social Capital' which is defined as the resources available to you in your personal and business networks. There are two types of knowledge - knowledge that you have which is human capital and knowledge that you can access which is social capital. Social Capital will be a big differentiating factor in this 21st century. Research shows that

people with strong and diverse Social Capital live longer, are stronger mentally and physically, earn more money and are happier. They see Networking as a way of escaping their silo, the way they will get their next job and the way to become known (not famous) and develop their own personal brand. Through Networking they hone their listening skills , manage serendipity, become good at public speaking, develop a life more than their job and become comfortable at talking to strangers.

They appreciate that opportunities don't float around on clouds - they are attached to people and if you are looking for opportunities you are really looking for people.

have to hang around people just like ourselves.

Great Networkers don't keep score, understand that Networking is all about giving not getting, are humble and don't brag and know the difference between the most connected and the best connected.

They totally appreciate the power of technology and yet at the same time they are hi-tech and hi touch and they network with decency, honesty and integrity. It's part of who they are and how they live their life. They know that trust is the cornerstone of everything - it can take years to build and can be lost in a nanosecond.

They also know that it is important to build a network of weak connections who are very different to themselves and counters the tendency we all

The whole process of Networking boils down to remembering 3 simple questions in every interaction you have with everybody in your network as follows -

Great networkers also follow a precise four step process of Research, Cultivation, Solicitation and Stewardship which is about taking people on a journey from total ignorance of them and their organisation to a position of passionate zealotry. This takes time, energy and shoe leather.

In essence then, Networking is a learned process and not something you are born with. There is a way of doing it and people who follow the process have a greater chance of success than those who don't.

1. What can I do for you?

2. If you were me what would you do?

3. Who do you know who.....?

To learn more about the Networking Training Programmes please contact The Networking Institute on www.thenetworkinginstitute .com or email the author on kingsley@thenetworkinginstitute.com

About the author Kingsley Aikins is a patron member of IIBN and is the Founder and CEO of The Networking Institute which is based in Dublin. Before that he was CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds for 17 years, mostly based in Boston. Prior to that he was the Sydney based representative of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. He is an Economics and Politics graduate of Trinity College Dublin and a former Leinster rugby player. He and his wife have 3 children and they live in Blackrock, Dublin.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

31

BACK FOR BUSINESS

Calling all Irish Emigrants Back For Business Support is Available!

Back for Business is an initiative to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among returned emigrants or those returning to live in Ireland.

BY PAULA FITZSIMONS The development programme is aimed at assisting them to start and develop a business. It addresses the challenges that all early stage entrepreneurs face, with a particular focus on the additional barriers and challenges faced by those who have been out of the country for some time.

Back for Business is based on a model of peer support, entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs. This approach is well proven as being effective in bringing about increased motivation and confidence among entrepreneurs and having a positive impact on their enterprise development.

Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM) research illustrates that entrepreneurial activity is often associated with a personal

34

l

discontinuity or disruption. That is the reason that there is a high rate of entrepreneurial activity among those newly arrived in a country as immigrants, for example. What is not often generally realised, however, is that in Ireland those who have travelled, and have spent a number of years out of the country and return, are engaged more frequently in early stage entrepreneurial activity than those who have never travelled. Accordingly, as a group they have exceptional entrepreneurial potential.

Back for Business has been developed and is delivered by Fitzsimons Consulting. Thanks to the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge to those who are selected to participate.

Who is it for?

Back for Business is for returned emigrants who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned to Ireland within the last three years, or those currently living abroad who are planning to return to live in Ireland in the near future.

Their experience of living and working abroad will often bring significant advantages for starting a

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

business, such as having a strong network of international contacts, fluency in foreign languages and greater cultural understanding of foreign markets.

Suitable applicants will be (i) those who have recently started a new business in Ireland, either on their own or with another business partner, (ii) are at an advanced stage of setting up a business, or (iii) are becoming/have become entrepreneurs through the acquisition of an existing business. If the business is newly established, it will not have generated sales for more than two years. If acquired, it will not have been acquired for more than two years.

What is involved?

The Back for Business initiative is a tailored entrepreneurial development programme. It is based on peer support – entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs. This applied learning model involves a series of round table interactive sessions that are facilitated by volunteer Lead Entrepreneurs who have experience of successfully starting and growing a business. The sessions are focused on the achievement of goals and milestones and the exploration of relevant themes. The Lead Entrepreneurs will work with groups of up to eight

BACK FOR BUSINESS Paula Fitzsimons is the National Director of Going For Growth.

returning from abroad to develop a business in Ireland. This barrier would appear to be unique to this group of entrepreneurs, as we have noted that early stage entrepreneurs, from other initiatives that we run, most frequently mention access to finance as the main barrier.

participants each in a series of round table sessions, supporting them to address the challenges they face in starting, developing, and positioning their business for sustainability and growth.

The lead entrepreneurs The Lead Entrepreneurs who facilitate the round table sessions are the backbone of the Back for Business initiative. They are not, and cannot be, experts in every area of business, but they bring valuable and personal experience of starting and growing a business. Several of them have returned to Ireland having lived abroad for several years before starting their own business. They believe strongly in the principle of entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs and are giving their time on a voluntary basis. Their open and full involvement gives the participants an opportunity to get to know and learn from successful role models and to benefit from their wide and varied entrepreneurial experience.

Previous participants The third cycle of Back for Business is nearing completion. In total over 110 participants have completed a

cycle of Back for Business. When they are first selected for Back for Business, participants are offered a year’s free membership of IIBN to further enhance their networks.

Those who have completed a cycle are invited to join a Back for Business community and stay connected through Further Development round tables, a series of relevant topicbased workshops and networking events.

Those who have participated on Back for Business tell us that they have spent an average of seven years out of Ireland. Networking and reestablishing contacts is the barrier most frequently cited by them, when they are asked to identify what for them constituted the main barriers that posed a challenge to them

The COVID 19 pandemic has hit all businesses hard. Those in Back for Business were not immune to its negative effects. In line with the Government restrictions and guidelines, we moved online, facilitating the round tables and workshops remotely as we continued to offer support through this challenging time. We are very much looking forward to meeting again in person in the autumn.

Those who complete Back for Business are incredibly positive in their end of cycle feedback. Virtually all feel nearer to achieving their ambitions and would recommend the programme to others.

“Back for Business is a fantastic initiative to support returned Irish emigrants and help them develop their business concept.” – Ciara McGuane, Rahoo “Back for Business has given me the confidence and support to aim higher with my new business.” -Barra Kelly, Structural Home Design

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST Those interested in receiving an application form for Back for Business 4 should register their interest on the website www.backforbusiness.com and they will be sent an application form by email when the call opens later this year.

For more information, visit www.backforbusiness.com or email info@backforbusiness.com.

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

35

AROUND THE GLOBE

Former European Cup Winner Traveling Around The Globe In An Electric Car! Rugby and Sustainability are my two biggest passions and I’m combining both in my latest project called Global Rugby Electric Drive.

BY PETER BRACKEN My autistic son Noah, 9, and myself are driving around Ireland and the UK and then around the World in a fully Electric Vehicle to get people excited about Electric Mobility, Sustainability and to raise money for Noah's local autism charity Western Care.

We’ll be stopping at rugby clubs and schools en route to coach rugby.

It would be great to meet as many fun and interesting IIBN members as possible as we travel. And if some IIBN members could help us along the way that would be hugely appreciated. Whether with room, board, cash - all would be appreciated.

Along with the above reasons for doing this adventure, it’s going to be a fantastic life/bonding experience for both myself and my son which for me is the greatest thing about the project.

Project highlights: n Team Leader - Peter Bracken, former Professional Rugby Player, European Rugby Champions Cup Winner, Rugby 6 Nations Grand

36

l

Slam winning coach, Executive Coach, Electric Car enthusiast, Renewable Energy and Sustainability advocate. n Team Superhero – Noah Bracken, Peter’s 9 years old Autistic son. n World First / World Record attempt – a drive circling the globe has never been done before in an Electric Vehicle n Father and Son drive around the World – Peter and Noah Bracken aim to be the 1st people to drive around the world in an EV. n Charity – This is a not for profit project. All monies raised will go directly to Noah’s local Autism support service charity Western Care n Documentary – We will be documenting the entire project – TV documentary. n Publicity Tours – 400+ schools, sports clubs, music festivals, Car Shows, sustainability conferences, exhibitions, events, n Worldwide Media Events - Irish / European / Asian / USA / International media events n Mayo to Mayo - We're starting and finishing the global drive from our home in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

n Global Rugby Coaching Tour – Stopping to coach and charge the car at various rugby clubs across the world en route. n Celebrities – Interviewing Celebrities in the car along the journey. n Sustainability Tour – Visiting Partner companies to highlight their products, services and sustainability efforts, Climate Action projects, Renewable Energy projects, Bio-diversity projects, Smart Buildings, Holistic/Organic/Low Emission Farms en route

The Free Stuff! – noth’in like a handy freebie n Free Publicity – we’ve a limited number of free opportunities to be part of this unique project and the publicity that goes with it for any companies that are Sustainability pro-active. n So, what’s the catch? – NO catch, all we need is a company representative to make themselves available for interview and talk about your business. Not bad, I think!  We’ll post this on our personal and project social media platforms to promote your

AROUND THE GLOBE

Peter Bracken in action for Connacht during his rugby playing days. company. If your company see the benefits of an official partnership and want to get more involved, great, that is most welcome. If not no worries, don’t feel obliged, no expectations.

Project – Phase 1 Noah and I are doing several shorter Electric Vehicle drives to prepare for the Global trip n All Ireland 32 counties in 32 hours’ Drive – to showcase the Kilometre range of modern EV’s and highlight the EV charging infrastructure on the island of Ireland n Touring Ireland, UK, Europe in an EV - EV conferences and events – guest speaking at various EV/Sustainability/Car shows and conferences across Ireland, UK and Europe. n 2021, 6 nations drives – Driving to watch Ireland play in the rugby 6 nations 2021 n Rugby - Pro 14, Rugby Champions Cup, English Rugby Premiership and French Top 14 Rugby tour – We will be driving to various rugby matches around Ireland, UK and Europe, engaging with fans, media, players, supporters n Formula E Grand Prix’s – driving to the Electric Car version of Formula 1

Project - Phase 2 Route (subject to change) - Ireland – UK – France – Belgium – Netherlands – Germany – Denmark – Sweden – Finland Russia – Kazakhstan – Mongolia – China – Japan – USA – Canada – Ireland Hopefully you can sense that although this is a serious, professionally planned and organised expedition, we are aim aiming to bring a fun, humorous and fully transparent feel to the whole project and we’re 100% committed to having as much joy and craic as practically possible in all aspects of the project.

Not even Covid-19 has dampened our spirits. It has brought sustainability to the fore and we aim to capitalise on this We are thinking of applying for Santa’s job next Christmas we’ve such a massive sack full of media publicity secured for the project and project partners. TV, Newspapers, Radio, Social Media etc. This is a great story and the media are mad keen to tell it. So many high profile/influential people have said yes to coming along on stages of the drive with us and following and sharing the story on their social platforms, celebrities from all

backgrounds [Professional rugby players and coaches (male & female), Sports stars from various sports, World Champion, Olympic athletes, 2 Astronauts in training, High profile business people, Dragons Den dragon, Influencers, Fashion/fitness models, Adventurers, Professional fighters, Atlantic Rower, Everest Climber, GAA managers, Politicians, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Las Vegas Promoter, Film Directors, my family etc].

Everyone above getting involved, giving their time for free because they love the concept and believe in the project. I am a full-time carer of my son Noah and we’ve manged to get this project this far with some amazing help from friends and family.

We have secured 3 official partners so far which is fantastic.

Oh yes, we are making a TV documentary of the project. Our production company are close to commissioning stage. Because we’ve zero budget yet, the producers are giving a substantial amount their time, resources and skills to this just because they 100% believe in the project and know it will be successful. This has given us great confidence.

Lastly, thanks to IIBN for this opportunity to write about our project and if we can be of any help to any IIBN members in any way we would be delighted to do so.

Keep positive, well and safe, Peter Bracken +353 86 0566806 peter@the-scrum-doctor.com Ps, don’t be shy, please take us up on the genuine free publicity offers!

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

37

IIBN PROGRAMMES

IIBN Programmes for the next generation of Business Leaders and Female Entrepreneurs IIBN runs a number of different programmes designed to assist its database of members in London and New York. With each of these programmes, current IIBN members make themselves available to share their business knowledge and facilitate connections. You can learn more about these programmes here.

Future Leaders Programme (FLP) London Established in 2013, the programme is designed to identify and assist young Irish executives who are looking to accelerate their progress along their chosen career path. The FLP is a mentoring programme which connects the next generation of Irish executives with successful Irish entrepreneurs and business professionals. FLP participants are typically between the ages of 25 and 35, and will have demonstrated high potential characteristics within their

38

l

career to date. We have had over 100+ participants on this programme since inception.

GIFT (Global Irish Female EnTrepreneur) London Established in 2016, this programme is designed to assist female entrepreneurs who have achieved a certain level of scale in their business and are looking to take their business to a higher level. Supported by a panel of high profile ambassadors, the primary aim of GIFT is to facilitate brokered access to

Connecting Irish Entrepreneurs and Business Professionals, Globally

international, scalable business opportunities, entrepreneurial pathways, medium to long term connectivity and to inculcate their ongoing commitment to positive promotion of Ireland and its diaspora.

LEAP™ (Leadership & Executive Acceleration Program) New York The LEAP programme helps ambitious professional Irish and Irish-American women living in the Greater New York/Tri-State area get more opportunity to have a seat at

IIBN PROGRAMMES

the table with key decision makers, and to promote a culture of women helping other women.

Future Leaders Board (FLB) New York The Future Leaders Board builds and supports a globally inclusive community by creating relevant connections for young Irish professionals in New York. It provides guidance to new younger

members in order allow them to effectively network at events and engage with the Irish American business community in NYC. Some of the many successes from these programmes include new job offers, investment in early stage businesses, the appointment of new directors and the securing of new overseas partnerships.

We would like to thank the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their support with the running of these programmes via its Emigrant Support Programme.

If you would be interested in participating in one of these programmes, either as a Mentor, a Future Leader or a Female Entrepreneur, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line to info@iibn.com

The Best Place to Meet the Best Senior Irish Professionals, Globally

l

39