In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast series, Averil Power of the Irish Cancer Society tells host Richard Curran about her unconventional childhood, her love of business and law, and the successful career she enjoyed in politics; and how they all came together to make her a highly driven and impactful leader in the non-profit sector. “A huge privilege that I’m so grateful to have”. Despite many years working in the world of politics, Averil Power always seemed destined for leadership in ...
May 26, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In the world of social media, what is being said about your business can make or break you. How you access these insights in a timely manner makes all the difference. In 2009, when Twitter was still relatively unknown and Instagram was not yet born, Stephen O’Leary spotted an opportunity and started to build a company to do just that – give businesses an ear to the ground on social media. “ With no savings, no plan, no experience in running a business, I decided the need exists, there is a gap, ...
May 06, 2022•48 min•Ep. 25
In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook series, EPS Global CEO Colin Lynch tells host Richard Curran the story of scaling internationally without external equity, making personal sacrifices to keep EPS Global afloat, and his plans to grow the company three-fold by 2025. For a company like EPS Global, it is a remarkably busy time to be in business. Founded in Ireland in 1999, EPS Global is a distributor of specialised IT components and semiconductors used in high-growth areas including data storage...
Feb 25, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook series, Mark Rose Burke joins host Richard Curran to share her vision for Dublin city, her views on how to most effectively drive forward the changes required, and the top priorities and challenges facing business leaders in 2021 and 2022. There has been a lot of debate in recent years about the role that large cities will play in the how we work, live and play, particularly in a post-Covid landscape. As CEO of Dublin’s largest and most influential business ...
Dec 21, 2021•40 min
Economic Eye host Richard Curran talks to EY Ireland Chief Economist, Neil Gibson, about current key economic indicators and the impact they are having on business across the entire country. In this episode, Neil outlines the findings of the Economic Eye Winter 2021 Forecast: ‘How people, prices, and planet will shape the all-island forecast’ Topics include: · Why the all-Ireland economy is in far better health than expected as 2021 draws to a close · The growing need for more specific, targeted...
Dec 10, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3
When Francesca McDonagh joined Bank of Ireland as CEO in 2017, it was with a “mandate for change”. It was the only Irish bank to have repaid the taxpayer for its support during the financial crisis, and now there were new priorities. Francesca was tasked with widespread reform of BOI’s culture, systems, and business model. The opportunity, not just to transform Bank of Ireland but also to help change the banking sector in Ireland, is one that McDonagh not only relishes, but views as “a duty”. Im...
Nov 26, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast series, Group CFO for Open Orphan, Leo Toole tells host Vincent Wall about how a highly specialised approach to clinical trials is proving very successful for a young Irish company. He also describes how he is helping Open Orphan to “control [its] own destiny…by driving sustainable performance, profit, and cashflow”. Open Orphan is a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) with a difference. While most CROs recruit people who are already infected with a...
Nov 22, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
It is an interesting time to be overseeing the management and evolution of Ireland’s public transport network. Not only has the pandemic dramatically reduced passenger numbers on trains, trams, buses and taxis, at least temporarily, but the rapid move towards environmentally sustainable modes of transport is also introducing new and interesting challenges. As CEO of the National Transport Authority (NTA), Anne Graham is tasked with helping to develop solutions for these challenges and others, wh...
Nov 09, 2021•37 min•Ep. 21
In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast series, Andy Cronin tells host Vincent Wall the story of a Avolon’s remarkable growth from Dublin start-up to a world leader in aircraft leasing in just a few short years. They discuss: · How Andy, an engineer, became the co-founder and CFO of an aircraft leasing company · The story of Avolon’s IPO and his experience of running the finance function of a public company versus a private one · Raising capital and how Avolon has achieved a credit rating ...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 8
In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast, ICON CEO Steve Cutler tells host Richard Curran the story of ICON’s rise from Irish start-up to global leader in a challenging and competitive field, and his role in that journey. A former Australian rugby international, Cutler sees many similarities between playing on the pitch and leading a contract research organisation (both are competitive “contact sports”), and he describes how his former career has influenced the style and success of his lead...
Sep 30, 2021•40 min•Ep. 20
In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Kenmare Resources Finance Director, Tony McCuskey tells host, Vincent Wall the compelling story of an Irish company’s rise to the top of the exploration industry. It is a journey involving hostile environments, working with local governments and communities , maintaining relationships with partners and shareholders, and personal resilience. “We didn’t have any physical assets, what we had was a dream”. When Tony McCluskey joined Kenmare Resources in...
Sep 09, 2021•45 min•Ep. 7
As a young science graduate, Audrey Derveloy’s goal was to have a positive impact on society. Now, as a leader of a global medicines company during a world-wide pandemic, that dream is being realised. Novartis employs 1,400 people in Ireland, and the company uses innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need such as Cardiology, Oncology and Immunology. Having spent several years in leadership roles at Novartis in France, Audrey was...
Jul 22, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast, Noel Keeley, CEO of Musgrave Group, tells host Richard Curran about his rise to the top of Ireland’s number one grocer, his views on consumer behaviour and how they are changing, and why Musgrave Group’s company values are so important to the group’s success. ___________________________________________ For Noel Keeley, CEO of Musgrave Group, the basics of retailing are simple: “Give people what they want, when they want it, at a price they’re willin...
Jun 24, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 18
“Like anyone with ambition you’re always looking for the next move”. Michael Rice’s career has been punctuated by a series of very significant phone calls, each of them offering him the chance to work in a dynamic new company and environment. And, crucially, every role was a stepping stone to the one that Michael holds today – CFO of Glenveagh Properties. Having worked for some of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs and companies, including Dermot Desmond and Kingspan, Michael Rice was drawn to Glen...
Jun 11, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 6
What issues are top of mind for the CEOs of Ireland’s leading organisations? This is the question that the EY CEO Imperatives study set out to answer, and the results are revealed in this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast series. 305 CEOs of the Forbes Global 2000 were surveyed about their perspectives on the DNA of the future enterprise, and the findings provide a fascinating insight into how the Covid-19 pandemic has rearranged and changed the priority list for business leaders. In this po...
May 28, 2021•20 min
Mark Garvey became Group CFO of Glanbia in 2013, a time of significant change for the company. It was rapidly transitioning into a global performance nutrition and ingredients business, with acquisitions and joint ventures forming a core part of this successful diversification and expansion strategy. However, in 2019 Glanbia hit a ‘speed bump’ in its performance nutrition business, requiring an adjustment to expectations of profit and the deployment of an extensive transformation programme. A ye...
May 06, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Economic Eye podcast host Richard Curran talks to EY Ireland Chief Economist, Neil Gibson, about current key economic indicators and the impact they are having on business across the entire country. In this episode, Neil outlines the findings of the Economic Eye Spring 2021 Forecast: ‘Recovery – but at what price?’. Topics include: Two economies at either end of the growth charts in 2020 Similar labour market disruption A spending surge is coming The sustained period of low-price inflation may b...
Apr 26, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Steve Bowcott had effectively retired when he got the call about the role of CEO at John Sisk & Son Ltd. Having worked in PLCs for most of his career, Bowcott was intrigued by the idea of working for a private, family-owned company, with a long history and a clear purpose. Now, almost six years after taking up the role, Steve finds himself steering John Sisk & Son Ltd. through what is arguably one of the more challenging periods in its 160 history. The COVID-19 lockdown has been tough on...
Apr 13, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 16
With 6000 forest properties nationwide, totalling over one million acres of land, Coillte has been a very visible presence in Ireland since its formation in 1989. But in recent months Coillte-owned forests have become a lot more familiar to a lot more people, attracting over 2.2m visitors between March and December 2020. Coillte CEO, Imelda Hurley, is proud to be providing such a vital outlet for people during difficult Covid restrictions. While Imelda Hurley’s love of the outdoors was one of th...
Mar 29, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Managing the finances of any organisation is challenging at the best of times, but when that organisation is the Health Service Executive, and the country is in the midst of a pandemic, the role of CFO takes on a whole new meaning. Stephen Mulvany is acutely aware that the HSE and the services it provides touches the lives of every citizen in the country. As such, his position as CFO is particularly high-profile, requiring an impeccable approach to accountability and transparency, and an ability...
Mar 19, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 4
“ I have been challenged over the last 35 years to be someone I’m not, and I’ve stood firm. That means you have to show vulnerability...to show people who you really are and what you stand for. And when you do that, your team will follow .” Leadership is something that Cathriona Hallahan does not take lightly. Keenly aware that it is a position of great privilege, she has spent a lot of time thinking about, and working on, the kind of leader she wants to be. The performance of Microsoft Ireland,...
Mar 05, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 14
If somebody had told Pat O’Doherty that he would one day be running an organisation of 8000 people from a room at home, he wouldn’t have believed them. However, that is exactly the position the CEO of ESB finds himself in today. When COVID-19 struck, Pat had two main priorities: to keep the lights on and to keep his people safe and well. Those priorities, alongside his mission to transform the generation and delivery of electricity across the country, has made 2020/21 one of the busiest years Pa...
Feb 22, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook podcast, Frank O’Keeffe tells host Richard Curran about his journey through the ranks of EY to the role of Managing Partner, his passion for building a better working world and views on how that world is changing, and what motivates him and helps him to maintain the ‘relentless focus’ his has applied through his career. They also talk about: Growing up in a very entrepreneurial home, and his father’s career working alongside Penney’s Founder Arthur Ryan Why ...
Jan 29, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In 2011 Dara O’Reilly was Finance Director of the Quinn group when, suddenly, he was called in to a meeting and told it was “lights out” for the company. Receivers had been appointed and Dara’s role no longer existed. Three years later, O’Reilly and a number of other former directors of the Quinn group put forward a successful bid for parts of the business. Today, the company is more profitable, employs more people, and has rebranded as Mannok. However, the journey from Quinn to Mannok has not b...
Jan 21, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Anne Heraty founded CPL in 1989 and, 31 years later, in 2020, sold the company for €318m. That journey from inception to exit has involved recessions, a floatation, and the digital transformation of the workplace. However, despite the recent sale of CPL Resources to Japanese firm Outsourcing, it is not a journey that Anne is ready to end just yet. Heraty believes that the world of work is at a fascinating point in time and so, as she tells host Richard Curran, “it is not a time I’d like to be st...
Dec 18, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Trying to explain to people what ICON does is something that Brendan Brennan has found challenging in the past, but not anymore. This fast-growing Clinical Research company partners the world’s biggest Pharma companies to deliver end to end clinical trial services – and with ICON now involved in over hundred different COVID-19 vaccine and treatment trials, the company’s profile and contract list has grown exponentially. As CFO, Brendan Brennan is central to pivoting Icon’s financial operations a...
Dec 09, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Irish Residential Properties (I-RES) REIT is Ireland’s largest private residential landlord, providing homes for over 8000 people. However, the company’s CEO, Margaret Sweeney, does not particularly like the term ‘landlord’. As she tells host Richard Curran, “we’re neither Lords nor do we own that much land”. In a country where 95% of residential landlords own one or two properties, the I-RES REIT business model is a very new concept - one that Margaret believes is helping to solve one of Irelan...
Nov 24, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The EY Economic Eye podcast provides up-to-the-minute analysis of the all-island economy across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In each episode, host Richard Curran talks to EY Chief Economist, Neil Gibson, about current key economic indicators and the impact they are having on business across the entire country. Areas covered include growth forecasts, the labour market, wages, trade, investment, government spending, as well as global and political issues, such as trade wars and Br...
Nov 20, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 1
The role of the Chief Financial Officer has evolved dramatically in recent years. While managing costs is still a core part of the position, today’s successful CFOs are taking a lead in evolving the business strategy of their organisations and in creating long-term stakeholder value. With thirty successful years in the banking and financial services sector behind him, Myles O’Grady is clear about how the landscape has changed, and what it takes to be a successful CFO in today’s Financial Service...
Nov 11, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Tony Smurfit almost became a professional racehorse breeder at a young age, but the call of the family business ultimately led him to forge a long and successful career with Smurfit Kappa. Led by his father and grandfather before him, Smurfit Kappa was the first major Irish multinational company, and today is the number one company in Europe producing corrugated packaging, and one of the leading paper-based packaging companies in the world . If you order an appliance for your home, there is 1 in...
Nov 10, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
