ALL-IRELAND BUSINESS SUMMIT
April 19th 2018, Croke Park, Dublin
Ivan Yates
Conference Chairperson
Businessman, Broadcaster and Former Politician
Ivan Yates
Ivan Yates has had unique life experience in politics, business and media. A former government minister and Wexford TD for more than 20 years; an entrepreneur who founded and developed Celtic Bookmakers to employ 400 people, with €200 million turnover.
He bounced back from bankruptcy in Wales in 2012 to become a highly successful national broadcaster presenting top-rated programmes on Newstalk and TV3; as well as a leading columnist with the Irish Independent newspaper.
In 2014 he published his best-selling autobiography, ‘Full On’ with acclaimed reviews. He resides in Dublin and Enniscorthy, is married to Deirdre with 4 adult children.
His original forthright style of entertaining punditry and analysis on the full range of current affairs and sport has made him a much sought after motivational public speaker at corporate and formal events. He also acts as a versatile conference facilitator/moderator, MC with a flair for asking the questions that need answering. Ivan is a memorable and compelling after-dinner speaker.
Ivan’s attention to detail, preparation and client focus ensures your event runs smoothly and efficiently, with humorous asides. He adds value to your occasion by making it special.
Imagine spending a day networking with Ireland’s finest businesses. Rubbing shoulders with potential clients & customers, partners and peers. Hearing from some of the top business leaders. And learning how to grow your business on a scale unparalleled in Ireland. It’s all possible at the All-Ireland Business Summit!
April 19th at Croke Park is a date not to be missed - and neither is our early bird ticket price of just €74.50 each (ex VAT) for 2 or more tickets or single ticket €99 each (ex VAT).
(Ticket includes Networking Breakfast + Summit + Networking Session + Award Ceremony)
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO TAKE FROM THE DAY:
- Inspirational keynotes, insightful talks & panel discussions featuring Ireland's top entrepreneurs.
- New valuable connections made through a facilitated networking breakfast, networking session and evening networking drinks.
- Opportunity to visit and see first hand the many businesses showcasing their products / services in the exhibition zone.
OVER 750 ATTENDEES JOINED US IN 2017
Sample List of 2017 Attendees
OUR 2017 SPEAKERS
Bobby Kerr
Chairman Insomnia Coffee, Conference Chairperson
Bobby Kerr
Bobby is co-owner and Chairman of Insomnia Coffee Company, Ireland largest independent coffee chain, which has over 100 shops, employs over 300 people and sells over 12 million cups of coffee a year. Bobby is also a presenter on “Down to Business” the popular Newstalk radio show on Saturday at 10am and was one of the original Dragons on Dragon’s Den for the first 4 years of the series. Although he has left the series to look at other broadcasting opportunities he continues to be actively involved with the 9 investments he made during the series. Bobby is also a popular business, entrepreneurial and motivational speaker.
Peter Casey
Founder, Claddagh Resources
Serial entrepreneur, Dragon's Den star
Peter Casey
Derry native Peter Casey is Founder and Executive Chairman of Claddagh Resources, a global recruitment and search business that places high-level executives with some of the world's largest and most influential consulting and IT firms.
Having established successful business interests in Australia and Ireland, Peter Casey set up Claddagh Resources in Atlanta, Georgia in 1995, where he is now based.
Claddagh currently operates from five locations worldwide including their European base outside Buncrana in Donegal. Their clients include well-known names such as Tata Consulting Services, Ernst & Young, Oracle, AVG Software and SAP.
Peter lives in Atlanta with his wife Helen and their five children and divides his time between there and his family home in Derry. He travels extensively, working with a portfolio of blue chip clients worldwide.
He is also an accomplished writer, political and business commentator, with articles published in the Sunday Independent and Sunday Business Post among others. He has also just written a book on the Tata Group. Outside work he enjoys a game of golf.
Peter was named by Irish America Magazine as one the leading Irish American businessmen for 2007. Since 2009, Peter has invested in commercial, residential and agricultural property in Ireland. Peter's approach to business is simple, he likes to invest in people.
Mary Mitchell O'Connor
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Mary Mitchell O`Connor
Mary Mitchell O`Connor was appointed Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the 6th of May 2016. She was elected to the Dail on her first attempt in the 2011 General Election when she topped the poll in the Dun Laoghaire Constituency.
Since her appointment as Minister by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister Mitchell O`Connor has assumed the role of Chair of the Retail Consultation Forum and Chair of the Departmental Coordination Group on Brexit. Minister Mitchell O`Connor also sits on the recently established Cabinet Committee on Brexit.
The Minister plays a key role in Europe representing Ireland at TTIP and CETA Negotiation on the Foreign Affairs and Trade Council and the Competitiveness Council.
Orlaith Carmody
Entrepreneur & Author Of Perform As A Leader
Orlaith Carmody
A powerful business speaker full of wisdom, energy and positivity, Orlaith encourages audiences to believe that they can achieve anything! She offers key-notes of immense warmth and charm, with great take-aways on business communication, entrepreneurship and leadership.
As a well known communications expert in Ireland and overseas, Orlaith’s day job is working with leaders in the world’s top companies delivering executive training programmes, and preparing leadership teams for frontline communications. As a keynote speaker she has addressed Ireland’s most influential business people, networks and political groups, and has also presented at conferences in the USA, UAE, Canada and throughout Europe. She is the author of the recent best selling book, Perform As a Leader.
Sinead Kane
Visually Impaired Athlete & Solicitor
Sinead Kane
Sinead Kane ran into the record books in January 2017 as she became the first visually-impaired athlete to complete the World Marathon Challenge seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, despite just 5% vision, Sinead and her guide runner completed their first marathon at Union Glacier, Antarctica before running in Punta Arenas (Chile), Miami (USA), Madrid (Spain), Marrakech (Morocco) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Sinead came joint-first in her marathon in Asia and finished her last marathon in Sydney (Australia). Sinead is also the first Irish female to do this challenge to do the 777 challenge. Sinead Kane is a brand ambassador for Allianz Ireland. She is also a full-time PhD researcher, TedxDCU speaker, qualified solicitor, certified mediator, writer with the Irish Criminal Law Journal, Motivational Speaker, and Director of Ablevision Ireland.
Declan Coyle
Leadership Expert & Author of The Green Platform
Declan Coyle
Declan is a director of Andec and one of Ireland’s most internationally experienced Leadership Training & Development consultants. He is also much sought after as a Conference Keynote speaker. His unique use of tools such as NLP to focus Leadership Teams on personal and company goals to maintain consistently high levels of motivation and success is underpinned by harnessing the unique power of individual personality styles using the Enneagram Model. He combines this with the Red & Green Platform System he developed that has revolutionised leadership and coaching thinking and performance in companies where he has worked.
Ahmed Elafifi
Founder & Chief Relaxation Officer of Tranquini GmbH
Ahmed Elafifi
Ahmed Elafifi is the Founder & Chief Relaxation Officer of Tranquini GmbH, introduced Tranquini as the first global natural relaxation drink brand. Tranquini’s mission is to encourage people to embrace a positively relaxed lifestyle. Tranquini and help the world feel its flow. Tranquini® was created in 2014 by Elafifi, who has over 25 years of experience in the FMCG and beverage industries and leads a team of beverage experts.
An Austrian-Egyptian Ahmed Elafifi has lived and worked in 9 different countries: Egypt, Italy, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Russia and Austria. He has led business in more than 60 countries around the world.
Elafifi headed Red Bull and served as a Board Member across Central and Eastern Europe and Asia for 7 years between 2004 and 2010. He completed the global roll out of the business and the brand in many countries which ultimately served as major growth drivers for Red Bull globally.
Mick Crean
Founder of Mick's Garage
Mick Crean
Michael Crean is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of award winning automotive parts and accessories website MicksGarage.com. With a background in both the automotive industry and information technology, Michael co-founded MicksGarage.com in 2004 after identifying a gap in the automotive online market. Since then, under his guidance, the company has grown to become one of Europe's most successful eCommerce businesses, selling automotive parts and accessories to over 70 countries every month, operating via international sites in Ireland, the UK and Poland.
James Sweetman
Personal Development Expert
James Sweetman
James Sweetman is a highly-rated and well-respected Motivational Speaker, Executive &Life Coach, and Author. He is a sought-after expert in the fields of Leadership and Personal Development.
James’ ability to inspire audiences comes from his unique blend of professionalism, insights and humour. This teamed with a directness and authenticity that his topics require, has resulted in an impressive client list.
In 2000, after completing an MBA, James left his senior corporate role to pursue his passion. He established James Sweetman & Associates with the aim of inspiring people to empower themselves. James is now the ‘go-to’ Executive Coach and soft-skills Trainer for many international companies and is an in-demand personal coach for people seeking enhanced career fulfilment. Themes central to his work include thriving amidst change, developing leadership capability, boosting self-confidence and personal mastery.
James is the author of five books including ‘Soar – Powerful Questions that will Transform your Life’ and two acclaimed novels including his most recent ‘Finding Katherine.’ His eBook ‘How to Excel at Interviews’ has been downloaded over 250,000 times. James blog ‘Next Steps’ is read by thousands of subscribers in over 30 countries. He launched his YouTube channel in 2015 and currently writes monthly columns in five magazines.
Pádraic Ó Máille
CEO, MENTORS.ie
Pádraic Ó Máille
Pádraic sorts out businesses through strategic thinking, team building and execution.
For over 35 years he has helped the good and the great of Irish industry create, build and scale businesses. Businesses such as Supermacs, Aer Arann and McElhinneys of Ballybofey have all used Pádraic to help them tease out strategy, build productive teams and critically, get things done. He is the creator of SMÁCHT – a personal development programme for business executives which helped in excess of 300 business owners survive the last recession. He is also the author of two books – ‘The Midas Power’ and ‘Rocking Horse Sh*t’ – which both focus on issues of problem solving.
Pádraic has 30 years extensive experience as a mentor and consultant with several of Ireland’s most successful organisations. His real value is in helping clients objectively confront reality; create exciting new visions; and build a culture of discipline and accountability. Pádraic has worked as a senior consultant for Priority Management, Synectics and Envision. He has worked internationally with Coca Cola, Digital, Johnson & Johnson, Mylan and Unilever. Padraic has worked with in excess of 2000 indigenous Irish businesses delivering training, mentoring and consulting. He is very proud to have had long and enduring relationships with iconic Irish businesses such as Aer Arann, Coillte, Magees, McElhinneys of Ballybofey, NUI Galway, Supermacs.
Chris Flack
CEO, UnPlug
Chris Flack
Specialist in helping people develop clear and critical thinking in a distracted world. Chris is the Founder and CEO of UnPlug, a company that provides practical solutions on how distraction and an ‘always on’ culture impact productivity and wellbeing.
UnPlug’s mission is that people become the masters of technology instead of technology mastering them. The result of this is they manage their attention better, increase productivity and have more downtime.
UnPlug is not anti-technology. Technology itself, if used mindfully, has extraordinary benefits. It is the way in which people choose to engage with it that makes the difference. Chris’s talk will introduce opportunities such as how to increase focus and attention leading to improved decision making, relationships and wellbeing.
Tommy Murray
Chairman, MENTORS.ie
Tommy Murray
Tommy Murray has over 40 years experience working at senior levels in both the Beverage & Property industries. Tommy has worked extensively in the Beverage industry with Gilbeys, Baileys, Grand Metropolitan & Diageo Plc holding Senior Management Positions in Production, Logistics, Distribution, Procurement, Operations, & New Product Development. During this time, he has been heavily involved in the management of various integration programmes both domestically and internationally.
Tommy held the position of President of Operations Diageo Plc, North America from 1997 – 2002 where he implemented and oversaw the $200m North American Integration Programme. This significant investment & re-structuring of Diageo’s North American operations delivered a new, more efficient supply chain infrastructure and annual cost savings of $150m.
Tommy retired from Diageo plc in 2002 and subsequently entered the Property Industry, where he was Chairman & Shareholder in Walsh Maguire & Co Ltd from 2002 – 2003. During this time, Tommy implemented a company re-structuring programme that was central to a period of rapid expansion where annual turnover increased from €10m to €40m. In 2004 Tommy co-founded and is currently Chairman of Leading Edge Project Directors (LEPD), a Project Management company that specializes in managing property related projects in both the Public & Private sectors.
OUR 2017 BUSINESS ALL-STARS AWARDS JUDGES
Dr. Briga Hynes
Kemmy Business School, Chairperson, Judging Panel
Dr. Briga Hynes
Briga is Programme Director for the Masters in International Entrepreneurship Management. Briga's teaching extends the area of entrepreneurship and small business development to include Enterprise Development, Business Consulting, Managing International Business Growth and Internationalising Small Firms. Building on her industry experience of advising small firms in business planning and market development she continues to work with and contribute to the development of small firms in the region and works with a range of national development agencies and community groups to this end. Briga has successfully secured a number of EU research grants; the most recent is for an assessment of the usage and application of ICT in female owner-managed firms.
Bobby Kerr
Chairman Insomnia Coffee, Conference Chairperson
Bobby Kerr
Bobby is co-owner and Chairman of Insomnia Coffee Company, Ireland largest independent coffee chain, which has over 100 shops, employs over 300 people and sells over 12 million cups of coffee a year. Bobby is also a presenter on “Down to Business” the popular Newstalk radio show on Saturday at 10am and was one of the original Dragons on Dragon’s Den for the first 4 years of the series. Although he has left the series to look at other broadcasting opportunities he continues to be actively involved with the 9 investments he made during the series. Bobby is also a popular business, entrepreneurial and motivational speaker.
Siobhan O'Connor
MD, Codex Office Solutions
Siobhan O'Connor
Siobhan O’Connor is Managing Director of Codex Office Solutions, having previously work for Global and European companies Siobhan feels there is nothing like the feeling of working in an Irish company, where you can make decisions and take actions to improve your customer experience and increase your revenue at speed. Siobhan skills include creating and delivering strategic plans and she adopts a STICK-TO-IT-NESS around such plans which always puts the customer at the heart of the business. A key component around this delivery is to bring the team on the journey and create a rewarding environment. Siobhan firmly believes the sales and growth follows once this is achieved the rewards can be shared by all ! All very easy !...
Brid O’Connell
CEO, Guaranteed Irish
Brid O’Connell
Brid O’Connell MMII, MPRII, MSc (Hons) is CEO to Guaranteed Irish and has a long career in marketing, branding, communications and PR. Having rebranded and repositioned the iconic ‘GI’ symbol as the National symbol for 'Provenance, Quality and Trust' she aims to add value to Guaranteed Irish members through a National and International PR, media and online campaign. 2017 will see an awareness campaign for member businesses who carry and promote the Guaranteed Irish symbol at home and internationally.
Prior to her role in Guaranteed Irish she founded Welcome Marketing in 2002, providing the tourism business with strategic marketing, communications and PR support specialising in the area of: Marketing, PR & Retail Tourism Marketing both for Public and Private sector. Ten years later, In 2012 'Luxury Ireland’s added to Welcome Marketing- a specific retail tourism programme aimed at retailers and visitor attractions to enhance visitor experiences and thus increase international business.
Colm O’Brien
Founder & MD, Carambola
Colm O’Brien
Colm is a naturally relaxed public speaker and motivator and uses the ups and downs of his own Carambola story to inspire the listener to take one more step towards the Life and Business they really wanted all along.
Contribution is the cornerstone to his view of the world and to this end he volunteers on a handful of Boards – the Irish Chamber Orchestra and The Lime Tree Theatre / Belltable Arts Hub, the latter in the position of Chairman.
His latest business venture, Colm O'Brien Motivation - a platform where he plans to use his vast experience to help SME business owners get more out of their business and their life - promises to be another resounding success following several successful seminars, the latest of which was held at Thomond Park and entitled “Take-off!”
Damien McCann
Director, Viatel
Damien McCann
Damien McCann leads a team of highly skilled telecoms and data centre solutions experts based in Ireland. Damien is the Director of Sales and Marketing of Viatel – an Irish owned corporate telecoms company, which specialises in data connectivity, voice, data centre and managed network solutions.
McCann joined the Viatel Group in 2006 and has rapidly ascended through the ranks to head up the corporate and enterprise operations in Ireland. Prior to joining Viatel he was a solutions expert with Dell Corporation where he got his first taste of the world of technology, these years very much developed his appetite for technology and honed his commercial acumen.
Damien is a regular media contributor and commentator on all things ICT and is seen a one of the most innovative and cutting edge thought leaders in the telecoms sector in Ireland.
Charlie Boyle
Director, CSEI
Charlie Boyle
Charlie Boyle, Director of Customer Service Excellence Ireland (CSEI). Charlie has over 25 years of customer service leadership experience on projects with Chelsea FC, The London Olympic games 2012, Marriott Hotels and recently having established CSEI with over 30 businesses in Ireland and the UK. CSEI is a continuous improvement programme in the all -important area of customer service which is the new battleground for competitive difference.
John McSweeney
Project Manager, Small Business Advice
John McSweeney
John McSweeney is the Small Business Advice Project Manager, he co-ordinates all applications for assistance and adviser matching. John is an experienced project manager having worked extensively in the construction industry both in Ireland and overseas before taking up the role with Small Business Advice. John is a Fellow in the Chartered Institute of Building and a Member of Engineers Ireland. John also serves on the board of a number of non-profit organisations.
Elaine Carroll
Programme Director, All-Ireland Business Summit
Co-Founder, Mespil Group
Elaine Carroll
Elaine is the Co-founder of Mespil Group and a passionate advocate for business growth. Organiser of high profile national business events, recently the third All-Ireland Business Summit in April 2017 which saw over 700 Irish business leaders gather to connect, be inspired and #pitch4progress. She is an experienced strategic business development consultant, keynote speaker and leadership trainer with extensive indigenous and multi-national experience. Her strategic approach and motivational style has helped clients accelerate business growth and achieve measurable results.