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The EY Podcast

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Mar 5, 2021 • 41min

CEO Outlook: Expanding Microsoft's presence in Ireland with, Cathriona Hallahan, MD

“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, and the role it has played in the Irish economy, is testament to the approach Hallahan has developed.  Cathriona Hallahan joined Microsoft Ireland in 1986 as employee number twenty four, becoming Managing Director in 2013. In the thirty five years since Microsoft Ireland established, the company has spent almost €4.5bn in the Irish economy, donated over €100m in software to charities, and grown its employee count to over 2500. In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast Series, the outgoing Microsoft Ireland MD talks to Richard Curran about her fascinating journey to the top of one of the country’s most significant multinational technology companies. They discuss: Ireland as a world-class hub for FDI companies Why remote work will unleash vast new opportunities for talent acquisition Ireland’s digital transformation journey and the role that lifelong learning will play in making it a success Female entrepreneurship Caitriona’s plans and ambitions for after Microsoft. 
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Feb 22, 2021 • 40min

CEO Outlook: Powering ahead with Pat O'Doherty, ESB Group

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 Pat has experienced in the company he first joined in 1981.  In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast, Pat O’Doherty talks to host Richard Curran about how he has led ESB and its 8000 employees through the COVID-19 pandemic, his vision for the future of energy and the resulting opportunities for Ireland, and his own personal leadership journey and principles. They also discuss:How electricity can play a central role in the de-carbonisation of industry.The move from onshore to offshore wind, and why Ireland can be a leader in this field  The smart homes of the future and how they will be powered and heatedTransforming the network to enable homeowners to generate, sell, and share electricity they produced themselvesHis path to the top job in the ESB, his personal business mantras, and how he like to relax. 
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Jan 29, 2021 • 46min

CEO Outlook: Leading the way in sustainability, with Frank O'Keeffe, EY Ireland

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 RyanWhy Covid-19 has put empathy so high up on the priority list for CEOs and leadership teams EY’s partnership with the HSE during the COVID-19 pandemicBusiness and people’s renewed focus on environmental sustainability, and EY’s plans to become ‘carbon negative’Entrepreneurship, and keeping indigenous Irish companies in Ireland. Since childhood Frank O’Keeffe has been deeply interested in business and people, so perhaps it is no surprise that he was drawn to working with EY, an organisation where such interests can lead to a successful and fulfilling career. A relentless focus on building relationships with team members and clients and overseeing the health and growth of the EY business has seen O’Keeffe rise rapidly through the ranks of the organisation, to his current position as Managing Partner of EY Ireland. Such focus has never been more important to the role as he works to guide his own people, EY clients, and the business through the choppy waters of COVID-19. 
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Jan 21, 2021 • 43min

CFO Outlook: From Quinn Group to Mannok - A CFO's perspective with Dara O'Reilly

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 been easy, and has required fierce drive and resilience on the part of the company’s leadership team. In this episode of The EY CFO Outlook podcast, Dara O’Reilly tells host Vincent Wall how, as CFO, he successfully helped to grow Mannok and brought more employment to the region throughout such a difficult time personally and professionally. Topics covered include:·       Dara’s passion for providing employment in the ‘geographically challenged’ Cavan / Fermanagh region. ·       Rebranding Quinn to Mannok and why it is central to the new structure and direction of the business.·       The unique and innovative products that Mannok produces. ·       How Dara is dealing with Brexit, as CFO of a company that oversees 450 movements of goods across the Irish / Northern Irish border every day. ·       His views on what’s at the heart of a successful CEO/CFO relationship. 
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Dec 18, 2020 • 38min

CEO Outlook: Scaling a business for the global market, with Anne Heraty, CPL

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 standing on the sidelines”.Growing up in and around the family business, Anne learned a lot from watching her parents run their shop, pub, and farm in Co Longford. She was one of only two girls in her class to go to university, and, after taking ‘the scenic route’ to finding her career path, she eventually became an entrepreneur in 1989 with the founding of Computer Placement Ltd (CPL). In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook series, Anne tells host Richard Curran the story of an Irish company that has had international success. Anne talks about: ·        Becoming the first female CEO of a publicly listed Irish company, and her thoughts on work done and work yet to be done around female entrepreneurship·        Weathering the bursting of the dotcom bubble in 2000 and the 2008 economic recession, and lessons learned·        How technology is transforming the world of work.·        Why she advises people to ‘love what they do, not do what they love’. ·        The secret to doing a great interview and finding the right talent.
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Dec 9, 2020 • 46min

CFO Outlook: The trials of a CFO in a time of COVID, with Brendan Brennan, ICON

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 and future strategy to rise to this new opportunity. In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook series , he talks to host, Vincent Wall, about the role of CFO during times of great growth and change, working on projects designed for ‘the betterment of man’, and why he insists on getting under the hood of every company he has worked in.  The also discuss:·         Why ‘always acting like a multinational’ positioned Icon perfectly for rapid international scaling·         Growing ICON’s revenues from $200m to $2.8bn over the last fifteen years.·         How to perform well in the boardroom·         Forging a successful relationship between CFO and CEO·         Why Brendan’s father has been such a powerful influence  
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Nov 24, 2020 • 46min

CEO Outlook: Managing Ireland’s largest portfolio of private rental property with Margaret Sweeney, I-RES REIT Plc

 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 Ireland most significant issues. Today’s tenants are choosing to live very different lifestyles to those before them, and I-RES REIT is providing the type of accommodation and service that suits their needs. Before joining I-RES REIT Margaret Sweeney held the position of CEO at Postbank Ireland and before that, at Aer Rianta (now DAA). She has also been a member of the board of organisations including Dalata Group, Teagasc, DCU, and SOLAS. In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast series, Margaret joins Richard Curran to talk about leadership, diversity in business, and the future of housing in Ireland. They discuss topics including:·        Why the provision of adequate, affordable housing is such a problem, and what Margaret believes might solve it·        Why constructing higher apartment buildings isn’t the silver bullet many believe it to be·        The rapidly evolving nature of how young Irish people want to live, and the effect it is having on the property and rental market·        Margaret’s extensive experience of doing business in Russia, and what she learned about cross-cultural relations·        Margaret’s admiration for innovative State bodies ·        The innate differences between how men and women do business – and how she tries to encourage young females to compete.
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Nov 20, 2020 • 40min

EY Economic Eye: Winter 2020 - Bouncing back or stepping forward

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 Brexit and the implications for both jurisdictions. In this episode, Neil outlines the findings of the Economic Eye Winter 2020 Report: ‘Bouncing Back or Stepping Forward’. Topics include:  The sectors of the economy that have been ‘COVID-proof’ and how Ireland has benefitted from their strong performance. How the private sector and consumers can start to play their part in Ireland’s economic recovery. Why Northern Ireland’s ‘much maligned’ public sector has been critical in off-setting the economic impact of COVID-19. The three reasons behind why some sectors will never employ as many people in the future as they did in 2019.  Why Neil is optimistic about a Brexit trade deal.  The challenges of funding Ireland’s health service.  Why a greater focus on online and remote work is also creating more appreciation of personal contact.  
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Nov 11, 2020 • 46min

CFO Outlook: Balancing financial stewardship and strategic growth with Myles O’Grady, Bank of Ireland.

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 Services sector.   Since Myles O’Grady joined Bank of Ireland as Group CFO and Executive Director in 2019, COVID-19 has changed the playing field irrevocably. Despite this, he is still clear about the strategy for the bank, and the particular skills he needs to drive it forward. In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Myles O’Grady tells host, Vincent Wall, about his vision for Bank of Ireland, the role of CFO, and the global economy. They talk about:·        The four areas in which every modern CFO must thrive in order to succeed. ·        Digital Transformation – why the emergence of Fintechs are a force for good, and how legacy banks are relishing the challenges they present. ·        The key to a successful relationship between CEO and CFO.·        Why trust between the bank and its customers is critical - and how to build it.·        The next ten years for the Financial Services sector – regulation, consolidation, and strategic investment. 
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Nov 10, 2020 • 46min

CEO Outlook: Thinking outside the box with Tony Smurfit, Smurfit Kappa Group

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 5 chance it will arrive in one of the company’s boxes. Tony Smurfit always had a passion for business, setting up a profitable tuckshop in his school, and then establishing himself as a highly successful racehorse breeder. But the family business was “in [his] blood” and, thirty years after entering the company via a graduate training programme, he became Group CEO. It is a role that sees him lead 46,000 employees in 35 countries, spread across over 350 production sites. In 2019, the company’s revenues hit €9bn. In this episode of The EY Podcast: CEO Outlook series, Tony Smurfit talks to host Richard Curran about his 30-year journey to the top of one of Ireland’s most successful multinational PLCs. A story of immense highs and lows, the most recent chapter involves applying his distinct management style to guiding his people through the COVID-19 pandemic. Tony and Richard also talk about: ·       Tony’s experience of contracting and overcoming COVID-19.·       Sustainability – why he is proud to produce a packaging material that is far more environmentally friendly than plastic. ·       How to maintain one company culture across 35 countries.·       His management style – constant communication, leading with integrity, and never being called ‘Sir’. ·       Why COVID-19 has changed business travel as we know it forever. 

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