The Irish Tech News Podcast

During the recent Dublin Tech Summit, I recorded a series of podcasts. In my second podcast I caught up with Oisin Hanrahan, the Co-founder and CEO of Keychain who I had interviewed the year before at last year’s Dublin Tech Summit.Oisin talked about what has happened since we last spoke, AI, Trump’s tariffs, his talk at this year’s Dublin Tech Summit and more.More about Oisin:Oisin Hanrahan is the Cofounder and CEO of Keychain, a manufacturing platform for the packaged goods industry that is backed by $18 million from Lightspeed Venture Partners, BoxGroup, and SV Angel. Prior to founding Keychain, he served as the CEO of NASDAQ-listed Angi Inc. Before becoming CEO, he served as Chief Product Officer of Angi, where he was responsible for all product and technology strategy.He joined Angi in 2018 when Handy, the company he co-founded and led as CEO, was acquired by the company. Mr. Hanrahan built Handy to hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue, and raised over $100 million in institutional capital. Mr. Hanrahan served the US Commerce Secretary on the Digital Economy Board of Advisors from 2016 to 2017. While working on the issue of worker classification, he addressed unions, congressmen, and senators, including the US Senate Democratic Caucus.His work has been covered extensively by major media, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Forbes. He has appeared frequently on CNBC, MSNBC, Fox and Bloomberg and has given talks at conferences, including Milken Institute and Web Summit. He is an active angel investor and advisor, with a portfolio of over 50 companies. Mr. Hanrahan studied for his MBA at Harvard Business School, earned a Masters in Finance from the London School of Economics, and a Business and Economics degree from Trinity College Dublin.

Dame Dawn Childs DBE FREngDawn is the CEO of Pure Data Centres Group building and operating hyperscale data centres. Before joining Pure she led a multi-billion transformation programme for National Grid across both the gas and electricity transmission businesses. This followed several senior engineering appointments as: the Group Engineering Director for Merlin Entertainments with responsibility for engineering delivery and standards across the worldwide portfolio of theme parks; and the Head of Engineering at Gatwick Airport. She joined Gatwick after 23 years as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Air Force.She is a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and a Trustee of the Air League. She was the longest serving President of the Women’s Engineering Society, turning it around over a 5 year tenure, and is currently the Chair of the iMasons Committee. She was honoured with a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in October 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for services to engineering in the King’s New Years Honours 2023.Sam Grady, A Healthier EarthSam is a commercial strategy professional with experience of driving social impact in both the public and private sector. He has worked primarily in regulated environments; firstly, as an economist at HM Treasury and then as a commercial policy advisor at the Cabinet Office – responsible for the establishment and management of public-private joint venture companies.Most recently Sam has lead business development activity at National Grid where his focus was on designing and delivering sustainable business models. As AHE’s Director of Strategy & Business Development Sam is responsible for building commercial partnerships and creating innovate business models that enable the delivery of our ambitious climate projects. Sam is from the UK and currently lives in North Worcestershire. In his spare time he is an avid golfer on a never ending quest to break par.

As we shift from a relationship-based industry to one that's increasingly transactional and digital, how might financial institutions reclaim the human connection while still embracing technological advancement? Join us for a new episode of the One Vision Podcast with special guest Rik Coeckelbergs, founder of The Banking Scene and author of 'A New Ethos in Banking.' Rik shares his journey of writing the book, emphasizing the importance of values and purpose in the financial industry amid a changing world. We touch on the risks and opportunities in our industry, the impact of digital transformation, the role of AI, and the need for financial and digital inclusion.  Tune in for a thoughtful chat on how organizations can reconnect with communities and the significance of ethos in today’s rapidly changing world.#AI #Innovation #Purpose #BankingIndustry 

During the recent Dublin Tech Summit, I recorded a series of podcasts. In my second podcast I spoke to Alan Browne, one of the Dublin Tech Summit speakers and a CEO and Co-Founder of Soarvo and the Executive Chairman of KOREC Group.Alan talks about his background, AI, geo spatial data and more.More about Alan Browne:Alan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Soarvo and the Executive Chairman of KOREC Group. As the co-founder of Soarvo, Alan has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision and technological innovation. In his role at KOREC Group, Alan has been instrumental in expanding the company’s market reach, strengthening partnerships and driving growth through innovative strategies. Recognised for his entrepreneurial achievements, Alan was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2022.

🎧 New Podcast Alert! Join us as we welcome Allison Swagert to One Vision Podcast! Dive into the world of AI, financial crime prevention, and hear Allison’s unique career journey from pure mathematics and computer science to tackling fraud and compliance challenges! We explore the critical role of AI in fraud detection, the importance of collaboration in combating financial crimes, and why we need human in the loop. Allison also shares her vision for using AI to address societal issues; her compassion for leveraging technology to create a better world gives us hope for the future. 🌟 ”Using AI and employing AI cannot and should not be a substitute for competence and knowledge and education. AI is a complement to your existing systems, not the foundation.”  #AI #FinTech #FinancialServices #Fraud #AML #BankingOnAI #Podcast 

During the recent Dublin Tech Summit, I recorded a series of podcasts with some pf the speakers. In this podcast I speak to Bart Becks, one of the Dublin Tech Summit speakers and a board member of the European Innovation Council.Bart talks about his background, his Dublin Tech Summit talks, risk investing, AI and more.More about Bart Becks:Bart Becks is a serial innovator and entrepreneur from Belgium, with a proven track record of igniting digital innovation, fuelling growth and launching new ventures. In recent years, Bart served as the Executive Chairman at EURACTIV, steering its transformation into a premier media network covering EU policy news across 13 countries. EURACTIV was recently acquired by a prominent European media group. Concurrently, Bart serves as the Executive Chairperson at E-Health Venture, where he oversees the development of an ecosystem integrating strategic business, research, and technology partnerships. Additionally, he is a co-founder of BeCentral, which, since its establishment in 2017, has evolved into one of Europe’s foremost Tech and Digital Skills campuses.During his nearly decade-long tenure as CEO of Belgacom Skynet (now Proximus), Bart played a pivotal role in propelling the company to become Belgium’s largest internet and digital media entity. Subsequently, he joined the European Media Group SBS Broadcasting, which underwent acquisition by the private equity groups KKR & Permira and merged with ProSiebenSat1 to form one of Europe’s largest media groups. Following a significant period in California, Bart extended his involvement in startups and scale-ups as a founder, advisor, or angel investor – essentially in the domains of SAAS, digital media and healthcare.

Excited to share our latest episode of the One Vision podcast, featuring Sherry Wu, CTO of the University of Michigan Credit Union! 🚀 Tune in as we explore career journeys and the unique challenges faced by credit unions. Sherry shares insights on technology adoption, AI implementation, legacy system transformation, and how collaboration can drive innovation. Tune in to learn how UMCU is navigating the evolving landscape of financial technology, and bringing members along the AI journey while maintaining a strong community focus.#AI #Fintech #CreditUnion #DigitalTransformation 

Four years ago I interviewed the serial entrepreneur Ollie Walsh, co founder and CEO of Pipit Global. Since then Pipit Global has grown and last month they were taken over by the American paytech company Qenta. I recently caught up with Ollie who is now the president of Qenta.Ollie talks about the journey Pipit Global went on since we last spoke, Covid, AI, Quanta’s takeover of Pipit Global and more.More about Ollie Walsh:Ollie was the CEO of Terraforma, the company behind Pipit Global, and is the president of Qenta. He has twenty years experience developing strategies for Start Ups and SMEs to target new markets and to grow. He specialises in building teams and implementing plans and making them work. Ollie holds a MBS at National University of Ireland, Galway. 

Join Theo and a panel of industry thought leaders including Julie Muhn, Tiffany Montez, Millicent Tracey, and Tammy Bangs, as we unpack the first half of 2025 and predict what's to come. From discussions on the evolving role of AI in financial services and the rise of stablecoins, to the impact of regulatory changes, we cover it all. Discover the trends, challenges, and promising advancements shaping the future of FinTech. Whether it's exploring the strategic shifts in banking, the application of AI agents, or the cautious optimism amid economic uncertainties, this episode is for you. Tune in now!   📍 banks would start betting big on branches as a growth engine and a financial hub.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to safely manage the crowds at Ireland’s largest events - or some of the most spectacular festivals worldwide? Safe Events Global is at the forefront of making it all possible. From the vibrant Dublin Pride Parade to MDLBEAST in Saudi Arabia, their expertise ensures that safety and creativity coexist seamlessly at some of the most complex events on the planet. To find out more about Safe Events Global, Ronan spoke to Mark Breen Co-Founder and  Strategic Director of Safe Events Global.Mark talks about his background, what Safe Events Global does, their pioneering technology, some of the events Safe Events Global works with and more.More about Mark Breen:Mark Breen is Strategic Director of Safe Events Global and his leadership has transformed the Dublin-founded company into a global leader in crowd and event safety.Since its inception in 2012, Safe Events Global has grown into a €5.1 million turnover business, providing critical safety expertise for events across Ireland and around the world.