Chamberlink Issue 5 2019 by Cork Chamber

chamberlink ISSUE 05 2019

Recognising your Success

Digital Transformers

connecting Cork

in this issue COVER Story 6

Lower Lee Design Update

TRANSFORMING CORK

In the Chair with Colm Leen

Recognising Your Success

Climate Action

Sweeping Changes for DOSCO brush company in 2019

In the Chair with Colm Leen, Carbery

The Everyman for Business

Celebrating Corkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digital Transformers

Connecting Cork - feature 15

Reflecting on ... The Growing FS Sector and International Workforce

EMPOWERING YOU

Upskilling You

Upcoming Events

Connecting You

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

Upskilling You

Maltese Mission to Cork

New Appointments

Radius Technologies acquires Cork based IT Services company Fortuity

New Members

Members News

What is a Gigabit Hub and how can Smart Working benefit small businesses

Tickets for Cork Chamber Annual Dinner 2020 will go on sale Friday 6 December at 9.30am

Welcome

Welcome to Issue 5 of Chamberlink 2019 where we continue to focus on keeping you up to date on the activities of the Chamber, your fellow members and business activity across our great city region. At time of writing the EU and UK are in the final hours of negotiation to reach a deal or not, ahead of the EU Leaders Summit. So the uncertain Brexit story continues... In the Q3 Economic Survey in partnership with Ulster Bank, our members show that they are increasingly uncertain about the economic impacts of the decisions which will be made outside of their direct control. A 19% drop in confidence in the national economy speaks volumes. Yet the same grouping is more comfortable within their own sphere of influence recording 88% confidence in their own business - their own approach

to Brexit. The business community is preparing for Brexit. Knowing their market and supply chain, weighing up the variables. Every business has a responsibility to do what they can. Speak to each other, work with Government, agencies and the Chamber. Our cover story in this edition relates to the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme where a design update has recently been presented. As you are aware this scheme has been the subject of much commentary, informed and illinformed, in recent times. The updated design, further to the consultation process, brings the scheme significantly forward and has taken on board key recommendations including those of Cork Chamber. Having spent countless hours and multiple meetings engaging and advocating with various Ministers, OPW, local authorities and other officials and experts responsible for flood

Chamberlink is published by Cork Chamber and is a bi-monthly publication exclusive to members. The opinions expressed in Chamberlink are not necessarily those of Cork Chamber, Chamberlink main sponsor neither do they accept any responsibility or liability for any legal implications arising there from. Registered in Ireland no. 13918

defence investment over many years, Cork now has a scheme of significant merit and government commitment to the necessary funding. Through this publication and the project website please inform yourself and your colleagues of the facts around this project. It is time to move this essential project forward to delivery.

Conor Conor Healy Chief Executive, Cork Chamber. T +353 (0)87 9471858 E conor@corkchamber.ie

CorkChamber.ie

ChamberLink Main Sponsor

TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

R ecognising Your Success Launch of the Cork Company of the Year Awards 2020

These awards provide an excellent platform to champion your success

The Cork Company of the Year Awards, run by Cork Chamber in association with Vodafone, are recognised as being the most prestigious and esteemed business awards in the region. Now in its 22nd year the awards celebrate the best of Cork business from emerging businesses, to SMEs, large indigenous and multinational organisations.    The four award categories are: 1 Emerging Cork Company of the Year (less than 5 years in business 2 Cork SME Company of the Year (less than 50 employees) 3 Cork Large Company of the Year (50- 200 employees) 4 Cork Corporate of the Year (more than 200 employees) Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber said; “Together with our sponsors Vodafone Ireland and media partner Irish Examiner we are excited to launch the Cork Company of the Year Awards 2020. These awards offer Cork businesses an excellent platform to champion their success and shine a spotlight on the innovation happening everyday across businesses of all sectors and sizes. Over the years we have seen significant growth from both winners and finalists, who have used the programme to increase their visibility, reward staff and assess operations. Throughout this year’s judging process, we are particularly keen to hear from those companies that offer excellence in sustainability, diversity and inclusion thus leading on delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Speaking at the launch, Brendan O’Regan, Executive Chairman and Founder of Zenith, winner of the overall 2019 Cork Company of the Year said, ‘’The Cork Company of the Year Award was hugely significant for the company and the people that drive it with ingenuity and passion every day. It was great for the company to be recognised like this and gave us a huge boost locally and internationally, also greatly assisting in our talent retention and acquisition.’’

Taken at the launch of the Cork Chamber Cork Company of the Year 2020 in the Glandore Offices: Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber, Debbie Power, IoT Country Manager at Vodafone and Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber. Pictures: Darragh Kane

Brendan O’Regan, Executive Chairman and Founder of Zenith

Frank Fleming, CEO of Verifish.

Frank Fleming, CEO of Verifish and Winner of the Emerging Category 2019 added, ‘’The new contacts we made, at and around the event, have developed into long term business relationships which have had a very positive effect on our business. The increased profile the award brought us has also been hugely beneficial. I would recommend any emerging company to get involved.’’

The strength of the awards lies in a detailed judging process managed by an experienced panel of business leaders, who meticulously review each application across three phases.

IoT Country Manager, Vodafone Ireland, Debbie Power added, “We are excited to once again be part of the Cork Company of the Year Awards, which each year showcases the very best of business talent in Cork by celebrating outstanding achievements within the local business community. Vodafone Ireland is committed to supporting companies which embrace today’s dynamic landscape with innovation and adaptive work practises. These awards provide an excellent opportunity for teams to come together to share and learn from this process.”

The judging process is cited by many entrants, finalists and winners as being a real learning opportunity to examine key parts of their business. Coupled with the extensive profile that finalists receive across multiple print and digital platforms, the judging process is invaluable. Winners in each category along with the Overall Cork Company of the Year will be announced at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner, 7 February 2020, one of the largest business events of the year, where close to 1000 business people, including the country’s leading business and political figures will be in attendance.

TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Climate Action Embedding resilience at the heart of adaptation Notwithstanding global efforts to limit a rise in climate temperature to within 1.5 degrees, Ireland will still expect effects from a rising temperature and must prepare for this, as well as for beyond 1.5 degrees. This requires a twopronged approach through mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is about changing how we live, travel, consume and manufacture and requires a large scale and fundamental shift in how we best use land and natural resources. Adaptation focuses on the expected impacts and the practical actions that society need to take in order to manage the risks and protect communities. Building resilience across all of society is essential for a successful transition to a low carbon economy and society. Recently we included submissions to the public consultations for the draft City, and County Climate Adaptation Strategies, while asking for commitment to develop dedicated and comprehensive climate change mitigation strategies to work in parallel with adaptation efforts. Without a shadow of doubt, we need to be implementing actions immediately to support a thriving and sustainable Cork region and we very much welcomed this opportunity to engage with the draft plans for Cork, and which have now been adopted by the Councils. The effects of climate change are being felt now, with weather related incidences such as Hurricane Lorenzo now a real threat. The EPA’s Climate Change Research Programme undertake

Impacts include sea level rise, more intense storms and rainfall, increased likelihood and magnitude of river and coastal flooding, adverse impacts on water quality, changes in distribution of plant and animal species, and effects on fisheries.

ongoing analysis and studies on climate change in Ireland. Through analysis of the meteorological records, evidence shows that Ireland’s climate is changing in line with global patterns with impacts set to increase in the coming decades and heightening in the second half of the century. Impacts include sea level rise, more intense storms and rainfall, increased likelihood and magnitude of river and coastal flooding, adverse impacts on water quality, changes in distribution of plant and animal species, and effects on fisheries. Resilience building is key, and this will be particularly urgent for communities in vulnerable, low lying fluvial, pluvial and coastal flood prone locations. We don’t have to cast our memories back too far to know how Cork City is especially vulnerable, with business and residential communities being severely impacted in the past. Over the last two decades, Cork has incurred an estimated €150m in damages from the 2004, 2009 and 2014 flood events, with associated uncertainty and difficulties for businesses and homeowners to secure insurance. Above all, to be effective, strategies need to be based on a top down and bottom up approach involving businesses, communities and individuals in this all of society challenge. A focus on implementation, monitoring and evaluation is vital, as well as the updating of strategy actions to align with changing conditions. Preparedness and proactivity will be key in countering the worst effects of changing climate patterns, and it is essential that these Climate Adaptation Strategies are meaningfully supported by funding from Central Government to safeguard economic, environmental and social resilience, and to support our local authorities. As part of the Chamber submissions to the consultations, we emphasised the strength of robust and diverse stakeholder involvement, a bottom up

michelle o’sullivan Senior Public Affairs Executive

and top down approach and the need for agility in the strategies. We queried the specific timeframes included and meant by short, medium- and long-term actions and sought clarity on the duration of each timeframe, believing the inclusion of a more specific breakdown of these timeframes would assist monitoring and review, with each action having a set period of implementation.

We can build resilience by, for example • green infrastructure • climate resilient designs • energy efficiency • water conservation • renewable energy solutions • planting for pollinators • tree planting The focus within the strategies on climate considerations in design, planning and tendering processes in the construction of infrastructure projects is a must to ensure the safety and reliability of infrastructure, as well as the longevity and resilience of the investment in capital expenditure projects. All in all, it’s essential that ongoing engagement and participation across all communities is a central pillar to ensure representative discussions of future pathways, and the empowerment of the business community and wider communities locally in the implementation of these strategies. You can keep up to date on the Cork Chamber submissions to public consultation via the Cork Chamber website.

Cov er Story

Lower lee design update The Office of Public Works and both Cork local authorities have presented a new and revised scheme to protect homes and businesses from flooding. The enhanced flood scheme is guided by feedback received during the public consultation phase, including recommendations made by Cork Chamber. Cork City has a long history of flooding. It has been estimated that the damages caused by flooding in 2004, 2009 and 2014 amounted to €150m. The Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme (LLFRS) represents the largest State investment in flood defence ever undertaken in the country. Extending over 15 km from west of Ballincollig to the eastern edge of Cork City Centre Island, the scheme will protect 900 homes and 1200 businesses from tidal and river flooding.

Public Realm Upgrades

The Lower Lee flood scheme incorporates transformational urban renewal, positioning the River Lee at the centre of the daily experience of local people and visitors alike. New walkways, cycleways and plazas will be created bringing the river closer to the public, from the Lee Fields to the City Centre. About two thirds of public river frontage will have open railings after the Scheme is completed and it will create approximately 8km of new or improved riverside walk and cycle ways from the Lee Fields to the City Centre. The River Lee will also become more open for usage through improved access points, pontoons and moorings

The Quay Walls

There is no proposal to build any high walls anywhere along the quays and no historic quay walls will be demolished. Many of the quays will require nothing other than repointing to bring them up to flood defence standard.

What about a Tidal Barrier?

A tidal barrier will not solve all Cork’s flooding problems. While a tidal barrier could fix the tidal problem, it would not address the more destructive river flooding. For example, a tidal barrier would have made little difference during the most significant Cork flood in living memory in 2009. If a tidal barrier were built, river side defences would still be required through the city to address river flooding. A tidal barrier is neither necessary, viable or appropriate for Cork at this time, or indeed for the foreseeable future. In contrast, the proposed Scheme offers the optimum solution to all flooding issues in Cork in the medium to long term and is the only technically viable and cost beneficial option that provides the required standard of protection to Cork.

Timelines

Once approved, it is estimated that construction on the scheme will begin in the first half of 2021. Construction will subsequently be phased to minimise disruption, starting with Morrison’s Island to ensure early protection for the city centre. The scheme is estimated to be completed by 2026.

www.lowerleefrs.ie

Cover Image: OPW Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme Image

Cov er S tory

TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Sweeping changes for DOSCO brush company in 2019 OPERATING in Ireland since 1884, DOSCO was founded in the same year that the GAA was established and the cornerstone was placed on the Statue of Liberty in New York City. For the past 135 years the company has been a 100% Irish-owned family business and remains so to this day. DOSCO is the leading manufacturer and distributor of paint brushes, rollers, sleeves, decorating products, household products including wooden brushware and designer brushware, janitorial products, food and storage containers, textiles and mats in Ireland. Originally founded by Denis O’Sullivan on Lavitt’s Quay, the business later moved to the site of the current-day Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre. In the early days, the products were mostly sweeping, fireside, shoe, chimney and distemper brushes. These were manufactured by hand using pitch and wooden stocks.

However, the four-storey premises were not convenient for hauling raw materials up to the top floors. So, in 1966, the company opened brand new premises on the South Douglas Road. The premises were officially opened by Taoiseach Jack Lynch, and this is where the company’s headquarters remain today. DOSCO, along with its Dublin-based sister company IS Varian (established in 1798), is Ireland’s only remaining brush manufacturer. Chairman Neil Kenefick represents the third generation of the family to manage the business. He is supported by CEO Pat Casey who is responsible for more than 50 employees nationwide. Sons George and David Kenefick are also involved in the business, continuing the family tradition, while financial controller Oliver Ryan manages the company’s finances. 2019 represents a significant milestone for the company as it undergoes major rebranding. This includes a huge diversification of globally-sourced merchandise with more than 2000 live products available to the Irish market. Similarly, all of the company’s packaging was changed from plastic to cardboard with the aim of making more environmentally-friendly and sustainable products.

In addition, the purpose-built 60,000 square foot factory on the South Douglas Road underwent a significant upgrade in the Autumn of 2018. Chairman Neil Kenefick said the business is showing solid growth. “We’re extremely proud to serve the Irish retail and wholesale trade. DOSCO has come a long way since its inception in 1884. This is due mainly to a long-serving staff who have been extremely dedicated to the business and who offer our customers the best service and quality.” “Since rebranding, the company has seen continued growth in the DIY sector and 2019 presents a very exciting time of transition and revitalisation. We welcome this opportunity to continue to offer the best in the market for many years to come,” said Neil.

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IN THE CHAIR

with Colm Leen, Group Chief Financial Officer Carbery To begin, tell us about your career to date. Like many Kerry people over the generations I crossed the county bounds in pursuit of a third level education at UCC. Having graduated with a B.Comm Degree I then spent a number of years with KPMG Cork and a period in New York before returning to pursue a role in industry. I was fortunate enough to be offered opportunities in the very different worlds of Technology and Food and having mulled it over I opted for the latter and joined Carbery. The thought process was to spend no more than a few years at Carbery and so you’ll note I am good to my plans as I enter my 31st year ! I was appointed Finance Director & Company Secretary on joining the Board in 1995. Describe Carbery and the work it does. Carbery is an international player in the Dairy, Nutritional and Flavour Ingredients markets and today operates from nine manufacturing facilities across Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, the USA, South America and Asia. Our origins lie in our Ballineen based Ireland operation where today we process over half a billion litres of milk supplied by 1,200 farming families annually in the greater West Cork region. Our facility in Ballineen is Ireland’s largest single cheese-producing facility responsible for producing 25% of the nation’s cheese output. In addition Carbery manufactures a range of specialised nutritional ingredients for global infant formula, food and beverage companies. Twenty years ago we made our first foray into the international flavour ingredients sector with the acquisition of Synergy Flavours in the UK. Following subsequent acquisitions across the Americas, Asia and Europe

today Synergy has a much expanded international footprint as an established and growing brand in the global flavour business. Are there any changes you would like to see in your sector? Volatility remains an inherent feature of global dairy markets and as a consequence of this, dairy farm incomes are susceptible to significant fluctuations. While Carbery has a diversified business that helps mitigate some of this volatility a more developed European futures exchange would be just one of various ‘nice to have’ options that could offer our shareholders the ability to protect themselves from earnings fluctuations. What have been the highlights of your work? Simply put, it has been that of working with a great team that has been passionate and energetic about growing and developing Carbery’s business over the years. Like all businesses, learnings, challenges and successes look out at us from the rear view mirror. One of those learnings is to appreciate that that there will be more learnings yet on the road ahead. What has been your greatest business achievement and challenge? As a team our greatest achievement has been to build a successful international business across our two strategic business platforms of Dairy & Nutrition and Flavour Ingredients. Managing to accomplish this growth while intermittently navigating challenging years in Dairy, preparing for post quota expansion and more recently planning for Brexit means that it hasn’t always been easy. However

there’s a strong market and customer centric philosophy across the group that continues to keep the business very focused on delivering that growth strategy. At the heart of Carbery’s success is a hard working and determined team with an undiminishing enthusiasm to taking on new opportunities and challenges alike. Tell us about the significance of Carbery’s recent diversification plans. Early this year we announced a €78m investment and expansion plan for our Carbery Ireland facility at Ballineen. This investment will allow us diversify from our exclusive production of cheddar, into an expanded range of new cheese offerings such as mozzarella. In addition to future proofing our capacity to process all of the milk produced by our shareholder suppliers to 2030 and beyond, this investment will allow us enter new markets such as Asia where rising pizza consumption and the expansion of global food service chains is driving demand for such cheese. What are Carbery doing to promote sustainable practices? Carbery has developed a dedicated sustainability team to lead out the implementation of a sustainability strategy devised for the group. Our target is to have a fully sustainable chain from farm to fork and this is reflected in both our Origin Green performance, where we have exceeded all sustainability metrics to date and our performance on national sustainability platforms where we have won many awards in recent years.

r ou m it oo is r V ow h S

‘Famiglia’ Soft Seating Northpoint House, Northpoint Bus. Park, New Mallow Rd., Cork. Tel: 021-2066100 | Email: sales@officemaster.ie

www.officemaster.ie

TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

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Presenting With Power workshop

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TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Celebrating Cork’s Digital Transformers Digital Champions were celebrated at this year’s Cork Digital Marketing Awards held on 11 October at the Cork International Hotel. In a room full of inspiring digital transformers, the Awards presented by MC Sinead Kennedy recognised the innovative and creative approaches that businesses are bringing to all digital platforms. All facets of digital marketing were recognised, with awards including Best in Content Creation, Best Social Media Team and awards for individual channels from Website to Instagram. Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber President who presented the awards to all the deserving winners said: “Digital marketing is an integral part of how companies communicate with their customers, suppliers and stakeholders across all industries. We are delighted to honour the skills and talent of such leaders in digital marketing. Tonight the award winners range from hoteliers to state agencies, start-ups to multinationals, traditional goods and services to fully online agencies. It is clear from these Awards that digital transformation is changing how we do business, locally, regionally and nationally.” This year saw Visit Cork declared as Cork’s overall Digital Transformer 2019. Commenting on the announcement of the award Head of Visit Cork, Seamus Heaney said “I am so proud to accept this award on behalf of the Board of Visit Cork and the executive team based in Elizabeth Fort, Anne, Evelyn and Jeremy along with our extended teams of both tourism teams at Cork City and County Councils.

Purecork.ie is the hub for tourism product and events in Cork and the website is very much a collective approach by both the City and County councils in relation to all tourism products in Cork. Many tourism websites have come and gone but PureCork is here to stay and getting more and more visitors by the day.”

1 2 3 4 5

MC, Sinead Kennedy Seamus Heaney and Evelyn O’Sullivan, Visit Cork TED talks to Dyane Hanrahan, Barry McCarthy and Claire Lynch, Crawford Gallery. Lisa Coughlan, Gemma Kelleher, Karen O’Donoghue and Nicola Cullinane, Irish Examiner. Kylie Basnett, Aaron Mansworth, MD and Megan Pardy, Trigon Hotels Pictures: Darragh Kane

TR AN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Cork Digital Marketing Awards 2019 Winners: Best Use of Digital by a Start-Up: Barrow and Fork. Best Website – Less than 20 Employees: Visit Cork. Best Website – 20-50 employees: EazyCity. Best Website – 51+ employees: Teamwork. Best in Content Creation - Less than 20 Employees: Yay Cork. Best in Content Creation - 20 or more employees: Cork’s RedFM. Best Use of Mobile: Kearys CarStore. Best Use of Facebook – New Business: Cork Beo. Best Use of Facebook – Less than 20 Employees: Sigma Homes. Best Use of Facebook – 20-50 employees: Cork English College. Best Use of Facebook – 51+ employees: The Maryborough Hotel. Best Use of Twitter – Less than 20 Employees: Visit Cork. Best Use of Twitter – 20 or more employees: Cork International Hotel. Best Use of Instagram – Less than 20 Employees: Sigma Homes. Best Use of Instagram – 20 or more employees: The Montenotte Hotel. Best Use of LinkedIn for Business: Ronan Daly Jermyn. Best Use of Digital Marketing for the Greater Good: Oxfam Ireland. Best Social Media Team: Cork Airport. Best Social Media Campaign: Crawford Art Gallery. Best Digital Marketing Student: Jennifer Bryan, Cliq Media and Marketing. Best Transformation – Traditional to Digital Marketing: Central Statistics Office.

Overall Digital Transformer 2019: Visit Cork

A global business destination

In this issue of Chamberlink, our Connecting Cork partners give their thoughts on current business sentiment in the region, the growth of Financial Services and the growing international profile of the workforce.

Reflecting on... The Growing FS Sector in Cork Staying the course in choppy waters / KPMG The summer period was characterised by global economic turbulence and increased uncertainty for businesses. Although there are more frequent signals of a potential economic slowdown both here and abroad, it is encouraging to see evidence of continued investment coming to fruition Cork. Business may not be able to control international sentiment but they can certainly continue to focus on innovation and investment that will deliver long-term returns for investors, employees and the region. Innovations such as the recent launch of the new BlackBee Investments Healthcare Investment Fund takes a long term view of returns from the provision of much needed care facilities. Clearstream

Deutsche Boerse have shown their commitment to the Cork City business district moving into their new Navigation Square offices in recent weeks. KPMG’s 150 staff have moved into their new office building 85 South Mall, a 45,000 sq ft Gold LEED office block, the first to be constructed on Cork City’s South Mall in a long number of years. In its central location, the South Mall development turns back a tide of edge-of-city office developments. Commenting on the new KPMG offices Karen Conboy, Partner at KPMG said, ‘’Our 85 South Mall offices are a clear long-term investment in the city and an endorsement of the opportunities we see for our people and firm in

Karen Conboy, Partner KPMG

the Munster region. Business never likes uncertainty but it is important that the momentum behind the growth of strategic business activity in the city is maintained even into the headwinds that Brexit and international market turbulence may bring in the coming months.’’

Supporting the growth of Financial Services / Morgan McKinley Bryan Hyland, Commercial Director, Morgan McKinley: “Morgan McKinley employs over 110 staff in Cork out of a total number of 850 staff worldwide. A dedicated recruitment team works closely with Cork’s financial services community in supporting their talent retention, attraction and growth strategies across four market focuses; Funds, Compliance, Insurance and Banking. In tandem, the company looks to support the active promotion of Cork as an alternative location to Dublin in attracting Financial Services companies. A recent Irish Funds economic impact study from Indecon found that there are now 1,346 full time employees working within the funds industry in Cork. These are very encouraging

Bryan Hyland, Commercial Director. Morgan McKinlay, Financial Services Team

numbers and there are plans to develop this further with Cork’s Financial Services Forum working towards a target of securing 5,000 jobs in international financial services across the South-West by 2025. Cork has an attractive infrastructure to support this growth, with more than 66,000 students enrolled in various third level colleges within commuting distance of the city

including international students from over 100 different countries. Furthermore, office occupancy costs in Cork are approximately 50% lower than those prevailing in Dublin while house prices are approximately 27% cheaper than the capital city. Cork is a city on the rise and the future for Cork’s Financial Services industry looks very bright.”

Connecting cork

Reflecting on... The Growing FS Sector in Cork Supporting a growing city and region on the rise / PwC Despite uncertainties and global risks to our economy, PwC Cork remains a vibrant location for business. According to Ger O’Mahoney, Senior Partner, PwC Cork, companies in Cork continue to invest in their businesses, including multinationals and indigenous private businesses, and activity levels remain strong. At the same time, PwC Cork continues to experience strong demand for its services. “Following expansion of our state-of-the-art offices at Albert Quay by 40% last year, our headcount has grown to over 200. The drivers of this growth include building out our consulting teams, specifically cybersecurity, data analytics and technology areas, as well as significant increases for tax and assurance services. Our Cork expansion reflects our ambitious

achieved three placements in its CAP2 accountancy exams. From a business perspective it is very important that the region continues to have a ready supply of top-class talent and PwC, together with local third level institutions such as UCC and CIT in Cork, with their ethos of training excellence, certainly play a key role here. Ger O’Mahoney, Senior Partner PwC Cork

growth strategy supported by the relocation of a number of teams to Cork”. PwC recognises the strength of its people, with PwC Cork having a stellar success rate across all of its accountancy and tax exams and highlights the quality of its training and talent development programmes. Recently PwC Cork

Working with leading international and indigenous businesses right here in Cork, our people have exciting and rewarding careers in a city that offers great culture. And with market leading training and development programmes, our people have the support to be the best they can be and become worldclass business advisors while living in a vibrant city.

Working with dynamic and innovative companies / Deloitte Cork-based Ronan Murray, who leads Deloitte’s Financial Advisory team in Munster and is a Board Member of Cork Chamber, reflects on the company’s role in Cork: “Deloitte is the largest global professional services firm bringing world-class capabilities and high-quality services to our clients. Deloitte in Cork has over 175 staff working with some of the most dynamic entrepreneurs and innovative companies on the region. This is reflected in the strong local representation in both our Deloitte Best Managed Companies and Technology Fast 50 programmes. At Deloitte, we offer local knowledge, expertise and relationships coupled with the capability and resources that come from being part of a global network. That said, our role as professional advisors is changing and we continue to invest in our business and work with clients to bring insights, add value and navigate

Connecting Cork is supported by:

through the risks and opportunities that arise as a result of advances in technology and globalisation. From the platform of Cork City, we continue to deliver services to our clients across the globe, playing our role in connecting the city by offering a seamless cross border delivery model that ensures the optimal results for our clients. Cork is undergoing a transformation which will see the city continue to become an economic hub of activity on both a national and international level. The Chamber’s ‘Connecting Cork’ initiative, which aims to grow Cork’s international profile, positions the city and county to capitalise on prevailing opportunities and we see this as being particularly relevant in both the financial services and ICT sectors. Ireland is a globally recognised centre for financial services, with Cork being Ireland’s second largest financial services hub. This year

Ronan Murray, Partner Deloitte

Deloitte launched the inaugural Financial Services Innovation Awards. This new programme is the first of its kind in Ireland, and celebrates innovation by financial services companies across the island of Ireland. With Cork fast becoming a competitive and attractive alternative to Dublin for international financial services, together with the opportunities that arise as a result of Brexit, there is no doubt that we will be seeing worthy recipients of these awards from Cork in the near future.”

Connecting cork

Reflecting on... Diversity in the Cork Workforce International perspectives from Cork / EY EY Cork has a diverse team of over 250 people from 12 nationalities across four service lines; Assurance, Tax, Advisory and Transactions, all of which have experienced strong growth over the last five years. The variety of nationalities at EY Cork brings an international perspective to EY’s way of working with local, national and international clients. The diversity of the work offered at EY Cork is a selling point for those moving to the Cork office, making it a vibrant place to work. In the coming months, EY Cork will be launching a financial services practice with senior financial services team members transferring from Dublin to Cork to lead this team. Adré is from South Africa and has been at the Cork office for nearly two years. “Living in Cork has been a fantastic experience. There is really so much to see and do within such

John Higgins, Partner EY Cork and team

close proximity of the city. It is no myth that Cork is the food capital of Ireland! What I love most about working at EY Cork is the beautiful view of the River Lee from the office, as well as the fact that the office is diverse with a range of nationalities and skills. I am lucky to be part of a team that has supported me in the challenges I have faced in relocating to a new country.”

Priyank, who works in EY Cork’s Pensions team, recently re-located to the Cork office from India. “Cork is quiet, peaceful and full of greenery. People here are very nice and welcoming. EY Cork is a wonderful place to work as people at all levels are so enthusiastic and approachable. The decision to move here was worth it and I look forward to staying for many more years to come.”

Making Cork Home / Cork University Business School (CUBS) postgraduate students. The first month was tough; I had to look for accommodation, get used to a different climate, a different culture and also a different university system. I was lucky enough to have support from my colleagues which guided and helped me a lot.

Dr. Caterina Santi is a Lecturer in the Department of Accounting and Finance in CUBS: “I have always wanted to be a researcher. I completed my undergraduate in Economics at the University of Pisa in Italy. After that, I decided to start studying Finance. I completed my MSc in Banking, Corporate Finance and Financial Markets and in my PhD I focused on empirical asset pricing. During my PhD, I had the possibility to collaborate with scholars from all around the world. I visited the Vrije Univeriteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands and the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. My interview at University College Cork was my first time in Ireland. It was the end of November last

year and it was a very windy day. I remember that the members of the interview panel were very friendly; when they called me the day after the interview to tell me that I was selected for the job I was very excited!

Now, after almost nine months, Cork has become my second home. I enjoy living here, and apart from the amazing Irish landscapes, what I like the most about Ireland is Irish people. They are friendly and helpful which is very important when you move to another country.”

I moved to Cork at the beginning of January and after two weeks I was already in class teaching to

empowering yo u

Cork Chamber

Upskilling YOu At Cork Chamber Skillnet we are dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of workforce learning and development within the Cork region and beyond. Our goal is to ensure that your business has the skills it needs to exceed. Our suite of continuous personal and professional development training courses are designed to meet the needs of our member companies. Our courses are delivered by industry leading training providers and are relevant to the modern-day marketplace. Allow us to help you and your colleagues stay on top of your game! Leading Others • Team Development & Management • Skills for Success – Dale Carnegie • People & Performance Management • PM Essentials Digital & Design • Data Visualisation – Change the way you Communicate • Practical Productivity Using MS Outlook Professional Skills • Project Management • MS Office & MS Outlook • Presentation Skills • MS Excel Intermediate and Advanced For further information visit corkchamber.ie/training or email garrett@corkchamber.ie

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Date for Your Diary Tickets for Cork Chamber Annual Dinner 2020 will go on sale Friday 6 December at 9.30am

UPCOMING EVE NTS See more at CorkChamber.ie

November Business Breakfast featuring Michael Dawson, One4All

Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner in association with EY

Annual Christmas Lunch

in association with O’Flynn Exhams

in association with Irish Examiner Date: Time: Venue: Cost:

Thursday 14 November 7.30am – 9.00am The Metropole Hotel €25 Members/€50 Non Members

Michael Dawson is founder and CEO of The Gift Voucher Shop (GVS), home of the One4all brand. A visionary and entrepreneur, Michael has made an impact and left his entrepreneurial mark across a diverse range of career paths, from youth work, politics and lottery to the business he heads up today. With The Gift Voucher Shop, Michael has led the business in the development of unique pre-paid products and innovative distribution markets within the gifting and corporate incentives space across markets in Ireland, the U.K. and Malta. This Month sees the launch of One4all digital a new development from The Gift Voucher Shop that will create an end to end digital Gift Card – a world first.

Date: Time: Venue: Cost:

Tuesday 26 November 7.00pm – 11.00pm Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road €150 per person €1500 per table

Date: Time: Venue: Cost:

Friday 13 December 12.30pm – 3.30pm Fota Island Resort €65 Cork Chamber/ MII members €80 Non-Members

Over the past eight years, this national black-tie event has grown to become one of the most popular and prestigious events in our calendar, attracting almost 600 business thought leaders, political decision makers and dignitaries.

Cork Chamber’s Christmas lunch is the social event of the festive season attracting over 300 attendees every year. This year we are excited to welcome comedian, Andrew Ryan as our entertainment.

This year we are delighted to announce Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D. as our guest speaker.

The lunch will be held in association with O’Flynn Exhams, a leading commercial law firm that provides a full range of legal services to both national and multinational clients as well as the State sector.

We will also be presenting Anne O’Leary, CEO of Vodafone Ireland with the Outstanding Contribution to Business Award. We are delighted to have the continued support of EY as the headline sponsor and Kernel Capital as Networking Reception sponsor.

As always, this event will be held in partnership with the Marketing Institute in Cork and we hope to have a great mix of members on the day. This is the perfect seasonal event for entertaining clients and colleagues!

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Connecting YOu Business Breakfasts At the September Breakfast Niall Carson spoke of FREE NOW’s plans for the future and the potential of multi-modal transport in Cork. In October Colin Hunt spelled out the challenges facing our economy, and the drive for inclusion, diversity and sustainability at AIB.

At the Cork Chamber Business Breakfast in association with the Irish Examiner at the Clayton Hotel Cork City were (from left) Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Niall Carson, Head of Sales, FREENOW, guest speaker; Ronan McManamy, Managing Director, Irish Examiner and The Echo and Paula Cogan, President Cork Chamber. Picture Denis Minihane.

At the Cork Chamber October Business Breakfast in association with the Irish Examiner at Páirc Uí Chaoimh were (from left) John O’Doherty, Head of AIB Cork, Colin Hunt CEO of AIB, guest speaker, Paula Cogan, Cork Chamber President, Ronan McManamy, Managing Director, Irish Examiner and The Echo, Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber. Picture Dan Linehan

N ew members Breakfast The breakfasts , held in association with AIB provide an opportunity for new members to connect and introduce their company to fellow new members.

Oonagh Connolly, AIB Bank; Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber, and Annie FitzGibbon, Cork Chamber pictured at the Cork Chamber New Members Breakfast at the Clayton Silversprings hotel.

Mark Exshaw, Nat Ross

Helen Scully, Clonakilty Distillery Ltd

Jurgita Petiul, Right Solution Centre; Tony McNamara, Insight Management Consultancy and Kevin Collins, ClickDimensions. Pictures: Diane Cusack

John Grant, Fitzgerald Actuarial Limited

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All Aboard The annual Lunch on Board the Brittany Ferries flagship vessel the “Pont-Aven” in association with the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce was held on 14 September. This provided an exclusive opportunity to explore the facilities on board the luxury ferry and enjoy fabulous French cuisine & French wines in Cork Harbour. The event was a great success with guests enjoying the facilities on board along with a bit of sunshine, making it a fantastic day out on the sea!

Cliona McGowan, Director France Ireland Chamber of Commerce, H.E. Stéphane Crouzat, Ambassador of France in Ireland, Paula Cogan, President Cork Chamber, Mathieu Gorge, President France Ireland Chamber of Commerce,Paul de Vol, Ambassador of France in Ireland. Pictures: John Sheehan

Senator Jerry Buttimer, Seanad Éireann, Deirdre Waldron and Greg Canty, Fuzion Communications.

Women in Leadership E xecutive Lunch

Cork Chamber in partnership with Network Cork hosted the Women in Leadership Executive Lunch on October 4 in the Cork International Hotel. This year we were honoured to welcome Helen Arnold, Financial Director of Television Mobiles Ltd (TVM), as the key note speaker. Helen spoke of her expertise and leadership in business development and strategic planning within the Broadcast Media Industry.

Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber; Helen Arnold, Financial Director of Television Mobiles Ltd and Gillian Hennessy, President of Network Cork. Pictures: Darragh Kane

Deirdre Griffin, Cork Chamber and Megan Pardy, Trigon Hotels.

Kylie Basnett Trigon Hotels Carmel Lonergan Cork International Hotel.

Lisa Broderick, CPL Recruitment, Leigh Gillen, Leigh Gillen Events, Donna Roche, Mater Private and Marguerite Brahim, CPL Recruitment.

Annette Keane LSC and Sinead O’ Dea Griffith College.

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The benefits of commercial diplomacy & Trade missions Cork Chamber receives official ambassadorial visits and international delegations on a regular basis Specifically, we see that company missions/international visits for small groups of businesses (inbound and outbound) are a key element of commercial diplomacy and a strategic instrument of governments and business representative organisations to promote their home country abroad, as well as to support firms to explore and enter new markets. Understandably, many SMEs feel unready to venture into a new market without making an overseas visit first. However, one of the best ways to explore opportunities in international markets is to take part in trade missions as part of a well-organised group of likeminded people. Joining a company mission or meeting a visiting delegation at Cork Chamber, offers a company a fact-finding opportunity and a chance to build up a fuller understanding of a country as a possible market. These missions are generally open to businesses of all sizes including SMEs and start-ups. Additionally, local government and other agencies with

international ambitions can join a company mission to help make international connections. Organised missions may also benefit from partial subsidy through support from state agencies. Typically, structured mission programmes take place over a two day period and participants can learn about doing business in the host market and gain exposure to the social and business cultures. Unique opportunities and benefits for companies participating in a company mission include: • Business-to-business meetings with potential business partners • Growth of your international network • Better idea of market opportunities • Knowledge exchange • Market intelligence and troubleshooting • Raising your company profile • Identification of on-the-ground support of trade development organisations

Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber and Suzanne Drisdelle, Senior Trade Commissioner and Chargée d’Affaires at the Embassy of Canada to Ireland on a recent visit to Cork Chamber

• • •

Potential access to economic and government decision-makers Networking opportunities with the local business community Opportunities to create partnerships.

Whether your business is already trading internationally, or is planning to do so in the future, tailor-made missions can lead to many successful partnerships thanks to thorough preparation, local knowledge, programme design and careful follow up.

Maltese mission to Cork 9-10 December 2019

The new flight route between Cork and Valletta, Malta has opened up valuable opportunities for trade and relationship building between the two islands. Enterprise Europe Network is the world’s largest support network for SMEs and combines international business expertise with local knowledge to help you take your innovation into new markets. Cork Chamber is connected to a network of more than 60 countries worldwide, bringing 3,000 experts from more than 600 member organisations throughout the world. For expressions of interest in relation to trade missions contact: mkelly@corkchamber.ie

In December, the Malta Business Bureau (MBB) is bringing a delegation of businesses in the ICT sector (AI, IoT, ICT, Blockchain and Finserv) to connect with leading cluster organisations and companies in the Cork region. The delegation specifically wish to meet companies interested in support services for digital transformation, business process management, software development and web design across a number of sectors. Through a tailored programme of meetings and events over the course of two days the Enterprise Europe Network and Cork Chamber hope to facilitate business partnering and collaboration

opportunities across geographies and sectors. To find out more and to express your interest in meeting the visiting group of companies, contact Margaret Kelly: e: mkelly@corkchamber.ie t: 021 4509044

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New Appointments

Dafydd Lewis Carrigaline Court Hotel

Sarah Cooney Cork Beo

Dafydd Lewis has been appointed Sales & Marketing Manager of the recently refurbished 4 Star Carrigaline Court Hotel. Born in Cork with Welsh ancestry, Dafydd has over 15 years’ experience in a variety of capacities in the marketing industry, and has a remit to direct Sales & Marketing activity across the hotels product portfolio. A member of the MII (Marketing Institute of Ireland), Dafydd’s experience in the marketing industry has seen him take on a number of challenging but rewarding roles over the last number of years, including positions with well-established names such as Ryanair, Stena Line, Carphone Warehouse and UCC.

Cork’s newest newsbrand Cork Beo has appointed Sarah Cooney to the role of Digital Sales Manager. Cooney, is a Cork native and graduate of UCC, has worked in marketing and media her whole career. Following a stint travelling, she returned to Ireland and worked with startups mainly in the food industry before moving to a large media agency in Dublin.During her 6 years with IPG Mediabrands, she established her media links with national press and digital titles, including Cork Beo publisher Reach. With her exceptional background in media and advertising, the launch of Cork Beo was an excellent opportunity for Sarah to move home.

Dorothy Coffey

Brian Hunt

Cork Airport

Dorothy Coffey has been appointed as the new General Manager of Operations and Safety at Cork Airport, Ireland’s fastest growing and most punctual airport. Dorothy joins Cork Airport’s senior leadership team with over 18 years of aviation and safety experience from Swissport, where her most recent role was as Regional Manager, Ireland. In her new role Dorothy will have overall responsibility for Airport Operations, Fire Service, Asset Management and Safety.

Albert Diggin KBC

KBC Bank, Ireland’s digital-first bank, has announced the appointment of Albert Diggin as Area Manager of Ireland South and West. Mr Diggin, who joins KBC from financial services company, Fexco, will cover six hubs in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny as part of his new remit. Mr Diggin has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, having previously held a variety of different positions in the commercial banking sector, with notable roles at Bank of Ireland including Area Manager for the Cork region. Prior to his role with Fexco, Mr Diggin also held a number of senior roles within Bank of Ireland, including Commercial Branch Manager, Senior Business Banking Development Manager and most recently, National Operations and Change Manager. He also holds a QFA qualification through the Institute of Bankers and Postgraduate Diploma in Management through the Irish Management Institute and served as Director of Cork Chamber of Commerce from March 2014 to April 2018.

Ronan Daly Jermyn

Ronan Daly Jermyn (RDJ) is pleased to announce the appointment of regulatory specialist, Brian Hunt as Partner in the firm. Brian has joined RDJ to head their newly formed Financial Services Regulatory practice. He joins from Zurich Insurance plc, where he has been Head of Regulatory Affairs since 2009. Brian has over 15 years of experience advising on all aspects of regulatory risk, regulatory strategy and the management of relationships with regulators in Ireland and abroad. Having previously worked at another top tier law firm, he has worked with clients on matters ranging from all aspects of licensing and establishment to compliance and regulatory inspections and investigations.

To include New Appointments in ChamberLink contact deirdre@corkchamber.ie

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Radius Technologies acquire Fortuity; Jerry Buckley and Kevin O’Regan. Picture: Patrick Browne

Radius Technologies acquires Cork-based IT Services company Fortuity Radius Technologies is one of Ireland’s leading providers of IT business solutions to the SME sector. The company promotes a holistic approach to business technology delivering bespoke IT solutions which include: Cloud Computing, IT Managed Services, Cyber Security and GDPR Compliance, and Cloud Telephony. Carrigtwohill based company Fortuity, provides tailored IT infrastructure, maintenance and communications services to SMEs in Cork and the South West region. Jerry Buckley, MD of Radius Technologies “The acquisition comes as part of Radius’ national expansion plan. In Fortuity, we found a team with an excellent reputation in the marketplace

who share our passion for excellent customer service and information security.” Jerry continued “Radius provides a combined team of over 45 staff, delivering engineering, helpdesk and support functions. This, combined with our accreditation and quality standards (Microsoft Gold Partner, ISO 27001 in Information Security and ISO 9001 in Quality), has created an extremely positive reaction from clients and the wider market”. Kevin O’Regan, MD of Fortuity expressed his enthusiasm for the enlarged organisation. “Being part of the Radius team means our clients will receive a greater depth and bandwidth of support, excellent accreditation driven processes and access to a broad range of new private

cloud and telecom solutions. In any amalgamation our clients are our first priority, and we are delighted to see that Radius’ values and culture are completely aligned with Fortuity. Our clients are already seeing the benefits of our expanded team, product and service offering”.

“B

eing part of the Radius team means our clients will receive a greater depth and bandwidth of support” Kevin O’Regan, Sales Manager, Radius Technologies.

SUPPORTING

BUSINESS

IN CORK

Private Cloud Solutions

Managed IT Services

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start a conversation call Radius on 1890 592 500 or visit www.radius.ie

Telecoms Services

IT and Data Security

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New members We welcome the following new members

Alex’s Adventure Ltd. Education/Training/Languages Alex’s Adventure aims to educate post primary students on substance misuse and the real-life effects our choices have. T: 083 1924687 E: nicole@alexsadventure.ie W: www.alexsadventure.ie

Classic Windows and Facades Building Contractors/Providers Classic Windows and Facades is your one stop shop to meet all your domestic/ commercial glazing requirements. T: 021 4875833 E: sales@classicwindows.ie W: www.classicwindows.ie

Amazon CS Ireland Ltd. Retail Online retailer and technology company T: 021 4839800 W: www.amazon.com

Digital Funnel Ltd. Advertising/Marketing/Market Research SEO & Digital Marketing services focused on generating leads and website traffic for small and medium sized businesses. Expert SEO is our core skill with skilled copywriting and technical knowhow. T: 021 2011993 E: ian@digitalfunnel.ie W: www.digitalfunnel.ie

AnGiDoTech IT Services Social media, digital marketing, computer and phone repair. T: 085 8387646 E: angidotech@gmail.com W: www.facebook.com/Angidotech/ Area Carpet and Floor Services Carpet & flooring contractor servicing commercial, industrial, residential clients. Offering hassle free, high quality sales & installations. T: 086 0404474 E: dave@arecf.ie W: www.areacf.ie Audi Cork Motor Traders We are the home of Audi in Cork. Services we offer include: New & Used Car Sales/ Finance /Fleet Sales/Aftersales Services. T: 021 4918400 E: info@audicork.ie W: www.audicork.ie Bensons Workwear Ltd. Manufacturers Innovation is key - many garments now require bespoke solutions and customisation for different sectors and industries - Ranging from type of fabrics, style, design, colour, embroidery, printing technology. T: 061 439065 E: info@bensonsworkwear.com W: www.bensonsworkwear.com

Epia Global Taxation & Wealth Management Advisors EPIA Global is an Irish company that provides a range of market leading services for Chinese and Asian clients with bespoke investment and education solutions. T: 089 9822624 E: yuhuacheng@epiaglobal.com Pod Rentals t/a EcoPods Construction/Providers EcoPods are a premium, self-contained living space imported from a trusted German manufacturer. EcoPods are an ideal alternative to a permanent build with great flexibility. T: 01 6533110 E: info@ecopods.ie W: www.ecopods.ie Family Friendly Ireland Awards Enterprise/Trade Development The Family Friendly Ireland Awards aims to recognise and celebrate businesses, employers and individuals who excel at Family Friendliness. T: 085 8061555 E: info@familyfriendlyirelandawards.ie W: www.familyfriendlyirelandawards.ie Finglas Radio Optics Ltd. Manufacturers Manufacture of Optical Instruments and Photographic Equipment. T: 087 3440148 E: d.tupchiienko@gmail.com

Getvisibility Software/Software Services Getvisibility utilises the latest technology in Deep Learning AI for data classification for data lineage, to give companies visibility, control and understanding of their data. T: 021 2066033 E: contact@getvisibility.com W: www.getvisibility.com HaloSOS Security Services HaloSOS’ mission is to reduce the response time to both personal duress and mass crisis events. T: 087 9224509 E: fiona@halosos.com W: www.halosos.com Hashtag Social Ltd. T/A Hashtag Web Design We are a premium website design and digital marketing company, based in Cork. T: 021 743 2857 E: info@hashtag.ie W: www.hashtag.ie Inclusive Cork Education/Training/Languages Disability Confidence training improves the employee/customer experience and impacts outcomes. We strive to build authentic inclusion that leaves no one behind. T: 087 6771289 E: clare@inclusivecork.ie W: www.inclusivecork.ie Insight Management Consultancy Ltd. Management Consultants Insight Management Consultancy provides consultancy and directorship support in the healthcare area and for new companies seeking to penetrate the healthcare market. T: 087 2355295 E: tony.insightmanagementconsultancy.ie Irish Veterans Representative Body A registered Irish charity, now based in Kinsale where we operate a small museum/ exhibition in The Glen. Our overall aim is to establish in Kinsale an internationalstandard Irish Veterans Heritage Centre, exploring all aspects of the Irish military diaspora. T: 086 4066448 E: info@irishveterans.org W: www.irishveterans.org

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For more information on members log in to the Members Information Centre via our website.

Kaptured Photography Services Photography Product photography, food photography, real estate photography. T: 086 2774545 E: office@kaptured.ie W: www.kaptured.ie Leigh Gillen Events Event Management Corporate event management services company based in Cork City, here to help you manage and elevate your most public undertaking - your events. T: 086 3708831 E: leigh@leighgillenevents.ie W: www.leighgillenevents.ie Muintir Skibbereen Credit Union Financial Services/Pensions/ Investment A forward-thinking Credit Union with over 50 years experience serving its members. T: 028 21883 E: info@skibbereencu.ie W: www.skibbereencu.ie Noblesse Flowerbox Florists Noblesse Flowerbox creates unique, elegant and luxurious flower arrangements with beautiful infinity roses that last up to a year. T: 021 4815483 E: info@noblesseflowerbox.ie W: www.noblesseflowerbox.ie Perry Street Market Cafe Restaurant/Bar/Catering Perry Street Market Cafe opened in 2013. We have locations in City Centre, Northpoint and Ringaskiddy. Proud to be serving local Artisan Produce. We provide Corporate Home Catering. T: 021 4278776 E: info@perrystreet.ie Pluspromotions.ie Web Design We provide - Small Website, Wordpress CMS, Website, eCommerce, Mobile App Development, Social Media Marketing, and much more. T: 021 2010022 E: info@pluspromotions.ie W: www.pluspromotions.ie

Quantum Business Solutions Management Consultants ‘A Mastermind is like the board you can’t afford’’ Richard Branson. I set up and run Mastermind groups. T: 086 3644668 E: neil@quantum.ie W: www.quantum.ie Sims IVF Clinic Cork Healthcare Provider Sims IVF Clinic Cork, forms part of the Virtus Health Group. We access International practices and experiences giving our patients the best chance of success. T: 021 4410921 E: infocork@sims.ie W: www.sims.ie SmartOffice Technology Software/Software Services SmartOffice Technology will help you to navigate the maze of software architecture providing solutions that are right for your line of business. T: 085 7652525 E: paulmartin@smartoffice.ie W: www.smartoffice.ie Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Charities SEI is a not-for-profit organisation that supports high-potential social entrepreneurs to tackle Ireland’s social problems. T: 01 6853191 E: info@socialentrepreneurs.ie W: www.socialentrepreneurs.ie

Three Frogs Distillers Ltd. Food/Drink Irish Gin with a French twist proudly made in Co. Cork. T: 086 1594241 E: admin@threefrogsdistillers.com W: www.threefrogsdistillers.com To Have & To Hold Event Management To Have & To Hold is a highly experienced wedding & event management company. Working with clients across all sectors, we plan and deliver weddings and events that often exceed expectations! T: 021 4965157 E: info@tohaveandtohold.ie W: www.tohaveandtohold.ie Touchcom Ltd. Telecommunications At Touchcom Managed Services, we provide outsourced Managed Mobility Services (MMS) to clients with a diverse domestic and international mobile fleet. T: 01 2157116 E: info@touchcom.ie W: www.touchcom.ie Well Said Communications Education/Training/Languages Great communicators are not born, they craft, they hone, they own their stories. They learn, they practice, they develop. We are here to help. T: 085 7202808 E: john.keating@gmx.com

Specsavers Healthcare Provider Today Specsavers is one of the worlds largest Optical and Audiology retailers. Each business operates as a joint venture partnership, meaning the stores are part owned and managed by partners. T: 021 4340480 E: deirdre.moore@specsavers.com W: www.specsavers.ie The SpitJack Ltd. Restaurant/Bar/Catering The SpitJack is a rotisserie concept serving only the highest quality produce. Open from Breakfast to bedtime seven days a week. T: 021 2390613 E: hello@thespitjack.com W: www.thespitjack.com

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members news 1

1 Holly Lehane; Mark Seacy and Cáit Burns pictured at the launch of the Pfizer Ireland charity cycle from the Grange Castle site in Dublin to Pfizer Ringaskiddy.140 of Pfizer Ireland’s 3,700 strong employee network took part in the 275km cycles to raise awareness of blood cancer and also raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. 2 Photographed at the official launch of the William Fry Cork office: Laura Houlihan, Senior Associate, Banking & Finance; Bryan Bourke, Managing Partner; Brian O’Callaghan, Head of the Cork Office and Property Partner and Gráinne Varian, Senior Associate, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, William Fry. 3 EY host inaugural Women in Tax Business Network in Cork. Pictured Aileen Daly, EY with Aideen Murphy, Bardens. 4 Winner of the Best Business Opportunity award Lena Ní Mhurchú, Wanderfull with George Bullman, CIT Rubicon Centre at the 2019 EXXcel Female Entrepreneurship Showcase. EXXcel is a 6 month part time programme designed for females who have a business idea which is STEM related.

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Pictured at the launch of ProLog play, a creative collaboration between Pilz and Irish Wheelchair Association Cork: Jesús Ramírez Checa, Lorna O’Mahony Pilz, Robert Wright , Irish Wheelchair Association and Jason Nelligan, Pilz. One Year Celebration of Culture Co-Working’s opening. Culture Co-Working Founder Andrew Whitaker with An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Mr. Simon Coveney TD. Broadcaster John Creedon presents Guatemalan activist Abelino Chub Caal with Trócaire’s Romero International Award. The award is given in recognition of outstanding Human Rights work by a Trócaire partner. PM Group has announced a €50K bursary for Nagle Community College. The bursary is open to 6th year and TY pupils over the next four years and is designed to support the students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM).

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Leading Irish law firm Matheson announces the appointment of tech law and employment specialist Deirdre Crowley and her team to the Matheson Cork office. Pictured Deirdre Crowley, Partner, Michael Jackson, Managing Partner and Gráinne Callanan, Partner and Cork Office Lead, Matheson. Winner All Right! Following the hugely successful charity raceday at Cork Racecourse, Mallow in aid of Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, €72,632 was raised for Marymount’s community palliative care services. Pictured at the announcement were: Dan Duane, Mary Fitzpatrick, Michael and Leah Duane, Liam Kerins, head of finance, Marymount University Hospital and Hospice and Andrew Hogan, Cork Racecourse Mallow. Shane O’Driscoll visual artist pictured at the Brown Thomas celebration to toast the rejuvenation of Caroline Street and the Shane O’Driscoll mural on the former ESB power station.

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JANSSEN OPENS NEW MANUFACTURING BUILDING Janssen Sciences Ireland UC, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, officially opened its new manufacturing building in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. The expansion of the biomanufacturing site increases the company’s production capacity by an additional 19,100m2 and creates 200 new full-time jobs. Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, Johnson & Johnson said , “Our manufacturing facilities in Cork are at the cutting-edge of delivering healthcare solutions, which is an important part of our Credo commitment to provide the highest quality products to patients. Our Ringaskiddy facility is an important part of our global manufacturing network and expanding our capabilities here will allow us to pursue innovative solutions that advance how medicines are manufactured so that we can be at

the forefront of treating, preventing, intercepting and curing some of the world’s most devastating and complex diseases.”

Pictured at an event to mark the official opening were: Remo Colarusso, Vice President, Janssen Supply Chain; An Tánaiste, Simon Coveney TD; Kathy Wengel, Executive VP and Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, Johnson & Johnson; Gary Hartnett, Site Lead, Janssen Sciences Ireland UC and Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland. Picture. Adrian O’Herlihy Photography

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What is a Gigabit Hub and how can Smart Working benefit small businesses? What would happen if small and medium sized businesses around Ireland got access to the best digital connectivity available along with the resources needed to take advantage of it? That’s the question that Vodafone and SIRO – a joint venture with the ESB – set out to answer when they rolled out the Gigabit Hub initiative in 2017. The idea was relatively simple – provide a location where companies can get access to one gigabit broadband connectivity, the same kind of access speeds enjoyed by some of the world’s best known companies. Set this location up and then use it to drive innovation and to remove some of the barriers preventing entrepreneurs from getting started. But instead of providing it in a city centre, put this high speed access in digital hubs, community centres and co-working facilities around the country. “The reality is that having access to smart working opportunities means that businesses can really be based anywhere. Small and medium sized businesses can locate in regional towns and gain access to staff located anywhere in Ireland or in fact the world,” said Regina Moran, Enterprise Director for Vodafone Ireland. “They can compete on a level playing field in terms of attracting and retaining staff and are often able to offer better work life balances, shorter commutes and better family life to prospective employees. This helps businesses and individuals in numerous ways, but it also helps alleviate the significant and dangerous problem of congestion in the larger cities in Ireland.” Meanwhile research is showing that a growing number of people want more flexibility in their working lives and want to use technology to make this happen. They want to be able to work from home, on client sites or even just part time to accommodate a better work life balance.

This ‘Smart Working’ methodology is harder for smaller companies to facilitate than larger ones but access to a Gigabit Hub can make it a lot easier. Working with a Gigabit Hub allows employees to take advantage of the facility’s high-speed connections and work with international employers, while such hubs also allow smaller companies make use of the services of staff who aren’t located nearby. “The objective of the Gigabit Hub initiative when it was launched back in 2017 was to spark a digitally-enabled transformation across towns outside the major cities in Ireland and in the process support the creation of jobs, bringing life back to rural towns across the country,” said Moran.

“Now a new report produced by Vodafone examining the results of this project has been published, showing that having a Gigabit Hub in your area can have a profoundly positive effect for small to medium sized companies.” While there are 15 Gigabit Hubs around the country, the report looked at hubs in Dundalk, Drogheda, Kilkenny, Carlow, Kerry and Cork and found that collectively these six support 176 businesses and 424 full time staff, along with a further 38 part time workers. These companies generate €27.46 million and allow a large number of people to work near their homes and as a result not have to move their families closer to a city. By providing high speed connectivity and space for innovation, collaboration and digital education, Gigabit Hubs can help regional towns compete with larger urban areas by attracting highly skilled people, encouraging start-ups and foreign direct investment and increasing local digital literacy. Big ideas can be developed locally and marketed worldwide, giving people the opportunity to pursue their dream without leaving their town.

Where Cork City meets the County… Conveniently located to meet your business requirements… • Near Ringaskiddy & Airport • Close to South link Road & City • Free carparking • Multi-config meeting rooms • Function rooms (20-120 guests) • Large Ballroom (100- 500 guests) • 91 Suites and Luxury bedrooms

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