Ten minutes into the first job interview, Wendy Chang Smith knew that Glanbia was the right fit for her. As someone for whom company culture, values and learning experiences are paramount, Wendy was bowled over by the “wisdom and experience” of the two colleagues on the panel and felt like she had known them for years – “ I was sold, I was ready to join this company.”But the idea of taking on the role of CFO of Glanbia Performance Nutrition was also very compelling from a business perspective. The company’s main brand, Optimum Nutrition, has been around for over 35 years, is sold in more than 90 countries, and recently became Glanbia’s first billion-dollar brand. Yet despite being the world’s number one sports nutrition brand, its growth potential in major markets like the US is very significant, and this was a challenge that excited Wendy.In this episode of The EY Podcast: CFO Outlook Podcast, Wendy Chang Smith, CFO of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, joins Jonathan Healy to talk about working in some of the world’s biggest multinationals, her vision for the future of sports nutrition, and why company culture is so important to her. They also discuss:· The three qualities of a highly effective business strategy· Why she believes that risk-taking is important for generating additional value for the company· Wendy’s role as global sponsor for the Glanbia Women’s ERG and why Diversity and Inclusion is so important to her· Glanbia’s investment globally in Research & Development· Wendy’s time working in with major multinationals including Amazon, Johnson and Johnson, Procter and Gamble, and Kellogg’s.· Adapting to Irish weather and culture, and why an encounter with a dead jellyfish made Wendy and her family realise that moving to Ireland was the right decision !

In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Tom Hickey of mining company Kenmare Resources chats to host Jonathan Healy about becoming a CFO at the young age of 31, the importance of storytelling in business, his love of the natural resources sector and how ESG is at the heart of Kenmare’s operations in Mozambique.     

In the world of social media, what is being said about your business can make or break you. How you access these insights in a timely manner makes all the difference. In 2009, when Twitter was still relatively unknown and Instagram was not yet born, Stephen O’Leary spotted an opportunity and started to build a company to do just that – give businesses an ear to the ground on social media.“With no savings, no plan, no experience in running a business, I decided the need exists, there is a gap, I’m going to give this a go” And so Olytico was born – an online news media and social media monitoring and analysis company that aims to help people make better informed decisions. After a slow and difficult start, the company started to scale incredibly quickly in line with the popularity of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the many others that have launched in the last decade.   In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast series, Stephen O’Leary tells host Richard Curran how he transitioned from journalism, software sales and business development, to eventually founding his own company, Olytico. They also discuss:  ·        What Elon Musk’s move to buy Twitter means for the company and its users.  ·        Forthcoming regulation of social media companies and how it might change them ·        What he learned about the kind of salesperson he was, and why that led him to him start his own company.  ·        The future of anonymity and content moderation on social media platforms ·        Becoming the youngest ever president of Dublin Chamber of Commerce in 2023 

In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook series, Mark Rose Burke joins host Richard Curran to share her vision for Dublin city, her views on how to most effectively drive forward the changes required, and the top priorities and challenges facing business leaders in 2021 and 2022.There has been a lot of debate in recent years about the role that large cities will play in the how we work, live and play, particularly in a post-Covid landscape. As CEO of Dublin’s largest and most influential business group, representing over 1,300 companies, Mary Rose Burke has a very clear vision for how Ireland’s capital city should develop in order to make it a place where businesses and residents can thrive, and visitors enjoy spending time.  Originally from Co. Galway, Mary Rose joined Dublin Chamber as CEO in 2016 and has led the organisation throughout a period of great change for business and for large cities alike.  They also discuss: ·         Mary Rose’s experience and belief  in policy as a driver for real change ·         The fundamentals that make a city successful, and Dublin’s unique selling points. ·         The huge potential for growth within Dublin’s canal cordon. ·         Achieving the right balance of regional and Dublin-focussed development.  ·         Mary Rose’s leadership approach – “The measure of a good parish priest is how many bishops he creates”.  

It is an interesting time to be overseeing the management and evolution of Ireland’s public transport network. Not only has the pandemic dramatically reduced passenger numbers on trains, trams, buses and taxis, at least temporarily, but the rapid move towards environmentally sustainable modes of transport is also introducing new and interesting challenges. As CEO of the National Transport Authority (NTA), Anne Graham is tasked with helping to develop solutions for these challenges and others, while also creating strategies to build the public transport system of the future. In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook Podcast, Anne Graham tells host Richard Curran the story of her rise through the public service to the role she holds today, and her vision for the public transport system of tomorrow. They discuss:·         The challenge of providing public transport in rural areas, and how residential planning must play a role. ·         The planned electrification of the bus fleet, battery range, and future technology·         How to encourage more women into engineering·         Why the NTAs mission around sustainability is helping drive talent recruitment ·         The concept of ‘mobility as a service’ and making one ticket allow access to several modes of transport  

In this episode of the EY  CFO Outlook podcast series, Andy Cronin tells host Vincent Wall the story of a Avolon’s remarkable growth from Dublin start-up to a world leader in aircraft leasing in just a few short years. They discuss:·         How Andy, an engineer, became the co-founder and CFO of an aircraft leasing company·         The story of Avolon’s IPO and his experience of running the finance function of a public company versus a private one·         Raising capital and how Avolon has achieved a credit rating on a par with major banks·         Environmental sustainability and why Avolon is investing heavily in electric ‘flying taxis’  ·         Why Ireland enjoys a ‘monopoly position’ in the aircraft leasing sector·         Why data pays a critical role in Avolon’s success. 

In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast, ICON CEO Steve Cutler tells host Richard Curran the story of ICON’s rise from Irish start-up to global leader in a challenging and competitive field, and his role in that journey. A former Australian rugby international, Cutler sees many similarities between playing on the pitch and leading a contract research organisation  (both are competitive “contact sports”), and he describes how his former career has influenced the style and success of his leadership approach.

In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Kenmare Resources Finance Director, Tony McCuskey tells host, Vincent Wall the compelling story of an Irish company’s rise to the top of the exploration industry. It is a journey involving hostile environments, working with local governments and communities , maintaining relationships with partners and shareholders, and personal resilience.“We didn’t have any physical assets, what we had was a dream”. When Tony McCluskey joined Kenmare Resources in 1991 it was still a relatively small Irish exploration company. Today it is one of the world’s leading producers of titanium materials and zircon, quoted on the London stock exchange, and with a market capitalisation of £500 million.  The story of how Kenmare Resources has grown into what it is today is a fascinating one, but it has not been without its crisis points. Commodity prices can rise and fall sharply, and Kenmare Resources almost fell into the hands of new owners during a particularly rocky period. Leading the company’s finance function throughout that time, McCluskey clearly remembers the determination, perseverance, and support that saved them.They also talk about:·       Tony’s upbringing in Co. Kilkenny and why he always wanted to be part of a business·       His experience working in rural Mozambique·       The dramatic collapse in mineral prices that almost led to the loss of the company to new owners·       The importance of benefiting the community in which you run operate – funding schools, hospitals and agricultural programmes·       His key priorities as CFO. 

What issues are top of mind for the CEOs of Ireland’s leading organisations? This is the question that the EY CEO Imperatives study set out to answer, and the results are revealed in this episode of The EY CEO Outlook podcast series.305 CEOs of the Forbes Global 2000 were surveyed about their perspectives on the DNA of the future enterprise, and the findings provide a fascinating insight into how the Covid-19 pandemic has rearranged and changed the priority list for business leaders.In this podcast, EY Ireland Head of Markets, Graham Reid, discusses the survey results with host Richard Curran, covering areas including:· The rise of purpose and empathy as a highly-valued characteristic in senior leaders.· Intangible value – what it is, and why so many CEOs value it so highly?· Why the hybrid work model is the future.· Mitigating digital risk while building trust and security.· Building Sustainability into all areas of the business, and why that is a rewarding long term play.

Becoming CEO of a large, successful organisation is always a challenge, but taking on the role in the midst of a global pandemic is a very different proposition. However, successfully leading teams through adverse times is something in which Eamonn Crowley, the new CEO of Permanent TSB, has a lot of experience and expertise. His time as a trader during the Black Monday stock market crash was an early introduction to tough markets. Since then, Crowley has helped to navigate major organisations including AIB, AIG and Santander through recessions and economic booms alike. Now, he takes over at Permanent TSB at a time of great challenge but, characteristically, he can see clear opportunities for the bank for how it can further serve customers in the Irish market. In this episode of The EY CEO Outlook Podcast, Eamonn Crowley and host Richard Curran discuss a fascinating career in banking, the rapidly changing consumer landscape, and why trust lies at the heart of great leadership. After only months in the role, Permanent TSB’s new CEO is already putting his new customer-first strategy into action, including personally speaking to at least four of the bank’s customers every week. They also discuss:   ·        The Irish property market and the impact that COVID-19 has had on consumer behaviour·        The evolution of technology in the financial sector·        Lessons learned from the recent Tracker Mortgage controversy ·        Why a clear focus on the customer is key to recovery ·        His love of Liverpool FC, the leaders he admires the most, and the three pieces of advice he would give to other CEOs 

In 1996, Carolan Lennon left her permanent, pensionable job to return to university and complete an MBA. Leaving a secure role, and having recently taken on a mortgage, it was a risky play. However, her decision marked the beginning of a stellar career in the Telecoms sector.After a number of successful years with Vodafone, Carolan went on to join Ireland’s largest telecommunications company, eir, as MD of its Wholesale division. Tasked with rolling out broadband to 300,000 homes across Ireland, Lennon is fiercely proud of what she achieved with the time and budget allowed (connecting 338,000 homes) and staunchly defends the company against its critics.Today, as eir’s first ever female CEO, Carolan Lennon is overseeing the company’s €1bn investment programme to move Ireland’s connectivity to the next level. Having been acquired by telco billionaire Xavier Niel in 2018, Lennon believes that the technologies and synergies now available to eir will be transformative for the country.In this episode of EY CEO Outlook, Carolan Lennon tells Richard Curran about her rise to the top of one of the most competitive industries in Ireland, and her vision for how next-gen telecommunications will transform everything from healthcare to entertainment. They also talk about:·        How the COVID-19 crisis has changed Carolan’s style of leadership for the better·        Female representation in the telecommunications sector – the challenges and her successes in bringing more females into the senior management team·        The experience of being owned by another telecommunications company, and what that means for Ireland’s connectivity·        The other leaders Carolan most admires, her business mantra, and what she would like colleagues to say about her when she moves on from the role·        Carolan’s love of horses, and how it inspired her second tattoo!  

After over 50 years in business, Pat McCann has weathered many storms. Starting out in the hospitality trade during the Oil Crisis of the 1970s, McCann successfully steered businesses through the many crises and recessions in the decades that followed. Now, as CEO of Ireland’s largest hotel operator, Dalata PLC, he is facing into his latest challenge with perspective and resilience, understanding that while the group will “face some short-term headwinds, it doesn’t mean that we should get blown off track completely, because that’s not what’s going to happen”. In this episode of The EY Podcast: CEO Series, Richard Curran talks to one of Ireland’s best-known hotel operators as he slowly reopens his doors to an unrecognisable and unpredictable tourism market. Forced to shut down the vast majority of his operations during Covid-19 with revenues reduced to zero, Pat McCann set out to develop a clear strategy for retaining senior staff while retraining others, seizing the opportunities that this crisis will present, and developing a post-Covid hotel experience for holiday-makers.  In this interview, Pat reveals how he went about developing this strategy based on his vast experience in the sector and his unique approach to people-management. He also talks about:+Why he predicts a big bounce in domestic tourism, and what the new hotel experience will be like for visitors. +The moment he opened the envelope containing developer Sean Dunne’s record €275m bid for Jurys Hotel, Ballsbridge. +The differences between leading a private company and a publicly listed one, his approach to delivering shareholder value, and his advice for achieving a successful IPO.+How and why he applies an ‘internal-first’ approach to developing management.+His personal approach to work and leisure (they’re one and the same); also, his love of Mafia movies, his business mantra, and the other business leaders that he most admires. 

What is it like to lead a national health service through a global pandemic?  In this episode of The EY Podcast: CEO Outlook, Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE, talks to Richard Curran about the personal and professional challenges of steering Ireland’s health service through the Covid-19 crisis. This is not the first time Paul Reid has managed a large organisation through a time of deep crisis. As he tells Richard, “I’m still wondering whether I follow [crises] or they follow me”. In what will be valuable advice for CEOs in companies of types and sizes, Paul reveals what he has learned about people, leadership, and managing stress during very tough times. Paul Reid has operated at senior levels across several high-profile organisations, including Fingal County Council, Trocaire, Eircom, and The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He has managed thousands of team members at a time; negotiated with governments, boards, and trade unions; and has been tasked with executing widespread reform of work practices, pay, and staff numbers. Now, as CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid is arguably facing his biggest challenge yet: reforming Ireland’s health service during one of the most severe global pandemics in history. This is a role he sought out, and one in which he deeply believes. In this wide-ranging and personal interview, Paul Reid talks about:+ How his working class background contributed to his effectiveness as a leader.+ Why he felt ‘at war’ with the government, trade unions, Department of Health, and staff, when he took up the role as HSE CEO – and how he handled it. + The key to creating win-wins and preserving relationships during tough negotiations. + His honest thoughts about the handling of nursing homes and private hospital contracts during Covid-19, and whether the 2m social distancing rule should be reduced to 1m.+ His biggest regret, favourite film, business mantra, and the CEO he admires the most. 

Richard Curran meets the CEOs of Ireland’s leading organisations to talk about world-class leadership, weathering storms and delivering results. You will get an insight into the secrets of their success, the lessons they’ve learned along the way and their plans for the future. Subscribe or follow The EY Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Find out more about the series at ey.com/ie/podcasts or on EY Ireland social media.