I am from Schull in West Cork. I lived in Germany and Oregon before returning to Ireland. I speak fluent German and understand the place, having spent seven years there.
Career opportunities were scarce in Ireland when I graduated from UCC, so I entered and won a competition for a marketing traineeship in Germany with R. J. Reynolds, then 52nd on the Fortune list. That set me off on an international career as a product launch specialist that took me from Germany to Oregon and back. I had exciting product and brand management jobs in RJR, Nobel Consumer Goods, and Nike that taught me how things are done in the very best-managed organizations.
I returned to Ireland to relaunch Dubarry’s world-class sailing footwear and then, finally getting the whole way back home to Schull, I set up Aspire to offer the market entry expertise I’d gained abroad to owner managed businesses in Ireland.
I have direct insight into the pressures faced by owner-managers. I am one too. Working as a consultant – and in senior interim management roles – over the past thirty years, I have seen first-hand how firms can thrive by combining strong product development with efficient operations and robust management systems. I have worked on dozens of consumer and industrial products in goods and services markets in Ireland, Germany, and the US and I have also had the privilege of working in fascinating places like Qatar, UAE and Ethiopia.
I’ve renewed my knowledge and thinking by doing an Executive MBA and a PGDip. – like a Masters – in International Selling as well as the influential Advanced Leadership Programme run by the Timoney Leadership Institute. I have given back through voluntary and honorary roles with CIF in Cork, IBEC, SFA, and my local community and school.
I have also renewed a famous sailing boat, Lady Min that my great-grandfather designed and built and first launched in Schull in 1902. Working with a team of skilled boatbuilders and craftsmen over a period of four years, I led the restoration of the 30-foot wooden gaff cutter. The work won the top Classic Boat award for the quality of the restoration. Lady Min, now over 120 years old, is to be found competing hard in every sailing event we can get her to. She usually features in the prizegiving and she has several times been the outright winner of races against modern boats a fraction of her age!
I love to work with people who want to compete and win. My core skill is researching, planning, and managing change. Every engagement starts with developing an understanding of the situation “sufficient unto the purpose” before going on to work out with you what needs to happen next.
Either way, I don’t bring just the theory. I bring actionable plans, and I put my shoulder to the wheel when you ask me to
