Down To Business

For many, glass is nothing more than the thing in your windows, but for an entire industry in Ireland, it is so much more. Art pieces made from glass are all over our cities, towns, and homes and so, Bobby wanted to understand that industry from some of the preeminent names in it. To do that, Bobby is joined by: Tom Watts, Head of Design at Design and Crafts Council Ireland Elke Westen, Owner of S...

Bobby is joined by Caroline Murphy of the HR Suite and Ken Murphy, the Former Director General of the Law Society, to discuss the business stories circling today.

Shane Cradock has almost three decades of executive coaching experience and has decided to pass some of that knowledge onto us here at Down to Business. His new book 'The Inner CEO' advocates for a new way of managing your mind to lift your mood, and self-belief and achieve your full potential. Shane joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby does something quite different today and visits a comic shop in the heart of Dublin city to find out more about the world of superheroes and villains. Is it just a niche? Or bigger than we think?

Meet Conor Kelly, the innovative Irish entrepreneur who's turning heads in the world of artificial intelligence. Nominated for the 'Young AI Role Model Award' at the AI Ireland Awards, Conor is gearing up to launch 'Taxbot' – an AI designed to navigate the complex waters of Irish tax law. With capabilities that allegedly outshine 90% of human accountants on the Chartered Tax Exams, 'Taxbot' promis...

In the evolving landscape of corporate responsibility, the push for sustainable business practices has led to a notable trend: B Corp certification. Pioneered by the non-profit B Labs, this accreditation requires companies to meet rigorous standards in social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Joining Mandy Johnston are two trailblazers who have taken their companies...

Sitting in the Executive Chair this week is Brid O’Connell, the CEO of Guaranteed Irish.

Despite high aspirations to delight customers, many companies falter at the execution stage, leaving a gap between grand plans and customer realities. Steven has spent over a decade conversing with CX professionals and has a wealth of insights on why companies struggle to shine in customer service. His new management book serves as a guide to embedding a genuine Customer Culture within your organi...

Taking a look at the business stories that are making the morning papers are Journalist and Author Valerie Cox and Douglas Keatinge- the Head of Communications with Avolon. Mandy Johnston fills in for Bobby this week.

Ireland, with its rich tapestry of creativity, boasts over 30 art galleries that curate an impressive array of artistic expression from both local and international artists. Despite the complexities of funding, fierce competition, and intricate red tape, these cultural havens have not just survived but thrived, as evidenced by the nearly 800,000 visitors to the national gallery last year alone. Wh...

Down to Business has a long been association with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and for the next few weeks, as we get ready for the announcement of this year’s winners on Nov 23rd, Bobby will be talking to some of this year’s finalists and alumni about some of the issues facing entrepreneurs but also exploring what makes them succeed. Joining Bobby is Nick Keegan of Mail Metrics who is a...

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is AJ Noonan, MD of Rhonellen Developments.

For this week's Industry Review, Bobby is joined by three farmers: Joe Healy, former IFA President and dairy farmer at Milestone Farm in Athenry, James O'Reilly, a tillage farmer from Ballyragget in Kilkenny, and Bobby Miller, Current chairman of Irish Grain Growers Group from Stradbally.

AI is undoubtedly the story of 2023, dominating headlines and rapidly making its mark on industry with Generative AI believed to become a $1.3 Trillion Market by 2032 according to Bloomberg. Despite this meteoric success, many are still scratching their heads when it comes to AI, in fact when surveyed between 60 to 70 percent of business leaders say they are confused by AI. Mark Kelly founder of A...

Bobby took a trip out to the Gravediggers pub in Glasnevin, Dublin to find out why this is a must-see for any tourist or anyone else who calls Dublin their home.

While there is over demand for housing in the country, the market for office space is hurtling towards its lowest ebb in many years. The latest survey by BNP Paribas Real Estate has seen take-up levels fall by 63% in the past year alone. John McCartney the director of research at BNP Paribas Real Estate joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to discuss the biggest business stories in the papers today is Susan Hayes Culleton aka 'The Positive Economist' and The MD of the Hayes Culleton Group & Stephen O’Leary of Olytico.

Dr. David Oxley believes there are four essential career crises that we will all have to face one day. He is also the author of 'A Career Carol: A Tale of Professional Nightmares and How to Navigate Them' - he joins Bobby to tell him more.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Annelie McCaffrey, Managing Director for Domino’s ROI

Joining Bobby for this week's Industry Review are three GPs to discuss the ins and outs of the medical profession in modern-day Ireland. They are: Dr. Eleanor Galvin from Rosemount Family Doctors Dr. Mark Rowe who is also the host of the podcast In the Doctors Chair Dr. Brendan O'Shea, Specialist in Occupational Medicine at The Bridge Medical Centre & Assistant Adjuvant Professor at Trinity Co...

Following a recent rebranding from SAP Nurseries to Perenia, The Plant Experts, Bobby took a trip out to Tipperary to speak with owner, John Walsh, to find out more about what keeps him and the business going from strength to strength.

The prevailing narrative around Northern Ireland is that it’s a gloomy time; dealing with both Brexit and the fact that it has no working parliament gives the idea that it’s a state in trouble but David Smith, economist with the Sunday Times, has a much more optimistic take on things. He joins Bobby to discuss.

Mary Murray is from a small Irish startup called JR Games that makes jigsaws dedicated to GAA counties. She came bearing a Kilkenny jigsaw for Bobby as the two chatted about the genesis of the business.

Taking place last week was the Irish Management Institute (IMI) National Leadership Conference. Former Twitter EMEA VP, renowned podcaster, author of the Best Business Book of the Year 2022, and workplace culture thought-leader, Bruce Daisley gave a keynote address on the importance of diverse workplace culture in helping leaders and their organisation to innovate. He joins Bobby to discuss.

This week Bobby was joined in the Executive Chair by Noelle McCarthy of Blow Salons.