Down To Business

Joining Bobby from Tokyo, Japan, as part of this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat is: Aine Kennedy, CEO & Founder of The Smooth Company Caitriona Ryan & Nicola Ralph from The Institute of Dermatologists Laura Dowling, Founder and CEO fabÜ

This week, Bobby and the team were broadcasting from Japan as part of this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat. Here, Bobby speaks to Professor Hiroshi Fujikawa from Hitotsubashi University Business School about Japan's ageing population and the potential consequences for their economy.

Now, home is where the heart is, but at the heart of every home is the kitchen.  For this week’s Industry Review, Bobby chatted to three people who make it their business to make your kitchen everything you’ve ever dreamed of… ·        Pat McGrath , MD at Kube Kitchens & Interiors ·        Stephen O’Beirne , The Kitchen...

Lisa Brankin, Chair and Managing Director of Ford Britain and Ireland, joined Bobby Kerr in this week’s Executive Chair. She told the story of the first foreign Ford factory founded in Cork in 1917 and the automaker's expansion plans here

One of Ireland’s most famous artists during the boom years, attracting fans and income from A-listers. Then the boom stopped, and he found himself becoming just another artist trying to get noticed and sell some work. Rasher joined Bobby to discuss  his latest exhibition, ‘Don’t Anger the Gods’, which opened last Thursday at the Flux Gallery on Chatham Row

Next week, Down to Business will be broadcasting from Japan! Yes, that’s right. As you know,w we have a long association with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award,s and like we’ve done for the last 10 plus years, we’re travelling as part of this year’s CEO Retreat, which will see us join 140 entrepreneurs in the Far East. You’ll be hearing all about it next week. Joining Bobby to give us a little...

Sunday Independent Columnist and Leadership expert Gina London and Lorcan Allen of Keating and Associates. Join Bobby Kerr on Down to Business to break down the biggest business stories of the day. Get all the week’s business news here.

Father and son team John and Gerard Loughran join Bobby Kerr in this week’s Executive Chair to tell the story of Dublin’s longest-running family-owned hotel, The Sandymount Hotel. Listen here.

Bobby looks at the music and arts festival business in this week’s Industry Review. He sits down with Declan Forde from Beyond The Pale Festival; Co-Founder of Night and Day Festival, Brendan Hurley, and John Crumlish, CEO of Galway International Arts Festival. Listen here.

Maddy Alexander-Grout, author of Mad About Money, joins Down to Business to talk about running a business as a neurodiverse entrepreneur, parenting with ADHD, and turning challenges into strengths. Listen here.

Damien McCarthy of HR Buddy and Chris Kane, author of Where’s My Office?, join Down to Business to debate Denis O’Brien’s claim that working from home has hurt Ireland’s work ethic. Listen here.

Tech commentator Andy O’Donoghue joins Down to Business to explain why subscription-based models aren’t just for streaming — and why small businesses should consider them for sustainable income. Listen here.

Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM and Bob Hoffman of Vista Executive Search join Bobby Kerr to review the biggest business stories making headlines this weekend. Listen here.

Joining Mandy Johnston to for this week's Executive Chair is Ryan Lasmaili, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder of Vaultree.

While protecting human rights and recognising the importance of marginalised cohorts of societies were features of how society operated in the 2000s, the return of President Trump has ushered in an era where the importance of human rights have taken a back seat. Michael Posner, Lawyer and former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor & author of 'Cons...

For this week’s Industry Review, Mandy Johnston wanted to find out about the growth of the “Whiskey Bar”, the idea of a separate bar within a pub tailored to the needs of Irish whiskey fanatics. Joining Mandy to discuss is:     · Micheal Casey Manager of The Habour Bar In downings Co. Donegal · Willie Ahern Owner of the Palace Bar Dublin · Eoin Ó Catháin Director of the Irish Whiskey Association

Wink with Mink Lashes won Arnotts' Pitch '24 competition, securing their brand's place in-store and online at Planet Beauty in Arnotts & Brown Thomas, allowing customers to experience Wink with Mink's innovative lash solutions firsthand. Shona Mahon, the owner of Wink and Mink, joins Mandy Johnston to chat about how things are going so far. Pitch ’25 is open to founders, makers, and innovators...

This week Weight Watchers filed for bankruptcy. At one point Weight Watchers was the go-to place for those looking to shed the pounds but that was before the advent of Ozempic. Writer with the Guardian Doona Ferguson has been looking at this and joins Mandy Johnston to discuss.

Joining Mandy Johnston to run through the main stories in the Saturday papers is Linda Daly, Business Reporter with the Sunday Times & Robert Whelan of Rockwell Finance.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Ashley McDonnell, Founder of Tech Powered Luxury & Ireland Fashion Week.

The Global Economic Summit 2025 is taking place at The Europe Hotel in Kerry on 26-28 May. The weekend retreat will host a number of economic heavy hitters from around the globe, including NASA’s first chief economist, Alex MacDonald, who joins Bobby to chat about the economics of space flight.

Bobby was out & about at The Flight Club, an establishment that combines a fine cocktail & food menu with high-tech social darts.

 When it comes to our green spaces, the more attention we give them, the more we get out of them. And what with the nice weather we’ve been having this week, Bobby thought it would be timely to explore the realities of working in garden design with three of Ireland’s leading lights in this space. Joining Bobby is: Renowned garden designer, Diarmuid Gavin Ingrid Smyth of Ingrid Smyth Garden De...

It's an uncertain time for business with talk of tariffs and trade wars, not to mention that businesses are finding that they need to focus on sustainability, but how are businesses interacting with banks? Michael Lauhoff, Head of Specialist Banking - Corporate & Commercial Banking at Bank of Ireland.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Stephen O’Leary of Olytico & Joan Mulvihill, Digitization Lead at Siemens.