Smooth Scaling

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie Donnellan sits down with Brian Hanly, co-founder of Brightbeam, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing AI companies. Brian shares the story behind Brightbeam’s rapid growth, its expansion into international markets, and how the company is helping organisations move from AI ambition to real-world implementation. The conversation explores leadership, scaling, data,...

In this episode of  Smooth Scaling , Marie sits down with Brenda Dooley, Founder and CEO of AXIS The Reimbursement Experts, to explore the scaling journey behind one of Ireland and the UK’s leading reimbursement strategy firms. Brenda shares how she built a highly specialised business from a clear market gap, the shift from boutique consultancy to an international scaling company, and the people,...

In this episode, Marie is joined by Nancy Costello, Founder & CEO of The Belle Brush and the driving force behind Belle Hair and Invisibelle. Named  Image Young Business Woman of the Year 2025 , Nancy has built a standout Irish beauty brand with significant global reach - selling over 500,000 award-winning products worldwide and growing a powerful e-commerce business supported by millions of o...

In this episode of Smooth Scaling , Marie sits down with Eoghan Finneran, co-founder of Senus, formerly FarmEye, a company that has grown from rural roots in Roscommon into a leading player in agri-tech and environmental intelligence. Senus has mapped over 3.5 million acres for soil health , building what it describes as Europe’s largest geo-tagged soil health database, and now operates internatio...

Season Two of  Smooth Scaling  opens by setting the scene for the year ahead. In this short episode, host Marie Donnellan outlines what scaling businesses are facing for the year ahead. Drawing on insights from the 2026 Business Outlook Report, she explores key themes including international expansion, cost and margin pressure, lean growth, AI adoption, leadership bandwidth, and talent challenges....

In this special wrap-up episode of  Smooth Scaling , Marie Donnellan reflects on the biggest insights, standout stories, and hard-won lessons from Season One. From global entrepreneurs to regional innovators, our guests have shared candid truths about purpose, structure, resilience, talent, and culture, the real foundations needed to scale successfully on the international stage. Marie revisits th...

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, we’re delighted to welcome Joe O’Donovan, our newly appointed Fractional Chief Financial Officer at Platform94 and the latest leader to join our pioneering Fractional C-Suite initiative. Joe brings over two decades of leadership in high-growth and complex environments, including 13 years as CFO and later CEO of Galway Clinic, CEO of Grace Healthcare, and advisory...

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, we’re thrilled to welcome Sue Gannon our newly appointed Fractional Chief People Officer at Platform94 and the first leader to join our fractional C-Suite initiative. Sue brings over 25 years of senior HR leadership across global brands like Netflix, Dr. Martens, Beam Suntory, and Campbell’s, with experience spanning the US, UK, Japan, Australia, and beyond. Now,...

In this episode of  Smooth Scaling , we dive into what it really takes to engage and retain great people in a fast-scaling business. As the competition for talent intensifies, culture is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic differentiator. We explore how organisations of all sizes can foster purpose, drive connection, and create standout employee experiences from day one, turning culture int...

In this episode of  Smooth Scaling , Marie sits down with Evelyn O’Toole, Founder and CEO of CLS (Complete Laboratory Solutions), to explore the remarkable journey of building one of Ireland’s leading scientific services companies. From humble beginnings in Connemara to becoming a national and international leader, Evelyn shares what gave her the courage to start, how she navigated key growth mile...

In this extended episode of  Smooth Scaling , we dive deep into scaling your business into the UK market with insights from leading experts on the ground. Join us as we explore routes to market, funding supports, sector opportunities, and regional advantages across the UK. Guests include Patrick McMahon (Enterprise Ireland UK), La Tess Bartlett (West Midlands Growth Company), Joseph Beaden and Ale...

In this episode of Smooth Scaling , we dive into the reality of securing US investment as an Irish business. To help us navigate the complexity of this journey, we're joined by the brilliant Máire P Walsh, Venture Partner at AiiM partners in Silicon Valley, a proud Mayo woman, and a true champion of Irish entrepreneurship. We explore the real hurdles Irish companies face when trying to raise U...

Over 85% of our scaling business called out ‘Talent Acquisition & Retention’ as a critical challenge and key hurdle to growth. Scaling companies find themselves competing with larger organisations and multinationals. So how can SMEs differentiate themselves and win the best people? In this episode of Smooth Scaling, we dive into practical strategies that scaling businesses can use to attract t...

In this episode of Smooth Scaling, Marie sits down with John Concannon, Founder & CEO of JFC Group. From humble farm beginnings in Tuam, Co. Galway, JFC Group has grown to become a global leader in innovative solutions for the construction, agri-equine, material handling, and marine industries. Today JFC group operates across multiple continents with 14 international locations, employing over...

In this episode of  Smooth Scaling , host Marie Donnellan sits down with John Purdy, Founder & Chairman of tech giant Ergo, to explore what it really takes to scale a business internationally. With over 30 years of experience building one of Ireland’s most successful technology companies, John shares his invaluable insights on international expansion, overcoming scaling challenges, and the cri...

Welcome to the very first episode of Smooth Scaling. In this debut, we dive into the high-level findings of our 2025 Business Leaders Survey, uncovering key trends and insights shaping the scaling journey. Plus, we sit down with three great members of our SCALE by Platform94 community: John Clancy of Galvia AI, Matt Lawless of Clubforce, and David Ryan of Flynn O'Driscoll. They share their uni...