Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Fingal to host important BREXIT BREAKFAST as part of Local Enterprise
Implications of Brexit for Ireland to be discussed by high-powered business leaders at special forum
The implications and challenges of Brexit for Irish business is to be teased out at a high level forum organized by Local Enterprise Office Fingal as part of Local Enterprise Week.
The special Brexit breakfast, which takes place in Dublin on Tuesday, March 7th, will feature insights from leading economic thinkers who will share their insights on the currency risk, export challenges and opportunities that Brexit presents.
Joining what promises to be a lively panel discussion will be Enterprise Ireland CEO, Julie Sinnamon; Director of the Small Firms Association, Patricia Callan; Director General of the British Irish Chamber, John McGrane; Partner in EY, Simon MacAllister and ESRI economist, Dr Edgar Morgenroth.
The panel will also comprise successful business leaders Anne Reilly, CEO of PaycheckPlus, and Stephen Malone, CEO of Malone Group, who will talk about how Brexit is already impacting on their companies which do a lot of business in the UK.
The event is organised by Local Enteprise Office (LEO) Fingal and is being run as a Dublin regional event as part of Local Enterprise Week, which takes place from March 5th – 10th.
170 delegates, the vast majority small business owners from the Dublin region, are expected to attend the event.
Hosted by Ian Guider, Markets Editor of the Sunday Business Post, the forum will include plenty of opportunities for attendees to ask questions of the panel from the floor.
This is the first in a series of initiatives that Fingal LEO will be rolling out this year and beyond to help SMEs prepare and plan for the impact of Brexit.
Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said:
“While we await the outcome of negotiations between the EU and UK, Enterprise Ireland is strongly encouraging its client companies to prepare for a hard Brexit. Strengthening the competitiveness of Irish industry through innovation and greater efficiency in operations, while developing the ability to expand market reach, are at the heart of Enterprise Ireland’s new four-year strategy, Build Scale, Expand Reach. We have set ambitious targets for our client companies, and we will support them fully as they roll out plans to mitigate risk, grasp new opportunities and achieve global ambition.”
Simon MacAllister, partner with EY, said: “The implications of Brexit continues to be a source of uncertainty for business. While there are many areas of potential disruption there will also be opportunities. But the challenges and opportunities will remain quite unclear until the EU/UK negotiations get underway.”
Mr. MacAllister added: “There are areas businesses can act to prepare for the potential changes, and they shouldn’t feel there is nothing they can do.”
According to Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Fingal, the event is a very important one on the calendar of small businesses in the region. “This is the first in a series of events and measures Local Enterprise Office Fingal is planning as Irish companies prepare for Brexit. We will be putting resources in place over the next year to help companies identify oppportunities and to diversify into other markets. There is a lot of fear around Brexit and it is important that business owners are briefed on both the threats and the opportunities that it presents. LEO Fingal is here to give advice and to guide businesses as they prepare for the post-Brexit period.”
Paul Reid, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council said: “The interest shown by the Fingal business community in the recent visit by the British Ambassador to the county demonstrated how seriously they are taking Brexit. This event, with its wide range of speakers, will assist them further in their planning.”
The event is expected to be a sell-out with strong interest already expressed from businesses.
What: Brexit: The Real Implications for Business in Ireland
When: Tuesday 7th March 2017
Time: 07.30 a.m - 09.30 a.m
Where: Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport, Old Airport Road, Cloghran, Co. Dublin
There is a nominal fee of €10 on booking. Breakfast is included. To book CLICK HERE
SPEAKERS:
Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland:
Prior to her appointment as Enterprise Ireland CEO in November 2013 Julie held a number of senior positions in Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, spanning a 30 year career. She is a member of the Board and Investment Committee of Enterprise Ireland and a member of the Investment Committee of the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (which is part of the National Treasury Management Agency). She has been recently appointment to the National Competitiveness Council. She is also a Board Member of the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Limited.
Anne Reilly, founder and CEO PaycheckPlus:
PaycheckPlus is an award winning Irish and UK payroll outsource service for companies across a range of sectors. The company calculates payments and benefits, distributes payslips, transfers funds to employee accounts and files revenue returns. A certified company director with the Institute of Directors, Anne is a non-executive director with Louth Fund and MicroFinance Ireland. She is also a lead with Acorns, an initiative of CEDRA for female entrepreneurship support promoting job creation in rural Ireland.
Stephen Malone, Chief Executive Malone Group:
The Malone Group specialises in projects in the built environment with customers from the food, drink, pharma and commercial sectors. A Chartered Engineer, Stephen held various positions in pharma, beverage and technology multi-nationals before setting up the business in 1999. Since then he has led the growth of the company in Ireland, the UK and beyond, and in his current role is responsible for strategic direction. He is a committee member of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and a business mentor to indigenous early stage firms.
John McGrane, Director General, The British Irish Chamber of Commerce:
The Chamber is a private sector organization co-founded by John McGrane in 2011 to represent businesses with interests in the two islands. A retired financial services professional, he has 40 years experience with the Royal Bank of Scotland / Ulster Bank Group in Ireland. He is founder of NSI Technology, a tech start-up which helps Not For Profits become Not For Losses. He is also director at a number of charities.
Simon MacAllister, Partner EY:
Simon works with the EY Transaction Advisory Services team and leads the Valuation and Business Modelling practice. He specialises in providing commercially-focused solutions to listed and private clients internationally and across Ireland. His clients include those in a number of sectors, including aviation, agri-food, telecoms and consumer products.
Simon provides advice on the development of feasibility studies, investment cases and business plans which are robust and able to withstand stakeholder challenge.
Patricia Callan, Director Small Firms Association:
The SFA is Ireland’s largest small firm representative organisation, with over 8,500 member companies. Its mission is to be the trusted partner of small businesses in Ireland, delivering advice and insights to member companies, It also works to influence government policy to the benefit small businesses. Patricia is a member of the Government’s National Economic Dialogue (NED), the Advisory Group on Small Business (DJEI), the High Level Group on Business Regulation (DJEI), the Public Procurement SME Working Group (DPER/OGP), and the BusinessEurope Entrepreneurship & SME Committee. She is also a voluntary Board Director of IASIO (Irish Association for the Social Integration of Offenders).
Dr Edgar Morgenroth, ERSI:
Associate Research Professor and programme co-ordinator for research on communications and transport at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dr Morgenroth has been conducting research on the impacts of Brexit since early 2013. He was the lead author of the ESRI report on “Scoping the Possible Implications of Brexit”. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin, a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association, having served as its vice chairman and treasurer.