"I learned most of my leadership skills from Kermit the Frog."

Emmet O'Neil, CEO of StoryToys, is living proof that the most chaotic CVs often hide the most deliberate and creative minds. Uprooted from Dublin to rural Cork at age six, he channelled that childhood trauma straight into creativity — a habit that's never left him.

A career as an illustrator was derailed by a rare degenerative eye condition, which, combined with a newborn on the way, pushed him reluctantly into management. What followed was a decade of digital transformation work across film, advertising and publishing before landing at StoryToys, where he took over from his own brother as CEO.

His leadership philosophy? Largely borrowed from Kermit the Frog.

His stance on AI? Cautiously optimistic — he's waiting for the hype bubble to burst before the genuinely useful tools emerge.

His biggest bugbear? The myth that creatives can't do business, which he believes has enabled the exploitation of creative talent for centuries.

Oh, and he's an award-winning pumpkin carver. LinkedIn will confirm.