That Great Business Show

E157 Conor McEnroy, Chair of Paraguay's largest bank, Sudameris, explains how he has grown from #5 bank in that South American country to #1 since he first joined us on E15 of That Great Business Show. Paraguay he says is like Ireland in the 1970s, with a population of 6 million, spread over an area the size of California. California is 475% larger than Ireland.

Conor also tells us about his 3,500 acre sugar cane farm - now the largest specialised, organic, cane sugar farm in the world. He is adamant that re-starting the sugar business in Ireland is an 'absolute waste of time'. He's also in trees as a minority investor, in a wood pulp manufacturer. Forestry will jump 50% in Paraguay in the coming 10 years (toilet tissue is a massive growth area). His first tree project will involve 1 million acres eventually. He's a dragon investor in a separate seedling company that is currently growing 5 million seedling trees.

He's also a partner in a beer business, importing Heineken from the Netherlands, and is in the process of building a brewery for the country.

He's now open to Joint Ventures to be 'the trusted local partners' in some further Paraguayan ventures.

He's also looking to set up funds located in Ireland that invests in Paraguay. The first fund might be $500 million. He explains what you could do with that amount of money in that country.

He details the opportunities for Irish companies in Paraguay. Software, education, hydroelectric power, hotel chain,... and much, much more. Irish whiskey should be marketed 'like crazy' there he says. Anyone in the tree business should 'get their butts down' to Paraguay immediately.

He would hire the late Brian Lenihan junior 'in a heartbeat'.

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E156 That Great Business Show - Conor McEnroy, Chair, Sudameris Bank, Paraguay's biggest bank.

Conor first joined TeamGBS on Episode 15 when he described shootings, kidnappings, bombings and how and why he bought his first bank in Paraguay. It's a truly extraordinary story, which is why it remains one of our top podcasts.

Well he's back. This time he's Paraguay's premier banker having bought the No. 3 bank, amalgamated his No. 5 bank to make the No. 1 bank. We have the backstory to the deal in his own words. And, did you know that it can cost up to $1 million to ship $50 million in cash from country to country? Neither did we. But banker Conor explains why and who has to be paid off (like the Rambo figures on board the helicopters bringing bags of cash to a Lufthansa plane). Everybody gets their cut. Fascinating.

He also predicts the end of plastic cards. But he thinks that 'cash, cash' (the crinkly stuff) has a longer lifespan.

His 'hire in a heartbeat'? Dr Ken Whitaker.

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E155 That Great Business Show with Conall O Móráin

Thanks to DoneDeal.ie

Marc Cooper, CEO, School of Automation, knows the robots are taking over and he's recruiting people to help them do that! His company has teamed up with the Clare Limerick Education and Training Board (ETB) to run fully remote online courses (so you can learn from anywhere) in Robotics Process Automation (don't worry, all is explained) that can take absolute beginners (no education or age barriers) from zero to a basic understanding in just twelve weeks. After that they're set for a career in robotics that can lead to a €60k plus salary. Demand is big - 200 applicants for a fifteen person course. If you, or someone you know, would like to know more, this episode is a 'must listen'.

Marc's 'hire in heartbeat'? Simon Sinek for his most human values.

David Larkin Founder of DealCoach was once Head of Business Development at Sage and then served time as VP with Salesforce during which time he won the Peak Performers Prize for five years running. He's good. He knows sales and he wants to share his knowledge using his highly affordable sales tool that has come hugely recommended to TeamGBS from two separate users. He says he can absolutely transform the sales process at any sized company. That's why he believes his DealCoach is heading for world domination.

David's 'hire in a heartbeat'? Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, a man he has met on a number occasions and the man who was largely credited with getting all our businesses into the cloud.

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E154 That Great Business Show with Conall O Móráin

With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

Luke Hanlon is Chief Supply Chain Officer, Musgrave

Musgrave is big. It covers wholesale, retail, food production, food preparation. They cover the island of Ireland plus they have a growing business in Spain.

How do they second guess customers, large and small, and how many units of any product will be needed.

Find out how they keep their finger on the customers' pulse and how they supply what you want to their stores, within 48 hours.

Plus, Northern Ireland could be El Dorado for business and expansion into the UK and growth in the Alicante region of Spain.

His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Caroline Currid, performance coach and currently sports psychologist for the Limerick hurling team.

Eibhlín Gleeson, CEO Cork Opera House

They were shut down for almost 2 years during COVID but they're now back up and running, and going even faster (though it did take a while).

They're different to many large venues in NOT being owned by Live Nation (though they are a very welcome customer).

She also produced a gig in the White House. She explains how that came about.

Her 'hire in a heartbeat' is Paul Simon, so as he could do an Irish version of the Graceland album. Great idea.

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E153 That Great Business Show with Conall O Móráin

With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

Brian Donaldson, CEO, Maxol on the future of the forecourt and what they've learnt from their first EV charging stations

Plus why his company is backing HomeGrown at Maxol, encouraging early stage companies to sell in 70 Maxol outlets.

His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Alan 'Lord' Sugar of 'Apprentice' fame

Jo Davey, founder of Absolute Nutrition and winner of HomeGrown at Maxol on what it means for her business, hiring, growing, servicing and exporting...phew! She'd hire Hannah Tyrrel or Carla Rowe in a heartbeat, to help her expand further.

Keith Loftus, co-founder of All About Kombucha and winner of HomeGrown at Maxol, on why winning a prize was critical in keeping their company dreams alive, and he hints at a new product they're about to launch from their Galway base.

Keith would have liked to have hired Edward Bernays for his company's expansion, but unfortunately Mr. Bernays, a PR guru, is no longer with us.

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E152 That Great Business Show with Conall O Móráin

With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

Enda Corneille, chair of Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce explains the many, many opportunities available across the Arab world (stretching from Morocco to the Middle East) where 450 million sophisticated and relatively wealthy consumers want your goods and services. Of course there are cultural nuances to be navigated but Enda shares many insights, gleaned from 28 years with Aer Lingus and a further 8 years as Country Head, Ireland with airline Emirates.

He also explains why his 'hire in a heartbeat' choice is Roy Keane

Brian Fitzpatrick is co-founder and CEO of Oriel Marine Extracts, based in Clogherhead, County Louth. Oriel is on a voyage to the bottom of the sea, to bring ashore nutrient rich sea salt that, fortuitously has some other incredible (and patented) minerals that they supply to the food, medical and skincare sectors. They're funding, but wisely they're looking for 'wise money', so if you know these sectors, internationally, and you know of the benefits of magnesium, then have the chat with Brian. He also gives a masterclass in sales on the podcast.

His 'hire in heartbeat' is singer Lewis Capaldi but to get to him he wants to enlist the help of the Midlands Maestro, Niall Horan.

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With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

E151 - Derek Kehoe, CEO BNP-Paribas, Ireland

• Corporate and Institutional banking is their main business in Ireland
• They're not planning on opening branch banking in Ireland
• He talks about issues around mortgages in Ireland - and the fact that some don't have to pay them back.
• He explains how the CEO in Paris 'knocked people's heads together', to get units in different countries to work as one bank
• People have to be judged on their quantitative and qualitative performance as part of the way to 'make' staff work together
• He explains how expensive Paris is compared to Dublin...when all charges are included, it's very, very interesting
• 'We have benefitted from Brexit' - and he talks about the crack in the windscreen eventually shattering...and what that means to London as a financial centre
• Automation means that trading is now handled by computers, rather than noisy traders but he says that there will still room for Arts graduates, not just mathematicians and their algos (algorithms!)
• Sustainable finance could/should be part of the future for growth of financial services in Ireland
• He is very positive on Ireland having a Minister for Financial Services within Government
• Personal taxation and a 'general hostility' towards financial services are impediments to further growth of the sector in Ireland and in attracting international financial services to the country.
• The Financial Regulator is tough but firm and he says the Regulator needs to be tough.
• Hiring people at BNP Paribas is not a problem at the moment (having seen staff churn at 15% in Q2, 2022)
• And who would he 'hire in a heartbeat' - Prof Luke O'Neill

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E150 That Great Business Show

A fishy tail. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) CEO Caroline Bocquel has a billion Euro to give to the fishing sector to try to ease some of Brexit's burdens. Of course Ts&Cs apply BUT the money is for waaaaaaaaay more than fish and fishing. There are grants for boat building, sea based skin care products, oyster rotating machines...She wants to grow the 'blue economy'. Listen for some terrifici opportunities.

Anna-Marie Turley is Manager Entrepreneurship and HPSU Operations at Enterprise Ireland (EI). She joins TeamGBS to tell us of an early company pre-seed fund that can be worth €100,000. EI is looking for 60 top-class companies in almost any sector (if you're in gambling or porn don't bother reading on). The fund has no closing date and she says there's a short ten week turnaround for successful applicants. Share this with relevant businesses you know.

With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

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E149 That Great Business Show

Ivan Wahlrab, co-founder StrongBó, a weighing machine for cattle, 'set to revolutionise the cattle industry', that has been part funded by The European Space Agency. Yes. You read that right. Now listen to find out why.

His 'hire in a heartbeat'? Dr. Fiona Edwards Murphy

Grit Young, Strategy and Transactions Partner, EY wants to Government to update and upgrade the KEEP employee incentive programme to match what is available across the border in Northern Ireland. It's essential to keep great talent working in our small but perfectly formed tech startup community.

Her 'hire in a heartbeat'? Arnold Schwarzenegger - but you'll have to listen to find out why.

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E148 That Great Business Show

Chris Deans, newly minted CEO Portakabin, Ireland, former soccer-pro with Derby County AFC, then EMEA sales director with Crane Logistics now swapped to a wholly different sector at Portakabin. Why? To keep himself fresh, a new challenge and recommends it wholly.

Hire in a heartbeat? Phil Giles, director of football at Brentford AFC. Listen to why.

National Jealousy Day is on the 1st of November every year in Finland. That's the day every citizen's pay packet is opened up for public scrutiny and is described by one commentator as being a 'national orgy of financial voyeurism'. But, did you know that pay transparency is heading right across Europe thanks to a very recently passed EU Directive. Mike McDonagh is COO of Sigmar Recruitment and wanted to share all his knowledge and his salary with TeamGBS.

His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Pete Lunn at the ESRI and he sold him so well that now we want Pete to join us on That Great Business Show

With thanks to DoneDeal.ie

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