The Ireland Canada Connection

Henk Potts is Director of Investment Strategy at Barclays Private Bank. In this episode of the Ireland Canada Connection Henk gives his outlook for the global economy, he talks specifically about how Canada and Ireland are performing and what opportunities and challenges are coming down the tracks, and we discuss falling inflation, a looming European recession, and the opportunities for investors in the current market. 

 The Ireland Canada Connection is produced and presented by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand 

At the ICBA Maple Leaf Dinner 2022, Leo Varadkar (now Taoiseach) delivered a keynote speech that addressed the power of the relationship between Ireland and Canada and the continuing  support that it will be given by Ireland's political leadership. Click play to listen to the full speech.

"So, colleagues, just really wanted to conclude tonight by once again saluting what is the strength of the Ireland Canada relationship, a relationship that is connected by our cultures, by our literatures, and above all, by our people. We're divided by a wide ocean, but bound together forever by our past and united in our hope and ambition for the future. Ireland and Canada share a truly unique relationship and as we face an uncertain world and the increasing challenges of this new century, Canada will remain a friend and ally for Ireland and a partner in working towards the betterment of our people, our two countries and the wider world. "

The aviation industry is going through a period of significant innovation right now, in particular around its efforts to become more environmentally sustainable and lessen its impact on the planet. 

In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Blaithin O’Donnell, Sales Manager for Air Canada in Ireland, outlines some of the fascinating things that the company is doing to become more environmentally friendly. The strategy includes small but effective actions like changing the nature of the paint used on airplanes, right up to the introduction of electrically powered aircraft in the near future. 

We also speak about the return to business travel and why SMEs have been much quicker than larger companies to make business trips post-Covid, and we hear all about the future of aviation and what this will mean for travellers. 

 The Ireland Canada Connection is presented and produced by Patrick Haughey of Audiobrand. 

Strategic communications are central to what successful companies do day to day. Whether it's communicating with clients and customers, the media and on social media, or internally with staff, it pays to have a clear and effective strategy. 

In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Lorna Jennings, Managing Director of Hanover Communications Dublin, talks about how to build such a strategy, communicating in a crisis situation, and why every company should find its ‘why’.   

The Ireland Canada Connection is brought to you by the Ireland Canada Business Association

 Produced and presented by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand 

Sachin Aggarwal is CEO of Think Research – a Canadian technology company that is helping to shape the future of healthcare through digital. 

Sachin paints a fascinating picture of how healthcare will be delivered in the future as a result of digital tools that can help reduce the work load and the mental load of health practitioners, allowing them to concentrate on the patient. He also talks about why Think Research has established a presence in Ireland and how that experience is working out so far. 

https://www.thinkresearch.com/ca/

The Ireland Canada Connection is presented and produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Cybercrime is one of the top concerns for business leaders in 2022. Remote working, the rise and rise of digital commerce, and increased sophistication among cybercriminals are all fuelling a remarkable rise in cyber threats, predominantly ‘ransomware’ and ‘phishing’. 

 In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, host Patrick Haughey meets Ciaran Luttrell, Director of Operations at e-Sentire - a global cybersecurity services company headquartered in Ontario, Canada and with a European base in Ireland. eSentire is a valued member of the Ireland Canada Business Association. They discuss: 

·      What is driving the exponential growth of cybercrime in recent years.

·      Why small companies are just as at-risk as enterprises. 

·      How business leaders can protect their companies from attack. 

·      Why eSentire chose Ireland as its European base, and advise for other Canadian companies considering establishing an operation in Ireland.

·      How to connect your Canadian and Irish offices and keep the company culture consistent. 

·      Attracting and retaining top tech talent. 

The Ireland Canada Connection is produced by AudioBrand 

Building a happy, healthy and highly engaged workforce is one of the key priorities for modern business leaders. Success in this area leads to success in talent acquisition and retention, and also customer and client experience. In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, host Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand is joined by:

  - Miriam Manning, Director of Human Resources at TELUS International Ireland. Headquartered in Canada, and with 50,000 team members globally, around 2000 of those based in Ireland. TELUS International provides exceptional customer experience solutions for its partners, and Miriam sees providing an exceptional employee experience as a central part of that role.

- Desmond O’Sullivan, Director of Customer Experience and Director of PMO at Optel Group. A company with operations in both Canada and Ireland, Optel Group is  global provider of traceability, track-and-trace and vision systems. The company has four facilities across four different continents, and currently tracks over 25 billion products. 

 Miriam and Desmond discuss how their companies go about creating an exceptional employee experience, what impact this has on culture and productivity, and what advise they would give to others, based on their experience. 

In the mid 1800s, a 3000-mile long cable was laid across the Atlantic Ocean connecting Valentia in Co Kerry with Hearts Content in Newfoundland. It was described at the time as “a triumph of science and energy over time and space” and it completely revolutionised the communications of the day, bringing Europe and North America much closer together and thereby enhancing trade, diplomacy, culture and so much more. 

 In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, host Patrick Haughey meets Leonard Hobbs, Chairperson of the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation, to talk about the history of this cable, how its impact can still be seen today, and his bid to make Valentia Island a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

 The Ireland Canada Connect is produced and presented by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Pharmapod is an Irish software company that has developed a cloud-based platform to reduce medication errors for patients. In recent years, the company expanded into Canada and has been rapidly growing there ever since.

In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Anne Keogh, CFO of Pharmapod, tells host Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand, the remarkable story of the company’s growth across Canada, what she has learned about succeeding in that market, the role that CETA has played in Pharmapod’s growth, and future plans.

Greenfield Global, a large and successful Canadian company,  chose Ireland as the location for its very first base outside of North America. In 2020 Greenfield opened its 3,8000 sq meter facility in Co Laois, Ireland, and has very ambitious plans to grow its presence in the country.

Ken Finnegan, MD of Greenfield Global Ireland, has been leading the companies establishment and expansion since it established in Ireland, and all the way through the Covid pandemic. In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection Ken chats with Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand about:


+Why Greenfield Global chose Ireland as its very first base outside of North America
+Why the company chose to set up outside of the main cities, and, having visited 32 different sites,  Ken shares what he learned about the finding the best location for your company
+How Greenfield is helping in the fight against Covid 19 
+Turning waste in to valuable energy and why sustainability should be top of every business leader's agenda right now. 
+How to lead a team and drive progress during challenging times like a pandemic