Niall O Farrell

Niall O’Farrell, 43 , is one of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs with a myriad of businesses from men’s fashion to property and smoothies to his name.

It all began when O’ Farrell finished up school at Catholic University School on Leeson St with every intention of joining his father estate agency , however it was during recessionary times and there was a major depression in the property market, so instead, decided to go into the menswear business. It proved a fortuitous move.

He spent a few years working his way up from the shop floor at Frewen&Alward in Dublin and eventually realised there was a gap in the market for suit rental in this country. In 1985 he rented the top floor of his fathers premises and opened Club Dresswear, within four years he opened a second store, and the start of his empire was born.

O’Farrell is the man behind men’s outfitter Black Tie. The now ubiquitous brand is in every large town in Ireland many with accessories and even male grooming bars attached. It’s a high margin business with sales of over €6 million a year and 130 employees. He recently celebrated 25 years in in the retail business.

Meanwhile O’Farrell, who started work in retail at just 17 and opened his first store at just 20, is also expanding his empire into London where he is behind Jermyn Street shirts in Piccadilly. He has also developed an extensive property portfolio with many landmark buildings in London as well as almost every Black Tie premises in Ireland. His latest venture is a drinks and snack food business called Simply Direct.

Gavin Duffy

Gavin Duffy was reared in the hospitality and retail business with his family running pubs, restaurants and shops in Naas, Drogheda and Dun Laoghaire. By 18 he had set up a local radio station employing 20 people. In 1989 he set up the country’s first licensed provincial local radio station, LMFM, after working for some years in RTE presenting various programmes including Ireland’s first television business programme, “Marketplace”.

In 2004, LMFM was sold to UTV for €11 million. In 1992 he founded his Media Consultancy business Dorland. In 1995 he also became a property investor and enjoyed spectacular success in the property boom. In September 2007 his property portfolio, held privately in his joint name with wife Orlaith was valued at c. €100m. As he stayed clear of property development, “not my thing” he says; and concentrated on buying commercial properties with “long and strong covenants” he is not as exposed to the property down turn as are the developers and builders left sitting with very expensive land bank or unsold houses in the face of rising interest rates and the credit crunch. He also successfully invested in a number of companies and start ups and remains part owner of the HRM Group of Companies, one Ireland’s biggest players in recruitment.

Sarah Newman

Born in Colchester, Essex in 1969, Sarah left school aged 16 with very few formal qualifications. She moved to Ireland May 1994 to set up Needahotel.com. Starting with zero funding, needahotel.com sold hotel accommodation wholesale to travel agents and tour operators in Ireland at heavily discounted prices. Needahotel.com introduced a massive selection of hotels worldwide for travel agents and tour operators to put together their own packages for clients.

Newman went on to negotiate a long term contract with Ryanair based on any future hotel reservations. Sales grew at a rapid rate and in order to expand Sarah bought on board a MD and FD to assist her in their rapid growth plan. The company grew from one to 95 people within 10 years and sales of 100million euros.

Newman sold Needahotel.com in 2006, to Cendant Corporation along with long term contract with Ryanair, Aer Lingus ,and BMI for their on and off line sales for hotel accommodation. Newman also worked with 80 % of all UK and Irish travel agents , with her call centre , multi lingual, 7 days a week operation, based in Glenegeary Co Dublin.

Newman has since been involved in Newmac Equity with her business partner, Tom Mceneany ( ex Independent Editor) looking for opportunistic ideas in Ireland and Belarus. Newmac Equity brings leading Irish companies to a number of Belarusian business forums to meet their Government contacts.

In her spare time Sarah is currently completing a leading Super Chalet in Zermatt, Switzerland, named after her daughter, Grace. She is also the incoming Lady Vice Captain at the K Club for 2009.

Sean Gallagher

Sean Gallagher is Managing Director of Smarthomes. Set up in 2002, Smarthomes install cabling and technology systems into thousands of homes each year, providing home owners with access to the latest in Communication and Entertainment services.

Having overcome near blindness as a child, his life was changed at the hands of a skilled surgeon who opened new possibilities for him. While he struggled throughout his early school years because of his sight, the advice of an encouraging Primary School Headmaster was to change his life. That advice became his life’s mantra “if you can dream it, you can become it”. At age 18 he wrote his first life plan; to become a farmer, a youth leader, a trainer, a martial artist, a fitness instructor, a politician, and an Entrepreneur. Over the last 25 years he has pursued his goals with relentless focus, achieving one after the other.

On leaving school, he attended Agricultural College he went on to buy a farm at the age of 21. At age 26 he was commissioned to develop the Government’s first National Alcohol Education Programme the Young People. By age 28 he had become full time Political Adviser to the then Minister for Health, Dr. Rory O Hanlon T.D..

In 1995 he moved to Louth as A/CEO of the County’s Enterprise Board. Over the following 5 years he graduated with an MBA, developed and presented “real life” Start Your Own Business courses to hundreds of budding entrepreneurs. In 2000, no more than a month off his 5 year target, he left to pilot his own business venture, with business partner Derek Roddy. Two years later he launched Smarthomes.

In 2004, and with no money to undertake a national marketing campaign, Sean entered Intertrade Ireland’s Equity Fund Competition. With a top prize of €100k, the competition was looking for the best business plan from emerging companies on the island of Ireland. Smarthomes won the overall prize. This was to provide the cash to help launch the company on the national stage and establish its position as the market leader in its sector.

The company went on to receive numerous awards and accolades including the Deloitte “Rising Star Award” and the SFA National Award for Innovation. With the recent downturn in the building sector in Ireland, the company is currently embarking on an ambitious plan to enter foreign markets. Sean himself was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Programme in 2006. In 2007 he was appointed by the Government to the Board of Intertrade Ireland, the agency responsible for developing North / South trade. He is now spearheading a campaign to launch an all island national network of business angels who are willing to provide start up capital and mentoring to early stage businesses.

Committed to helping those wishing to set up their own businesses, Sean now spends much of his time presenting and giving motivational talks to aspiring or early stage entrepreneurs. He has spoken to hundreds of groups and is a regular contributor to Enterprise Ireland, Enterprise Boards and MBA programmes throughout the Country.

In an effort to recover from injuries suffered in a car crash in his early twenties, Sean became passionately committed to health and fitness. He became a qualified fitness Instructor and massage therapist. Over the past twenty years he has attained first degree black belts in both Judo and Karate.

Bobby Kerr

Bobby Kerr is CEO of Insomnia. Since becoming CEO and shareholder of Insomnia in 2003 Kerr has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 million. Born in Dublin in 1960 Bobby Kerr was brought up in Kilkenny where is father ran the family business, the 4 star Newpark Hotel. Kerr was educated in CBS Kilkenny and Castleknock College, Dublin and went on to study catering management DIT Cathal Brugha Street. In 1981 Kerr’s took his first job as chef/trainee manager in AIB Catering Ballsbridge. Kerr then went to work as a chef in the North Sea Oil Rigs, working for ARA offshore for 2 years. In 1984 he was transferred by ARA to their Canadian sister company, Versa Food Services, and worked in their parks and leisure division. While in Canada Kerr held Assistant Catering Manager positions in The CNE Stadium Toronto, Ottawa Civic Centre, Crystal Beach Amusement Park & African Lion Safari and coordinated the catering for the Popes visit to Canada in 1985 for one million people.

On his return to Ireland in 1986 Kerr took the position of Assistant Manager in Jury’s Hotel Ballsbridge for a year before taking the role of Catering Manager for Campbell Catering in UCC from 1987-1989. Kerr became Area Manager for Campbell catering South of Ireland with operational control for 30 sites as well as holding a development role in seeking new business. Kerr was also involved with Campbell Catering Offshore.

Kerr was awarded the role of Business Development Director Campbell Catering with responsibility for all new business and marketing for Contract Catering Company with 120 sites in 1991.

In 1992, Kerr took on the role of Managing Director Bewleys Oriental Café, Bewleys Franchising and Bewleys Bakery which included 30 Cafes, and a bakery with a turnover of over €40 million. In 1997 Kerr became Director of Development Campbell Bewley Group with responsibility for the overseas development of the Bewley Brand in the UK, USA and Japan. He also ran the product export department which involved the acquisition of two American Café chains Java city and Rebecca’s.

In 1999 Kerr set up PERK Coffee Shops with cafés in Grafton Street, Baggot Street, Dawson Street, and UCD. In 2003 he bought out Fitzers, who held 50% of the shares in PERK, and then sold Perk to Insomnia. Kerr reinvested all the proceeds of the Perk sale back into Insomnia and became a shareholder and CEO of Insomnia.

Since 2004 to date Kerr has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 Million.

2008 has been a very busy year for Kerr, having sold 51% of Insomnia to The Icelandic Penninn group valuing the business at €16 million. Kerr also spearheaded the sale of his late father’s Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny for €23million. He had held the position of Chairman since his father’s death in 2002.

Kerrs’ interests include cycling and rugby. Kerr played for Bective Rangers in Donnybrook for ten years. Kerr is also talented yachtmans and races competitively in Dun Laoghaire on his yacht. Over the last three years Kerr has raised €40,000 for the Blackrock Hospice through the Fitzgerald Sailing Rigatta.

Bobby Kerr currently lives in Sandycove, Dublin with his wife of 20 years Mary and their four daughters Meghan (17), Emily (15), Rebecca (12), and Michaela (9).