Evening Briefing on the Role of the Entrepreneur in Ireland's Recovery - 17th November 2011

Date: 17 November 2011 Venue: The Fitzwilliam Hotel, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Cost: €30 (IoD members) / €40 (Non members)

Speakers: Kieran Moynihan & Michael Kearney

The session focussed on:

  • Current landscape for entrepreneurs in terms of access to finance
  • Key factors affecting Ireland’s rate of start-ups and their ability to scale
  • What is different about being an entrepreneur in 2011 as opposed to five or ten years ago?
  • What new franchising opportunities are emerging?

Entrepreneur Kieran Moynihan, IoD Evening BriefingAbout Kieran Moynihan

Kieran is a dynamic, experienced entrepreneur and executive with an outstanding track record during his 20-year career in business. He is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Cork Institute of Technology and has significant experience in nurturing early-stage high-potential companies.

Kieran co-founded Comnitel, a telecoms software company, in 1999 and led the company as CEO from start-up, through a US$30 million series of fundraising with leading international venture capitalists.  Over the period 2003 to 2007, Kieran performed the role of Chief Technology Officer for Vallent (a combination of three telecoms software companies Comnitel, Metrica and WatchMark) leading to the acquisition of Vallent (450 staff ) by IBM in February 2007.  Kieran was the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Telecoms for the IBM Tivoli division until June 2010.

About Michael Kearney

Michael bought Snap Printing and developed it into Ireland’s leading print and design group with 25 centres nationwide and system-wide sales of €20 million in 2009.

In 2005, along with his business partner Ed Murphy, they bought Home Instead Senior Care.  Since opening, it has grown to be Ireland’s leading home care company with 17 offices nationwide and sales in 2009 of €17.5 million.

In 2010, he purchased Complete Entertainment Exchange (CeX), the UK’s leading computer-related products exchange.

Michael was also a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009, Vice Chairman of the Irish Franchise Association, former Vice Chairman of UNICEF Ireland and former President and Chairman of Lansdowne FC.