Back Question Time - Panel Event "Irish Entrepreneurialism" 

Jun 25, 08

By Fionuala Pender

in Network Public Communication

 (Total Ratings: 0)

On 23rd June, over 120 IIBN members gathered for the first in the series of Question Time Panel events at Deutsche Bank in the City of London.

Modelled on the television programme, 'Question Time' this event was a departure from the usual IIBN format of special guest speaker events; encouraging a full and diverse programme of events for its growing membership base.

Delegates raised a mixture of business and entrepreneurial issues ranging from 'Can entrepreneurship be taught and if so, should entrepreneurship be a subject on the Leaving Cert?' to 'Which is more important, the Entrepreneur or the business idea and which comes first, the idea or the Entrepreneur?'

The panellists on the night were:

Simon Coveney TD, Fine Gael Front Bench Spokesperson for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Simon was the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Drugs and Youth Issues, Assistant Chief Whip and Secretary of Fine Gael Parliamentary Party from 1998-June, 2002.Simon was re-elected to the Dáil in May 2002. He was appointed Opposition Spokesperson and Shadow Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in June 2002, a post he held until October 2004. Simon has been a member of various Oireachtas Committees including Family, Social and Community Affairs; Education and Science; Communications Marine and Natural Resources and the Strategic Management Initiative Committee. In May 2007, Simon was re-elected to Dáil Éireann for Cork South Central in the General Election. As a result of this, he resigned his seat as the MEP for Ireland South in the European Parliament. In addition, Simon was the author of the European Parliament's Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2004, which was adopted by European Parliament in April 2005 and was also the Author for the 2006 Report adopted by Parliament in May 2007.

Stephen Hughes, Director, Northern Europe, Enterprise Ireland. Stephen has extensive market experience, having managed market development teams in the UK & Europe for the last 12 years. Other management roles in Enterprise Ireland over a 10-year period included both regional and industrial sector responsibilities. During his entire career with Enterprise Ireland he has worked with many of Ireland?s leading entrepreneurs & business people. Work prior to Enterprise Ireland included Managing Director in a SME manufacturing company and a sales and marketing position with a leading international cigarette manufacturer.

Garrett Quigley, General Manager, Pepsi Beverages, UK and Ireland and IIBN Charter Member. Garrett has been General Manager, Pepsi Beverages UK & Ireland since December 2006. Prior to that he was General Manager, Pepsi Beverages Ireland and Sales Manager between 2000-2003. Garrett has a wealth of knowledge on doing business in the UK and Ireland and how to succeed in large, world renowned corporations.

Damon Oldcorn, CEO, Zebtab Ltd, the desktop channel platform that delivers personalised content and advertising to the desktop. Damon has over twenty year's board level experience in the emerging technology markets with considerable time spent in Silicon Valley. He was based in San Jose CA as the CEO of PhoneMe.com which he founded in Wiltshire UK during the dotcom period. Most recently he was founder and CEO of NicheGnat Ltd the Web Conferencing service provider. Damon has a Masters degree in International Business from the University of Bristol, which included extensive study periods at Harvard, MIT and UC Berkeley which focussed on negotiation, entrepreneurship and marketing.

Tom Kelly, OBE, Group Chief Executive, Stakeholder Communications, chaired the proceedings throughout. Tom is one of the best known and most highly regarded Public Relations and Public Affairs practitioners in the UK and Ireland and has directed some of the highest profile PR and political campaigns in these islands over the last 20 years. He was recently named as one of Ireland?s top 50 most influential businessmen in Britain and was granted an OBE in 2006 for his services to business.

The evening was generously sponsored by Deutsche Bank and concluded with drinks and canapes at its flagship offices on London Wall, City of London.