SPOTLIGHT ON EXPORTING WEBINAR – FIRST STEPS TO EXPORT SUCCESS

If you are considering expanding into international markets, or if you are an early stage exporter, the First Steps to Export Success webinar is for you. 

This webinar organised by the Local Enterprise Offices, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland  and Bord Bia, will heighten your awareness of market opportunities and supports available. It will examine challenges to internationalisation and feature case studies drawn from both Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland clients.     

The event aims to support companies with potential for export or who are at the early stage of exporting and provide information and encouragement to guide your company into market diversification opportunities. 

Designed to outline the steps to export success, this session is packed with practical advice, supports and case studies of businesses who are already on the export journey. 

Participants will gain expert advice on market opportunities and insights from Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Director UK, Nordics, and Global Procurement, Deirdre McPartlin and Anne Lanigan, Regional Director of the Eurozone for Enterprise Ireland.

Bord Bia’s Claudia Saumell, Client Engagement Manager, will speak about how Bord Bia engages with potential food exporters. 

While Tracey Tallon of the Local Enterprise Office plus Bernadette Mooney and Naghmeh Reilly of Enterprise Ireland will outline supports available.

Hosted by Richard Curran, presenter of RTÉ’s “The Business”, this is a must attend webinar for anyone planning on developing export markets. 

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Richard Curran is a journalist, broadcaster and author. He is the presenter of The Business radio show on RTE Radio One and a columnist with the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent. He has worked in business journalism through TV, radio, print and online for 30 years. He is a former business editor of the Irish Independent and former deputy editor of The Sunday Business Post. He has co-written two books, one on Irish entrepreneurs and the other on the multi-billion euro collapse of Irish Nationwide Building Society. He has also made several television documentaries for RTE including, Future Shock: Property Crash in 2007 and The Battle For Rural Ireland in 2015.

MEET OUR EXPERT SPEAKERS:

Entrepreneurs:

Peter Morrow, Skylark Stairs (Loftease Attic Stairs)

Skylark Stairs was established in 2012 by Peter and Carole Morrow, making attic spaces accessible to everyone of all ages and physical mobility. With almost 30 years of experience in the attic stairs sector, Loftease Stairs t/a Skylark Stairs was awarded their first patent in 2012, for a motorised automated folding attic stairs. Together with this innovative solution, Loftease have a customer centric philosophy which delivers fast and comprehensive sales and after-sales service. This approach has enabled Loftease to access and thrive in export markets and they now export their patented motorised attic stairs around the world, including USA, EU, UK and Australia.

Caroline Gleeson, Occupop

Caroline Gleeson is CEO and co-Founder of Occupop, a beautifully simple recruitment software built for small and medium enterprises. A former recruiter with an MA from Oxford University, Caroline has been heavily involved in scaling the Occupop business from start-up to high growth. Accolades and networks include winner Enterprise Ireland's Female Competitive Start Fund, winner Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur County Final, Going for Growth, Continuing the Momentum, and EY Winning Women. Caroline is passionate about helping others scale their business and has extensive experience in starting and scaling a business internationally, SaaS, raising capital, talent acquisition and development, networking and financial planning and management. 

Local Enterprise Office Team: 

Christine Charlton, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Westmeath:

Christine Charlton is Head of Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office, Westmeath. Prior to this, Christine was the CEO of Westmeath County Enterprise Board since November 2000.

 In April 2014 the County Enterprise Boards were dissolved under primary legislation and the functions, assets and liabilities were transferred to Enterprise Ireland with the Local Authority structure agreeing to carry out these functions on Enterprise Ireland’s behalf in Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs).

 Christine is responsible for Business, Economic and Tourism Development in the LEO Westmeath.

Tracey Tallon, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, Local Enterprise Office Westmeath:

Tracey Tallon is Senior Enterprise Development Officer with the Local Enterprise Office Westmeath having worked in the Micro enterprise Sector for a number of years. She moved from the private sector to her role as a business support specialist  with the County Enterprise Board, and then to the Local Enterprise Office. Local Enterprise Offices provide a ‘first-stop shop’ system of enterprise supports to start-ups and small businesses across the country.

 Tracey has a wealth of experience  working  with  micro-enterprises to facilitate access to a range of business supports to help businesses grow, develop and scale.

Enterprise Ireland Team:

 Carol Gibbons, Divisional Manager:

Carol is Divisional Manager with responsibility for Regions and Local Enterprise within Enterprise Ireland.  Carol has considerable experience in a variety of industry sectors, most notably ICT, within which she has worked directly with some of Ireland's best-known brands, from very early stage start-up companies, right through to globally trading multinational businesses.

Over her 20-year career Carol has held a series of senior positions within Enterprise Ireland, Forfás and IDA Ireland.  She has served on multiple internal committees, including Enterprise Ireland’s Industrial Research and Commercialisation Committee and Management Approvals Committee. 

Carol served on several Irish Government advisory boards and high-level Steering Groups and Science Foundation Ireland ICT Center Steering Committees.  She is also a member of the Institute of Directors. Carol is a native of Cork and is educated to MSc and PhD level.

Anne Lanigan, Regional Director, Eurozone and Central and Eastern Europe:

Anne joined Enterprise Ireland in 2003 and has held a number of management positions, including Director of the Tokyo office and Head of the Brexit Unit. Appointed Regional Director for the Eurozone in June 2018, Anne is now responsible for Enterprise Ireland’s activities across the Eurozone and Central and Eastern Europe which are focused on increasing export growth into these markets.

Deirdre McPartlin, Regional Director UK, Nordics & Global Procurement:

Deirdre McPartlin is Regional Director UK, Nordics  & Global Procurement for Enterprise Ireland. She spent 5 years as UK Director leading teams in London and Manchester.

Her previous experience with Enterprise Ireland includes 18 months in the Brexit Unit following the UK referendum in 2016 where she was part of a small team leading the development of Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit supports and response.

Deirdre also spent three years in the Engineering Department in Dublin as a Senior Development Advisor with a particular focus on scaling agenda for family-owned/privately held manufacturing companies and five years as Director of the DACH region (Germany, Austria & Switzerland).

Bernadette Mooney, Senior Information Specialist, Market Research Centre:

Bernadette is a Senior Information Specialist working in the Market Research Centre in Enterprise Ireland.   She has experience working with Enterprise Ireland client companies in a variety of roles prior to her current work assisting companies with their market intelligence needs. Bernadette values the relational aspect of her work and has qualifications in information studies, strategic management, HR and coaching.

The Enterprise Ireland Market Research Centre offers Enterprise Ireland client companies access to market intelligence to support their growth ambition.  Clients can access the most up-to-date market research in the form of company, sector and country information needed to explore opportunities and compete in international markets.

Naghmeh Reilly, Senior Marketing Executive:

Naghmeh Reilly is a senior marketing executive with Enterprise Ireland with over 25 years of experience. During this time she had a variety of roles in sale and marketing working with established and early stage businesses.

Naghmeh was also responsible for Enterprise Ireland’s operations in Nordics for 5 years. In her current role she focusses on assisting companies with the development of their strategic approach to marketing.

Bord Bia Team

Claudia Saumell, Client Engagement Manager:

Claudia Saumell is former Africa markets manager for Bord Bia, working in the regions since 2013. Spanish born, Claudia has worked in the food sector her entire career since her graduation in Business and Management from the University of Barcelona.

She began her career in the private sector in Spain and Ireland, working on international trade, and moved to the public sector in 1997 when she headed the new An Bord Iascaigh Mhara office in Madrid. In 2009, Claudia joined to Bord Bia, supporting Irish food and drink companies grow exports to Spain before being promoted to Africa manager.

During her time in Dublin, Claudia had the responsibility to implement the Africa strategy that Bord Bia had in place to assist the industry to grow in this region. In January 2019, Claudia was appointed regional director Middle East with Bord Bia, moving to Dubai in February 2019 until 2021 when she moved back to Bord Bia headquarters in Dublin. In Jan 2022 Claudia took up the role of Client Engagement Manager.