HMV to sponsor two music festivals this summer
HMV has entered the festival sponsorship domain, with the announcement that it is to be a main sponsor for Indiependence and Light Colour Sound this summer. The Indiependence Music & Arts Festival takes place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend (1 to 3 August) in Mitchelstown, Co Cork and features the likes of Damien Dempsey and We Cut Corners. HMV will sponsor the second stage at the festival, which has a 1,200 capacity tent and the main stage at Light Colour Sound, which is a new music festival being held at Shankhill Castle, Paulstown, Co Kilkenny on 4 and 5 July. With a pop-up shop on site at both festivals,…
Read MoreUnited Airlines Resumes Direct Summer Flights from Shannon to Chicago
United Airlines has re-introduced its non-stop service between Shannon and its Chicago hub, O’Hare International Airport, for the summer in response to customer demand. The service is operating until 15 September 2014, a more extended period than last year. The frequency of the service is five flights weekly until 16 Jun and the period 19 August to 1 September, daily between 17 June and 18 August, and four flights weekly between 2 to 15 September (all dates westbound). Declan Power, head of aviation development at Shannon Airport, commented: “The increase of 90 additional flights to and from Chicago this year is a testament to the success of the route which…
Read MoreDoing Business in Turkey: Overview and Insights
Over the past ten years, while all of Europe was struggling with the economic crisis, Turkey managed to keep growth rates to a level second only to China, and more and more Irish companies are becoming aware of the opportunities there, according to Jonathan Ryan, manager, Turkey, Enterprise Ireland. Termed as an emerging market alongside countries such as South Africa, India, and Nigeria, Turkey has a well-developed infrastructure with continuous high levels of investment and has some well-established world-class industries such as cement, construction, steel, automotive and white goods along with its traditional textile sector. It is now ranked as the world’s 16th largest economy based on GDP and is…
Read MoreAnn-Marie O’Donnell, Customer Strategy Director
Appointment Date: 19.05.2014Company: SierraBusiness Type: Support Service ProviderPosition: Customer Strategy Director Ann-Marie O’Donnell has been appointed customer strategy director at Sierra, part of the Siteserv Group. O’Donnell has experience in cross-border and cross-functional programme management, in defining and implementing strategies to optimise customers’ experiences and has worked at both senior and executive management levels in the IT, healthcare, outsourcing, insurance, telecommunications, financial services and utility sectors. Her most recent role was with NICE Systems as global vice president of professional services. Before that, she worked with Performix Technologies as vice president of operations. O’Donnell holds an honours degree and post graduate in European economics from NUI Galway. Summary of Ann-Marie…
Read MoreGreen REIT reports €335m spent to date on 16 investment properties
Green REIT has invested €335m to date in compiling a portfolio of 16 investment properties. In an interim management statement for the four and half months since 1 January 2014, the company said this morning that it has acquired a number of properties in what has been an “active period”. The company’s acquisitions during the period were the Danske II portfolio for €22.1m and Central Park. On 2 May 2014, Green REIT completed a firm placing and placing and open offer, raising net proceeds of around €385m. “The success of our second capital raising, which increased our total equity base to approximately €685m, reflects the market’s confidence in our ability…
Read MoreBuoyant outlook for Ireland’s insurance industry – PwC survey
Nearly three-quarters (72pc) of international insurance leaders based in Ireland are confident about business volume growth in the year ahead, up from 62pc last year, according to a new survey. The survey by PwC among the Dublin International Insurance & Management Association (DIMA) shows that of this, 32pc are very confident, up from just 10pc last year. Over half (59pc) of industry leaders are planning people or resource growth, however there are indications that conditions remain weak in certain areas. Nearly a third (30pc) of respondents reported that further product innovation and diversification is the main opportunity for growth in the next three years. Other growth opportunities include increasing existing…
Read MoreTV3’s “most ambitious schedule ever” includes original soap drama ‘Red Rock’
TV3 has revealed its programming plans and strategy into 2015 at an ‘Upfronts’ launch in Dublin. According to the station, for the first time programming spend on originated content exceeds its spend on acquisitions. Director of content Jeff Ford announced a 2015 schedule built across six genres, including soap – TV3 will launch its first originated soap drama with the working title ‘Red Rock’. Acquisitions from 2015 exclusive to the station are The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, while it has secured Downton Abbey for life of series. “2015 is TV3’s most ambitious schedule ever. Since 2007, TV3 has committed to developing a schedule based predominantly on home-produced programming,” said…
Read MoreMainstay Medical raises €18m as it floats on ISE
Irish medical device company Mainstay Medical has floated on the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) today. The company, which has operations in Australia and the US, raised €18m on its admission to the Enterprise Securities Market (ESM) and began trading with a market capitalisation of €90m. It’s the first company on the Irish market to have a dual quotation with Euronext Paris. The ISE now has active dual listings with the UK, US, Canada, France and Switzerland. “Our listing on the ESM raises our profile in Ireland and internationally and enables us to focus on the next stage in our development as we execute our plans to obtain regulatory approval for…
Read MoreAlan Duffy to be HSBC Ireland’s new CEO
Alan Duffy has been appointed as chief executive officer for Ireland at HSBC, eight years since he joined the organisation to help establish its corporate banking business. With effect from 16 May, Duffy will be responsible for HSBC’s corporate banking, securities services (funds administration) and insurance businesses in Ireland, which together employ 450 people. He replaces Stephen Young who is returning to HSBC in the UK and will report to Chris Davies CEO, International Europe. “Our securities services business has cemented its place as a key hub for HSBC’s European operations, transitioning HSBC business from New York, Bermuda and Guernsey in recent years and reaching the $105bn assets under management…
Read More47pc rise in number of Irish tech start-ups – Vision-net.ie
A 47pc rise in the number of Irish tech company start-ups (122) was recorded in April 2014 compared to the same month last year (83), according to new figures from Vision-net.ie. Managing director of Vision-net.ie Christine Cullen said the increase indicated “positive growth within our indigenous tech sector”. “Ireland is the second largest exporter of ICT services in the world, an industry that contributes €72bn to the national economy annually. Presently, however, only 3pc of that revenue is generated by Irish companies. “It is certainly heartening, then, to see Irish tech entrepreneurs committed to investing their skills and ideas here, increasing the share of industry revenue made by indigenous businesses.…
Read More