Dame Anita Roddick – Body and Soul

anita roddick

Self-proclaimed renegade Dame Anita Roddick’s Body Shop was one of the pioneers of corporate social responsibility. Anita Roddick sees herself as an activist and a renegade, first and foremost, rather than a businesswoman. While today, her mainstay is indeed a mix of activism and philanthropy, her business credentials are impeccable. She brought The Body Shop from one store sandwiched between two undertakers in Brighton (the company name raised a few eyebrows then – so no change there then) to a chain of more than 2,000 worldwide and then sold it in 2005 for more than £650m sterling. Throughout her career, Roddick has campaigned tirelessly on ethical issues such as fair…

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Health Tech Start-up Triumphs in UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator’s Inaugural Award

Inaugural UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Award Won

Summary: Health technology start-up Kinesis Health Technologies has secured the inaugural UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Award. The University College Dublin (UCD) spin-out company developed a novel software solution to prevent falls in older adults. This software, called QTUG™ (Quantitative Timed Up and Go), utilizes body-worn sensors to assess a person’s risk of falling and frailty. The UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme is designed to support the launch of sustainable and profitable new ventures based on intellectual property emerging from UCD. The programme aims to equip UCD researchers with entrepreneurial skills and commercial know-how to help transform their research into successful start-up companies. As the award winner, Kinesis Health Technologies has secured €25,000…

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Jeffrey Nadrich Advises Simon Smith to Keep Calm – Despite Rammed By Bus

Simon Smith Bus Accident Redding UK

Photo Source: Screengrab / YouTube When The Bus Catches You It was a quiet Saturday morning in the heart of Redding, just east of Edinburgh in the UK, when Simon Smith, was harshly greeted by the city’s bus. This “greeting” can only be described as a spectacular accident with an incredible ending. Upon review of the CCTV footage from The Purple Turtle, a well-known local bar, one would think Smith would be seriously injured, or worse, killed from the impact. However, as the footage shows, Smith stood up on his own and walked into the local bar to have a pint. To which bar patrons began saying “ Keep Calm and Have a Pint .” Smith,…

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Brain Boxes: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence & Success

Business and Leadership Ltd.

The term “brain boxes” is often used colloquially to describe people who are highly intelligent, knowledgeable, or quick-thinking. It can be a compliment or a casual nickname for someone who demonstrates strong intellectual abilities, problem-solving skills, or expertise in a particular field. However, it’s important to note that the term is informal and might not be universally understood, depending on the context or the audience. Nicole Kidman’s doing it, Ronan Keating’s doing it, and even Girls Aloud is doing it. Seems like everyone’s doing a little brain training these days. But with conflicting scientific reports, it’s difficult to know if these games work and whether they can make a difference…

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Taxback.com Founder Terry Clune Named Entrepreneur of the Year

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Terry Clune, who established global income tax service firm Taxback.com in 1996, was named Ernst &Young; Entrepreneur of the Year at Dublin’s City West Hotel last night. Taxback.com provides international tax, finance, and travel consultancy services to clients in over 100 countries. The company has 600 staff in 17 countries processing 130,000 tax refunds, 30,000 visas, and 60,000 international money transfers annually. Taxback.com recently opened an office in Haiti, supported by Denis O’Brien’s company Digicel. From its office in the Digicel building in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, the company’s 24 new staff will provide tax documentation assistance to customers, mainly in North America. Also featuring in last night’s awards was the Clonmel-based engineering…

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On the crest of a wave

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Maynooth firm Wavebob is one of the early leaders in the global ocean-energy sector. A long time ago, scientists realized that if the power of the ocean could be harnessed, it would go a long way towards solving the world’s energy problems. One of the companies at the forefront of developing technology to do just that is a little-known Maynooth-based outfit called Wavebob . The 10-year-old company has developed a patented technology of the same name that converts ocean waves into electricity. Sounds simple, but, as CEO Andrew Parish explains, designing a piece of equipment – known as a wave-energy converter – that can absorb the sea’s power, without getting destroyed in…

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Tullow CEO, Jacob Fruitfield chair receive alumni award

Business and Leadership Ltd.

The executive chairman of the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group Michael Carey and Tullow Oil CEO Aidan Heavey have been named as this year’s UCD Business Alumni of the Year. The award, which is the highest honour UCD School of Business can bestow on a graduate, recognise those of its alumni who have demonstrated proven leadership skills, notable achievement in business and a significant contribution to the community, whether in Ireland or abroad. Commenting on this year’s winners, Professor Tom Begley, Dean of UCD School of Business, said: “We are delighted to honour Michael Carey and Aidan Heavey as our 2010 Alumni of the Year. Not only have they had considerable…

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Abbott wins Chambers Ireland CSR award for 2009

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Multinational pharmaceutical company Abbott, which has seven operations across Ireland, has been awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award from Chambers Ireland for 2009. The award, which recognised a firm’s sustained excellence in the execution of their CSR programme, is given to the company that has most clearly integrated CSR into its business philosophy. Abbott Ireland’s Human Resource Director John McAteer accepted the award presented by Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs John Curran TD at the Chambers Ireland 2009 President’s Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility held in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin last night. “Abbott is honored to have received this national award in recognition…

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Puma to Launch Mobile Phone

Business and Leadership Ltd.

As part of its diversification strategy, Puma is launching a mobile phone in the second quarter of 2010. The sportswear company has signed a license agreement with French mobile phone manufacturer Sagem Wireless. According to Puma, the agreement is in line with its strategy to move into new categories that complement its range of sport and lifestyle footwear, apparel, and accessories. In a statement, it said: “Puma’s entry into mobile leverages its innovative brand and design skill to improve user experience and connect its community.” The phone will be sold globally in Puma’s own stores and through operators. The phone will be solar-powered (the solar implement will be on the back of…

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Leaked Boris Johnson Letter Exposing Irish Border Brexit Issue

Boris Johnson Leaked Letter

In a late eleventh-hour discussion on the first phase of the negotiating period with the EU, there was a promise of “no hard border” on the island of Ireland, but there was no final decision on exactly how that was going to be achieved. The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, has weighed in with his own solution. In a leaked letter to the Prime Minister, it was stated that the stance with the border could shift. He wrote, “It is wrong to see the task as maintaining ‘no border.’” He feels the government’s task should be to “stop this border from becoming significantly harder.” He next suggested, “Even if a hard…

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