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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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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Airbus reveals concept cabin for 2050 air travel

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Envisioning what it will be like to fly by 2050, Airbus is showcasing its concept cabin, which it says is inspired by nature and features green technologies to make flying a more interactive experience for passengers. As part of its ‘Vision for Aviation in 2050’, the aircraft manufacturer will be showing its concept cabin to the public at the Le Bourget International Airshow in Paris next week. Airbus says the aircraft’s bionic structure mimics the efficiency of bird bone with an intelligent cabin wall membrane that will control air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers panoramic views. Airbus says passengers in 2050 can sit back and enjoy the…

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Customers are the big picture in Aviva campaign

Business and Leadership Ltd.

Aviva has launched its first global brand campaign today – ‘You are the big picture’ which is designed to demonstrate the company’s commitment to putting customers at the centre of its business. As part of the campaign, landmark buildings in six cities around the world – London, Paris, Warsaw, Singapore, Delhi and Mumbai – are being wrapped in portraits of Aviva customers, employees and partners. One building in each city will be handed over to the public with their photos being projected onto giant screens. The campaign kicked off today in London, Warsaw, Paris and Singapore, while Delhi and Mumbai will follow in a month. Buildings such as Sea Containers…

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Innovation: the execution challenge

Business and Leadership Ltd.

As he publishes his latest book, The Other Side of Innovation, Ann O’Dea caught up with leading academic Vijay Govindarajan on a recent trip to London to discuss his thoughts on managing innovation. After the success of the much-vaunted 10 Rules for Strategic Innovators, Vijay Govindarajan has teamed up with his Tuck School collaborator Chris Trimble again on a new book that deals with executing innovation within an organisation – The Other Side of Innovation – Solving the Execution Challenge. When we meet in London he has just completed a two-year stint as chief innovation consultant with General Electric (GE), where he worked closely with the iconic Jeff Immelt. He…

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Radio Nova launch to create 32 jobs

Business and Leadership Ltd.

The launch of Radio Nova, which has been licensed for Dublin City and the greater Dublin area and will begin broadcasting in September 2010, will result in the creation of 32 jobs – 18 full-time and 14 part-time – over the next two months. The jobs will include full-time presenters, engineers, production teams, researchers, sales and marketing and administrative staff. David Tighe, Radio Nova CEO, is set to sign the station’s contract with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) today, which concludes the licensing processes. Claiming that a gap exists in the Dublin market for something different in broadcasting, Tighe is forecasting that the station will capture 5pc market share…

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