Leadership

Ninety percent of global banking and capital markets CEOs are confident that their revenues will increase over the next three years, according to PwC’s 17th annual CEO Survey, which includes responses from 133 banking CEOs in 50 countries. It was also found that the number who believe that the global economy will improve over the next 12 months has almost tripled since last year – 56pc now compared with 19pc last year. This buoyant outlook is reflected in the fact that more than half plan to take on more staff over the coming year, with most of those anticipating headcount increases of at least 5pc. However, limited availability of talent…

Wind energy is Ireland’s greatest indigenous energy resource, and we should ensure we exploit it to the benefit of the Irish people, according to Dr Brian Motherway, CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). “This is all about making Ireland more energy independent – harvesting our own resources instead of importing the expensive resources of others,” he said. In a defence of continuing wind energy development, Dr Motherway explained that on a range of objective measurements wind energy is delivering for Ireland, and that in the past five years renewable energy has saved over €1bin in fossil fuel imports, has reduced CO2 emissions by 12 million tonnes and…

Sixteen young people have been chosen to take part in Shell E&P Ireland’s Corrib Natural Gas scholarship programme for 2013/2014. Now in its seventh year, the programme has involved 77 third-level scholarships being awarded to students in Co Mayo to date by the independent scholarship board which is chaired by Seán Staunton. At a function in Carne Golf Club to announce the successful students, Staunton referred to the change in the scheme which resulted in the applicants having to come together to write their themed essay in an exam-type situation. In previous years, applicants could research and write their essay at home. Managing director of Shell E&P Ireland Michael Crothers…

Ireland’s diplomatic network abroad is to be expanded with the addition of five embassies and three new consulates. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the proposed expansion of the embassy network is specifically designed to support Ireland’s foreign trade and inward investment, and takes account of the soon-to-be published review of the Government’s trade, tourism and investment strategy. It said embassies will be established for the first time in the fast-growing economies of Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta). Consulates general are to be established in the financial and business hubs of Hong Kong (China) and Sao Paolo (Brazil), and in the tech hub of Austin, Texas (USA). The…

NUI Galway and Intel are to work together on research in the areas of high performance computing (HPC) and big data analytics. As part of the new agreement, the two will establish the Intel Parallel Computing Centre in the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) in NUI Galway. The new centre aims to significantly improve parallelism, scalability and efficiencies of existing high performance computing applications. Intel will fund the research programme led by director of the ICHEC, Prof JC Desplat. The programme will foster the uptake of current and next generation Intel many core technology, such as the Intel Xeon Phi co-processor. “Intel is pleased to expand our Intel…

Three new members have been appointed to the board of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), including Ann Riordan as chairperson along with Geraldine Ruane and Aidan Donnelly. Minister for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock TD said their appointments would bring “fresh industry perspective” to the work performed at board level in order to enable SFI to meet its Agenda 2020 objectives. Riordan said: “I am particularly excited about the role SFI can play in enabling Ireland to gain international global advantage in the areas where Ireland has research and industry strengths and further potential. “As an early evangelist of the economic benefits that knowledge based industries can contribute to the country’s…

Fidelma Healy, chief operating officer at Gilt, talks about her career path and about the importance of working hard, doing a good job and not being afraid to self promote. Could you tell us a bit about your career path and what your role involves now? I trained as a teacher but with permanent jobs in short supply studied computers and human resources by night.  This led me into a career in the financial services and ICT sectors.  My first job was in a HR role in Systems Dynamics, Ireland’s longest established software company, and I then went on to be involved in establishing new tech companies in Ireland including…

University College Dublin is today officially opening what it says is Ireland’s first purpose-built university law school, following a €25m investment. Designed by Molony O’Beirne architects, the UCD Sutherland School of Law measures over 5,100 square metres and is located on the edge of a newly designed and landscaped lakeside setting on the Belfield campus. The €25m project was financed from a major leadership gift from Peter Sutherland SC, significant government investment under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, and gifts from other leading benefactors, major law firms and private donors. According to UCD, teaching spaces in the new school are designed to promote the active engagement of students…

University College Dublin (UCD) will showcase the latest hi-tech and knowledge intensive ventures emerging from UCD and National College of Art and Design (NCAD) research programmes at the 2013 UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Showcase and Awards evening, which takes place next week. Six new ventures will compete at the awards evening to win a €25,000 prize. Four of the participating ventures – Aficionado, Fondúireacht Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore Foundation), Kinesis Health Technologies Ltd and Nuritas Ltd – are emerging from UCD, while the other two – Gazel and Obeo – are emerging from NCAD. The overall objective of the UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme is to support the creation and to accelerate…

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD and the Minister of State for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock TD have welcomed the publication of the report of the independent Copyright Review Committee, entitled ‘Modernising Copyright’. The report is aimed at identifying any barriers for innovation in the digital environment, and developing proposals for reducing them in order to provide greater support for growth and jobs in the digital industry. The publication of the report marks delivery of a key commitment in the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs. Minister Bruton and Minister Sherlock now propose that the recommendations of the report will be carefully examined with other departments…