Ireland Day
I was thrown into my internship on the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) team quite literally at the deep end – as a result it was clear this would be a sink or swim experience. On making the big move from Cork to Dublin and getting lost in Ranelagh on the journey up I quickly realised this was going to be tougher than I had anticipated. I arrived in the EY office where I was sat down beside a man from Blackrock with a red and white cork flag hanging next to him casting a shadow over the EOY team and suddenly felt right at home. Teamwork was a word I thought I knew all about until I was introduced to a new concept of it and I was impressed from the start at what a team can achieve. In the words of Steve Jobs “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”
Having worked closely with our Senior Media Relations Associate, Sasha, at the Meet the Finalists Dinner in the Intercontinental Hotel, I got my first taste of the exciting EOY journey, a completely new experience for me and the twenty four finalists I met over those few days. There was a certain air of excitement and anticipation as I co-ordinated the finalists’ PR briefings and filmography sessions. I was dazzled by the bright lights of the CEO Retreat promotion video, not to mention the five star hotel experience – certainly one I was not accustomed to. Walking away that night I couldn’t help but feel slightly disheartened that I wouldn’t get to go to Germany.
Following on from the MTF dinner was an exciting and challenging couple of weeks in EY to say the least. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be asked in a team meeting just before the trip would I go on the CEO Retreat, a once in a lifetime offer. I can assure you I didn’t hesitate for a second in replying. I got the opportunity to travel to Germany with over a hundred Irish entrepreneurs and the EOY team. Getting the chance to work closely with these amazing entrepreneurs, having spent the past couple of months reading their reports to be able to finally meet them in person, would be an unforgettable opportunity. Hearing their stories first hand would be truly inspiring.
After a late night stint in the office, Ireland Day kicked off out in the Crowne Plaza in Dublin first thing Friday morning. From the word go I realised that running on adrenaline would be key to surviving this trip. The dynamic duo of Kevin McLoughlin and Sean Duffy opened the retreat; the inspiring pair showcased what was to come over the next week. This year’s Ireland Day line-up was set to impress. David Hunt inspired the crowd with a session based on futurology and Ireland’s place in the rapidly changing technological landscape. After stunning the crowd with the potential next generation agri-preneurship, he posed the question “The formula for success? Double your rate of failure.”
A tough act to follow but EOY framed the day to save the big guns for last. The day ended with Martin and Fergal Naughton of Glen Dimplex, a father-son combo, where Martin shared his take on what it means to be an entrepreneur. He shared Glen Dimplex’s growth story and where he sees the business going into the next generation. This cosy fireside interview left many with goose bumps, the deadly silence in the room during the interview conveyed how this was without doubt a once in a lifetime experience.
Ireland Day set an incredibly high benchmark at the very start of the week; everyone received a personalised itinerary that evening and to say it was action packed doesn’t even do it justice. People headed to bed that night waiting eagerly in anticipation of what was to come. Tune in next week for more where we will touch down in Berlin for the second leg of the EOY CEO Retreat.
Written by Jessica Griffin
Jessica is a 3rd year commerce student in UCC. She is 4 months into a 6 month placement with EY in our Entrepreneur Of The Year team.
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