List of International Trade & Brexit Mentors
Caitlin O’Connor is a mentor since 2005, retained by Enterprise Ireland, European Commission and LEOS. Her focus is on scaling, growth and export with continuous improvement (LEAN qualified) aligned with exporting. Her core areas are around commercialisation, export, digital, transformation, strategic vision, innovation, new market & new product and sales and marketing, all aligned with revenue generation. Sectors include ICT/Digital/Shared-economy/Telecommunications/ Agri-tech, SMART cities & aviation. She acts as a catalyst to scale, grow & develop export capability aligned with strategic vision. She also delivers value via her product “Strategy Away Days”. Caitlin was instrumental in the launch of ESAT with de-regulation & was core to the launch of Irish Broadband. As global marketing director of Point (CRM) Caitlin created an international brand with Ireland retained as the development centre. Caitlin focus’ on growth & export with domestic/international growth aligned to customer strategies, sales/marketing, strategic development, innovation & revenue combined with export gap analysis. Value proposition is also an area of focus. Caitlin holds university qualifications in Marketing, Direct Marketing Project Management, Coaching, Leadership Leaning Methods & LEAN green belt. Caitlin is also an adjudicator on grants and guides scaling companies through this process.
Colm Reilly. Dr. Colm Reilly is an experienced professional with a track record of significant outcomes and international experience in SME Development, R&D, International Trade and Entrepreneurship. In the past 15 years, Colm has worked as a senior executive in a global consulting organisation where he has been responsible for delivering the commercial results. In this role, he was asked by clients to create new operations that he has operated for many years. Many of the operations he created were the first of their kind with no existing template – These and other projects have required new strategies and solutions, within existing organisational structures, to new and developing challenges of significant complexity that have required a blend of people, process, and commercial skills. Colm has also founded three SME companies – Aviareto, Eureto and BiotherapeuticsMD which still currently operate.The operations created are known for their innovation and creativity but more significantly the delivery of the results expected whilst operating within existing constraints and a changing, and uncertain, external environment. Colm has worked with SME programmes in the USA (Virginia, Georgia), Italy, Germany, and Spain in developing practical approaches to business challenges recognising the real constraints of time, money, size and human capacity. This experience has informed Colm that in an accelerated technological environment, it remains people who matter most – whether this is in large corporations, SMEs, or start-up organisations. He believes that this is the essential ingredient in connecting strategy and implementation. Whilst processes create conformity and technology seems to have no limitations, it is the deployment with people that makes the difference. Colm has constantly worked on improving his communications skills and currently operates supporting SMEs in bringing their intentions and strategies into operational reality in terms of what people do, how they are motivated and the appropriate technology they use to do this. He is the author of three books on SMEs – The Information Paradox (how SMEs need to use Information Technology), Managing Value Price and Profit and No Frontiers – How SMEs can export (2025).
Dr. John Collier and Foodovate Consulting is a Food-Innovation consultancy helping companies design and develop new products for the retail/food service markets. This is built on over 20-years’ experience in industry. We work in Innovation and Innovation Capability, Market Intelligence, Strategy & Business Models, Export Plans & Models, Nutrition & Health Claims, New Product Development, Digital Marketing for Food and Training. We are experts in Design Thinking and innovation models to help you bring your ideas to life. We also work with companies to secure funding for start up formation, feasibility, and growth. John has owned and managed several food companies over the past 20 years and has worked in every aspect of the industry. He has direct experience with beverages, prepared meals, horticultural products, pharmaceuticals, meat products, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, savoury, and sweet snacks.
John Haran. An engineering graduate with an MBA in International Business, John has spent the last 35 years, mostly overseas, in a variety of sales and leadership roles. After graduate training and production experience in Med tech, he established a marketing consultancy business (HMC) and spent 12 years in Asia managing a trade and investment team, following by similar assignments in London and New York. Returning to Ireland, he has taken several CEO roles with local technology companies and managed both to successful trade sales. HMC now employs 15 people, with offices in London, New York and Shanghai. Our clients include LEOs, local authorities, state economic development agencies, along with a range of commercial clients across many sectors.
Karl Ilewellyn. Over the last 30 years Karl has built and operated dozens of CRM and sales solutions. Operating with teams from 5 to 500 people across continents from India, Europe and the US he was the first Irish business to operate six contact centres across Europe and India using the same telephone Switch (a massive deal in 2005). He has started organisations that have grown to over 1000 agents and built inside sales teams for others that generated over $50 million in sales volume from a standing start. He combines 30 years of practical Sales and CRM experience across many business sectors, 10 years of Project Management Qualified (PMP) all mixed together with the fact that he is ultimately a sales guy mashed with start-up founder. He enjoys selling to good prospects and dislikes paperwork, don't particularly want to cold call and likes his team to be busy and deliver accurate realtime reports.
Kate Hickey is a Business Consultant and Executive Director of the Ireland Canada Business Association and Director of the Valentia Cable Foundation. As a Consultant to Department of Trade Newfoundland for ten years Kate provided strategic trade consultancy services to over 95 Canadian SME’s. Previously Marketing Manager with Laura Ashley, Kate has proven skills in retail marketing, branding, PR strategies and buyer engagement. As Experienced Marketing Director and Consultant for Enterprise Ireland Kate works with CEO’s of early stage companies focusing on Strategy and Export Market Development. Equipped with an MBA from Smurfit School of Business Kate works with clients in implementing market entry and sales strategies and is a mentor and trainer with DCCI.
Melissa Carroll is a highly experienced and qualified Customs Clearance Consultant, Trainer, Mentor, and Declarant, bringing extensive expertise to the intricate world of international trade. With a wealth of experience handling imports and exports across diverse products, procedures, and preferences, Melissa is committed to navigating the complexities of global commerce with precision and professionalism. Her mission is to streamline the overwhelming bureaucratic processes of global trade, ensuring her clients’ goods move seamlessly across borders without unnecessary delays or costs, all while maintaining strict audit compliance. Melissa is solutions oriented, offering personalized, professional support tailored to empower decision-makers. Her approach equips them with the in-depth knowledge required to understand their goods, processes, and movements while adhering to legal obligations. With a steadfast belief in overcoming obstacles, Melissa provides a bespoke service designed to simplify global trading for her clients, ensuring they can focus on growth and success in the international market.
Website: www.customsagent.ie
Email: info@customsagent.ie
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melissac2020
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Peter Davey has been advising organisations on the intersection between strategy, technology, security and knowledge management since the mid 90’s when he was an adviser to the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. He has successfully delivered more than 150 client projects for organisations in both public and private sectors such as financial services, utilities, extraction, manufacturing, technology and professional services focused on strategy, operations and governance. From 2010, Peter has been focusing on data governance and information management issues to help organisations to become information enabled while at the same time understanding the responsibilities that greater supply brings. At Castlebridge, Peter is responsible for consulting operations, in addition to being a working DPO, and providing consultancy support and project management to client engagements. He speaks regularly at industry events and on webinars. He is a graduate of the Law Society of Ireland’s Certificate in Data Protection Law and Practice and holds an MBA from Cass Business School.
Ruth Larkin is a serial industry entrepreneur, having founded and scaled multi-million euro businesses in a number of sectors including, international distribution of luxury consumer products and manufacturing and global sales of municipal vehicles. Her focus is on market validation, market entry strategy, commercialisation, expansion, management and strategy. She has extensive experience in professional services, consumer goods, retail and distribution, design and manufacturing, health, fitness and wellbeing, fintech and cosmetics.
Tony Dignam - Agile Executives provide a wide range of consultancy and mentoring services to SMEs through our national and international network of consultants covering a broad range of sectors with skills in Finance, Digital, Strategy, HR, General Business, Green and Export Development.
Vera Murphy, Managing Director of Bevan Murphy Customs Ltd is a customs training and consultancy expert. With 3 decades of industry experience in International Trade and Global Forwarding Vera provides practical step-by-step mentorship in all aspects of Customs and International Trade including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Whether you are a first-time importer or exporter, are diverging into new markets, want to make sure you are availing of all duty reduction facilitations or want to make your operation customs audit ready she can apply her deep functional expertise to your situation. Vera is on the panel of expert service providers for Intertrade Ireland she also develops and delivers training on behalf of the Irish Exporters Association and CILT Skillnet. She has helped hundreds of businesses in the last 6 years to successfully navigate International Trade Rules and Regulations, enhancing opportunities while reducing costs and risks.
