Down To Business

How worried should we be about AI in relation to the job market? Bobby is joined by author of ‘AI Unleashed’ Mark Kelly and Commercial Director at Sigmar Recruitment Rossa Mullaly to discuss the role AI might play in the future.

Bobby is joined by Susan Hayes Culleton of Hayes Culleton and Former Director General of the Law Society Ken Murphy to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group.

Bridging the gap between the expectations of fresh-faced graduate employees and prospective employers can be a challenge, and failing to do so can lead to strife for all involved.So, how can we better prepare for, and indeed succeed in, our first job? Colman Collins, author of ‘How To Succeed In Your First Job’ joins Bobby to discuss.

It is one of the most special days of your life and whether it’s a big one or a small one, a traditional one or one that you’ve imagined just for yourself - you want your wedding day to be just the way you imagined it.But how do you go about achieving that? To discuss, Bobby is joined by:• Ruth Scott, Wedding Solemniser & Celebrant • Photographer Paul Kelly of PK Studio3•Daragh Doyle, The Ireland Wedding Planner

Bobby is joined by Rory Gillen of Gillen Markets & Gary Carvill from the Digital Wealth Group to debate the pros and cons of cryptocurrencies.

Bobby was out and about at OffBeat Donuts in Dundrum Town Centre to hear all about the runaway success of one of the country's purveyors of premium donuts.

It was reported earlier this month that Irish Vodka brand Istil 38 - which launched back in 2022 - has attracted an investment worth around €390,000 as it looks to build upon the success they have seen in the last two years.Shane Davey, Managing Director of the Sugarloaf Beverage Company joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers are Linda Daly Business Reporter with the Sunday Times & Stephen O’Leary the founder of Olytico.

In recent months we saw news that there is a serious shortage of qualified vets facing the Irish veterinary industry, with some practices advertising for more than a year to fill positions.Couple this with rising costs and ever-increasing demands on our vets for small and large animals, where exactly is the sector right now?Joining Bobby to discuss is:Charles Cosgrave, Co-Owner of Village Vets Kathy Enright, co-owner of Rockhall Veterinary LtdConor Geraghty, former president of Veterinary Ireland and owner of the FarmGate Veterinary Group

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Ciaran McCormack of Select Technology Group.

Bobby speaks to Alison Taylor, author of 'Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World'.

The Laya Healthcare Workplace Wellbeing Index 2024 is the result of one of Ireland's most extensive workplace wellbeing studies and offers invaluable insights into the evolving HR landscape, allowing employers and employees to stay up to date on the latest trends.Bobby chats to Sinead Proos, Head of Health & Wellbeing at Laya Healthcare to explore some of the key trends regarding people's wellbeing in the workplace and discuss how to sustain high performance in a hybrid working environment.The Laya Healthcare Workplace Wellbeing Index is available at layahealthcare.ie/wellbeingindex.

With Valentine’s Day coming up Bobby takes a look at the actual rules around romance in the workplace with Damien McCarthy, Managing Director of HR Buddy.

Joining Bobby to run through the top stories from the business pages this morning are Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM & Bob Hoffman of Vista Executive Search.

Castlebar has been found to have the best work-life balance according to a new index. One man who has been singing the praises of this area for a long time has been local TD Michael Ring who joins Bobby to discuss this and everything that Mayo has to offer.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Joe Gilmore, Managing Director of Ireland West Airport, Knock

Broadcasting out of the Connected Hub in the Atlantic Technological University iHub in Castlebar, Bobby speaks to some of those people using iHub to find out about the benefits this kind of working environment offers to people.Joining Bobby is:Louise McDonnell, founder of SellOnSocial.Media AgencyBrian Barrett of Solar WestDr. Noreen CurtisStephen Carolan, National Hubs Network Programme Manager at the Western Development Commission

This week Bobby was broadcasting out of the Connected Hub in the Atlantic Technological University Ihub in Castlebar with thanks to Mayo County Council. One of those people who use the connected hubs in Mayo is Sarah Butler, cookbook author, and recipe writer who joins Bobby to chat about her pathway into the culinary world.

Bobby was out & about at the Connacht Distillery in Ballina this week to discuss the vision behind the business which seeks to marry modern techniques to an old tradition of craft distilling.

Last year Mayo was very much on the map when US President, Joe Biden went west and spent a remarkable evening in Ballina. One of the people instrumental in organising that visit was the then-mayor of Ballina Councillor Mark Duffy - he joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to take a look at the business stories that are making the morning papers are two Castlebar locals in the form of Teresa O’Malley, Head of News at Midwest Radio & Tom Kelly, Editor of the Connaught Telegraph.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries.

Bobby is joined by Debra & Ken Corey, to talk about their book 'Bad Bosses Ruin Lives: The Building Blocks for Being a Great Boss'.

With the privilege of owning your own home comes the added dilemma of sticking or twisting with the current structure and layout - but where do you begin, who do you call, and what are the costs involved for home renovation projects? For this week’s industry Review Bobby sought to find out as he was joined by:● Ruth Kennelly of RK Designs ● Diarmuid Kelly of DKAD Architects ● David Dunne of Timbermill Construction in Kildare

From Next Thursday 1st Feb, when you buy a drink in a plastic bottle, aluminium, or steel can that features the 'Re-Turn' logo, you will pay a small deposit in addition to the price of the drink. When you return your empty, undamaged drinks container to any participating retail outlet, you get your deposit back in full. So how is all this going to work on a national level and will people buy into it? Bobby is joined by Ciaran Foley who is the Chief Executive of ‘Re-Turn’ to discuss.

As the country continues down the path towards net zero, more and more electric charging points will be central to achieving that goal. Bobby is joined by John O’Keeffe, CEO of ePower to discuss the path forward to achieving a carbon-neutral future.

Joining Bobby to run through the main stories from the business pages in this morning's papers is journalist and author, Valerie Cox & Ciaran Hancock, Business Editor of the Irish Times.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Gary Lavin, founder & chairman of VITHIT.

Marga Hoek, author of ‘Tech For Good: Imagine Solving the World’s Greatest Challenges’ joins Bobby to chat about her book and the possibilities advanced technologies offer businesses to drive sustainable growth.

2023 was by all accounts a solid year for the motor and car dealership trade here in Ireland but how is 2024 shaping up and will we see many more EVs on our roads?Joining Bobby to discuss is:Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) Rowena Dooley, Dealer Principle at Dooley Motors Carlow Philip Mallon, Managing Director of Joe Mallon Motor Group 

Bobby chats to Regina Mangan about her new book ‘How to Build a Smarter, Faster, Better Estate Agency’

Bobby is joined by Fiona Smith, author of ‘Zero to Rich: Secrets to Becoming a Millionaire by 30'.

Bobby speaks to Charlie Engle, a former drug addict but now keynote speaker, adventurer, and multiple record holder.

Bobby is joined by Roger Wallace of EY to discuss the details of this year's EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards which opened this week.

It’s cold out there and with many more months of rain and cloud to come, what better time to start planning that summer getaway than right now?The travel agency business has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the last few years, so how have they been faring now that the cost-of-living crisis is finally beginning to ease?Joining Bobby for this week’s Industry Review is:• Paul Hackett, co-founder and CEO of Click & Go• Emma McHugh, Managing Partner at Atlantic Travel based in Letterkenny• Claire Doherty, Product and Operations Director at Travel Department

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Patrick Murphy, CEO of Codex.

Earlier in the week Bobby got to meet Dr. John Grey, author of 'Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’, who was speaking at this year's Pendulum Summit.Together they discuss the impact of the book, how things have changed since its publication, and the biological underpinnings of some of his opinions.

You may have heard earlier in the week that the decision has been made to close a Dublin alley due to anti-social behaviour and drug use. Naturally, this has concerned many and people are asking if this is the best way to protect a city. Sunday Independent columnist, Conor Skehan has some views on fixing the city and they are not just about more Gardai on the street - he joins Bobby to discuss.

This week saw the 30th Anniversary of CityJet in business. Despite some ups and downs over the years, it has persevered and evolved to a point where it is now a leading provider of jets to European airlines. Bobby is joined by Pat Byrne its founder and chairman.

Joining Bobby to take a look at the business stories featured in the Saturday papers are Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite and Doug Keatinge, Head of Communications at Avalon.

Bobby goes for a jog with Padraic George, Founder and Managing Director of Bodylite Gear, a leading Irish sportswear brand that specialises in visibility products and active gear for runners, walkers, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Ciaran Crean, co-founder & CEO of MicksGarage & WaveOMS.

We’re almost a week into the New Year and with that comes hordes of people heading out to shed some of that Christmas weight. Where are they going? Probably the gym. Joining Bobby to discuss the business of gyms in the country are Ger Conroy, Director of Ger Conroy Fitness; Garrett Ivers, Owner of UN1T Dublin; and Siobhan Byrne, co-owner of BodyByrne.

Broadcaster and author, Matt Cooper joins Bobby to discuss his new book 'Who Really Owns Ireland?: How we became tenants in our own land and what we can do about it'.

After several months of price increases in our supermarkets, a shift appears to be taking place as Lidl has followed Aldi in slashing its prices. But what does that mean for food producers? Sinead Ryan, presenter of The Home Show on Newstalk joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business and news stories from the morning papers is businesswoman and boadcaster, Norah Casey and Ian Curran, Business Report with the Irish Times.

Joining Bobby to give his predictions on how the Irish economy will fare in 2024 is economist, Cormac Lucey.

When life gets us down, we sometimes need a person who can motivate us and give us the confidence to succeed in life and in business.It is the role of the Life Coach to do just that.To tell Bobby about this world he is joined by Shane Cradock, an advisor to high-performing leaders and the author of 'Inspire Me'; Mark Fennell, life coach and author of the upcoming book ‘Breakthrough’, and Ciara Conlon, life and leadership coach and author of ‘Rise Before Your Bull’.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is David McRedmond the CEO of An Post.