PEOPLE FOCUS - CIPD

REGIONS: WESTERN
PEOPLE FOCUS
CIPD Western Region
Leadership Conference
CIPD Western Region in conjuction with GMIT held their
annual conference entitled ‘Leadership – Strategy to
Execution’ on Friday 10th October 2008. The event was kindly
sponsored by GMIT and held on campus.
The sold out event featured guest speakers Economist,
David McWilliams and founder and Chairman of O ’ Brien ’ s
Irish Sandwich Bars, Brody Sweeney along side Evelyn
O ' Toole, Managing Director of Complete Laboratory
Solutions (CLS), Deirdre McHugh, GMIT Law Lecturer and
Joe Howley Assistant Secretary, Head of Revenue ’ s Border
Midlands West Region.
David McWilliams headlined the event and asked ‘ how should
the Country be run? ’ a question on many peoples minds – and
he endeavoured to shed some light on the country ’ s economic
and political woes. David addressed the Government directly
by demonstrating his strategy in the very topical ‘ How to run
your Country ’ and how his plan should be executed.
Joe Cowley illustrated how Revenue, as a large organisation,
found that there was a mis - match between its structure and its
strategy. It will demonstrate how Revenue developed a new,
customer - focussed strategy and then completely dismantled
the organisation. He explain the new strategy and how it has
been executed through building an entirely new structure for
the organisation with a particular focus on: Leadership,
Change Management and managed risk -taking.
Evelyn O ’ Toole, a native of Clifden, is the Managing Director
of Complete Laboratory Solutions (CLS) and she informed the
attendees on how her company has become one of Ireland ’ s
leading contract laboratories providing Micro & Chemistry
Testing, supplying trained Analysts to industry on contract,
Health screening and R & D.
The conference was a major success and was attended by
over 200 HR professionals – and questions flowed from the
floor for all of the speakers sparking witty answers from the
speakers adding to the overall atmosphere of this highly
informative event.
Also addressing the conference was founder and Chairman of
O’Brien’s Irish Sandwich Bars, Brody Sweeney. Since opening
their first store in 1988, Brody and his management team
have successfully opened over 300 outlets worldwide with
over 110 outlets in Ireland, making his company one of
Ireland’s successful export brands. Brody is one of Ireland’s
best known entrepreneurs and a much sought-after speaker
on entrepreneurship, leadership, C.S.R., and motivation at
events in Ireland and the U.K.
Deirdre McHugh highlighted developments in Employment
Law and discussed how ensuring an understanding of a
business ’ s legal compliance obligations, through correct
leadership, can save on costly litigation.
Pictured: Jacqueline O'Dowd, Hon. Chairperson, CIPD Western Region;
David McWilliams; Bernie Turley, Goodman Medical; and
Brody Sweeney.
Attending the CIPD Western Region Leadership Conference sponsored by GMIT are L to R: Joe Cowley, Assistant Secretary, Head of Revenue's
Border, Midlands, West Region; David McWilliams, Economist, Broadcaster & Author; Clodagh Geraghty, GMIT & Master of Ceremonies; Deirdre
McHugh, GMIT Law Lecturer & Barrister; Evelyn O'Toole, MD, Complete Laboratory Solutions; Bernard O'Hara, Registrar of GMIT; and Brody
Sweeney, Chairman & Founder of O'Briens Sandwich Bars.
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