AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper , a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland.For the fifth and special bonus episode of this AI Magnified series, we're going live from A.I.B on Molesworth St to hear from an expert panel and their perspectives on leveraging AI to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance decision making within SMEs.On the panel:Stuart Fitzgerald is Chief Executive of Fitzgerald Power, which is a firm focused on accountancy services with a commitment to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic informed decisions. And as an established leader, he can provide insights into how AI is impacting traditional industries, such as accounting and finance, and share practical steps for other businesses to begin integrating AI.Tariq Zaki is CTO of Shopbox AI, which is an AI driven e commerce solution focused on customer experience and personalization. He has a deep understanding of the retail sector and he's going to offer us insights into how AI is revolutionizing retail. Customer engagement and sales processes. Jane Tolan is head of AI at AIB, responsible for designing and implementation of an AI strategy within a major financial institution. She's going to bring us her perspective on how AI can support transformation in large scale regulated industries. Igor Kochajkiewicz is the head of product design at Nori, and he designed a hospitality OS that helps its users make better business decisions every day. He was previously lead product designer at Glowfox, a B2B SaaS serving the fitness industry worldwide, and head of design at Kuhaba, an award winning digital agency in Dublin and Berlin.And finally, Michael Corcoran is co founder of Frankly, a social media agency. He has extensive experience in digital and social media, places like Paddy Power and Reiner, and he's going to share his insights on how AI is transforming customer interactions and marketing.This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper , a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland.Joining Matt this week are:Kieran McCorry is the National Technology Officer for Microsoft Ireland. With over 29 years of experience in the technology industry, he plays a key role in representing Microsoft to various audiences in Ireland, focusing on technology leadership, AI, trust, technology vision, strategic alignment, and policy.Feargal O’Rourke retired from professional services firm PwC in October 2023 after 37 years there,  the last 8 of which he was Managing Partner. He has worked in the Foreign Direct Investment area for almost all of his professional career, focussing mainly, but not exclusively, on companies from the West Coast of the US setting up in Ireland and Europe. He was appointed as chairperson of the I.D.A earlier this year.In the spiode we hear from Kieran about Microsoft's approach and investment in AI here in ireland, the role of proper data governance and working with Chat GPT. Feargal offers insights into the investment opportunities for Irish companies with A.I, how politicians are using it and whether Ireland is being too complacent in keeping up with developments. This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper, a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland. From business, education, the legal system and health, AI is set to revolutionise so many aspects of our lives and in the series Matt will be speaking to some of the leading experts to get their unique insight and analysis.This week's guests are: Elaine Coughlan, Elaine is a co-Founder and General Partner of Atlantic Bridge Capital a Global Growth Equity Technology Fund with over $450 million of assets under management, and over $300m of co-investment from Limited Partners. Elaine has over 20 year’s operational experience as CFO/COO in scaling technology companies with extensive operational and M&A experience.Sean Mitchell is the Chairman and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Ubotica Technologies. He has over 25 years of experience in senior executive management, marketing, and technical roles, particularly in designing imaging, graphics, and DSP processors, as well as AI and computer vision technologiesPatrick McNally is the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Equal1, a company focused on democratizing quantum computing. Equal1 is known for its innovative approach to quantum computing, particularly through their UnityQ chip, which integrates quantum and classical computing components on a single silicon chip. This technology aims to make quantum computing more accessible and scalable, leveraging existing semiconductor technology to achieve significant advancements.Here they discuss how ireland can compete in the AI market, what areas need the most strategic investment and the role can Quantum Computing can play. This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper, a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland. From business, education, the legal system and health, AI is set to revolutionise so many aspects of our lives and in the series Matt will be speaking to some of the leading experts to get their unique insight and analysis.In this week's episode Matt is joined by Bronagh Riordan, a notable figure in the field of data and analytics. She previously served as the Head of Data and Analytics at Primark and has been appointed as the chair of CeADAR, Ireland's Centre for Applied AI. This appointment makes her the first female chair of any technology centre in Ireland.Lawrence Vesey is a prominent figure in the consulting industry, currently serving as a Partner at Sia Partners in the UK and Ireland. He has over 25 years of experience in business transformation practice and has significant experience delivering major technology and transformation programs across various industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Agribusiness, Transport, and Utilities. Lawrence was one of the founders of Pathfinder, which became a leading independent consulting firm in Ireland before merging with Sia Partners in 2020.Here they discuss the 'demystification' of AI, issues around data protection and security and what is the best approach for businesses to navigate their journey into AI.This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper, a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland. From business, education, the legal system and health, AI is set to revolutionise so many aspects of our lives and in the series Matt will be speaking to some of the leading experts to get their unique insight and analysis.Our first two guests on the Magnify Plus series definitely suit the criteria. Patricia Scanlon is the country's AI ambassador, the objective of which is to develop, build and facilitate strong public trust in AI as a force for societal good. The role of the AI Ambassador includes leading a national conversation on the role of AI in our lives, emphasising Ireland’s commitment to an ethical approach to the use of the technology and in particular its adoption by enterprise.Also with us, John Clancy from Galvia, a Galway company that has an innovative AI programme to provide businesses of any size with easy-to-use AI tools. He also has fascinating opinions as to where we're going in Ireland with AI in businesses.This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Daniel McConnell is one of Ireland's most respected and forward thinking journalists. Prior to being appointed editor of the Business Post, he was political editor of the Irish Examiner since 2015, and is the recipient of Newsbrands Ireland national journalist of the year and political journalist of the year.He previously worked as group political correspondent and chief reporter at Independent News and Media, now Mediahuis Ireland, between 2006 and 2015, as well as at the Irish Times and the Sunday Times.His 2016 book Hell At the Gates, published by Mercier Press, covered the downfall of the Brian Cowen government and was a national best seller.In this week's episode Matt joines his boss to discuss the state of play of journalism in ireland, the role of RTE and how newspapers can futureproof themselves in an ever changing market. We also hear how he could have been the next Thom Yorke. Enjoy!

In an investigation conducted by RTÉ, in association with the Irish Mail on Sunday, reporter Anne Sheridan examines the Catholic Church’s handling of allegations against the former Bishop of Galway, Eamonn Casey, who died in 2017. Bishop Casey’s Buried Secrets  includes an interview with one of Bishop Casey’s accusers, his niece, Patricia Donovan. Speaking for the first time on camera, she claims that he first raped her at the age of five and that the sexual abuse continued for years.In this week's episode of Magnified, Anne Sheridan joins Matt to discuss these shocking revelations, how they were covered up and enabled and above all the courage of the victims in coming forward.

Kenny Jacobs is a hugely successful businessman with a rich and varied career that has brought him from stacking shelves in Dunnes as a teen to heading up the DAA. He graduated from University College Cork in 1997 with a degree in commerce. Having worked with Tesco both here and in England, Jacobs was announced as the CEO of the DAA (Dublin Airport Authority) in November 2022 and began his role in January 2023. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Ryanair. His extensive experience includes marketing, commercial, and operational roles in large consumer-serving businesses.Kenny joins Matt to discuss his incredible career, working with Michael O'Leary, why he works airport security security at and his future plans for Dublin and Cork airports.

Avril Copeland is a remarkable individual who has led an adventurous and multifaceted life.Hailing from Dublin, Ireland (her father is none other than legendary tailor Louis Copeland), Avril played international hockey for Ireland and worked in the country music business in Nashville and developed a passion for adventure racing, where she raced seriously for five years.With a background in physiotherapy Avril is the CEO and co-founder of Innerstrength Health, an eHealth company. The company develops digital tools that facilitate collaboration between health professionals and patients for preventing and treating chronic conditions.In this wide-ranging conversation with Matt you get to hear about all the dimensions of her incredible professional and sporting life as well as her journey with IVF and dealing with her sons profound deafness diagnosis. Enjoy!

Currently proving herself to be one of the best pundits in the game at Euro 24, in this edition Matt revisits a conversation he had with one of the most influential Women in World Sport. Lisa Fallon has been a footballer, an analyst, coach, manager and now sits on the FIFA Technical Group and has built a reputation as one of the foremost minds in the game.

Conor Niland, a former Irish professional tennis player, has written a captivating book titled "The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%." In this memoir, Niland shares his experiences as part of the 99% of players who travel the globe, hoping to climb the rankings and qualify for Grand Slam tournaments. The book provides insights into the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the challenges faced by touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses1 2. It's a unique look inside the fascinating hidden world of professional tennis and in this week's episode he joins Matt to discuss his fascinating book and career.

Rena Maycock is a remarkable entrepreneur who wears multiple hats. She founded Cilter Technologies, a startup that develops child protection software for smartphones. Their software detects and blocks cyberbullying, grooming, and self-harm content in user-generated messages and browsers1. Rena is also the CEO of Cilter, leading the charge to make internet use safer for children.Additionally, Rena co-founded Intro, a matchmaking agency, with her husband Feargal Harrington in 2011. Furthermore, Rena is an advocate for women in tech, emphasizing funding equality and mentoring aspiring female founders Her journey from cold call sales to deep tech CEO is is a fasciating so enjoy her telling it to Matt on this week's episode.

Fresh from being elected Mayor of Limerick, this week we revisit Matt's previous conversation with John Moran. Once dubbed Ireland's Mr Austerity, Limerick’s first directly-elected mayor has had a fascinating career, in law, in business, as a senior official in the department of finance during an economic crisis, Chairman of the Land development agency and now he's overcoming cancer. He discusses all of these topics and the need for state intervention in land and housing development in this edition of Magnified.

Anthony Scaramucci is an American financier but he best known for the time he briefly served as the White House Director of Communications from July 21 to July 31, 2017 before being dismissed by President Donald Trump. Scaramucci has also been critical of Trump in the media and voiced support for Joe Biden in the 2020 and 2024 election and is a huge advocate for bitcoin. In this episode of Magnified Matt spoke to Anthony in front of a live audience about his short but eventful time in Trump's White House and whay he is such cheerleader for crypto.

The late Tony O'Reilly was many things to many people. A brilliant rugby player capped by The Lions, a business giant on both sides of the Atlantic, a philathropist, art collector, media mogul and above all one of the most influential figues in recent Irish history. Matt Cooper literally wrote the book on the man so in a special edition of Magnified he has swapped seats and invited Anton Savage to interview him about Tony O'Reilly's quite incredible life.

 Conall Laverty is the founder and CEO of Wia, a startup that provides the backend for developers and companies to build Internet of Things (IoT) devices and among his many incredible achievements Conall was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe in the technology category. In this week's episode of Magnified Conall tells Matt of getting started in the tech world at the age of 8, bootlegging sim cards and how he turned his mind to making ventilators more accessible during covid. 

Peter Murtagh is an award-winning Irish-born journalist and author. He spent almost 40 years working in newspapers, including The Irish Times, the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Times, The Guardian and is the co-author of The Boss, the ground-breaking book on Charles Haughey.In addition to his journalistic career, Peter Murtagh has embarked on travel adventures. After retiring in 2019, he decided to explore the world on his trusty motorbike and in this week's episode Peter shares his incredible experiences and stories along the way.

John Gibbons is an Irish environmental campaigner and the founder of the climatechange.ie website. He also co-founded the healthcare publishing and communications specialists MedMedia Group and is known to many radio listeners for his 150 appearances on Last Word On The Environment. John joins Matt on this week's episode to discuss his own farming background, how is dedicated advocacy for climate issues developed as well as the impact his difficult relationship with his father has shaped him.

Ciaran Mulligan, managing director CMUL Investments, and founder and former managing director of Blue Insurance is one of Ireland's most innovative and respected entrepreneurs with a life story to match. From his earliest beginnings in the legendary Lillie's Bordello to the sale of the hugely successful insurance business to blogging his extensive travels as ‘The Fabulous Traveller’, it's fair to say Ciaran has taken life head-on. In this week's Magnified he discusses his evolution as a businessman and speaks with incredible courage to Matt about his tragic experience with surrogacy.

In this edition Matt is joined by IBEC Chief Executive Officer Danny McCoy. Now in the role since 2009, he talks about his background as an economist, growing up in Tuam in the seventies and why our critical infrastructure needs to be looked at differently.