Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly

Jim Barry is the Managing Director at Barry Group. The business was founded by his late father in 1955, and under Jim’s vision and leadership, it has grown from a once local business to a leading wholesale distribution company. The Barry Group is one of Ireland’s leading retail food and alcohol wholesale providers, servicing over 1,600 customers through a central distribution centre and company owned fleet on a weekly basis. The company employs over 230 people at its state-of-the-art headquarters in Mallow, Co. Cork and trading both nationally and internationally, it is responsible for 265 franchises under the Costcutter, Carry Out Off Licence, and Quik Pick symbols, as well as a large number of independent retailers and wholesalers based in Ireland. Jim is an energetic business leader who has a passion to deliver superior customer service through his committed and valued team. As an entrepreneur at heart, a passion of Jim’s is fuelling the entrepreneurial spirit in emerging Irish businesses. Barry Group has been listed as one of Deloitte’s Best Manged Companies, and has also been accredited in the Great Place To Work Programme.  This is the 67th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Jim Barry, Managing Director at Barry Group.

Enda McDonagh grew up in Tallaght attending St Mary's National School and Templeogue College. He went on to study B Comm in UCD followed by a Masters in Accounting in the Smurfit Business School. He joined Craig Gardner Price Waterhouse (one half of what later became PwC) in 1994 via the annual milk-round recruitment sweep of universities that the big accounting firms all do. Enda worked as an auditor, making his way up the ranks to manager level, at which point he took advantage of PwC’s international transfer system to take a role in Boston in 2000, spending three years in the US city. In 2006, he became a partner in the firm, led the assurance practice from 2015 and served eight years on the leadership team of his predecessor as managing partner, Feargal O’Rourke, before being chosen to lead the firm two years ago, taking over from O’Rourke in July 2023 for a four-year term – a second term is possible but we can talk about that later. Enda is married with three teenage kids which he often jokes is busier than the day job.... This is the 66th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner at PwC.

Jessie Collins is a Dublin-based editorial and content strategist with over two decades of experience crafting compelling brand narratives and leading multi-platform storytelling across Ireland’s most respected media, lifestyle, and cultural platforms. Throughout her career, she has steered award-winning editorial teams, launched pioneering initiatives, and helped shape the content landscape for both print and digital. From relaunching Irish Tatler for the digital era to directing content for IMAGE and Cara magazines, she has worked at the intersection of journalism, brand strategy, and creative innovation. Irish Tatler is a long-running Irish women’s magazine with a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. It was first published in 1890 under the name The Lady of the House, founded by John T. McDonnell, who was also the publisher of The Irish Independent. Its original mission was to provide practical advice and aspirational content for Irish women, covering fashion, society, household tips, and culture. Today, it continues to be a prominent voice in Irish media, celebrating female achievement and providing insight into fashion, culture, and modern Irish life. This is perhaps best encapsulated by the Irish Tatler's Women of the Year Awards, celebrating its 25th anniversary and proudly sponsored by Davy in 2025 for a second year. The awards have always been about championing the achievements of women, while also being an opportunity to take stock of where we are in terms of equality, opportunity and progress. This is the 65th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Jessie Collins, Editor and producer of Irish Tatler's Women of the Year Awards.

David Cawley has 20 years’ experience in the acoustic and audio engineering industry and will argue that he had been working in the field for the previous 20 years as he began playing music in the family music school at 3 years of age. In 2010 he founded the acoustic and audio design consultancy Allegro Acoustics, and as CEO, he led Allegro Acoustics to become a frontrunner in the European acoustics, noise and vibration consultancy engineering industry. Having stepped back from this business in recent years, David founded ONESONIC in 2019, the first and only Irish consumer audio brand. The first four years of operation for ONESONIC were executed as a live feasibility study; focused on developing a comprehensive audio device range, market testing and gauging customer feedback. Now with a five-product range on the market and a strong foundation to grow, ONESONIC is entering fully operational phase in 2025 with a focus on the UK and mainland Europe as key export markets. This is the 64th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest David Cawley, Founder and CEO of ONESONIC

Hailing from Barna in Co. Galway, Lorraine Heskin studied in University of Limerick before heading off to New York for 4 years working in a diverse range of food businesses. On returning to Dublin in 2006, she founded the Gourmet Food Parlour, opening its first 25-seater café in Dun Laoghaire. Since then, it has evolved to become Dublin’s most trusted restaurant group, with 12 locations across Dublin, Meath and Galway including a state-of-the-art catering kitchen in Santry. In 2023, they opened 3 unique dining concepts inside the iconic Arnotts Dublin department store, and now have a fourth there, as well as two in Brown Thomas, employing 320 people in total. As CEO, Lorraine’s hands on approach to running the business is the driving force behind the company. Her dedication, determination, and hard work filters down throughout the company. She was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2023 and recently won CEO of the year at the inaugural Business Post, Leadership and Excellence Awards. She has her own consultancy business established where she works with female entrepreneurs on their business journey, guiding and encouraging them to grow and scale. This is the 63rd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Lorraine Heskin, CEO of The Gourmet Food Parlour.

In 2005, Master Butcher Paddy O Leary and son David opened the first factory outlet butcher shop in Ireland and the Dublin Meat Company came into existence. They quickly became renowned great value products and a commitment to innovation without ever compromising on taste or quality. As the years have unfolded, my guest today, Brian O Leary joined, and together the family noticed a shift in eating behaviours. Sensing the demand for quick, healthier meal options, they took a bold step forward in 2014 with the creation of Fit Foods ready meals. Fast forward to 2022 when significant investment in the Dublin Meat Co business by the BGF group resulted in the purchase of Swift Fine Foods by Dublin Meat Company and the founding of DMC Foods. Still proudly Irish-owned and run by the O Leary family, DMC Foods operates from a 34,000sq ft manufacturing plant on the banks of Lough Egish. DMC Foods is a corner stone of local employment with 200+ employees. This is the 62nd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Brian O’Leary, CEO DMC Foods.

After formative years at Deloitte, DCC, Nestlé, Uniq, and Northern Foods—where he oversaw multi-site operations and delivered dramatic turnarounds—Garry was appointed CEO of Mezzan Holding in 2011, becoming the first non-family member to lead the Kuwait-based conglomerate. Mezzan Holding is one of the Gulf region’s leading diversified conglomerates, with deep roots in food, healthcare, and consumer sectors. Built on over 70 years of legacy, Mezzan is recognized for trusted brands, operational discipline, and its regional footprint across 7 countries. Over his 14 years tenure, Garry guided Mezzan through an ambitious growth phase: spearheading its IPO, refocusing on core segments like food and pharmaceuticals, executing acquisitions and disposals, and establishing independent governance in a traditionally family-led enterprise. Now serving as a strategic advisor and non-executive board member in various enterprises, Garry continues to shape strategic initiatives in the region, while also pursuing ventures like Planow.ai—a retail analytics startup tackling real-time inventory insights. This is the 61st episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Garry Walsh, Chairman and Founding Partner at planow.ai.

Sandyford Business District (SBD) is a Business Improvement District representing 1,000 companies, covering industries like IT and Communication, MedTech, Fintech, Energy tech, Automotive tech, Education and Childcare, Hospitality, Retail and Leisure. It is home to marquee names like Mastercard, Microsoft, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Meta, Google, BNP Paribas, AIB, Avant Money and Cubic Telecom among a host of other companies, and works closely with government, local authorities and industry leaders to advocate for infrastructure and investment. Ger Corbett has a wealth of experience and insight into business advocacy, infrastructure and planning development, and investment and policy promotion. As CEO since 2022, he guides SBD’s strategic focus- to serve as a cutting-edge example of collaborative improvement for businesses and their surrounding communities alike, and to position the district as a leading European business destination. This is the 60th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Ger Corbett, CEO of Sandyford Business District.

After completing a Graduate program in Marketing, Marc O’Dwyer began his sales career at Allied Irish Banks, Pitney Bowes and Panasonic, before succumbing to his entrepreneurial spirit in 1992 when he set up his own business, Irish International Sales (IIS).  Initially, this company was a reseller for Take 5 Accounts and Payroll software.  Within four years, IIS became the largest reseller of Take 5 in Ireland, acquiring four other Take 5 resellers. He also found time to set up two mobile phone shops under the Cellular World brand and a web design company offering website design services for small businesses. In 2001, he bought the majority share in a small Irish software business, Big Red Book.  At that time, the company was losing money.   The company became profitable within six weeks, and Marc then acquired a payroll company to compliment Big Red Books Accounting products. In 2003, IIS were appointed as Channel Partners with SAP for their new SME product, SAP Business One.  Marc sold his Take 5 business and concentrated on developing this new market for SAP, and in 2008, IIS was bought in an MBO. He launched Big red cloud in June 2012, the online version of big red book, which has been a huge success with a customer retention rate of 94% and unparalleled customer support. Marc sold both Big Red Book and Big Red Cloud in April 2025 at which stage the companies had supported over 75,000 businesses. This is the 59th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Marc O’Dwyer, Founder and Entrepreneur.

Hard as it might be taking over from your dad to run a family business, it must be even more difficult to follow in his footsteps to a senior position in another company or corporation – but that is what Niall Cogley did when he became Head of Sport for RTE. Then in 2004 he left the state broadcaster to become co-founder and CEO of Setanta Sports Ireland, a position he held for 6 years before accepting the role of director of broadcasting for TV3, after a brief stint with Sports & Broadcasting Solutions (SBS), an international sports consultancy and brokerage business. Finally in 2017 he went out on his own again with the establishment of Cogley Media which works with sports broadcasters and rightsholders - specialising in large and small scale productions as well as broadcast strategy, rights acquisition, exploitation, activation & delivery. This is the 58th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Niall Cogley, MD at Cogley Media.

When John Travers completed his Engineering degree he began working with Shell International, operating a major oil asset in the Netherlands. He subsequently went on to work at Shell Technology Ventures, commercialising new technologies for the global energy market. Next there was a stint with McKinsey working closely with CEOs, company boards and governments in multinational oil majors, before breaking out on his own as founding CEO of Alternative Energy Resources, which became a leading alternative energy company in Ireland. AER grew to supply sustainable biofuels to more retail networks in Ireland than any other company. He declined a takeover offer from DCC and led the company to an alternative exit, providing 16 times return to initial shareholders. He started a second business, Aer-Bio, to provide biotechnology solutions to the biofuels, industrial chemicals and nutraceuticals markets, and this company was bought by Cellulac plc in a share deal. Next, he stepped back into the multinational sector as founding managing director of DCC New Energy, a division focused on solar, wind, geothermal and bioenergy. Then his career took a very unusual turn…. But I wont spoil the surprise on that just yet! This is the 57th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest John Travers, Author and former Corporate Executive.

Ken Cahill is an active investor, independent board member, and advisor in the healthcare and technology sectors. He was the CEO and co-founder of SilverCloud Health, which he successfully scaled into the leading digital mental health platform with offices in Boston, Dublin, and London. Under his leadership, SilverCloud delivered clinically validated digital therapeutic care programs to over 1.5 million people, demonstrating significant improvements in clinical outcomes, enhancing access, and reducing the costs of care delivery. In 2021, SilverCloud Health was acquired by Amwell (NYSE: AMWL) for over $250 million. Before founding SilverCloud Health, Ken held senior roles at several multinational corporations, including Dell, HP, and Gateway. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing and IT, a Diploma in New Business and Entrepreneurship, and is a Chartered Board Director. This is the 56th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Ken Cahill, Chartered Board Director, Investor, Previous CEO & Founder of SilverCloud Health.

In the shifting landscape of modern work, freelancing has become a global movement. While digital marketplaces connecting businesses with freelance talent are emerging worldwide, Ireland has its own distinctive answer: The Indie List. Born during the uncertainty of the 2020 pandemic, what founders Úna Herlihy and Peter McPartlin created, has grown into a sophisticated talent platform hosting over 1,500 marketing freelancers that has channelled more than €5M directly to independent professionals across Ireland. The Indie List has now entered an exciting new chapter with a refreshed leadership team. Úna Herlihy continues as co-founder and CEO, but is joined by Rebekah Brooks as Managing Director, bringing new energy and vision to the company's ambitious plans. Úna Herlihy is a marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and champion of independent talent. With a career spanning over three decades across agency and consultancy roles, she has helped countless businesses successfully navigate the evolving marketing landscape. Rebekah Brooks is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience, having founded three successful businesses spanning SaaS and marketing agencies. Her entrepreneurial mindset and growth-focused approach make her the ideal leader to guide The Indie List through its next phase of expansion. This is the 55th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guests Una Herlihy and Rebekah Brooks, The Indie List.

This week’s episode is something a little different. We recently hosted a Venture Funding Forum with the guys in Delta Partners to an audience of over 70 people in the amazing surroundings of Euronext in Dublin. This exclusive event featured three exceptional founders who have successfully navigated the challenging path from start-up to successful exit, with insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, Gaming and Fintech as well as a deep understanding of the venture capital ecosystem and its role in enabling growth companies. The panel included Feargal Brady, a serial entrepreneur and investor now focused on fintech as co-founder and CEO of NoFrixion; Andreea Wade, a Dublin-based entrepreneur, AI innovator, and venture capitalist known for her leadership in talent acquisition technology and startup mentorship; and Richard Barnwell , an accomplished entrepreneur and investor in the gaming industry, best known as the founder of DIGIT Game Studios. This is the 54th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’.

Alan Andrews is widely regarded as a cafe and coffee expert and features prominently in both radio and print media. He created Coffee Culture in 2009, which specialised in Coffee Education and Training. He travelled around the country helping aspiring and new cafe owners with their business development and growth. In 2015, Alan bought The Old Barracks in Birdhill which is a place for the coffee curious and proved a hit from the start as locals and tourists who came to enjoy the experience. The retail side of the business grew as they were able to provide delicious coffee for home as well as education to ensure customers were creating a similar level at home. In January 2022, Alan secured a warehouse on the Dock Road in Limerick City and opened its doors in July 2022. Alan intends to turn this into an open source coffee education building with total transparency for customers to see the coffee making process and learn all about coffee. An estimated €1.5m will be spent to complete the project with the aim of launching the new offering early 2026. In 2024, Alan launched Ireland's first ever destination coffee festival - The Birdhill Coffee festival which will run again this June from 27-29th. This is the 53rd episode with guest Alan Andrews, Owner at The Old Barracks Coffee Roasters & GUJI Coffee Bars, in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’.

Tom Hefferon began his entrepreneurial journey in 1977, and since then, he has led multiple businesses before eventually forming Kefron with his business partner, Michael Kearns. Together, they launched Nesta, the first self-storage centre in Ireland. Over the next 20 years, Kefron saw large growth through the expansion of their Nesta facilities, as well as new ventures such as Shred-It and Two Men and a Truck. At the end of 2014, following a very successful career, Tom and his business partner retired, leaving the company in the hands of their sons, who continue to lead the successful company today. But never one to sit back and relax, Tom became involved in Investment and Business Support and Mentoring and is now heavily involved in a number of Irish 'Start-Up's' in the Telco Space, Sports Technology, Automated Home Energy Reduction, and fintech. He also founded Rayal Energy in 2015. Tom holds steadfast to his convictions, and throughout his career, he has consistently embraced his entrepreneurial spirit and maintained unwavering self-confidence. This is the 52nd episode with guest Tom Hefferon, Entrepreneur in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’.

When Anthony Gallagher started Petstop 30 years ago, dogs in Ireland were kept outside and got scraps. Now, the dog – or the cat or the fish – is absolutely a member of the family.” The €500m+ pet market is three times the size of the baby market in Ireland, and globally, the pet sector is expected to reach €400bn by 2030 – that’s bigger than recorded music or gaming. His career has spanned the graduate trainee programme in Penney’s, to owning a deli store, to being a retail consultant in London. While there he was asked to do a study on the Irish pet food market, which led to him taking an Irish distribution contract for a vet-focused brand. And then he convinced fellow Sligoman Seán Melly and corporate high-fliers Bernard Sommers and Liam Booth to back him and opened five large format stores. Petstop was born. An ill-fated entry into online pet stores nearly sank the business but a lucky exit gave them the ability to regroup, carry on, and four years later come out the other side. Large format pet stores are now the focal point for the industry and Petstop is ideally placed to continue its growth. This is the 51st episode with guest Anthony Gallagher, CEO and Founder of Petstop in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Tomás O’Leary is a visionary leader driving transformation in the software industry. As the Founder and CEO of Origina, he has revolutionized independent software maintenance, providing enterprise customers with a reliable alternative to vendor support. Origina is a software maintenance vendor and are the independent software maintenance and support provider that pairs their clients with dedicated, global IBM, HCL, and VMware product experts who keep a perpetual eye on the performance, longevity and compliance of the enterprise software estate. They support large global organizations with complex IBM® environments that need to modernize and grow, and take care of interoperability, licensing and security, so customers can dedicate your time and budget to moving forward. Tomás leads with bold vision, uniting innovation, advocacy, and sustainability to create meaningful change in the enterprise software market. Since founding the company in 2012, he has positioned Origina as a global leader, empowering organizations to break free from vendor lock-in and unlock greater value from their software investments. This is the 50th episode with guest Tomás O’Leary, CEO & Founder at Origina, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Jac Dunne is CEO of Dimply and brings over 30 years of financial services and fintech expertise, backed by an MBA from Dublin Business School. Throughout her career, Jac has held senior roles at prestigious institutions, including HSBC, Bank of New York (BNY), Bank of America (BOA), and Confluence Technologies, where she held global positions and developed and executed transformative strategies. Her international perspective and diverse sector experience enable her to deliver innovative solutions and foster meaningful growth. Dimply is an innovative, no-code, new generation customer experience platform designed specifically for financial services. It allows organisations to leverage any data source available to deliver hyper-personalised digital experiences, regardless of complexity, at scale. Jac brings a unique approach to business growth and relationship building. Her management philosophy, centring on empowerment and a balanced focus on client and team needs, sets her apart in the industry. Her commitment to charity work is not just a pastime, but a deeply ingrained part of her life. Her belief in equal opportunities for all drives her to create a more equitable society, and this passion for social progress resonates in all aspects of her life and work. This is the 49th episode with guest Jac Dunne, CEO of Dimply, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.

Loretta Dignam has pioneered menopause in Ireland. As founder and CEO, she opened the doors to The Menopause Hub, Ireland's first and only dedicated peri/menopause clinic in January 2019. This was one of only two clinics in the world dedicated to menopause.  The Menopause Hub is a centre of excellence, and now has three clinics in Ireland, and Ireland’s first Menopause App, which is available for free and which also acts as an adjunct to the patient care pathway. Loretta is a passionate advocate for menopausal women, smashing the taboo and striving to make menopause mainstream. Through the Menopause Hub Academy, she has also developed a CPD accredited programme to support organisations with menopause in the workplace awareness, education, training, and policy development and hosts the Menopause Workplace Excellence Awards in partnership with Great Place to Work and has created the Menopause Workplace Accreditation programme to recognise those who are leading the way in menopause support at work. Loretta has had a lengthy and highly successful career working for many multinational, global businesses including; Mars Inc, Diageo plc, Kerry Group plc Ardagh Group and Jacob Fruitfield, as a senior marketing and communications leader. She is a multi-award winner - Marketer of the Year, Tatler Woman of the Year 2024 (Health), Women's Health CEO of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year runner up in the Image Businesswoman Awards, and HIHI FemTech 2023 Winner. This is the 48th episode with guest Loretta Dignam, CEO of The Menopause Hub, in the Davy podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly'.