The Indo Daily: Brian O'Driscoll and Amy Huberman Incorporated: The million-euro empire
Their secret?
A carefully curated public image, relentless hard work and a knack for commercial timing.
Tabitha Monahan is joined on The Indo Daily by Irish Independent journalist John Meagher to trace how O'Driscoll and Huberman leveraged media savvy and turned it into market dominance.
But fame has a shelf life. Can Brand BOD keep evolving before the public moves on?
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Business Post
2 days ago
- Business Post
What the Papers Say: RTÉ €725 million ‘distorting' bailout; Nvidia gets Trump reprieve; Jaguar boss defends ‘woke' rebrand
10 am - Good morning from the Business Post newsroom. Daniel McConnell here with your Saturday morning round-up of the main stories in Ireland and across the world. RTÉ €725m funding could 'distort' media market, Irish Independent publisher warns Minister Mediahuis, the multinational group that owns the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent newspapers, has warned that the Government's multiyear funding agreement for RTÉ could damage competition, the Irish Times reports. The media company says this is the case because the bailout would help fund enhancements to digital products such as the RTÉ Player and RTÉ News App to the detriment of commercial media companies. The Belgian-Dutch publisher also said it was concerned that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could compound the existing imbalance in the relationship between Big Tech and commercial media companies in the State. The issues were raised in a May 7th letter, signed by Mediahuis director of legal and public affairs, Fergus Foody, and sent to Minister for Culture, Arts and Communication Patrick O'Donovan. Failure to provide gas storage puts Ireland at risk of major power outages, EY says Power cuts like those seen in Spain and Portugal could be a danger for Ireland if the Government does not provide for storing natural gas, according to a leading industry figure, the Irish Times is reporting. This State has no natural gas storage, or a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, despite relying on the fuel to generate close to half of all electricity. The Republic ultimately risks 'interruptions to supply' of this key energy source if it does not deal with this question sooner rather than later, Sean Casey, industrials and energy industry leader at EY said. Natural gas generates 40 per cent of Irish electricity, Casey noted, with the State importing 80 per cent of its natural gas via the UK. Its only home-grown source of the fuel, the Corrib field, is dwindling. HP Enterprise paid $25m dividend to Irish entity in June One of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise's main Irish units paid a dividend of €21.5 million ($25 million) in June to another of the computing giant's companies registered here after restructuring its balance sheet and cancelling part of its share capital in early 2025, the Irish Times reports. Accounts filed by Hewlett-Packard Galway (HPG), the entity behind the S&P 500-listed computing giant's European research and development (R&D) hub in Ballybrit, also reveal that operating profits at the unit surged by almost 700 per cent last year amid an increase in R&D tax credits. HPG, which employed some 374 people in the Republic last year, reported turnover of $68.9 million for the 12 months to the end of October last year, up by just under 4 per cent on the previous year. US licenses Nvidia to export chips to China after CEO meets Trump The US commerce department has started issuing licences to Nvidia to export H20 chips to China following weeks of inaction, after chief executive Jensen Huang met President Donald Trump at the White House, the Financial Times is reporting. A US official told the Financial Times the bureau of industry and security, the arm of the commerce department that oversees export controls, had begun to issue licences for the H20. Nvidia designed the chip for the Chinese market after the Biden administration imposed export controls on more advanced artificial intelligence chips. In April, the Trump administration appeared to take a tougher line by telling Nvidia it could not sell the H20 to China. Trump reversed course after Huang visited the White House and directly lobbied the president. But Nvidia was frustrated that three weeks after the decision, the administration had not started issuing the licences. Huang visited the White House on Wednesday and held another meeting with the president. Two days after the meeting, the commerce department starting issue the licences, according to people familiar with the decision. New Jaguar boss defends 'woke' rebrand after stinging criticism The new boss of Jaguar has defended the company's 'woke' rebrand, days after Donald Trump labelled it a 'total disaster', the Daily Telegraph reports. PB Balaji, who is due to take over as chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in November, claimed that the carmaker had seen a positive response to its overhaul. The move has seen it ditch its iconic jumping cat logo, embrace a hot pink aesthetic and debut a car design that has been compared to the Thunderbirds' limousine. He told reporters: 'We have put our plans together, the cars are being revealed, they're getting exciting response from the customers on the ground. Therefore, that's what the strategy is.' It comes days after Trump, the US president, claimed Jaguar had been left in 'absolute turmoil' by its rebrand.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Is Féidir Linn: Mayo's new trade school offering a golden ticket to Ireland's next generation
The school is the brainchild of Donal Byrne, a local businessman and entrepreneur who is the managing director of BRB Homes in Swinford. Recognising both the growing shortage of tradespeople across Ireland and the limitations of the traditional education system, Donal wanted to offer young people aged 16-18 a chance to develop valuable trade skills, as well as a well-rounded education. He believes the current education system is too 'one size fits all' and fails to meet the needs of many young people who do not thrive under the traditional academic pathway. Donal explains how the idea for Is Féidir Linn came about: 'Many young adults we [at BRB] saw coming out of the Leaving Cert, we felt, had been in school a bit too long. They only choose trades because there were no other options, or maybe because their Leaving Cert didn't go too well.' Currently, after completing their Junior Cert, students pursuing a trade would move through Transition Year, fourth year, and Leaving Cert before applying for an apprenticeship. Donal believes the current route is 'dated,' noting that many apprentices are learning parts of the trades that no longer exist. 'Take plumbing, for example, [apprentices are taught] copper and gun barrel fittings, whereas nowadays it's red pipe blue pipe push-in fittings. It's the same with carpentry, you don't need to know how to make a door, because they're made in a factory, you need to know how to hang a door, same with windows.' In the first year, Is Féidir Linn will offer students a taste of eight different trades, including carpentry, mechanics, plant machinery and groundworks, plumbing, steel fabrication and welding, 3D modelling, business administration, and hospitality and catering. There is also an optional subject, heritage that will teach cooperage and thatching. In the second and third years, students will choose the trade they like the most and specialise in that. 'They will do the three years with us, and we then say - Yes, this person is good within their field, they're qualified. If they want to go further in Solas or college, we will encourage that. This is just a different option, and a gateway to get people to look at trades differently,' said Donal. The focus of the trade school is to create a cohort of capable young adults who are trained and ready to enter the workforce. He explained what a standard week will look like for students: 'On Monday there will be a motivational speaker who will be an entrepreneur of some kind who didn't like school, maybe had it very difficult or was dyslexic, and has now become very successful in their field. They will then go out for three days to learn their trade and come back on Friday to report on how they got on during the week, then they will go next door to the culinary school to learn how to make a meal.' Donal emphasises that Is Féidir Linn does not operate on a pass/fail system. Students can take the time they need to master skills without pressure. If a student struggles and needs another year or two to master their trade, that is no problem. The school understands that everyone learns at different speeds and will support them. There are no exams, instead, there will be practicals where students can demonstrate, in a form of their choosing, what they have learnt. Reflecting Donal's commitment to education being more than just traditional exams. The school aims to teach more than just trades. Donal says, 'Students will learn practical life skills like opening a bank account, applying for their theory test, and putting together CVs. These are the skills you don't learn in algebra or Shakespeare.' They also aims to tackle wider social issues, including mental health and substance abuse. 'We will have life coaches coming in to speak to them, we will be talking about mental health, we want to create a little bit of change, and it will have a ripple effect,' said Donal. He introduced drug and alcohol testing in his company and will implement a strict policy at the school, reinforcing that substance abuse won't be tolerated. 'That's why this is so much more than a trade school,' he explained, 'It is a complicated world for young people at the moment, if we are able to keep them busy, educate them, and give them something to work towards, then they have goals, and they are listening to adults who are encouraging them.' Is Féidir Linn is privately funded, with investments from Donal and other backers. Participating companies will pay apprentices on a weekly basis, and BRB Homes alone plans to take on three apprentices in the first year. The initial cohort will consist of 12 students, with a small monthly fee of €166 to cover costs such as training and certifications. The school has received a strong response, with applications double the available places and a 70-30 gender split. A wide range of local businesses are involved, including Knock Airport's aviation trade, Harrington Concrete, expert vintage vehicle mechanics, 3D printing and modelling specialists, senior ESB members, a mechanical lecturer from ATU, and local food entrepreneur Jimmy's Coffee. Donal hopes Is Féidir Linn will be the first of many trade schools across Ireland. 'We're hoping there will be one of these schools in every county in ten years. We're hoping this is the way forward, it's a different option and a gateway to get people to look at trades differently.' The school aims to go back to basics and help nurture the young adults attending. Donal summed up his motivation: 'This isn't about financial gain. We want to leave a legacy, build a workforce, and create real change. If this works, maybe the Government will recognise the value and invest in trade education nationwide.' 'This is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the golden ticket,' said Donal, 'You have Mayo's and some of Connacht's biggest companies sitting around the table giving them a golden opportunity.'
The Journal
5 days ago
- The Journal
Police investigating after 33-year-old Irish woman found dead on boat in New York
AN IRISH WOMAN was found dead on a yacht by detectives when it docked in Montauk, New York, in the early hours of yesterday morning. Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, aged 33, was originally from Carlow. She had been living in Manhattan for a number of years. She was pronounced dead on the boat by first responders, according to a statement from Suffolk County Police. A man had called 911 reporting that a woman was unconscious on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on Star Island Road at around midnight. A police statement said 'Good Samaritans' attempted to perform CPR on the woman. Martha Nolan O'Slatarra LinkedIn LinkedIn Detectives are investigating her death, police said. 'The preliminary investigation and exam were inconclusive regarding the cause of death, which will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.' Ms Nolan-O'Slattara is the founder of fashion brand East x East and operations director at US investment firm K IV Capital Management in New York. She is a graduate of UCD's Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Last February, the fashion designer spoke to the Irish Independent about her journey in marketing and business. Ms Nolan-O'Slattara studied in Dublin's Institute of Education for her fifth and sixth year in secondary school, going on to receive her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from UCD. From there, she worked in finance and marketing before she set up her own business. She founded East x East, a resort-wear brand with the tagline 'Built in the City x Made for the Sun', in September 2021. The brand had a pop-up store in Montauk in summer 2023, Ms Nolan-O'Slattara said in a video posted to her TikTok page, in which she discussed founding the brand. Advertisement 'I live in the Upper East Side. I love it in New York. It's expensive but I don't see myself living anywhere else for now,' she told the Irish Independent. 'I love Carlow, I miss it so much but now that I work for myself I can go home for a month and my parents and my friends are always coming out to see me. 'I feel I won't be able to work for anyone ever again… All that I have learned from my previous jobs, I feel like the puzzle has fallen into place.' A woman who was staying at the yacht club's hotel told NBC New York that she woke up yesterday morning to a massive police presence. 'You could see out into the marina, and you could see the yellow tape partitioning off the boat,' she said. Describing the resort and area as 'chill', she continued, 'you never see anything remotely like this. It was unnerving.' The Montauk Yacht Club's website describes the marina as the largest in the Hamptons, spanning 16 acres. In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for the yacht club said: 'We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident that took place. Our team is cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and remains committed to the safety and well-being of our guests and staff. We have no further comment at this time.' A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.' Montauk – located on the eastern tip of Long Island, almost 200km from Manhattan – is a seaside tourist destination popular with local families and overseas visitors. It has a strong Irish community, and has been a favoured destination of J1 students in particular during the summer months in recent years. MapCreator MapCreator With reporting from Jane Matthews Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
