Best Use of Digital Category:
Gráinne Dwyer, Founder of Stori Creative Ltd.
Stori Creative Ltd. is an award-winning video production company located in West Cork, Ireland. The company was founded by Gráinne Dwyer and her co-founder Fiona Dwyer in 2017. It produces authentic storytelling style video (advertising) for large international and national organisations. They aim to be one of the leading creative production companies in Ireland within the next five years through collaboration with a curated talent pool of creatives and international partnerships.
Sherna Malone, Sales and Marketing Manager at Celtic Ross Hotel
Sherna is responsible for the hotel’s new website launch in 2017 and every aspect of same. Nominated for Gold Medal Awards 2017 Best Website and Cork Chamber Digital Marketing Awards 2017, Best Use of Facebook. She has turned around the digital face of the Celtic Ross Hotel.
Nicole O’Riordan, Digital Marketing Executive at The Southern Star
Since joining The Southern Star team in October 2016, Nicole has taken the digital side of the business from strength to strength. She has grown their digital audience (both traffic to website and social media audience) massively and has transformed the commercial nature of their digital operations, ensuring that there is a viable digital strategy in place to ensure The Southern Star brand exists for another 130 years.
Emerging New Business Category:
Sarah Abbott, Leadership Coach & Founder at The People Practice
Intrigued by people, their potential and what gets in the way, Sarah has spent over 30 years looking at what really impacts being our best. Founded on the belief that people are the key to business results, The People Practice works with people and organisations to enhance development, relationships and change. A native of Beara, Sarah previously led the global executive development team at EMC, focusing on talent strategies to prepare senior leaders for the future and spent over 10 years leading HR teams at Apple in locations across the world, specialising in the areas of leadership, culture and talent strategies.
Caroline Murphy, Owner at West Cork Eggs
Caroline believes that everyone should be able to eat fresh, locally produced food which is good value for money. Caroline started with four hens and they now have 3000 free range birds at their family farm in West Cork. They supply 21 SuperValu stores in Cork aswell as other independent retail outlets, restaurants and cafes. Caroline is also involved in the ‘Eggscellent Breakfast’ initiative which encourages primary school children to eat healthier breakfasts through a presentation with a food blogger and health nutritionist and “Helen the Hen”.
Noreen Murphy Coakley, Independent Stylist at Stella and Dot
Noreen Murphy-Coakley, an Independent Stylist with Stella & Dot since October 2017. Noreen is involved in the direct sale of high end, bespoke costume jewellery, accessories and a lifestyle brand. It allows Noreen additional flexible income on top of her busy day job in Risk and Compliance. She helps to make women feel fashionable and styled within reasonable price points, and friendly customer service. Noreen has one Stylist under her mentor-ship, and is actively seeking to expand her team even further.
Employee Category – Regional Network Ireland Finalist:
Katherine O’Sullivan, General Manager at O’Donnell Design Ltd.
Katherine, a chartered accountant, joined the team in O’Donnell Design Ltd in June 2007 as financial accountant and, since then, has progressed through the ranks to general manager in 2014. She aspires to continue to grow the business by expanding into new geographical markets and also expanding into complimentary industries such as the Cruise Line Industry. Katherine is currently in talks with Smurfit Business School hoping to secure the skills of MBA students to do research for their business. She has worked closely with Enterprise Ireland, particularly regarding Brexit and the challenges it poses.
