Tag: leadership

Ergo named Microsoft Ireland Azure Partner of the Year

Ergo, Ireland’s leading IT solutions provider, has been named Microsoft Ireland Azure Partner of the Year 2025. Ergo received this prestigious award for its consistent excellence in leveraging Microsoft Azure technologies to drive transformative results for organisations.

This recognition highlights Ergo’s leadership in cloud migration and digital transformation, emphasising the company’s exceptional Azure expertise and its ability to deliver innovative and impactful cloud solutions. Ergo was distinguished by its ability to lead large-scale Azure migrations and deliver Azure AI solutions that address complex business challenges while prioritising security, cost efficiency, and agility.

Microsoft commended Ergo’s technical depth and its year-on-year growth with a strong focus on helping customers modernise their IT environments. The company’s track record of supporting organisations in migrating to the cloud and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and resilience was also highlighted.

Commenting on the announcement, Steve Blanche, CTO at Ergo, said:

“We are immensely proud to be named Microsoft Ireland Azure Partner of the Year once again. This award is a testament to the expertise and commitment of our people, who go above and beyond to deliver genuine value for our customers every day. Over the past three decades, we have built a strong and lasting partnership with Microsoft, one that continues to develop as technology advances. Together, we are helping organisations in Ireland to adapt, innovate, and maximise their investment in the cloud.”

Clare Hillis, Enterprise Partner Lead at Microsoft Ireland, extended her congratulations and added:

“Ergo has excelled at delivering impactful transformation for our customers, successfully managing some of the largest and most complex cloud migrations this year. Throughout this period, we have seen Ergo and our customers working in strategic partnership and going from strength to strength. I’m absolutely delighted to congratulate Ergo on this recognition, as there is no partner over the last 12 months that has deserved this award more.”

This latest award highlights the depth of expertise and collaboration between Ergo and Microsoft, reinforcing their shared commitment to support organisations in Ireland on their digital transformation journeys.

Ergo has also renewed its certification as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider. Having first achieved this elite accreditation in 2021, Ergo has successfully passed a rigorous independent audit of its IT service management capabilities across people, process, and technology. This certification confirms Ergo’s ability to deliver consistent, repeatable, innovative managed services on Azure, meeting the highest standards set by Microsoft for technical capability, customer service, and operational excellence.

Together, these achievements reinforce Ergo’s recognition as Azure Partner of the Year 2025 and reaffirm its position as one of Ireland’s leading Azure partners.

You can find more information on Ergo’s cloud migration and AI capabilities here.

Fianna Fáil Leadership Fallout Tops Airwaves as Most Defining and Negative Story of 2025 Presidential Election

The latest Everhaze “Battle of the Airwaves” report has found that Fianna Fáil’s leadership turmoil was the most defining and negatively framed story of the 2025 Presidential election, eclipsing all other topics across more than 16,000 radio mentions. The fallout, which was intertwined with Jim Gavin’s withdrawal generated over 2,000 mentions resulting in a sustained national discussion and an average negative weighted sentiment of –43.8 pp, the lowest of the election.

Amid the turbulence, Maria Steen emerged as an unexpected winner of the campaign, gaining national prominence on a non-polarising current securing 1,300 mentions largely avoiding controversy and securing net sentiment of +1.0 pp. In contrast, the two leading candidates, Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, were both drawn into negative narratives late in the race, as Connolly’s “Bank Representation” (-3.6 pp) and Humphreys’ “Shane O’Farrell” (-4.2 pp) storylines became the most damaging stories of their respective campaigns.

Connolly ultimately led the airwaves in the final fortnight (44.1% share of voice, +2.3 pp net sentiment) with coverage driven by governance reform and community advocacy themes. Humphreys followed at 37.3% (–2.6 pp), her tone weighed down by ongoing justice and departmental accountability discussions. Gavin’s residual post-withdrawal commentary held 18.6% (–3.6 pp) and remained strongly associated with leadership fallout.

Local radio again proved decisive, accounting for 72% of all mentions, while national talk shows supplied narrative framing and tone moderation. Overall sentiment across the campaign closed slightly negative (–0.8 pp net), underscoring a cycle defined more by leadership disruption and controversy than by policy promotion.

Speaking about the findings, James McCann, CEO of Everhaze said:

“Jim Gavin’s withdrawal from the race, and the ensuing fallout for Fianna Fáil’s leadership, will likely stand as the defining story of the 2025 Presidential campaign. Equally striking is how Maria Steen’s absence from the ballot became an unexpected advantage. The sheer volume of her mentions, combined with their notably non-polarising tone, propelled her into national prominence without the burden of controversy. It’s also unsurprising that Catherine Connolly was the only candidate to finish with a positive sentiment score, largely because Heather Humphreys’ campaign struggled to generate strong counter-narratives capable of offsetting a series of negative stories.”

The Battle of the Airwaves: Irish Presidential Campaign 2025 report analysed more than 16,000 radio mentions from 60 stations nationwide, tracking sentiment, share of voice, geography, and trend dynamics between 24 September and 25 October 2025.

Everhaze is an Irish-built PR intelligence platform that tracks real-time media coverage across radio, print, and online sources in Ireland and the UK. Its technology combines broadcast capture with AI-driven analysis to map who is getting talked about, where, and in what tone. The platform is widely used by communicators to monitor campaigns, understand sentiment shifts, and measure share of voice.

As part of its continuing analysis of the 2025 Presidential campaign, Everhaze will host a live webinar today at 1pm titled “The De-brief” featuring Everhaze CEO James McCann in conversation with political commentator Derek Mooney. The session will unpack the full findings of the Battle of the Airwaves report, explore how leadership narratives shaped tone and momentum across local and national radio, and examine what the data reveals about voter sentiment heading into 2026.

The live discussion will also cover:

  • How radio became the defining battleground of the 2025 campaign
  • Why Fianna Fáil’s leadership fallout dominated the airwaves
  • How Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Maria Steen each built distinct tonal profiles
  • What the broader implications are for media strategy, messaging, and trust in Irish political communication

Report

Xiaomi’s New Report Reaffirms Its Commitment to Sustainability and Innovation

Xiaomi is pleased to share the release of its seventh annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the company’s ongoing leadership in accessible technology, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and circular economy practices.

At COP29 in November 2024, Xiaomi unveiled a new strategy for sustainable development, placing greater emphasis on inclusive products, technology equality, and its “Human x Car x Home” ecosystem strategy, designed to deliver a smart, sustainable lifestyle for consumers. 

 As part of its commitment to a more inclusive digital experience, Xiaomi enhanced its TalkBack feature, enabling accurate recognition and real-time narration of text in images, providing users with visual impairments a more seamless ‘reading’ experience.

In terms of climate action, Xiaomi not only sets greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for its own operations but also requires its smartphone supply chain partners to adopt equivalent GHG reduction measures. By 2030, suppliers must reduce annual carbon emissions by at least 5% (based on 2024 levels) and use a minimum of 25% renewable electricity. By 2050, 100% renewable electricity usage is required.

Xiaomi also carries out electronic waste recycling programs worldwide and plans to recycle a total of 38,000 tons of electronic waste over five years (2022 to 2026) and achieved 95.94% of this target as of the end of 2024.

Xiaomi remains committed to driving innovation and breakthroughs toward a better future through its ongoing pursuit of sustainable development. For further details, view the full report here.

Key Metrics To Track When Working With A Healthcare PR Agency

If your hospital is struggling to build a credible reputation in the market, then you can consider working with a healthcare PR agency. Why? This can be a strategic investment that will go a long way in elevating your organisation’s image, building trust with important stakeholders, and eventually helping you in achieving and driving the objectives of your platform. 

However, you need to be sure that you get the most out of this partnership; it’s crucial to outline and monitor the key performance indicators or metrics. What do these metrics do? Well, they provide you with loud evidence of whether your facility is creating an impact while assisting you in assessing the return on your investment. 

Questions like “What are those key metrics?” might have popped into your mind. Don’t worry, as this blog is here to give you the relevant details related to the necessary metrics you need to track while collaborating with this PR agency. 

Media Relations and Visibility 

Media relations and visibility are the categories that pay immense attention to your platform’s ability to grab and secure positive media coverage, as that can do wonders in boosting your entity’s visibility in the long run as well. How is it done? Let’s discuss:

Number of Media Placements

In this situation, the number of media placements plays a massive role. How? This metric tracks the number of times your company or its name was mentioned in various relevant media outlets. This can be in the shape of online, print, and broadcast, providing a solid number to confirm if the agency’s efforts are fulfilling the purpose or not. 

Quality Of Media Placements 

Yes, on one side, quantity matters, but at the same time, you can’t ignore the quality of media placements. Therefore, you need to keep the following factors in mind:

Type of Publication

You need to stay vigilant and check the type of publication the agency is getting you published in. For instance, your platform should get covered in extremely respected publications, national news outlets, or influential blogs that have a huge target audience. Why? The reason is that these spaces add more weight as compared to watching your company’s name and images in smaller, less relevant magazines that wear the label of non-existence. So, if you are trusting their efforts, then this should be there. 

Outlet Should Be Relevant

The agency shouldn’t be reaching out to random media outlets but the ones whose following is relevant to your target patient. For instance, it will be best if people like health care professionals, policymakers, or other well-known stakeholders follow the media outlet. 

Analyze The Tone

Even if your medical organisation is receiving the desired media coverage, analyze the tone and sentiment of the situation. Examine whether it is negative, neutral, or positive, as you certainly won’t pay them for doing negative publicity. Hence, the PR agency should not leave any stone unturned in providing your company with either exceptionally positive or balanced reporting. 

Inclusion of Key Message 

You will want the key message of your medical facility to be correctly expressed in front of the media. Hence, keep your eyes open to see whether the healthcare PR agency is standing by their commitment as they promised, meaning does their team accurately communicate about your value propositions, and highlight or not. 

Placement and Prominence

When your hospital’s name appears in a feature article, you can expect it to attract more views than just getting briefly mentioned in a broadcast segment. Hence, while working with a healthcare PR agency, see where their teams are mentioning your platform. 

Media Reach and Impressions

You must have read about the terms impressions and reach, but you won’t know what they stand for. Impressions are another critical metric that gives the total number of times your hospital’s coverage was viewed. While reach shares the unique number of individuals who could have seen or heard about your hospital’s coverage. How are these rough figures calculated? It is done on the basis of circulation figures, the amount of traffic the particular website receives, or the number of viewership of all the relevant media options. 

Content Marketing and Thought Leadership 

Does your healthcare PR agency offer content marketing and thought leadership ideas in its package? If so, then be ready to track the following metrics: 

Website Traffic and Engagement

After the PR agency posts some interesting content on your hospital’s site, you need to monitor changes on the website. For instance, look at the overall visits of the target audience you tried to reach, any unique visitors that were compelled to read through the posts or blogs on your website, the rate of bounce, and how much time is spent on your page. And from what source is this traffic coming from, such as organic, referral, or direct? In this way, you can assess the PR agency’s efforts to determine whether the partnership was a waste of time and money. 

Performance Of The Blog 

If the PR agency has filled your website’s blog section with plenty of blogs, then track the content’s performance. For instance, you should see how many views, comments, and shares the information receives. Plus, the time spent on the page.  

Engagement on Social Media

Social media is seen as a vital tool, so the PR agency may use it for creating social media posts or promotional activities. Therefore, monitor metrics in the form of likes, shares, comments, and reach to know that their team’s efforts are working out. 

Conclusion

We hope you are clear regarding the key metrics you need to check while working with a healthcare PR agency. Therefore, after signing a deal, try to follow as suggestions so you don’t end up wasting time and money. 

Dell Graduates Complete Female Leadership Development Programme at Cork College of FET

Cork College of FET today celebrated the fifth iteration of the Female Leadership Development Programme (FLDP) to nurture female leadership from entry level and beyond.

Fifteen Dell Technologies team members graduated from the programme this year. This brings to over 100 the number of Dell team members who have graduated from the programme since its creation in 2019.

The FLDP graduates achieved the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Level 4 Certificate in Leadership and Management. This internationally recognised qualification is part of the Cork College of FET Skills to Advance offering to companies. Skills to Advance is a SOLAS initiative which provides subsidised upskilling for companies and those in employment.

The FLDP was co-designed by the Skills to Advance Team in Cork College of FET and a cross functional team in Dell Technologies. It covers a range of topics including how to implement change in the workplace, managing remote workers and developing effective leadership styles. Through this custom-designed programme participants develop a deeper understanding of leadership job roles and responsibilities.

Colman O’Sullivan, Colman O’Flynn, Vice President of Strategic Transformation and Cork Site Lead at Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “For Dell Technologies, empowering women in leadership is more than a commitment—it’s a cornerstone of our vision for an inclusive workforce. That’s why we’re proud to celebrate the graduation of over 100 of our talented employees from the Female Leadership Development Programme rolled out by Cork College of FET over the past five years. Through the knowledge and skills gained in the programme, we can further strengthen the pipeline for women in leadership and ensure different perspectives are brought forward to drive innovation.”

For more information on Cork ETB’s FET offering, visit https://www.corketb.ie/fet.

Expleo invests €1M in new leadership upskilling service for Ireland

Expleo, a global engineering, technology and consulting service provider, today announces that it is investing €1 million in a new leadership development service in Ireland. Launching today, ‘Leading with Leadership’ will provide tailored leadership masterclasses, workshops, and coaching for Expleo’s existing and prospective clients, strengthening its role as a trusted advisor and enhancing client relationships.

The new offering addresses the crucial shortage of quality leadership and management development programmes in the market. Insights from Expleo’s most recent Business Transformation Index (BTI) Ireland Spotlight report underscores the pressing need for enhanced leadership capabilities. Three-quarters of business leaders identify driving cultural change and digital-first mindset adoption as a key challenge to successful business transformation initiatives. Recognising the gap, Expleo has integrated this and 61 further offerings into its educational arm, the Expleo Academy.

The new service offers a comprehensive suite of leadership programmes covering communication, personal development, management, business development and board-level leadership. It also provides bespoke workshop solutions, as well as personalised management coaching, leadership consultancy skills and other masterclasses. This service, including all courses and masterclasses will be delivered to businesses in Ireland and across the globe by a team of over 80 highly skilled facilitators, coaches and trainers.

Over the next three years, the new investment will cover the recruitment and support of specialised staff, client engagement, sales training & support, and venue rentals. It will also include further website development, and course and promotional materials. These programmes will be delivered in-person or virtually, based on client preference.

Patricia McGuire, Director of Expleo Academy at Expleo, said: “We are very excited about adding leadership development programmes to our existing Expleo Academy portfolio. Through our client engagements, it has become evident that there is a growing demand for improved leadership skills across all sectors, likely spurred on by pandemic-related disruptions. Even over the past eight months, we have noticed a significant increase in public sector organisations considering leadership development programmes.

“Effective leadership has never been more important, and we are proud to be pioneers in implementing this comprehensive initiative. To deliver this new service, we have curated a team of experts armed with extensive experience and a profusion of practical insights. We believe that true leadership is not just about guiding teams; it’s about igniting passion, fostering innovation, and shaping a brighter future.”

John Philp, who has been recently appointed as the Head of Leadership Development Programmes, will spearhead the new service on behalf of Expleo Academy.

John Philp, Head of Leadership Development Programme at Expleo Academy, said: “Leadership development is about understanding the essence of a business, driving meaningful contributions to its bottom line, and fostering a culture where excellence thrives. When businesses sharpen their leadership skills, they’re not just driving organisational change, they’re creating an environment where everything else just clicks.

“If organisations neglect to invest time and resources in developing these skills, they’re simply setting themselves up for failure. At Expleo, we are committed to making a tangible difference by reintroducing humanity into the workplace. Through this exciting new service, we eagerly anticipate supporting our growing client base and helping their existing and emerging leaders reach their full potential.”

Future Planet Expands Strategic Sustainability Leadership With Four Key Hires

Future Planet, the leading AI sustainability software company, has announced the addition of four key strategic appointments in response to significant market demand for sustainability software solutions.

The new roles and appointments are Orla Carolan as Executive Director of ESG Strategy & Compliance; Colum Kenny as Director of Sales; Mary White as Operations Manager and Simpal Sharma as Sustainability Solutions Lead.

Companies are under increasing pressure to implement robust sustainability strategies and comply with regulatory pressure like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). These four appointments will accelerate Future Planet’s vision to help companies achieve sustainable performance and compliance.

With nearly two decades of experience, Orla Carolan brings a wealth of knowledge from senior roles at Grant Thornton and JPMorgan Bank (Ireland). She recently worked on secondment with the EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) secretariat on the development of the sector-specific European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Orla is one of Ireland’s leading authorities on the CSRD and her leadership will be instrumental in helping Future Planet’s customers with ESG strategies and compliance.

Speaking on her new appointment, Orla said: “As a customer of Future Planet in my last role, I saw first-hand the benefits companies can get from a combination of sustainability expertise and smart software. I had to join the company. I’m delighted to work with Future Planet’s amazing team and their state-of-the-art technology to ease the compliance and reporting burden for more clients, and help these clients develop and achieve their ESG strategies.”

Drawing from over 12 years of multifaceted experience across research, engineering, and management consultancy, Colum Kenny joins Future Planet as Director of Sales to drive the company’s growth trajectory and solidify its position within the market.

Also joining Future Planet are Mary White as Operations Manager and Simpal Sharma as Sustainability Solutions Lead. With a career spanning more than two decades in people, communications, DEI and culture management, Mary’s expertise will be pivotal in overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading strategic initiatives to propel Future Planet’s continued success.

Leveraging extensive experience in the manufacturing industry and a deep understanding of ESRS and CSRD regulations, Simpal’s proficiency in conducting research and benchmarking across multiple sectors will be invaluable in driving sustainable solutions forward.

On the new appointments, Debbie Power, Chief Commercial Office of Future Planet said: “The time is now. Companies are under pressure to embrace ESG strategies, not only as a compliance measure but as a core component of their business. However, while there has never been so much awareness, there are very few sustainability solutions to ease the burden. At Future Planet, we are here to help. Each of our new team members will be instrumental in empowering our customers to transform, as we help them shape their sustainability strategies, support their compliance requirements and simplify their ESG data management, to deliver real and tangible change.”

Future Planet was co-founded by software entrepreneur Donal Daly and sustainable supply chain expert Ingrid De Doncker in 2021. Learn more at futureplanet.com.

IMI National Leadership Conference to spotlight role of leadership in harnessing potential of AI and driving innovation

The Irish Management Institute (IMI) has today launched the National Leadership Conference 2023 with former Twitter EMEA boss, Bruce Daisley, and former Irish Rugby Captain and Head Coach at La Rochelle, Ronan O’Gara, among the keynote speakers to take the stage at the 70th annual conference.

With AI fundamentally reshaping the nature of work and business, speakers will offer insights on how senior leaders can effectively incorporate AI in their business strategy and harness its powerful productivity gains. Bruce Daisley and Deborah Threadgold, General Manager at IBM Ireland will be among those to speak about how leaders can navigate the disruption caused by AI and the rapid pace of innovation.

Former Irish Rugby Captain and Head Coach at La Rochelle, Ronan O’Gara, is to address the 2023 IMI National Leadership Conference on the critical role of leadership in driving organisational high-performance.

The National Leadership Conference will be held on Thursday, October 12 at IMI’s Sandyford campus. First held 70 years ago, the 2023 event will focus on the themes of Learn, Innovate, and Lead in the context of a dynamic business environment and how business leaders can maintain competitiveness and position their organisation for continued growth and success.

The event will also feature contributions from David McRedmond, CEO of An Post and Fiona Gallagher, CEO of Wells Fargo Bank International.

Commenting on the event launch, Shane O’Sullivan, interim CEO of the IMI, said: “While economic growth in Ireland remains strong, business leaders today are faced with a growing set of challenges including rising costs and an exceptionally tight labour market. With the challenges associated with rising costs and an economy at full employment, and the opportunities presented by AI and new ways of thinking, leaders can play a pivotal role in transforming their organisation for the better. The National Leadership Conference is an important forum for CEOs and business leaders from every sector to listen, learn and share experiences of how best to navigate change and position their organisation for success.

“Celebrating 70 years since its first edition, we’re proud to build on the distinguished history of IMI’s flagship conference to deliver an impressive speaker line-up of domestic and international business leaders for the 2023 conference. Our speakers will share pivotal insights in the areas of Executive Learning, Leadership, and Innovation and the practical steps business leaders can take to drive continued growth and success in their organisations.”

Ronan O’Gara, Head Coach at La Rochelle, commented: “I’m delighted to join industry pioneers across Ireland to share my leadership insights at this year’s National Leadership Conference. The National Leadership Conference is an important platform to share key learnings and practical advice that can support leaders to better position their organisations for success. Across every workplace, new technologies and innovation are changing the nature of work. From sport to business, strong leadership will be critical in ensuring that organisations harness the benefits of this transformation and continue to drive high performance.”

Established in 1952, IMI focuses on enhancing the practice of leadership in Ireland and is a centre of excellence for management education.  In partnership with UCC, IMI supports Irish-based organisations across all industry sectors in developing their management and leadership talent. 

For more info visit  IMI 

Aon’s Accelerate Programme aims to increase gender diversity at managerial and senior leadership level

Aon plc a leading global professional services firm, today announced a new programme reflecting its commitment to supporting increased representation of women at the leadership level within the firm.

Aon, an accredited gold standard investor in diversity from the Irish Centre for Diversity, employs over 750 colleagues in Ireland. The new Accelerate Programme is designed and delivered in collaboration with the Irish Management Institute and focuses on equipping women colleagues from across the firm with the necessary skills and opportunities to achieve their full potential at Aon.

The programme features a series of workshops, projects, psychometric testing and mentoring support being delivered this year. It will enable the participants to develop their leadership style and to become role models for others within the workplace. The new programme complements other initiatives by the Aon Ireland Inclusion Council to increase representation at the leadership level within the firm.

Rachael Ingle, CEO of Aon Ireland, said, “The Accelerate Programme is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must have’ to ensure we deliver better outcomes for our colleagues, clients and communities. It is one of many initiatives aimed at driving an increase in the representation of women in leadership in our firm. We believe that businesses thrive when the communities they serve and the people they employ also flourish.”

Triona Geraghty, HR Director at Aon, commented, “We are delighted to launch Accelerate, a programme that signals another milestone in our inclusion and diversity evolution. We firmly believe in strategically designing for diversity and recognise the opportunity to further strengthen the pipeline for women in leadership, particularly at senior levels within the firm.”

Shane O’Sullivan, interim CEO, Irish Management Institute, said: “The Irish Management Institute is delighted to work with Aon Ireland on this bespoke programme created to empower the firm’s women employees on their career journey, and therefore, help improve the diversity of its future leaders.

“As the first programme of its kind for Aon Ireland, we’re looking forward to working with them to see the impact this initiative has on participants and, ultimately, how it helps to support the firm’s diversity and inclusion goals.”

More information about Aon Ireland is available here.