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The lighter side

10 minutes with . . . Joe Redmond, group executive with FEXCO, Ireland’s most successful, privately-owned financial services company

What business person do you most admire?

Brian McCarthy, founder and executive chairman of FEXCO, Ireland’s most instinctive entrepreneur.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Finishing work early on a Friday afternoon and indulging my passion for film at the Irish Film Centre in Temple Bar.

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How do you unwind?

Like a golfball! . . . being pulled down Dún Laoghaire Pier by our three Labradors in the company of my long standing, regular walking companion, Barry.

How much money is in your wallet?

Having built my career in the global FX banknote industry, I am a great advocate of cash and always keep some in my wallet. There is simply no alternative system of payment that is as convenient, reliable and anonymous.

The last book you read?

The late AA Gill's memoir Pour Me: A Life.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given?

“It’s not how you perceive your own behaviour that matters, it’s how others perceive it.” This is the essence of emotional intelligence . . . the most important determinant of leadership and organisational performance, in my view.

Who is the most famous person in your contacts list?

If I name one I risk offending others. Famous people are a sensitive lot!

How do you manage your work/life balance?

With difficulty, despite close supervision by my wife Susan.

The last film you watched?

The Handmaiden at the Lighthouse Cinema. Another cultural oasis in the centre of Dublin where I indulge my 'guilty pleasure'. Like all great movies, this sumptuous and exhilarating period thriller was made to be seen on the big screen.

What is your favourite possession?

A montage of family photos given to me on my birthday by my daughter Robyn.

What’s your most memorable holiday ever?

It's the one I have yet to take . . . a family holiday in Japan. I have been privileged to visit Tokyo many times over the years in a business capacity but have yet to explore the rest of that unique and beautiful country.

What social media do you use?

I’m thankful I don’t feel compelled to live my life seeking validation from people on social media.

If money were no object, what would your fantasy purchase be?

Two Harley Davidson motorcycles for my son Johnny and I to ride down Route 66.

What is the first website you look at every morning?

The Irish Times.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Always been an early bird but less of a night owl as the years go by!

If you were Taoiseach for a day what would you do?

Re-open the Screen Cinema on Townsend Street . . . the home of many great movie memories.

What person do you most admire?

My good friend Tom Kennedy for all the great work he does for good causes.

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

Mount Street . . . where I met Susan.

Anything you would like to plug?

The virtue of buying travel money from FEXCO before travelling abroad . . . foreign cash offers guaranteed universal acceptance and no overseas fees or exchange rate margins. Also, my two favourite Dublin restaurants – Rasam and China Schezuan.

Barry McCall

Barry McCall is a contributor to The Irish Times