The lighter side

What business person do you most admire?

Willie Walsh, an Irishman who worked his way through the ranks to become leader of a major international organisation. I like how he takes ownership when things go wrong and focuses on getting things fixed rather than looking for blame (eg opening of Terminal 5 Heathrow).

What is your guilty pleasure?

I admit watching an old musical Paint Your Wagon more than once.

How do you unwind?

I like being out and about in nature, a walk along the beach or through the woods. I also like fly fishing or just reading a book.

How much money is in your wallet?

€120

The last book you read?

Black Edge by Sheelah Kolhatkar. Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction –  better than a thriller! The book focuses on insider trading and how it was investigated.

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

Plan, avoid getting stuck in a busy routine, stop and look around to make sure that you are heading in the right direction and that you will have the resources you need when you need them. Always keep learning and never sacrifice the important for the urgent. This advice all came from my father on a building site.

Who is the most famous person in your contacts list?

My One4all boss Michael Dawson is fairly famous.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

I enjoy work and probably find myself thinking about work at peculiar times, but rarely in a stressful manner. I tend to focus on whatever I am doing at the time.

The last film you watched?

My Cousin Vinny.

What is your favourite possession?

I’m not really a collector but there is a little fishing shack in Cavan that I am fond of.

What’s your most memorable holiday ever?

We did a family trip to Australia via Hong Kong and Singapore – great to experience such different lifestyles.

What social media do you use?

I don’t really get involved. I do WhatsApp messages but mostly I go out to meet people.

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

A mansion by the sea and near mountains.

What is the first website you look at every morning?

Irish Times and One4all.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Night owl.

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

I would love to say reform the health service and sort out the homeless crisis – but for one day I would probably rant about saving our natural environment.

What person do you most admire?

David Attenborough. Spending his life doing what he loves and in a fascinating manner, opening the eyes of millions of people to the wonders of life on this planet while delivering an important conservation message

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

Skerries, where I live. It is a town that has everything: great location, great people and great pubs and restaurants.

Anything you would like to plug?

One4all recently renewed our ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, which we are extremely proud of. The certificate demonstrates our commitment to the highest quality products and customer service and sits proudly in our reception.