Smurfit to clarify strategy, Lloyds Pharmacy strike looms and a cruel irony for Sammon

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from ‘The Irish Times’ business desk

Cantillon: A cruel irony for Sammon.

Smurfit Kappa pledged to redouble efforts to clarify its strategy and boost its market value, as it began a charm offensive with major investors after seeing off an attempt by US rival International Paper (IP) to take over the group. Joe Brennan has the details.

Lloyds Pharmacy workers will strike next week in a dispute over pay, trade union recognition and zero-hour contracts, writes Barry O’Halloran. Trade union Mandate confirmed that 92 per cent of Lloyds’ staff who voted in a ballot on indstrial action backed striking.

Former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm has beeen found guiltyof conspiracy to defraud and of false accounting relating to transactions conducted at the height of 2008 financial crisis.

Fáilte Ireland, the State tourism agency, is urging businesses in the industry to target visitors from emerging markets such as the Gulf nations, India and China, whom it says can drive up to 10 times the revenue of an average visitor. Mark Paul reports.

READ MORE

Niall Harbison, the founder of digital publisher Lovin Media Group, has sold his remaining one-third stake in a deal that values the group at up to €3 million, writes Mark Paul.

Resident sage Cantillon says it's a cruel irony for Sammon Construction Ireland's 200 workers that a company which survived the building industry's worst recession in years goes under when the sector is firmly back on the up. Cantillon also hears Denis O'Brien's thoughts on entrepreneurship.

GDPR is benefitting everybody in Europe, says our columnist Karlin Lillington, and wonder how long before US citizens demand their own version.

Charles Arthur says that next time you're about to sign up for a new service, ask yourself: should you trust it with your data?

In her Tech Tools column Ciara O'Brien test drives the Nokia 7 Plus. Ciara also hears how Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh is determined to stick with Sugru through thick and thin.

"What differentiates us from our rivals is that we stay completely focused on the problems of the entrepreneurs that we are trying to help and don't consider our competitors at all." Charlie Taylor meets Shopify vice-president and Dubliner Lynsey Thornton.

John Holden on why 42 is the magic number for entrepreneurs.

Stay up to date: sign up to our business news alerts and our Business Today daily email news digest .

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn O Midheach is Assistant Business Editor - Digital of The Irish Times