Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly

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Jun 2026

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About the show

In this podcast, Aidan Donnelly is in discussion with numerous guests to get insights into their journey, their highs and lows, their management styles, and the lessons they have learned along the way. Most of Aidan’s time has been spent focusing on the financials of these companies but what is more fascinating to him is how companies operate, how the entrepreneurs started them, and the business people/managements who run them. But as with most things, a work/life balance is essential, so it won’t just be about the professional developments they have made through the years, but also the personal ones. Aidan Donnelly, Head of Equities at Davy, has been working in, analysing, and investing in companies for decades. He has 27 years’ investment management experience. He joined Davy in 2005 and has worked as an analyst/fund manager for a range of global equity funds and is now responsible for the direct equity offering at Davy. There will be a new episode released every two weeks, so please like, share and subscribe if you like what you hear!

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60 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 791 hr 0 min

79: Mary Lawlor, CEO at Clann Credo

Clann Credo was established by the Presentation Order of nuns in 1996. While social finance was a well-established concept in America and Europe, there was nothing like it in Ireland. After a successful pilot project, the Presentation nuns put €1m seed capital into a social investment fund. Other religious charities chipped in, and now Clann Credo also borrows money from the Social Finance Foundation, a wholesale fund set up by the government.Clann Credo accelerates positive community impact by making flexible and fair lending accessible to every community in Ireland. Their vision is a society where every community has the opportunity to drive positive impact for all. They believe in the power and passion of community volunteers to shape society for the better for all. For their part, they do everything they can to accelerate positive community impact.Mary Lawlor is the Chief Executive Officer at Clann Credo, and under her leadership, it continues to strengthen its position as a thought leader in impact lending, expanding access to fair, flexible lending for community and social enterprises across Ireland. Mary also developed the Dynamic Funding Model for Social finance which the government has now adopted themselves.Before joining Clann Credo in 2021, Mary served as Chief Executive of Carlow County Development Partnership from 2009 and previously as Chief Executive Officer of Carlow LEADER Rural Development Company Ltd for seven years, working directly with communities to translate ambition into tangible economic and social progress.This is the 79th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Mary Lawlor, CEO at Clann Credo.

May 28, 2026Episode 7857 min

78: Ciaran Mulligan, Entrepreneur & Managing Director

Ciaran Mulligan is an Irish entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and former managing director of Blue Insurance and now, the founder of YES Insurance. Over more than two decades, he has become one of Ireland’s most recognisable figures in the niche insurance sector.In 2003, Mulligan co-founded Blue Insurance alongside Rowan Devereux. Initially focused on travel insurance, the company quickly expanded into specialist products. Under his leadership, Blue Insurance became one of Ireland’s leading online insurance brokers and developed strong operations in both Ireland and the UK. It introduced several first-to-market offerings, including two-year car and home insurance policies and low-cost annual multi-trip travel insurance. The company embraced digital sales early, with the majority of policies sold online at a time when much of the insurance industry still relied heavily on traditional brokers and phone sales.In 2026, he returned to the insurance market with the launch of YES Insurance. The new company initially focused on travel insurance and specialist niche products, including gadget insurance, pet insurance, wedding insurance and electric bike insurance. Throughout his career, Mulligan has been recognised for his entrepreneurial approach, strong sales instincts and focus on innovation in consumer insurance.This is the 78th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Ciaran Mulligan, Entrepreneur & Managing Director.

May 14, 2026Episode 771 hr 6 min

77: Tom Keogh, Founder and Managing Director at Keogh's Farm

The Keogh family have been farming in North County Dublin for over 200 years growing fresh produce, particularly potatoes, and supplying the local markets. As part of the farming community for generations, being a good neighbour and supporting local communities is very much part of the Keogh Family Ethos.Tom Keogh, is a director of the family business, who has guided it through considerable industry challenges, to become one of Ireland’s most esteemed fresh produce businesses. Tom is dedicated to working alongside and supporting community initiatives, driving positive changes to help build brighter futures.The other hat that Tom wears is as the Founder and Managing Director of Keoghs Crisps, a premium, snack food manufacturer employing 150 people. Founded in 2011, Keogh’s have grown to become one of Ireland’s most popular food brands, exporting to 20 countries.Tom’s passion for quality, superior taste, innovation, and efficacious marketing have resulted in Keogh’s achieving considerable market share in an industry dominated by powerful, multinational competitors. Keogh’s Crisps has seen phenomenal growth in the last year both in Ireland and in markets overseas.This is the 77th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Tom Keogh, Founder and Managing Director at Keogh's Farm.

April 30, 2026Episode 761 hr 1 min

76: Jonathan Fitzpatrick and Vincent Fitzpatrick, Co-Founders and Joint CEOs, Exemplar Energy

Exemplar is Ireland’s trusted energy advisor, combining deep market expertise with personal, dependable service for businesses that cannot afford to get energy decisions wrong. They bring together expertise across energy procurement, market trading, engineering and on-the-ground performance. This joined-up capability allows them to look beyond price alone and help clients make smarter, more defensible decisions over the short and long term. Whether you are a large energy user managing significant risk exposure, or a complex multi-site business looking for clarity and control, their advice is tailored to the client’s reality.Exemplar was founded by Jonathan and Vincent Fitzpatrick, with a clear belief: that better energy advice comes from combining technical expertise with human relationships. With over 15 years’ experience in energy markets, Vincent leads Exemplar’s trading strategy and market execution. He oversees hedging and risk management programmes for some of Ireland’s largest energy users, working closely with the procurement and engineering teams to ensure fully aligned client solutions.With over 20 years’ experience in Energy markets, Jonathan leads product development and supplier engagement across Exemplar. He ensures clients benefit from innovative structures and forward-looking procurement solutions, working in partnership with trading and engineering colleagues to deliver a joined-up energy strategy.This is the 76th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Jonathan Fitzpatrick and Vincent Fitzpatrick - Co-Founders and Joint CEOs, Exemplar Energy.

April 16, 2026Episode 751 hr 7 min

75: Colin Kennedy, Operations and Technology Leader and Board Member at DPD Ireland

DPD Ireland is one of Ireland’s leading parcel delivery and logistics providers, specialising in domestic and international courier services for businesses and consumers. The company operates as part of Geopost (formerly DPDgroup), the parcel and express delivery arm of La Poste, the French national postal service.DPD Ireland delivers tens of millions of parcels each year through a franchise-based distribution model supported by over 1,600 delivery professionals and staff. The company is recognised for its focus on innovation and sustainability in logistics.The company recently announced a €5 million investment in their dedicated Out of Home delivery service ‘PickUp’, becoming the first parcel delivery company in Ireland to offer this service. This new service will allow customers to have parcels delivered directly to their dedicated branded lockers across the country, offering customers even greater flexibility, privacy, convenience, and affordability when receiving their parcels.Colin Kennedy, is a Technology and Logistics leader with 30+ years’ experience devising strategy and leading transformational change for both domestic and international B2B & B2C organisations. He has held Managing Director, CIO and Innovation roles in the technology, logistics and Medical Industries, and is currently Managing Director of DPD Pickup and a board member of DPD Ireland.This is the 75th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Colin Kennedy, Operations and Technology Leader and Board Member at DPD Ireland.

April 2, 2026Episode 7456 min

74: David Petherbridge, Managing Director at RKD

RKD is a leading international design and architecture practice with 113 years of heritage, redefining architecture through design-led solutions that balance scale with intimacy and precision with purpose. From transforming the Guinness Storehouse into the world's number one tourist attraction to designing LinkedIn's first purpose-built European headquarters, RKD delivers projects that are technically robust, visually stunning, and environmentally responsible.With approximately 245 professionals working across seven countries and seven specialised sectors, RKD serves complex, global clients including Microsoft, Diageo, Equinix, MSD and Yahoo, thriving where ambition meets complexity across sectors that shape economies and communities; from data centres and life sciences to education, healthcare, and beyond.David Petherbridge is RKD’s Managing Director. His practical economic sense and can‐do attitude create buildings and spaces for clients that form the physical manifestation of their organisational vision. He uses design responsibly as a force for positive change, helping clients to successfully navigate challenges in their real estate portfolios.This is the 74th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest David Petherbridge, Managing Director at RKD.

March 19, 2026Episode 7359 min

73: Neil Skeffington, CEO and Founder at Novelplast

Neil Skeffington is the CEO and founder of Meath based Novelplast, an innovative PET plastic recycling company. Beginning operations in late 2019, Neil’s passion for sustainability in plastics and developing the circular economy has grown the company sales into a diverse range of industries, employing 60 people and becoming the largest PET recycling plant in Ireland by some distance. Neil has spent his career in the PET manufacturing industry both in Ireland and abroad, before setting his sights on developing recycling solutions for some of the world’s problem plastic materials.Novelplast’s vision is to be a world leader in improving the sustainability of plastics by developing technologies that add value and create a better environment for future generations. Their process is leading the change in how polyester material is recycled and repurposed. They save 1000’s of tons of post-industrial and post - consumer pet materials from landfill per year. The materials are cleaned and pelletised and a unique blend of additives is used to improve the mechanical and aesthetic properties of the end product, resulting in a viable alternative to using virgin PET material.Neil was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2023.This is the 73rd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Neil Skeffington, CEO and Founder at Novelplast.

March 5, 2026Episode 721 hr 6 min

72: Colm Lyon, CEO and Founder at fire.com

Colm Lyon is a payments and fintech entrepreneur with more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, spanning banking, payments infrastructure, regulation and digital transformation.He founded Realex Payments in 2000, at an early stage of online commerce in Ireland and the UK. Realex grew rapidly alongside the rise of e-commerce and became one of Europe’s leading online payment service providers. By the time it was acquired by Global Payments in 2015, Realex was processing more than €35 billion in transactions annually for over 14,000 customers, including airlines, insurers, telecoms providers and major consumer brands.Following the acquisition, Realex Financial Services was spun out and remained under Colm’s ownership. That business later became Fire Financial Services, now trading as Fire, and focuses on helping businesses digitise how they get paid and pay out. The company supports services including euro and sterling bank transfers, foreign exchange, open banking payments and debit card issuing, all built on its own in-house platform. Today, Fire processes billions in payments each year for thousands of business customers, including large financial institutions.Alongside building businesses, Colm has been closely involved in shaping the wider payments ecosystem, and also invests in Irish and UK startups through his family office.This is the 72nd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Colm Lyon, CEO and Founder at fire.com.

February 19, 2026Episode 7156 min

71: Charles Cosgrave, CEO and Owner of Village Vets

Village Vets is Ireland’s largest privately owned, vet-led veterinary group, delivering premium companion-animal care to communities across the country.Founded on clinical excellence and local ownership, Village Vets has grown into a market-leading organisation caring for hundreds of thousands of pets every year, supported by a nationwide team of veterinary surgeons, nurses, animal care teams and specialists.Alongside its clinics, Village Vets owns and operates Pawprints Crematorium, Ireland’s largest pet cremation service, supporting both the public and veterinary practices nationwide.Charles Cosgrave is the CEO and owner of Village Vets, and one of the most experienced vet-entrepreneurs in the Irish veterinary sector. He began his veterinary career in a busy small-animal hospital in Limerick, followed by a year in a high-volume multisite practice in the UK, before joining Village Vets in 2003 — a business founded in 1980 by his father, Karl, who is also a Vet. Today, he leads the strategic development of the group, with responsibility for business growth, clinic expansion, and long-term platform strategy.This is the 71st episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Charles Cosgrave, CEO and Owner of Village Vets.

February 5, 2026Episode 701 hr 7 min

70: Niamh Tallon, Founder & CEO of Her Sport

In 2020, Niamh Tallon co-founded Her Sport, a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to increasing visibility, participation and equality for girls and women in sport. Combining her background in business and marketing with a lifelong passion for sport, she recognised a significant gap in media coverage and role-modelling for female athletes in Ireland.Rather than simply study the issue, she acted, alongside Mohammed Mahomed as her co-founder, building Her Sport into a dynamic platform offering digital content, educational workshops and community partnerships aimed at changing culture and retaining girls in sport.Under Niamh’s leadership, Her Sport has grown its digital community significantly, expanded into schools and clubs with education programmes and forged collaborations with brands and organisations committed to driving gender equity in sport. She has been outspoken about the dropout rates of girls in sport and the need to amplify the female athlete voice.This is the 70th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Niamh Tallon, Founder & CEO of Her Sport.