The lighter side ...

What business person do you most admire?

I have always admired Martin and Carmel Naughton and their family. A great Irish success story in every respect.

What is your guilty pleasure?

A large packet of ‘giant’ chocolate buttons when the kids aren’t watching.

How do you unwind?

Cycle in and out of work and the odd 5k.

How much money is in your wallet?

A combination of euro, sterling, dollars, yen and Canadian dollars right now, which doesn’t add up to much.

The last book you read?

On Tyranny: Twenty lessons from the Twentieth Century, by Timothy Snyder – 20 lessons from the past for the future. Thanks Trevor White – I did it!

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

Albert Kelly, who gave me a job at 15 years of age, said: ‘You’re learning your most important lesson in life here, dealing with people.’ How right he was.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

With great patience from Marion and the team at home.

The last film you watched?

The Drummer and the Keeper. Well done Nick Kelly and the Irish Film Board.

What is your favourite possession?

My old Beatles albums

What’s your most memorable holiday ever?

Every year in Brittas Bay.

What social media do you use?

Twitter, LinkedIn and a little Facebook.

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

An [Airbus] A380 trip for family and friends to visit loved ones in Australia and New Zealand.

What is the first website you look at every morning?

The Irish Times.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Ten years I ago I would have said night owl, or even a nightingale, but not anymore.

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

Treble the Tourism Ireland budget.

Who is the most famous person in your contacts list?

Normally confidential but it was nice to get a call from Liam Neeson some time ago which ended up with him narrating the Rugby World Cup video.

What person do you most admire?

I would have to say my mother who has persevered with a smile through all that life has thrown at her and still does so today after nine years with dementia.

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

Trinity College – an amazing oasis in the centre of the city that reminds me that Dublin's best days lie both in the past and the future.

Anything you would like to plug?

The great team here at Tourism Ireland at home and around the globe – unsung heroes.