The lighter side

What business person do you most admire?

Michael O’Leary – I admire what he has created. I was one of those people who paid £300 to travel to London before Ryanair existed. Michael O’Leary had the perseverance and doggedness to make air travel affordable for all Europeans.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate and Tanqueray gin and tonic.

How do you unwind?

I enjoy spending time with my family, my wife Aggie and my dog Daisy. Daisy does not tolerate any business discussions!

How much money is in your wallet?

Around €30.

The last book you read?

Janesville: an American Story, by Amy Goldstein – this is a story about a town called Janesville in Wisconsin that goes through a major shake-up in the recession of 2007/8. When you read this book, I think you will fully understand how Donald Trump was elected as president.

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

Surround yourself with great talent and have the courage to employ people who may be better than yourself.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

I don’t, I never really have. However, it is something I do need to rectify. My doctor always says, if I managed my health and well-being as well as I manage the Guinness Storehouse I could probably enter one of the greyhound races at Shelbourne Park! On a serious note, I do actually want to rectify this as I believe well-being is vital, not only for your health but also to be a productive leader.

The last film you watched?

Darkest Hour – the story of Winston Churchill. Gary Oldman is an amazing actor and his resemblance in the movie to Churchill was uncanny.

What is your favourite possession?

A photograph that I have of me and my then girlfriend, who is now my wife Aggie, which was taken in Geneva in May 1977. I always get enormous satisfaction when I look at this picture.

What social media do you use?

LinkedIn and WhatsApp for business reasons and convenience. However, one day I am going to do what Ryan Tubridy did and go back to an old Nokia 3210. There is far too much information being distributed online and not all of it enriches our lives.

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

A thoroughbred race horse, trained by Gordon Elliott.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Early bird, I love getting up early and if possible I like to be in bed no later than 11pm. I enjoy jumping out of bed around 7am.

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

I would give the tourism sector increased marketing and capital funding. Tourism employs over 240,000 people throughout Ireland, yet it is perceived as the poor relation in comparison to FDI and agriculture.

What person do you most admire?

My mother – she reared 10 of us and was a remarkably strong woman. She was also an amazing storyteller – I regret not recording some of her stories.

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

I like the Phoenix Park, I enjoy walking and driving through it. It is Europe’s largest municipal park and I am very proud that it is part of Dublin – we should dial it up more for our residents and visitors.

Anything you would like to plug?

I would like to plug an organisation I recently co-founded called AVEA (Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions). It is only about one year old but already has 72 members from around Ireland. I predict it will go from strength to strength.