The Punt: ISME chocolate extravaganza

Patrick Joy MD of Suretank. Photo: Jason Clarke Photography.

Last week the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) had its annual conference in Dublin's RDS Concert Hall. It was the same venue where ISME's rival, the Small Firms Association (SFA), hosted its "annual lunch" a couple of weeks earlier.

But whereas the SFA laid on a sumptuous meal and had managed to get President Michael D Higgins and Junior Finance Minister Simon Harris to attend, ISME had Matt Cooper and a single Butlers chocolate for its attendees.

Not that the Punt is complaining, you understand. A good meal is nice and all, but the Punt was pleased to see ISME give a platform to Suretank founder Patrick Joy - EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2013 (pictured) - who gave a nice speech about his company's history and the personal sacrifices he has had to make.

But as always seems to happen at big events like this, the technology went belly up part of the way through Mr Joy's speech, leaving his presentation stuck on one particular slide.

Mr Joy was left joyless as a deathly silence filled the hall, which itself was still filling up as the latecomers made their way in.

He kept pushing the little button that was supposed to move the slides on, but eventually had to rather meekly call upon the assistance of one of the event employees before he could get things going again.

The Punt started eating the Butlers chocolate and for the umpteenth time in its life wished that Powerpoint had never been invented.

The chocolate was very nice.

Movers and shakers in PR

There's been a shake-up at PR firm Edelman Ireland, with a few staff members climbing the promotions ladder.

Included in the changes is Piaras Kelly, who has been elevated to director, and heads up the company's corporate communications division.

His colleague Fiona Hodgins has also been promoted to a director, and is responsible for managing the company's brand division.

Donnchadh O'Leary has been appointed to the position of head of business development, while Grace Milton is taking on the senior account manager role in the public affairs division.

The company has also managed to secure some new clients in the health, corporate and digital sectors in recent months.

These include Roche Products Ireland Limited, Citrix, Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme and commercial law firm Philip Lee.

The company has also begun working with the Marketing Institute of Ireland on their PR and digital marketing needs.

The partnership includes support for events such as DMX Dublin and the All Ireland Marketing Awards as well as raising the profile of the Consumer Market Monitor and Marketing Institute Training programmes.

Change at top at Glanbia

Glanbia, the Kilkenny-based diary cooperative that has morphed into one of the country's biggest exporters, is losing its chairman Liam Herlihy.

The Knockanore, Co Waterford-based dairy farmer has chaired the €3.3bn stock market-listed foods business since 2007.

Herlihy joined the Glanbia board 10 years earlier.

In that time he has overseen major changes. Most radically, that included the 2012 deal that cut Glanbia cooperative's farmer-owned stake in Glanbia plc to less than 50pc.

The cooperative and the plc immediately formed a new joint venture - Glanbia Ingrediants Ireland Ltd - to continue their Irish dairy business.

But the move freed up stock exchange-listed Glanbia plc to follow its global expansion programme, where much of its rapid growth in recent years has been in the US.

Throughout much of his period in the chair Liam Herlihy was part of a powerful leadership triumvirate, along with former chief executive John Moloney and Siobhan Talbot; first in her role as chief fiancial officer and more recently as ceo in her own right.

Herlihy's decision to step down was announced by Glanbia yesterday. Under company rules, the 63-year-old will be too old to seek a further three-year term next year.

Yesterday, Glanbia's senior independent director John Callaghan - who is himself standing down this year - praised the outgoing chairman.

"(His) depth of experience and knowledge of the Group provided strong and focused leadership during a hugely important period of transformation.

"Liam has made an enormous contribution to Glanbia and on behalf of the board I would like to extend every good wish to him and his family for the future."