A parting glass for Rye River chief executive
NEWS reaches me that there’s been a management overhaul at Rye River Brewing, the Kildare-based company behind the popular McGargles beer range.
Niall Phelan has departed as chief executive and has been replaced by his cofounder Alan Wolfe.
Wolfe said the overhaul was a result of a fresh €1.5m investment from existing shareholder Bluebay – a prolific investor which has also put money into the likes of TV3 and Gaelectric.
Wolfe said Bluebay wanted more of a say on the board and that Phelan decided it was the right time to go – without acrimony.
Rye River is one of the country’s biggest craft brewers and has been making plans to develop a massive visitor centre at its premises in Celbridge, Co Kildare. Last year the company said it would look to create 150 new jobs over three years. Now it’s up to Wolfe to bring the projects forward LOBBY group Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) obviously feels it has some serious messages it needs to get across to government on behalf of members.
It has just appointed Lorraine Higgins to the position of head of public affairs and communication.
Higgins is a qualified barrister and a former senator who was nominated by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
From Galway, she should know her way around political circles having been a member of a number of government committees, occasional acting Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and having represented the Government at EU meetings.
She is best known for speaking out against cyberbullying after she herself was the subject of online abuse.
Although she is a Labour politician, she comes from a business family and will be turning her attentions to the interests of retailers when she takes up the new job in January.
In these uncertain times, top of her agenda will be lobbying for a reduction in the VAT rate to 20pc and a reduction in the employers’ PRSI rate back to 4.25pc.
Plenty of ear-bending ahead. ENDA Kenny was the special guest at the Ireland-France business awards in Dublin last Thursday night, which saw listed biotech firm Venn Life Sciences bag the top gong as best Irish company in France.
The suspense was somewhat broken when Enda said Venn had won before the award was actually presented.
The audience, including a big turnout from firms with links to both countries like Mazars and JC Decaux, was treated to Enda’s passable version of a French accent. And luckily the audience found his little impression to be tres amusant.
Among those in attendance were John Mullins of Amarenco and members of the O’Riain family behind environmentally friendly cement company Ecocem.
DCC chief executive Tommy Breen was probably the most high-profile business figure in attendance.
Breen shook plenty of hands although wasn’t in the mood for chatting when approached by the Sunday Independent.