DOMINIC FINLAY

Dominic Finlay is managing director of Kaon Automation, which designs automated equipment from its base in Sligo and recently opened a facility in Cork.

I enjoy change and saw the pandemic as an opportunity to reflect on what I could personally do differently, and what we needed to do differently as a business. My level of communication with employees increased substantially, and the growth in our business has kept me challenged and motivated.

Outside work, I helped establish a local Sanctuary Runners group, where each week we walk and run with residents living in Direct Provision. Some of the group have shown remarkable resilience and are an inspiration.

As a supplier to the medical industry, we continued to be very busy throughout 2020 and 2021. Undoubtedly, we are now a more flexible business, and, like many others, we have proven that we can adapt very quickly to changing circumstances. 2022 looks very positive for us, and I expect the broader economy to continue to grow as life – hopefully – returns to normal. My main concern is the shortage of skilled employees in Ireland, continued supply chain difficulties, and general upward inflationary pressures.

For holidays in 2021, I managed to take a week in beautiful Inishowen, and I also had a lovely weekend in

Riga when European travel reopened in early October.

I would love to head off further afield in 2022, but, having cancelled a trip to Sri Lanka in 2020, I will hold off on specific plans until there is greater certainty. Coastal Waterford is on my bucket list, and hopefully quite realistic!