“The Irish element is probably a part of the story we need to bolster a bit more.”
As CEO of pharmaceutical company APC, Mark Barrett is an Irishman who ran with his own idea. In his opinion, more could be done to encourage other Irish people to back themselves and do the same.
Mark was talking to host Tadhg Enright on The Architects of Business, in partnership with EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. In his opinion, Irish businesses would flourish if there was more focus on our own local entrepreneurs.
“I do sometimes wish the national agenda pivoted more towards homegrown talent, homegrown companies, I believe that’s the future. I think that the FDI-based element of our economy is fantastic, but I think it’s really the indigenous element that is going to drive the kind of sustainable employment that we need,” he said.
What lies in store
“Maybe I’m a bit biased because I’m in an Irish company. But, I do feel that our strategy has to be towards the indigenous element of what we are trying to do,” he said.
As an Irishman whose business ideas have seen him become EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2017, he feels there is untapped potential on this island.
“Sometimes I feel disappointed that there’s thousands of people working in maybe some new tech company that launches a strategy in Dublin or wherever. And I’m like just thinking that the volume of Irish talent that could be utilised to create other Irish businesses, or to work in other Irish businesses themselves,” he said.
When it comes to what lies in store for Irish businesses, he thinks we don’t need to look far. There is plenty of talent on this island that can be of use to just about any company.
“So I think it’s a good mix. But, I do feel the Irish element is probably a part of the story we need to bolster a bit,” he said.
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