Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly

Few executives have played a more influential role in shaping Ireland’s premium consumer technology retail sector over the past decade than Ciarán McCormack, CEO of Select Technology Group, the Irish-owned business behind some of the most recognisable names in technology and consumer electronics retail. As the leader of what has become the largest Apple Premium Reseller network in the UK and Ireland, Ciaran has guided the company through a period of exceptional growth, strategic expansion and business transformation.

He joined Select Technology Group in 2015 and quickly became the driving force behind an ambitious growth strategy. Under his leadership, revenues have increased significantly, the employee base has expanded substantially, and the organisation has grown from a relatively niche Apple-focused retailer into a diversified technology group. One of the defining milestones of this journey was the acquisition of DID Electrical in 2023, a transaction that cemented the company’s position as a leading player in Irish retail and broadened its footprint well beyond the Apple ecosystem.

Today, Select Technology Group operates a multi-channel technology portfolio spanning retail, education, enterprise technology services and distribution. The group includes the Select brand, which specialises in Apple sales, services and solutions; DID Electrical, one of Ireland’s best-known electrical retailers; and Blink 24, a specialist distribution business connecting premium technology brands with retail partners across the region. Operating across dozens of locations and serving millions of customers annually, the company has established itself as a major force in the Irish and UK technology market.

This is the 87th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guest , Ciarán McCormack, CEO of Select Technology Group.

John Concannon is one of Ireland’s best-known entrepreneurs and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JFC Group, a global manufacturing company headquartered in Tuam, Co. Galway. In 1987, while working in the calf-trading business, he developed the innovative “Triple Bucket” calf feeder, a simple but highly effective product that enabled farmers to feed multiple calves simultaneously. The idea proved immensely successful and became the foundation of what would grow into the JFC Group.

Over nearly four decades, Concannon has transformed JFC from a small family business into an international manufacturing group with operations across Europe and customers in more than 65 countries. Under his leadership, the company has expanded far beyond its agricultural roots, and has built a reputation for innovative design, engineering excellence and durable products that solve real-world challenges for customers.

Concannon is widely recognised not only for his business achievements but also for his commitment to philanthropy and community development. His long-standing involvement with mental health charity Pieta House and other community initiatives reflects a belief that business success should create positive social impact.

This is the 86th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guest John Concannon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JFC Group.

Michael Hynes is the Chief Executive and co-founder of Evara, one of Ireland’s leading residential development companies and the country’s largest private homebuilder by annual housing completions. Michael has been at the forefront of Evara’s growth story since its formation in 2019, helping to build a business that has delivered thousands of new homes and played a significant role in addressing Ireland’s housing needs.

Formerly known as Quintain Ireland, the company rebranded as Evara in 2025 as it entered a new phase of expansion, backed by global investor TPG Real Estate. Under Michael’s leadership, Evara has developed a reputation for delivering large-scale residential communities, combining housing, public amenities, infrastructure and mixed-use developments designed to create thriving neighbourhoods rather than simply housing estates.

Evara has a substantial development pipeline across Ireland and has set ambitious targets to increase housing delivery to 1,500 homes annually. The company works closely with local authorities, government agencies and private-sector partners to bring forward the scale of housing required to meet Ireland’s growing demand.

This is the 85th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guest Michael Hynes, Chief Executive and co-founder of Evara.

Today’s guests are two of the most respected strategic thinkers in Ireland’s communications and brand advisory sector, Sharon Mooney and James Dunne, the co-founders of Hyphen Strategy, a Dublin-founded strategic and creative consultancy that helps organisations create a competitive edge through the fusion of strategic intelligence and creative storytelling. Hyphen was established in 2022 and has quickly built a reputation for helping businesses, institutions and public-facing organisations sharpen their positioning, develop powerful narratives and deliver campaigns that create meaningful impact.

Sharon Mooney serves as Managing Partner at Hyphen and brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of communications, creativity and business strategy. Her work has spanned brand transformation, digital strategy, content creation and corporate reputation, helping organisations navigate change while building stronger connections with customers, employees and stakeholders.

Alongside her is James Dunne, Hyphen’s Strategy Partner and one of Ireland’s most experienced strategic planners. Widely recognised as one of the early digital disruptors in the Irish advertising industry, James has spent his career helping brands tackle complex business challenges through insightful planning, innovation and strategic creativity.

Today, Hyphen operates from Dublin and Brussels, advising clients across brand strategy, creative campaigning, innovation, citizen engagement and organisational positioning.

This is the 84th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guests Sharon Mooney and James Dunne, the co-founders of Hyphen Strategy.

Qashio is one of the fastest-growing spend management platforms serving businesses across Europe and the Middle East. They help companies issue unlimited virtual and physical corporate cards with customisable spending controls, automate expense management, and gain real-time visibility over company spend. In addition, their rewards ecosystem allows businesses to earn points and miles with leading global airline and hotel loyalty programmes, turning operational spend into meaningful business value.

Qashio recently established its European headquarters in Dublin as part of its long-term European growth strategy. Sitting in front of me is Kevin Gallagher, the General Manager for Europe. He joined in early 2026 to spearhead Qashio's expansion across the continent as the UAE-founded spend-management platform extends its reach into Europe and the UK.

Kevin brings more than 15 years of experience building and scaling commercial operations for global technology leaders and his expertise spans enterprise go-to-market strategy, team building and strategic partnerships across regulated, financial-services environments. 

This is the 83rd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guest Kevin Gallagher, General Manager for Europe at Qashio.