Patrick Daly Interlinks Podcast

In this episode of Interlinks, I’m joined by Rebecca Boyle, Brand Strategist, Copywriter and Chief Marketing Officer at Lissah and Boyle, a Northern Ireland-based business providing fractional support to companies through branding, communications and wider business growth services across the island of Ireland, Great Britain and further afield. Rebecca brings a background in journalism, NHS communications, copywriting and brand strategy to her work with business leaders who often know their industries inside out, but need practical support in communicating, positioning and growing their businesses more effectively.

Our conversation explores what fractional business support really means in practice: a model that sits somewhere between consultancy and agency support, combining strategic input with hands-on delivery. We discuss why this approach appeals to companies that need expertise but may not require, or be ready for, a full-time senior hire. Rebecca also explains how branding is not just about looking good, but about helping businesses become clearer about who they are, how they speak, who they want to attract, and how they build trust with customers, employees and partners.

From a macro-to-micro perspective, this kind of tailored support is especially relevant in a wider context of skills shortages, demographic change, AI disruption, economic uncertainty and continuous pressure to adapt. At the tactical level, these forces show up as specific, time-bound needs: sharper messaging, better staff attraction and retention, stronger leadership communication, or specialist support for a growing business. Fractional support offers one practical way to bridge that gap between big external pressures and the immediate work that has to be done inside the business.
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Rare earths and strategic metals may sound like a niche topic. They are not. They are one of the clearest examples in today’s world of how supply chains can be turned into geopolitical weapons.

In this episode of Interlinks, Patrick Daly speaks with Louis O’Connor, founder of Strategic Metals Invest Consultancy, about the metals that sit behind the modern economy: semiconductors, smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, defence systems, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. These materials are critical, but the real story is not just where they are mined. It is who controls the refining, processing and supply.
And right now, China holds that leverage.

Patrick and Louis explore how China’s dominance in rare earth and strategic metals processing has given it real coercive power in trade disputes with the United States and its allies. They discuss why Western economies allowed themselves to become dangerously dependent, why political leaders are only now waking up to the scale of the vulnerability, and why reshoring or diversifying this capability will take years, not months.

They also examine which metals are likely to remain under pressure, how stockpiling and resource nationalism are reshaping the market, and why these materials are increasingly being viewed not just as industrial inputs but as a strategic investment asset class.

From a macro-to-micro perspective, this episode gets to the heart of a brutal reality: if you do not control access to critical inputs, you do not control your industrial future. What looks like a trade issue at the geopolitical level quickly becomes a procurement problem, a production problem and, ultimately, a business survival problem.
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In this episode of Interlinks, Patrick Daly is joined by Howard Knott, Project Director at the Irish Exporters Association, for a timely and practical conversation on the shifting realities of freight, ports, and supply chains in Ireland and beyond.

Howard brings deep sector knowledge to a discussion that moves from the macro forces reshaping global trade to the operational implications for exporters, logistics providers, and supply chain leaders on the ground. Together, Patrick and Howard examine how a new era of persistent volatility — from geopolitical tension in the Gulf to post-Brexit route reconfiguration and infrastructure bottlenecks at home — is becoming the new baseline for logistics planning.

The conversation explores the current state of rail freight and port connectivity in Ireland, including developments at Foynes, Waterford, and Dublin Port, and what they mean for the future of inland distribution, regional export capability, and modal shift. They also discuss the continued growth of lift-on/lift-off and unaccompanied trailer services, the changing economics of freight transport, the role of technology in improving visibility and reliability, and the structural constraints posed by driver shortages and port congestion.

Patrick and Howard also place these developments in a wider strategic context: the relationship between resilience, decarbonisation, infrastructure investment, and national competitiveness. From the green agenda and energy transition to the strategic importance of transport diversification, this episode highlights how seemingly technical freight decisions are increasingly tied to broader questions of economic security, supply chain resilience, and long-term industrial strategy.

This is a conversation for leaders who want to understand how global disruption translates into local operational choices — and why transport networks, port capacity, and logistics design now sit at the heart of macro-to-micro strategy.
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In this episode of Interlinks, Patrick Daly speaks with Michael O’Kane, Strategic Business Consultant with Aramex Ireland, about the changing realities of life sciences supply chains in Ireland and beyond. Michael brings deep sector experience across pharma, biotech, medtech and advanced therapies, and shares his perspective on how Ireland has established itself as a critical node in the global life sciences network.

The conversation explores the operational backbone behind the sector: specialist logistics, cold chain management, regulatory compliance, technology adoption, and the growing need for seamless coordination across increasingly complex supply chains. Patrick and Michael also discuss the strategic partnership model between Aramex and Biocair, and how logistics providers are adapting to the specific demands of clinical and commercial life sciences flows.

Viewed through the macro-to-micro lens, this episode highlights a central reality for manufacturers and logistics partners alike: the practical challenges of compliance, regulation and product movement can no longer be managed in isolation from the wider geopolitical environment. As regulatory divergence, trade disruption, regional conflict and supply chain weaponisation reshape the global landscape, life sciences companies need to connect boardroom strategy with frontline operational execution. This discussion shows why resilience in healthcare supply chains now depends as much on geopolitical awareness as on technical and regulatory excellence.
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In this episode of Interlinks, I speak with Mike Pettit, Director of 360 Bia Óg, the Dungarvan-based business delivering fresh, sustainable school lunches to primary schools across the south and southeast of Ireland.

At first glance, this is a conversation about school meals. But beneath that sits a much bigger business story: how a family-run food business identified a new opportunity emerging from public policy, moved quickly to seize it, and then built the operational capability required to deliver at scale.
Mike explains how 360 Bia Óg saw the opening created by Ireland’s expanding hot school meals scheme and responded with a model built on fresh daily production, tightly controlled delivery windows, reusable packaging, and a highly disciplined approach to consistency. We discuss the realities of running a time-sensitive food operation where success depends not just on quality and nutrition, but on logistics, staffing, contingency planning, supplier relationships, and process design.

From a macro-to-micro perspective, this episode is a strong example of how strategic opportunity is created at the macro level — through policy change, shifting social priorities, and demand for more sustainable food systems — and then captured at the micro level through operational excellence in production and delivery logistics.

Our conversation covers:
how Mike’s background in hospitality shaped his approach to quality and consistency
the opportunity created by the government-backed school meals programme
what differentiates 360 Bia Óg in production, packaging, and delivery
the role of sustainability in menu design, sourcing, and waste management
how the business handles tight delivery windows and builds resilience into its operation
what scaling this model nationally could look like over the next three to five years

This is a useful episode not only for those in foodservice, but for anyone interested in supply chain, operations, distribution, or the practical realities of turning strategy into execution.
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