Image Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year 2012
Image Magazine, a high-end woman-focused magazine that “connect clients to audiences by creating stimulating, smart, relevant bespoke content”, opened its 6th year of celebrating the successes of Ireland’s leading businesswomen at the IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2012. This year’s Awards were sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, who continually looks for ways to help and offer support to new businesses.
Categories include Entrepreneurship, Young Businesswoman (under 30s), Management Professional, Start-up, Overseas, Social Entrepreneurship, and Creative Industry.
Margaret Valette O’Connor bags the coveted Entrepreneur of the Year Award, joining an impressive line-up of inspiring Irish women who continue to shine in the business world. Previous title holders are Michelle O’Donnell Keating and Niamh Gallagher, founders of Women for Election, a not-for-profit organisation with a vision of rebalancing political representation in Ireland and training, mentoring and encouraging more women to run for public office; Dr Emmeline Hill, UCD Researcher and Co-founder of Equinome, a world leader in the development and provision of genomic selection tools for the bloodstock and racing industry; Oonagh O’Hagan, Founder and Managing Director, Meaghers Pharmacy Group, a drug stores and pharmacies company and leading online beauty, makeup and cosmetics products distributor; and most recently, Chupi Sweetman, CEO of Chupi, a multi-award winning fine jeweller making ethical diamond engagement rings, wedding rings, right-hand rings and solid gold jewellery; and Ollwyn Moran, CEO of CogniKids, a brand offering a variety of products for natural baby development.
According to IMAGE, the Award nominees “should be switched-on entrepreneurial women, based in Ireland or overseas, with expert business acumen, who’ve developed an innovative idea (either a new product or service) from initial concept to commercial success. The business must be in operation, with filed accounts, for a minimum of three years, with nominees demonstrating a higher propensity for risk, innovation and achievement, along with quantitative evidence of success and growth.”
Other Awardees for the year were Susan Whelan, Group Senior Executive Vice President of King Power International Group, and Chief Executive of Leicester City Football Club, winner of the IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year and winner of the Overseas Businesswoman of the Year; Ann-Marie O’Neill, joint MD, O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates, winner of Creative Businesswoman of the Year; Deirdre O’Brien, Director of Sales and Marketing at Carton House, winner of Businesswoman of the Year; Sophie Morris, Director of Kooky Dough, winner of Young Businesswoman of the Year; Joan Freeman, founder and CEO, Pieta House, for Social Entrepreneurship; and Grainne Barron, Founder, Foxframe Technology, for Start-up.
An excerpt article entitled “Leading the Way” from Image Magazine’s website, image.ie, reads:
Entrepreneur of the Year
Margaret O’Connor, joint MD, Quigley’s Bakery
“Margaret began working in sales, marketing, HR and product development with former husband John the bakery in Tipperary since 1988. What began as a small bakery and shop with three staff has grown into a multi-million-euro business. Quigley’s now employs 150 members of staff across nine counties, at 17 different sites. Margaret oversees the management of 14 Quigley’s Café Bakery Stores and two Café Q shops, as well as the bakery in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, and is proud to say the company is 100 per cent Irish.”