The Irish Tech News Podcast

Dame Dawn Childs DBE FREng

Dawn is the CEO of Pure Data Centres Group building and operating hyperscale data centres. Before joining Pure she led a multi-billion transformation programme for National Grid across both the gas and electricity transmission businesses.

This followed several senior engineering appointments as: the Group Engineering Director for Merlin Entertainments with responsibility for engineering delivery and standards across the worldwide portfolio of theme parks; and the Head of Engineering at Gatwick Airport. She joined Gatwick after 23 years as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Air Force.

She is a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and a Trustee of the Air League. She was the longest serving President of the Women’s Engineering Society, turning it around over a 5 year tenure, and is currently the Chair of the iMasons Committee.

She was honoured with a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering in October 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for services to engineering in the King’s New Years Honours 2023.

Sam Grady, A Healthier Earth

Sam is a commercial strategy professional with experience of driving social impact in both the public and private sector. He has worked primarily in regulated environments; firstly, as an economist at HM Treasury and then as a commercial policy advisor at the Cabinet Office – responsible for the establishment and management of public-private joint venture companies.

Most recently Sam has lead business development activity at National Grid where his focus was on designing and delivering sustainable business models. 

As AHE’s Director of Strategy & Business Development Sam is responsible for building commercial partnerships and creating innovate business models that enable the delivery of our ambitious climate projects.

 Sam is from the UK and currently lives in North Worcestershire. In his spare time he is an avid golfer on a never ending quest to break par.

During the recent Dublin Tech Summit, I recorded a series of podcasts. In my second podcast I spoke to Alan Browne, one of the Dublin Tech Summit speakers and a CEO and Co-Founder of Soarvo and the Executive Chairman of KOREC Group.

Alan talks about his background, AI, geo spatial data and more.

More about Alan Browne:

Alan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Soarvo and the Executive Chairman of KOREC Group. As the co-founder of Soarvo, Alan has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision and technological innovation.

In his role at KOREC Group, Alan has been instrumental in expanding the company’s market reach, strengthening partnerships and driving growth through innovative strategies. Recognised for his entrepreneurial achievements, Alan was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2022.

During the recent Dublin Tech Summit, I recorded a series of podcasts with some pf the speakers. In this podcast I speak to Bart Becks, one of the Dublin Tech Summit speakers and a board member of the European Innovation Council.

Bart talks about his background, his Dublin Tech Summit talks, risk investing, AI and more.

More about Bart Becks:

Bart Becks is a serial innovator and entrepreneur from Belgium, with a proven track record of igniting digital innovation, fuelling growth and launching new ventures. In recent years, Bart served as the Executive Chairman at EURACTIV, steering its transformation into a premier media network covering EU policy news across 13 countries.

EURACTIV was recently acquired by a prominent European media group. Concurrently, Bart serves as the Executive Chairperson at E-Health Venture, where he oversees the development of an ecosystem integrating strategic business, research, and technology partnerships. Additionally, he is a co-founder of BeCentral, which, since its establishment in 2017, has evolved into one of Europe’s foremost Tech and Digital Skills campuses.

During his nearly decade-long tenure as CEO of Belgacom Skynet (now Proximus), Bart played a pivotal role in propelling the company to become Belgium’s largest internet and digital media entity.

Subsequently, he joined the European Media Group SBS Broadcasting, which underwent acquisition by the private equity groups KKR & Permira and merged with ProSiebenSat1 to form one of Europe’s largest media groups.

Following a significant period in California, Bart extended his involvement in startups and scale-ups as a founder, advisor, or angel investor – essentially in the domains of SAAS, digital media and healthcare.

Join Theo and a panel of industry thought leaders including Julie Muhn, Tiffany Montez, Millicent Tracey, and Tammy Bangs, as we unpack the first half of 2025 and predict what's to come. From discussions on the evolving role of AI in financial services and the rise of stablecoins, to the impact of regulatory changes, we cover it all. Discover the trends, challenges, and promising advancements shaping the future of FinTech. Whether it's exploring the strategic shifts in banking, the application of AI agents, or the cautious optimism amid economic uncertainties, this episode is for you. Tune in now!  

 📍 banks would start betting big on branches as a growth engine and a financial hub.

In this episode of One Vision, I sat down with Joel Blake, OBE, founder and CEO of GFA Exchange. We delve into Joel's life journey, his various roles across professional services, tech and fintech space, not-for-profit organizations and communities nationwide in the UK, as well as his commitment to creating an inclusive ecosystem. Joel reflects on his personal experiences, from growing up in a working-class environment to being awarded an OBE for Services to Business Support & Enterprise.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or simply someone searching for purpose, Joel's journey will resonate and inspire. This heartfelt and inspiring conversation is not to be missed.

Sogeti is part of the CapGemini Group in Ireland, and is a leading technology provider that works alongside businesses to leverage emerging trends and technologies to identify, develop and deliver cutting-edge solutions.

Sogeti employs 230 people in Ireland and serves 40 clients in Ireland including AWS, Microsoft and OpenText. To find out more about Sogeti Ronan spoke to James Govan the CEO of Sogeti.

James talks about his background, what Sogeti does, how he managed to scale up sogeti and more.

More about James Govan:

Born in Scotland, James has been CEO of Sogeti since 2013. In that time, James has helped to rebuild the organisational structure, growing headcount from 65 to ~200 in Ireland and from 0 to +400 near and offshore in Europe and India working on Irish projects.

Outside of work, James is a keen cricketer, having represented Scotland at senior level for over 10 years, gaining 54 full caps. He has also represented Fife Schools, Midlands Schools and Scottish Students in rugby.

In this new episode of One Vision Podcast, Theo hosts a deep dive with Ed Maslaveckas, CEO and Co-Founder of Bud, exploring the fascinating 10-year journey of the FinTech startup. They discuss the inception and evolution of Bud, and the future of data intelligence and AI for financial services. 

Between the bigger incumbent banks and the smaller institutions, who has the upper hand in the quest to become AI-ready? What are the opportunities for middle market banks? Tune in for an engaging conversation full of twists, turns, and signals in the data haystack. 

#AI #fintech #financialservices #bankingonAI #podcast #onevision 

Over the past few years the cost of living is really biting, with grocery shopping, electricity prices, and fuel prices coming under close scrutiny. Thankfully Pick a pump, a new free app, which is available on the App Store and the Google Playstore will help.

Pick a pump compares fuel prices in petrol stations in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Ronan recently caught up with Joel Gray the developer of Pick a pump.

Joel talks about his background, how he developed Pick a pump, why Pick a pump has no ads and more.

More about Pick a pump:

It’s a free app that helps drivers compare fuel (petrol/diesel) prices across petrol stations in NI, ROI, and the UK.

Some main features include:

• Station services and contact info
• My Garage section with MOT/NCT info
• Traffic Warnings
• Traffic camera feeds (for premium users in NI)
• Favourite Stations (premium)
• eCharger support
  

Blockchain Ireland’s annual conference serving the blockchain, crypto and Web3 communities, Blockchain Ireland Summit 2025 kicks off this Friday. One of the speakers at the two day conference is Richard Blythman the Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Naptha.AI, a startup building open, decentralised infrastructure for the next generation of AI.

Richard’s background is in machine learning, engineering, and academic research, and his work focuses on enabling developers to build intelligent agents that can work together, without relying on centralised platforms or Big Tech infrastructure. Ronan recently caught up with Richard. 

Richard talks about his background, the internet of agents, what naptha does, AI privacy, eu regulation and more.

More about Richard Blythman:

He previously co-founded Algovera, one of the earliest players in the decentralised AI sector, and holds a PhD in Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. His experience spans from building generative models and digital avatars in Big Tech, to leading research on fluid dynamics, multi-agent coordination, and privacy-preserving AI systems.

At Naptha, Richard is exploring how decentralised agent networks could reshape everything from software development to data ownership, and why open standards like MCP are key to unlocking that future.

Paul Rice is the founder and former CEO of Fair Trade USA and his new book Every Purchase Matters was published last month. With decades of experience at the intersection of business, supply chains, grassroots farmer leaders, and consumer trends, Paul knows how ethical sourcing transforms industries and why it’s becoming a strategic advantage for brands navigating today’s unpredictable economy. Ronan recently spoke to Paul about his background, how fair trade started, his book, technology, the future of Fair Trade and more.

More about Paul Rice:

As the architect behind one of the most successful socially conscious initiatives, Paul turned the concept of ethical sourcing from a few Nicaraguan coffee co-ops into a movement embraced by 1,700 major brands and retailers.

Today, Fair Trade products are a staple in U.S. supermarkets—proving that values-driven consumerism is not only thriving but reshaping the way companies do business. Paul’s new book Every Purchase Matters offers a rich and persuasive case for conscious capitalism including the change it has brought and the potential it still has to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.

Did you know that the term 'Sustainability Examples' is searched 170,000 times globally per month (circa 5,000 in Ireland per month). Did you also know that 

99.8% of Irish businesses are SMEs. Individually, they have small carbon footprints, but collectively, they account for 38% of Ireland's CO2 emissions (63% in Europe). While many SMEs are taking action, they struggle to gain awareness, recognition and measurable commercial advantages for taking action.

This is why Andrew Sheehan built a sustainability engagement platform (sustainabilityexamples.com) to change that. Ronan recently spoke to Andrew about his background, what sustainabilityexamples.com does, three ways of changing behaviour and more .

More about sustainabilityexamples.com:

There are two types of users on the platform: Champions and Doers. The platform helps Irish SMEs driving climate action (doers) gain more visibility, greater recognition and a faster ROI for taking action by providing a platform where they can launch, share, and compete for prominence on the homepage leaderboard through community engagement with climate-engaged supporters (champions). 

By providing impact leaders with measurable recognition and data-backed commercial advantages for launching examples of their initiatives and solutions on the platform, the platform’s purpose is to encourage more SMEs to also start taking action. 

Jassem “J” Osseiran is an experienced entrepreneur and operational investor based in London. With a deep understanding of global finance gained through his Economics degree at the University of San Francisco, Jay began his career as a tech venture builder with Rocket Internet in New York. He then shifted his focus to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), managing media portfolios and founding startups tailored to the region.

A sought-after advisor for high-growth brands and cutting-edge technology platforms, Jay has orchestrated multiple successful exits, including a notable IPO on the London Stock Exchange. In 2020, he founded 611 Capital Investments, concentrating on investments, incubation, and market scalability across the EU, the Middle East, and Asia.

Currently, Jay is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of PlaysOut Technologies, where he is spearheading the commercial framework for seamlessly integrating mini-games within super apps. This initiative represents a significant shift in the digital ecosystem, leveraging evolving Web3 technologies to unlock immense potential for mini-games in the digital space.

Ronan recently caught up with Jay and he spoke about his background, what PlaysOuts do, blockchain, AI agents, one click publishing and more.

More about Playsout:

PlaysOut is a globally oriented open platform for mini-programs that fully aligns with the Weixin Mini-Program framework. It provides SDK interfaces for super apps, offering a rich array of mini-program and mini-game content.

Additionally, PlaysOut streamlines the integration process for developers, providing convenient tools and seamless access to mini-program and mini-game products. Leveraging its robust technical capabilities and deep collaborations with game developers, PlaysOut aims to connect with global traffic partners, gradually expanding its reach across international markets. Its goal is to become the largest open platform for mini-programs and mini-games worldwide.

Debbie Soon is a Singaporean investor, entrepreneur, content creator, art collector, and advocate for inclusivity in the global onchain community.

With over a decade of experience spanning finance, consumer tech, retail, media, and wellness, Debbie aims to shape the future of consumer businesses from the U.S. to her home country of Singapore.

Debbie recently published her new book Digital Mavericks: A Guide to Web3, NFT’s, and Becoming the Main Character of the Next Internet Revolution. Ronan recently caught up with Debbie.

Debbie talks about her background, what HUG does, crypto, blockchain technologies, her new book, and more.

More about Debbie Soon:

Debbie has served as the co-founder and Co-CEO of HUG, launched in 2022 alongside Facebook Live creator Randi Zuckerberg. With 35,000+ users across 180+ countries, HUG is an inclusive social marketplace where next-generation creators can showcase and sell their work both onchain and offchain.

During her time at HUG, Debbie secured partnerships with major brands including the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, DIOR, and the United Nations. She recently led HUG to a successful acquisition by .ART Domain Registry, the leading domain operator for the arts and creative industry.

Passionate about bridging the gap between the arts and technology, Debbie is dedicated to using blockchain technology to create more inclusive and fair opportunities for creators.

In 2023, she was recognised by NFT Now as one of 10 trailblazing Asian founders shaping the future of Web3. Debbie has also spoken at leading blockchain conferences including NFT NYC, NFC Summit, and the USC Blockchain Conference.

Thomas Ruble  is a humanist and technologist. His career began with an advanced degree in computer science, leading him through diverse industries—from healthcare AI and banking to cloud infrastructure.

Today, he focuses on decentralised finance, drawn by the promise of open, autonomous systems enabled by blockchain technology. Thomas is a co-founder of Nirvana Finance who are redefining token markets and elevating the decentralised finance landscape.

Ronan recently caught up with Thomas to find out more about decentralised finance and the role Nirvana Finance is playing in this. Thomas talks about his background, what Nirvana Finance does, bitcoin, ethereum, the stages of temptation, blockchain and more

More about Nirvana Finance:

Founded by a distributed team of DeFi veterans with deep roots in the Solana ecosystem, Nirvana is on a mission to redefine token markets and elevate the decentralised finance landscape

With the relaunch of Nirvana V2, the team reaffirms its commitment to building secure, transparent, and equitable financial systems for all.

HCLTech have been part of Ireland’s IT ecosystem since 1991 and they work with many of the biggest global businesses in banking, insurance, capital markets, FinTech and financial compliance/risk. The company is one of the leading innovators in AI, with annual revenues of $13.8billion and a workforce of over 220,000 people.  

The business in Ireland serves 100 million financial services customers & is based there to meet the needs of Europe’s financial sector. It has developed strong partnerships with financial institutions helping them navigate complex digital shifts, regulatory changes & operational improvements. 

To find out more about HCLTech I recently caught up with Sudip Lahiri, HCLTech’s Executive Vice President & Head Europe & UKI, Financial Services.

Sudip talks about his background, financial services, Brexit, cryptocurrencies and more.  

More about Sudip Lahiri, Executive Vice President & Head - Europe & UKI, Financial Services

Sudip Lahiri heads the Financial Services group in Europe with a focus on the UK, Ireland, Benelux, Nordics, DACH, France, Iberia and South Europe for HCLTech.

With over 28 years of experience in IT and over 25 years in the European market, Sudip has made significant contributions towards HCLTech’s global Financial Services business and managing top Financial Services customers.

Sudip has been working for HCLTech for the last 25 years and has been instrumental in setting up and growing HCLTech’s business in Continental Europe. 

Sudip reflects HCLTech’s vision of supercharging progress for our clients through passionate commitment and building enduring relationships. He has been the backbone of the Financial Services team, leading with charisma and compassion.

His conviction for running the business beyond transactions and far-sighted approach to creating solutions have been instrumental in growing the business in Europe. He has put great e‑o and dynamic thinking into building cXstudio, Co-Innovation Labs and Nearshore Centres in Europe.

Last Thursday Integrity360 held their annual Security First Conference in the Aviva Stadium. Balancing the human cyber equation was the theme of this years Security First Conference and some of the speakers included Richard Ford, CTO, Integrity360, Brian Martin, Director of Product Management, Integrity360  and Sonya McSherry, Client Partner, Integrity360. During the conference I did a roundtable with Richard, Brian and Sonya.

We discussed the conference which is now touring various cities around the world the world, prioritising awareness and training, deepfakes, digital forgery, zero trust and more.

More about Integrity360:

Integrity360 is an industry-leading cyber security specialist operating in Ireland and the U.K. Since 2005 they’ve earned the status of trusted security advisor for over 1,500 clients across UK and Ireland.

Their Security First approach positions security as an enabler and empowers their clients to do business securely.

Here on the Irish Tech News podcast we love to promote new Irish startups. One such startup is AdLab, an app that aspires to bridge the gap between consumers and Irish fashion brands, , with the aim of creating collaborative and authentic marketing campaigns via User Generated Content (UGC).

AdLab provides a cost effective means for brands to access new content. All content will be screened by the App, to ensure that it matches the brand's specific content requirements (set out by the brands themselves). I recently spoke to one of AdLab’s  Co-Founder’s Lorcan Melia.

Lorcan talks about his background, What AdLab does, how AdLab started, Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers (Phase 2) programme and more.

More about AdLab: 

AdLab was born because the Co-Founders believe that marketing and advertising is rapidly heading towards 'authenticity' - customers react well to seeing real people.

AdLab allows brands to access and showcase their own customers' content for their digital marketing purposes, creating a relationship between the brand and their customer. AdLab aims to give brands access to a wealth of affordable and authentic content.

The Spider awards are taking place later this month and one of the finalists in  the ”Best Use of Disruptive Technology" award is tapybl. Andrew Nolan, a homegrown Irish IT entrepreneur on a mission to change the face of eLearning globally is the brains behind Tapybl. I recently caught up with Andrew.

Andrew talks about his background, what tapybl does, pop quizzes and more.

More about tapybl:

The way content is consumed has evolved—learning should, too. But for too  long, it’s been stuck in outdated formats—static slides, endless PDFs, and passive content that fails to engage modern learners.

That’s why tapybl was built, an AI-powered interactive video learning platform that transforms prompts, PDFs, PowerPoints, and lesson plans into engaging experiences—instantly.

Bolt is a customer conversion technology offering a one-click checkout to its network of more than 80 million shoppers .When their CEO Justin Grooms was recently in Dublin I caught up with him.

Justin talks about what Bolt does, the consumers perspective, the seamless experience with Bolt, payment innovation, Bolts European expansion and more. 

More about Bolt:

Bolt has transformed the checkout experience, providing its hundreds of merchant partners, including luxury brand LuisaViaRoma, with a passwordless checkout technology that embeds seamlessly into the retailer’s technology to maintain brand identity. Bolt’s technology, combined with its extensive shopper network, allows retailers to instantly recognise shoppers, increase conversion, and drive revenue. 

AI is everywhere at the moment and one person who knows how AI is shaping the future of business is the entrepreneur Aaron Gibson.

Ronan spoke to Aaron about his background, AI, data security and more

More about Aaron:

Aaron Gibson is a seasoned entrepreneur who dropped out of school at 16 to start his own tech company that turned learning into a game. He then went on to sell this company and this is what kick started his entrepreneurial journey. He is now the CEO of Hurree, a company revolutionising how businesses leverage AI-driven data ecosystems. 

Emma Meehan, is the founder of Galway-based tech startup Precision Sports Technology, a winner of the KPMG Global Tech Innovator competition in Ireland. Emma competed for the top spot at the recent global GTI contest which took place in Lisbon last November. I spoke to Emma after she came back from Lisbon.

Emma talks about her background, what Precision Sports Technology does, Enterprise Ireland,, The KPMG Global Tech Innovator competition, Precision Sports Technology plans for the future and more.

More about Precision Sports Technology:

Precision Sports Technology is a tech start-up founded in 2021 by Emma who had been developing the technology for over four years.

It involves deploying artificial intelligence technology and analysis to enhance sports training accuracy through a cutting-edge software platform which uses machine learning, AI and LiDAR to enhance athletic performance, support rehabilitation, and reduce the risk of injury through advanced exercise analysis. Emma herself is also a competitive weightlifter and personal trainer.