In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook podcast, Shay Walsh, Manging Director of BT Ireland, joins host Richard Curran to reflect on a career at the cutting edge of telecoms and communications, the challenges of leading your people through major strategic change, and the future of data and connectivity.

Shay Walsh’s journey began in Cabra, Dublin, with Irish-speaking roots and a childhood immersed in technology - his grandfather a radio operator, and his parents civil servants in Posts & Telegraphs. After studying electronic engineering at DCU, he entered the world of telecoms just as the industry was being transformed.

Having joined Esat Telecom as a field engineer when the company was still in its very early days, Shay has spent almost 30 years helping to shape the evolution of communications in Ireland, rising to the highest ranks of the telecoms industry along the way. Today, as BT sells its Irish wholesale and enterprise business units, he reflects on a remarkable 29-year career with the company and looks ahead to his next chapter.

They also discuss:

• BT’s decision to sell its Irish domestic and data centre businesses to focus more on the UK, and what will remain of its presence in Ireland.
• The power of honesty and clear communication when trying to build trust during a period of big changes.
• Shay’s view on Data Centres, their economic importance, and their energy requirements.
• His pride about BT’s 20-year partnership with the Young Scientist Exhibition and its role in helping students grow in confidence.
• What Shay plans to do next, after he wraps up his 29-year career with Esat / BT Ireland.

In this episode of the EY CFO Outlook podcast, Rob Morrissey, CFO of AstraZeneca Ireland Commercial operations joins host Dearbhail McDonald to talk about his unconventional career journey, AstraZeneca’s growth plans, the role of AI in finance, and why empathy and compassion matter so much to him as a leader.

Rob Morrissey’s path into finance was something of an accident. Having spent childhood summers helping on a farm in Wexford, and not being a natural ‘numbers person’, Rob was initially attracted to studying agricultural science at third level. However, without a farm to go to, he chose business studies. When the college Registrar accidentally placed Rob into the accounting module, he reluctantly decided to stick with it, and the rest is history.

After qualifying as a chartered accountant, Rob entered the jobs market during the economic recession of the late 2000s and was unable to find work for a significant period of time, an experience that he found both humbling and made him more resilient. However, when he successfully applied for a maternity cover contract in AstraZeneca, Rob’s search was over and his journey to CFO began.

Today, Rob leads financial strategy, governance, and long-term planning for the AstraZeneca Ireland Commercial operations which is a subsidiary of one of the world’s top science-led biopharma companies, with over 95,000 employees across 80 countries, selling products into 125 markets.

They also discuss:

• How the CFO role has evolved into more of a strategic business partner. He talks about safeguarding the company’s assets but also driving the company’s performance and innovation.
• AI and Digital Transformation - embracing AI tools while upskilling to stay ahead in a changing finance landscape.
• Sustainability and Community Impact - AstraZeneca’s switch to electric vehicles and community initiatives including clean coasts, tree planting, and community gardens.
• Work-Life Balance and Leadership Philosophy - how becoming a parent helped Rob find better balance and explains why empathy and compassion matter in leadership.

In this episode of the EY CEO Outlook Podcast, Brian Walsh, CEO of Vhi talks with host Richard Curran about leading Vhi, combining business with purpose, and the shift toward digital and community-based healthcare.

The career path that Brian Walsh has travelled is testament to the early influence of his parents and childhood. His mother worked in healthcare and his father in business, and Brian developed deep interest in both fields. These twin passions then converged in 2014 when Brian took a leadership role in Vhi, and today he is “really proud now to be in a role and with a business that marries both healthcare and business”.

Being drawn to “travelling the path less travelled’, Brian’s career has spanned international roles across finance, telecommunications, and food industries, with experience in Hungary, Germany, and the United States. He became CEO of Vhi in 2021, having previously served as CFO. Keenly aware of the unique position that Vhi holds in Irish society, Brian is determined to keep the company purpose and values-led at its core, and to help its members to love longer and stronger and healthier lives.

They also discuss:

· Brian’s Career Journey: His early life, influence of his parents and global experience that led him to combine business and healthcare.

· Leading with Purpose: Brian talks about the organisation being extremely purpose led and values led. How these clear values help guide decisions and manage different stakeholder needs.

· Changing Healthcare: How Vhi is using technology and community care to improve healthcare.

· Reinvesting in Membership: How the company reinvests all income to benefit members and improve services

· Brian’s views on leadership and his advice for others in management.