The DIA Dash 🏃‍♂️💨 #1

What a week, huh?

You can be sure that two of Ireland's most prominent executive exports, Alan Joyce and Bernard Looney, might relate to Captain Haddock from Tintin this week.

Continue reading to learn more about their experiences - and how nearly half of all Irish companies are enthusiastic about international expansion, even in the face of global economic challenges. 📈

Irish businesses are bullish on international expansion, with 42% planning to expand in the next 12 months 🌍

• Irish businesses are more likely to be pursuing international expansion than the average business globally, with 42% planning to expand in the next 12 months, up 10% from the previous year.

• However, businesses are increasingly seeing virtual expansion as a cost-effective, flexible element to their overall expansion strategy.

• The survey found that 44% of businesses with expansion plans will hire IT staff in their new location, while 42% will support the expansion virtually via the cloud.

• H/T 🎩: Think Business

Irish BP boss Bernard Looney resigns over past relationships after glittering career 🇬🇧

• Looney has spent his entire career at BP, joining the company as an engineer from UCD in 1991.

• He worked his way up the ranks, holding a variety of positions in the North Sea, Vietnam, the Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska.

• In May 2022, BP investigated allegations of "a small number of historical relationships" between Looney and colleagues prior to him becoming CEO.

• The investigation found no breach of the company's code of conduct, but Looney was asked to provide assurances about his future conduct.

• H/T 🎩: NY Times

Alan Joyce departs Qantas early amid mounting controversies 🇦🇺

• Joyce is of Irish heritage and has been praised for steering the airline through the 2008 financial crisis, the pandemic and record oil prices.

• However, he has also faced criticism for his handling of recent scandals, including expensive airfares, mass delays and cancellations, and the treatment of workers.

• Qantas is the subject of growing public anger after reaping record profits despite the scandals.

• H/T 🎩: BBC

Xtremepush Taking digital marketing to the next level, one push at a time 🌎

• The omnichannel customer engagement platform founded by Tommy Kearns and Kevin Collins in 2014 has been very busy of late having acquired Thunderbite, a gamification and loyalty programmes provider.

• This news follows another huge win for the group in September when they announced a new partnership with Yardline, a US-headquartered e-commerce firm. The deal is estimated to be worth at least $1 million a year.

• Xtremepush now operates in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada.

  H/T 🎩: The Currency

Ken Claffey Appointed as CEO of Californian AI Company Panasas 🇺🇸

• The group provides purpose-built data solutions for high-performance and AI applications. Ken is a graduate of UCD and Trinity.

• He joins Panasas after being SVP of Enterprise Systems Business at Seagate Technology, which has a large presence in the northwest of Ireland.

• He believes that Panasas' core parallel file system data storage technology plays a central role in enabling the growth of HPC and AI.

• H/T 🎩: Pansas

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