Anne Heraty – Keynote Speaker at AAB Leadership Talk

“Back yourself, believe in yourself, believe in your idea.” These are just some of the thoughts shared with business leaders by Cpl Resources plc Chief Executive, Anne Heraty, as keynote speaker at the AAB Annual Leadership Talk. The event was part of the 2017 MLM Management Month initiative, in association with the Ulster University Business School held at the Belfast Campus.

Originally from County Longford, and now based in Dublin, Anne Heraty began her career in Xerox where she was one of Ireland’s first telesales workers. A move to Grafton Recruitment began a 30 year career in this sector and the creation of the now international company Cpl Resources plc.

Anne co-founded Computer Placement Ltd in 1989 with the aim of placing people in IT companies starting up businesses in Ireland. Three years later she was the 100% shareholder and by 1999 CPL Resources plc began trading on both the Irish and London Stock Exchanges. Today the company provides recruitment, staffing and outsourcing services through an international network of 32 offices across nine countries.

During the one hour conversation with broadcaster Gerry Kelly, Anne’s passion for business aligned to a clear set of values was evident as she traced her career from telesales to becoming the first female Chief Executive of an Irish company to float on the stock exchange. “Have no fear of failure. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin,” says Anne. “Both are just experiences and each set different challenges for you.”

Anne’s success in the business world has also been widely recognised by a raft of prestigious awards including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), Business & Finance Business Person of the Year (2014) and Image Business Woman of the Year (2015). In September 2016 she was elected the President of IBEC, the group that represents Irish business.