Drogheda and District Chamber are proud to have a completely independent Judging Panel for the Drogheda Business Excellence Awards. We sincerely thank the Judges who give their expertise and time on a voluntary basis to support these Awards.
Padraig Warren
Chairperson of the Judging Panel
Padraig is principal consultant with Chinook Consulting, a Dundalk based company. Founded in 2001, the range of services offered by Chinook Consulting includes independent evaluations of funded programmes, a full support service to both public and private sector companies and development of Quality Management Systems and Business Excellence.
Ronan Dennedy
Chief Executive of Louth County Enterprise Board.
The Enterprise Board supports the development of the micro enterprise sector in County Louth by providing training, mentoring, financial aid and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs and existing business owners and their staff. It also provides specific supports to the craft and creative enterprise sectors and provides specialist support to women entrepreneurs and business clusters. Prior to joining the Enterprise Board, Ronan spent almost 20 years at senior management level with a number of US multinational companies”
Joe English
Assistant CEO of the Louth County Enterprise Board.
Joe is the Assistant CEO of the Louth County Enterprise Board. Joe has spent the last ten years working in the SME sector, most recently as the manager of the Plato Louth, Newry & Mourne small business development network.
Anne Caldwell: Regional Development Executive
Anne Caldwell has worked in Enterprise Development for 25 years having worked with IDA Ireland, Forbairt, Eolas and now Enterprise Ireland. Anne has worked extensively with both foreign and indigenous companies and Economic Development Community Groups evaluating and processing projects.
Fergal Mc Geough: Operations Manager Wavin Ireland
Fergal has over 30 years experience in manufacturing and is currently Operations Manager with Wavin Ireland in Balbriggan. He has held senior management positions in engineering and manufacturing in Ireland and overseas and has worked as a volunteer facilitator with the North Dublin Plato small business development network. Fergal is a trained Quality and Operational Auditor and has a master’s degree in business from the University of Ulster.
Paddy Callaghan: Managing Director Natures Best
Paddy Callaghan is the founder and Chairman of Nature’s Best Ltd in Drogheda. Paddy started his company growing bean sprouts in his garage in 1986. Since then Nature’s Best has grown to become one of Drogheda’s largest employers producing a broad range of the freshest possible, chilled convenience foods for major supermarket chains throughout Ireland. Products are on sale in all Tesco and Dunnes Stores outlets nationwide as supermarket ‘own-label’ products and under Nature’s Best brand. Typical products are washed leafy salads, ready-to-eat salads, stir frys, coleslaws, sandwich fillers, prepared vegetables etc. Paddy was a recent finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition and in 2011 Nature’s Best Ltd was judged one of the Deloitte ‘Best Managed’ Irish companies.
Cathal Kearney: Head of Business & Humanities at Dundalk Institute of Technology
Cathal is Head of School of Business and Humanities at DkIT. The School is the biggest in the Institute sector with more than 2,500 students and offers full and part time programmes at master, honours bachelor and bachelor level. Prior to DkIT he worked with Digital Equipment Corporation in Galway as Financial Accountant and also for two years as part of the Digital European Internal Audit team.
Pat McCloughan: Managing Director of PMCA Economic Consulting
Dr. Pat McCloughan is a leading economic consultant with 20 years of professional experience. He has advised public and private sector clients in Ireland, the UK and internationally, including major corporations, SMEs, central government departments, local authorities and international organisations, including the European Commission. He authored the economic development strategy for Drogheda and recently completed the Action Plan for the Drogheda Economic Forum. Having founded a new economic consultancy practice last year, which is growing rapidly, Dr. McCloughan is an entrepreneur as well as an economist and understands how businesses work in practice.
Martin Kelly: Partner Doyle Kelly & Co
Martin is a Partner in Drogheda based Accountancy Practice Doyle Kelly & Company. He has spent almost 20 years as an Accountant working in Public Practice. During that time he has assisted hundreds of Companies from start up to sustainability. He has consulted for some of the Irelands most successful Companies and in more recent times has been working at the “coal face” of the Recession helping many businesses navigate their way through it. His experience in Corporate Recovery is extensive and he currently works for large and small Businesses, Financial Institutions and State Agencies in this area. Martin is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is a Registered Auditor and is also a member of The Irish Society of Insolvency Practitioners and Insol Europe. His Insolvency experience has led to appointments as Liquidator, High Court appointed Official Liquidator, and Receiver.
