CEO Corner by Sarah McGrath

“Most Heart Disease Is Preventable” – Executive Health, Stress & Longevity with Dr. Robert Kelly

“If you don’t look after the engine, you can’t expect to perform.” What happens when ambition, pressure, and performance come at the expense of your health? In this episode of CEO Corner, Associate Professor Dr. Robert Kelly –Consultant Cardiologist, Lifestyle Medicine expert, and creator of the Heart Reset Method – joins Sarah McGrath for a powerful conversation on the hidden health risks facing CEOs, founders, and senior leaders. From chronic stress and poor sleep to silent plaque build-up and missed warning signs, Dr. Kelly explains why so many high-performing individuals ignore the very risks that matter most, and why prevention is the real performance advantage. This is a masterclass in executive health, longevity, and sustainable performance: → why heart disease often develops silently for decades → the warning signs leaders consistently ignore → how stress, sleep, diet, and alcohol impact heart health → why high achievers struggle to turn knowledge into action → the link between heart health, decision-making, and performance → and how small behavioural changes can transform long-term outcomes All without waiting for a crisis to force change. Dr. Kelly shares insights from nearly 20 years in cardiology, working with patients at both acute and preventative stages—and how his approach has evolved to focus on helping people stay well, not just treating illness. Listen Now! An essential listen for CEOs, founders, and ambitious professionals who want to build success without sacrificing their health—and actually enjoy the results. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague or leader who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more leadership, performance, and real-world insights from CEO Corner. Connect With Us Dr. Robert Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/associate-professor-dr-robert-kelly-1111051a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/associate-professor-dr-robert-kelly-1111051a/] Sarah McGrath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcgrath/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcgrath/]   Sponsored by 360 Search — Your career, our expertise. www.360search.ie [http://www.360search.ie]

“You Don’t Need All the Answers to Lead” — Authentic Leadership with Marguerite Brosnan, CEO of AXA Insurance Ireland

“You can be authentic and powerful at the same time.” What does real leadership actually look like behind the title? In this episode of CEO Corner, Marguerite Brosnan, CEO of AXA Insurance Ireland, joins Sarah McGrath for a deeply honest conversation about leadership, career pivots, and building high-trust teams that outperform. From growing up between Tipperary and Kerry to becoming one of Ireland’s top CEOs, Marguerite shares the defining moments that shaped her leadership philosophy including leaving a secure teaching career, being championed by a sponsor early in her career, and learning why authenticity builds more trust than authority ever could. Inside this episode: → why ambition doesn’t need to be loud → the difference between mentoring and sponsorship → how to lead experts who know more than you → why flexibility builds trust instead of weakness → staying close to the frontline to stay grounded → how insurance is evolving from protection to prevention   Key takeaways include • Why steady self-improvement beats competitive ambition • How discomfort builds confidence and career momentum • The leadership habit that creates psychological safety • Why breadth of experience increases long-term career value • How great leaders share credit and take responsibility   Memorable moments • “A leader casts a long shadow.” • “If you want to climb a mountain, you have to climb it.” • “When you do the right thing, you’re never wrong.”   An essential listen for leaders, founders, managers, and anyone building a meaningful career. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who leads a team or wants to. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping modern leadership. _ Connect With Us Marguerite Brosnan: linkedin.com/in/marguerite-brosnan-baabb865/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marguerite-brosnan-baabb865/] Sarah McGrath: linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcgrath/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcgrath/] _ Sponsored by 360 Search: Your career, our expertise www.360search.ie [http://www.360search.ie]

“If You Knew How Hard It Was, You Wouldn’t Do It” – Ambition, Risk & Real Wealth with Stephen Felle

“If people knew how hard it was to set up your own business, they wouldn’t do it.”  In this episode of CEO Corner, Stephen Felle—CEO at Fordel and former youngest director on the board of Davy—joins Sarah McGrath to talk ruthless ambition, the Celtic Tiger, and what “real wealth” looks like in Ireland today. From starting in stockbroking as a teenager, to sitting at the centre of Ireland’s boom years, to walking away from a high-paying leadership role to launch a startup weeks before COVID, Stephen shares a rare, candid look inside wealth, risk, and reinvention. Key takeaways include: * Ambition needs a channel – how not being good at sport pushed Stephen to find his edge in business and relationship-building. * The evolution from stock-picking to wealth management – why “boring” compounding beats flashy trading apps 60% of the time. * Celtic Tiger lessons – how visible excess (helicopters to the Galway Races, soaring bank shares) masked systemic risk. * The hidden cost of rapid career success – work–life imbalance, stress, and the danger of tying identity to title. * Entrepreneurship reality vs romance – why most people underestimate the financial and emotional strain of starting up. * Ireland’s new wealth story – business sales, pensions, and high earners replacing leveraged property as the main driver. * What good wealth management really is – holistic planning around pensions, gifting, college funds, tax, and family goals, not just “which fund”. * Transparency as a differentiator – the importance of clear fees, realistic returns, and saying “no” to opaque 8% schemes with hidden commissions. * Continuous mentorship matters – even at CEO level, having seasoned investors as sounding boards is a competitive advantage. * Perspective after illness – why Stephen frames leukemia and startup scars through the lens of luck, support, and privilege. All while balancing a young family, big ambition, and the constant pressure of building something from scratch. A must-listen for entrepreneurs, high-earning professionals, and anyone in Ireland wondering how to turn income into long-term, resilient wealth—without losing yourself in the process.

Building Ireland’s First Female-Led Unicorn – Sinead Fitzmaurice FCA, Former CEO of TransferMate

Leadership, Strategy, & Scaling From Startup to Unicorn In this episode of CEO Corner, Sinead Fitzmaurice FCA – first female CEO of an Irish unicorn (TransferMate Global Payments), director of Fitzmaurice Finance and chairperson of Nazaré Point – joins host Sarah McGrath for a rare, candid conversation about private leadership and public success. Sinead lifts the lid on what it took to scale a regulated global fintech to unicorn status while raising four children, including her daughter Sasha, who was given no hope at birth and went on to defy every prognosis. Together they dive into: → Growing up in 1980s Ireland with “tighten the belt” economics and big ambitions → Being the only woman among 30 male managers at PwC and learning to speak up in the boardroom → Scaling TransferMate from startup to unicorn through years of regulation and licensing → The night the New York regulator called at 11pm and changed the company’s trajectory → Unicorn status, staff mortgages, and why valuation is a tool, not an identity → Stage 3 of her career: advisory roles, AI, fintech in emerging markets & Nazaré Point Key takeaways include: • How childhood scarcity can drive ambition and the question “what am I chasing?” • The internal “10 conversations” women often have before speaking in the boardroom • Why quiet belief from one mentor can completely alter a career path • The reality of guilt for working mothers • The importance of product-market fit, regulation and a real moat in fintech • Why “overnight success” usually means a decade of invisible grind • How to give honest feedback, avoid wasted talent, and build a high-standards culture • Designing your career in stages: training ground → scale-up CEO → portfolio advisory

“I was down to my last 50 cent" – Resilience & Reinvention with Noel Anderson, MD of Grand Slam Bars

“If you don’t adapt, you’re dead.” – What does it actually take to build and keep a hospitality business alive? In this episode of CEO Corner, Noel Anderson—publican, industry advocate, and co-founder of Grand Slam Bars (The Bridge 1859, Lemon & Duke, and more)–joins Sarah McGrath with a masterclass in operator mindset: → bouncing back from liquidation → settling a TV3 defamation case → bootstrapping Grafton Lounge, Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859 → and navigating policy shocks, energy costs, and shifting customer behaviour All without losing sight of people, product, and profit. Noel shares his raw, unfiltered story of resilience: losing everything at 23, starting again with €60k, scaling iconic venues with rugby partners, battling insurers during COVID—and why cash flow and culture beat almost everything else. Key takeaways include:  • Why cash flow is the lifeblood of any business  • The power of resilience after failure and liquidation at 23  • Property strategy: owning vs leasing and how ownership compounds growth  • Spotting & adapting to consumer trends  • Building strong team culture: hiring fast, removing bad fits, and sharing equity  • How Noel and his partners won a landmark COVID insurance case that benefited 1 in 7 Irish pubs  • The pressures of rising government costs, energy prices, and city safety on the hospitality sector  • The future of Irish pubs: fewer, smaller, more innovative, and more occasion-driven Memorable moments:  • “Cash flow is existential. Great ideas die without liquidity.”  • “Rip the plaster off on bad hires—culture is too expensive to waste.”  • “When things are good, don’t stir the hornet’s nest—pay down debt.”  • “Adapt or decline: evolve menus, experiences, and service—constantly.” An unmissable conversation for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone building a business in a fast-changing world. If this episode helped you, please share it with a founder or operator who needs it, and leave a comment—it really helps the show grow! Subscribe for more leadership & operator playbooks. _ Connect With Us Noel Anderson: /noel-anderson-a7a2bb42/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/noel-anderson-a7a2bb42/] Sarah McGrath: /sarah-mcgrath/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcgrath/] _ Sponsored by 360 Search — Your career, our expertise. www.360search.ie [https://www.360search.ie]