Entrepreneurs travel to Japan for CEO Retreat

SOUTH Dublin entrepreneurs Gareth Sheridan (CEO Nutriband Inc) and Aine Kennedy (The Smooth Company) were among a delegation of 140 of Ireland’s top entrepreneurs who travelled to Japan for the annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year CEO Retreat.

Kennedy and Sheridan were involved in the annual retreat which ran from May 26-31 and saw the entrepreneurs travel between Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, visiting key business and academic sites, and participating in a comprehensive programme of executive coaching, education and networking.

Ms Kennedy started beauty product supplier The Smooth Company at her Lucan home.

It took the Maynooth University Entrepreneurship graduate nearly two years to perfect her award-winning Smooth Stick, but today she has customers in over 70 countries globally, with a growing range of award winning beauty products.

Mr Sheridan, a past pupil at Terenure College, invented the Nutriband patch while studying for a management degree at the Dublin Institute of Technology, now TU Dublin.

Patches developed by the company are focused on nutritional products, cosmetic products, and therapeutic transdermal patches.

Nutriband is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with Sheridan as CEO, leading the development of a portfolio of transdermal pharmaceutical products.

Japan is the world’s fourth largest economy with enduring strengths in areas including innovation, technology, automotive and manufacturing.

The existing trade relationship between Ireland and Japan is strong with Japan positioned as Ireland’s second largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

Many of the entrepreneurs travelling to Japan are already conducting business there, while others sought to expand their markets.

Roger Wallace, Partner Lead for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, said: ”Japan is renowned as an innovative leader across various industries and a country “rich in opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to expand beyond traditional markets and into the wider Asia-Pacific region.”