By Business & Finance 
Kieran Moynihan, Managing Partner, Board Excellence
Kieran Moynihan, Managing Partner, Board Excellence, takes on the Business & Finance 60-second interview challenge.
Q. What was your first job? My first job was as a student engineer in 1989 troubleshooting Mac computers on the production line in Apple’s European headquarters in Hollyhill in Cork. Q. What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date? I was the CEO and Co-founder of Comnitel, a telecommunications software company, which raised €30 million venture capital funding in the late 1990s and was ultimately acquired by IBM’s software division. Q. In three words or less, how do you define success? Happy loyal clients. Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? To put your clients at the absolute heart of your business and to move heaven and earth to help them be successful by leveraging your products and services. Q. How do you motivate yourself and your staff? I’m a great believer in continually pushing myself and my colleagues to outperform and to continually improve. I passionately believe we all have incredible potential if encouraged and supported in the right way! Q. If you could step into the shoes of one business person for the day, who would it be and why? I would be an admirer of Willie Walsh from his early days as CEO of Aer Lingus to his current role as CEO of the global IAG airline group. The airline industry is a highly complex sector and he always struck me as a very sharp leader with high integrity and ethics. Q. How do you relax? I play chess competitively so I enjoy playing tournaments at the weekends across the country. I also enjoy spending time with my family, watching the kids play sports and attending concerts of singer-songwriters such as Kieran Goss, John Spillane, Jimmy McCarthy and Mick Flannery. Q. What’s your motto? “Wisdom is knowing the right path to take. Integrity is taking it.” Q. What are your aspirations for the future of your business? We are very passionate in Board Excellence about helping board teams outperform and deliver outstanding value for their shareholders and stakeholders. We are focused on growing our client base in boards across the country in the company, not-for-profit and state-board sectors. We have developed a unique workshop programme for boards of directors in Ireland and the UK which provides an overview of key trends in board effectiveness, performance and corporate governance. Utilising a Board Effectiveness & Performance Model, practical guidance is provided on how board directors both individually and collectively can optimise their effectiveness and performance.
I’m a great believer in continually pushing myself and my colleagues to outperform and to continually improve. I passionately believe we all have incredible potential if encouraged and supported in the right way!
