By Business & Finance 
Rosanne McDonnell, Lead Creator and Director, Art Business Summit (Photo: Alan Place)
Rosanne McDonnell, Lead Creator and Director, Art Business Summit, discusses the link between art and business and establishing an international network in Ireland.
I look back on my first job with nostalgia and smile! It was working for the Sisters of Mercy in the summer of 1992 at my local secondary school when I was 14 years of age. My main task was to clean the students’ desks which predominantly meant that I chiseled dried-up chewing gum from their desks for two weeks. It turned me off gum for life! And it also taught me to respect things. On a more serious note, it has to be the creation of the Art Business Summit, Europe’s leading art business and networking event. I regard it as my greatest achievement to date because there is nothing as independent or international like it in Ireland. What keeps it unique is the focus on uniting business professionals in the art world with individuals who have a passion for art and antiques and wish to learn more about collection and wealth management in a relaxed environment. Life-balance, respect and integrity. My mother always said “Be your own person”. Once you are honest with people and true to yourself then you can’t go wrong. Passion – we are all intensively proud of placing Ireland on the international radar of highly-reputable experts in the art world. We feed off this positive energy and make sure that we put our best Irish foot forward. Well I would happily step into the shoes of our very own Limerick man J.P. McManus. He has achieved so much in his life and has never forgotten where he is from. He has been so generous to the mid-west region in the arts and, of course, to the many charities that he has supported. You can see his pride and passion in the beautifully restored Adare Manor which is where I am hosting the Art Business Summit on the 18 June. An ideal venue to showcase Ireland to our international guests. I have four children, a husband and extended family, so there is very little time to sit and relax. However, when I do get those quiet moments to relax, there is nothing better than looking out onto the wild Atlantic Ocean at Ballybunion beach in county Kerry. Watching the powerful waves crashing against the cliffs and beach puts everything into perspective. Stay positive, life is short and you need to enjoy the now. To keep expanding Art Business Summit to a broader more diverse international audience. My sponsors this year have been very supportive and I am looking forward to developing these relationships further through interconnectivity with international counterparts in the art and antiquities world in preparing Ireland as the gateway to Europe for art business and storage post Brexit.Q. What was your first job?
Q. What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
Q. In three words or less, how do you define success?
Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Q. How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
Q. If you could step into the shoes of one business person for a day, who would it be and why?
Q. How do you relax?
Q. What’s your motto?
Q. What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
My mother always said “Be your own person”. Once you are honest with people and true to yourself then you can’t go wrong.
Art Business Summit is Europe’s leading art business and networking conference that unites senior art business professionals in law, tax and wealth management with individuals interested in art and antiquities who would like to develop their business knowledge on key aspects of the art market at home and abroad.
Art Business Summit takes place at Adare Manor, Limerick on the 18 June, 2018.
