Paul O’Shea is the founder and CEO of Ashview Consultants, a company that specialises in workplace safety, providing tailored solutions and developing best practices to meet the specific requirements of its clients.
By Héloïse Chaudot
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
I have a twin-track approach for my priorities and goals.
In terms of running the business, my main priorities are strategic leadership, organisational performance and creating long term value. I’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on things that really drive progress in the business – culture and leadership, a clear vision, strategy, and operational excellence. These are all essential as we continue to scale the business and grow.
From a client perspective, I’m focused on ensuring we help our clients optimise their performance by identifying, assessing and mitigating risks that could impact their business operations or their workplace health and safety standards. Safeguarding their operations results in stronger resilience and better long-term sustainable growth.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
There are a number of key challenges in business at the moment that are beyond our control, including global economic uncertainty, geopolitical instability in regions like the Middle East, while ongoing conflicts and trade tensions also add to the complexity.
The key challenges I see for business development in the business risk management industry right now are digital transformation, talent management and balancing innovation with risk:
- Digital transformation: Adapting to rapid technological change like AI and cybersecurity, while managing legacy systems and supporting workforce transition. This can be tricky to balance
- Talent: Competing for top talent, navigating hybrid work models, ensuring continuous engagement and ongoing upskilling
- Innovation and Risk: Encouraging bold, forward-thinking decisions without overextending resources or exposing the business to unnecessary risk, particularly in fast-moving environments
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
The last year has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding years we have had in our 20 years in business. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been on a journey to scale the business, and this is going extremely well. We are now a team of 30 dedicated professionals, bringing together deep sector expertise and cutting-edge technology to deliver practical, forward-thinking solutions. Our work enhances operational, financial, business, compliance, end-user, and health and safety processes while also addressing the unique challenges of each industry we serve.
We used this expertise to break into the European market, and, honestly, this happened a lot quicker than we imagined. We are now working on projects in nine countries across Europe, which is a significant achievement.
We also introduced Safe365, an AI-driven digital tool that helps businesses track, measure and improve their risk and safety culture, to the Irish market. This system leverages real-time data to drive continuous improvement rather than simply meeting annual compliance standards, and, in our view, it’s going to be an absolute game changer for Irish businesses because it will transform the way businesses approach risk and safety. We have also developed our own software called ‘Designing for Safety’, which is already proving to be a significant resource for clients.
It was also a real honour for the entire team at Ashview Consultants to be recently awarded the Mental Health and Well-Being Initiative of the Year award at the Health and Safety Excellence Awards 2025, and the Leaders in Employee Safety and Wellbeing award by the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) in London.
Throughout the past year, we have navigated everything as a unified team, dealing with the highs and lows as they arose, and the end result is that we are better positioned than ever to continue our growth in 2025 and into 2026.
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
We’ve invested a lot of time and money in the business over the last 18 months, and this has resulted in enhanced operational excellence. We are in a stronger position than ever to continue growing in Ireland, the UK, across Europe and beyond, which is very exciting for the entire team.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
Over the next five years, risk and safety culture will become one of the biggest areas of change as businesses finally realise that they need a more proactive approach to understanding and managing risk in their organisation.
Working across multiple sectors, we consistently see a common problem – many organisations believe they’re ready for any risk eventuality, but in reality, they’re not. This disconnect usually stems from companies focusing on retrospective compliance data or processes rather than taking a forward-thinking, proactive approach. While many businesses have risk policies and documentation in place, they are usually only checked once a year. This results in a false sense of compliance and ultimately, unmanaged risk.
In our experience, risk preparedness has to be an ongoing living strategy that is regularly scrutinised, with improvements identified and implemented, not an annual compliance checklist or static plan that relies on outdated data. The businesses that take risk management seriously today will be tomorrow’s market leaders.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
The two main challenges are technology and talent. Digital transformation is moving at a very rapid pace, and most companies aren’t ready for it. Regarding talent, I feel that we are not gearing up the next generation for what we need. Today’s ‘always-on’ and accessible social media world means that everyone wants to be a blogger or an influencer. Yes, of course, some people can make a living from it, but not everyone. We need to work with the younger generations to help them build a career path that will sustain them over the coming decades.
As an employer, are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
We’ve been very fortunate to attract really strong talent over the years, and while there have been a few missteps along the way, as is the case with every business, we’re currently surrounded by some particularly great people.
That said, our industry is facing broader challenges around a lack of deep sectoral knowledge. We are lucky to have a team with expansive experience that allows us to work with clients in industries such as construction, aviation, transport, commercial, pharmaceutical, hospitality, retail, residential, logistics, renewable energy, data centres and student accommodation. But this isn’t the case across the wider industry and is something that we need to address to future proof the market.
How do you keep your team motivated?
We’re proud to have a fantastic team at Ashview Consultants, and one of our ongoing goals in senior management is to help our people see the bigger picture – the purpose and impact behind the work we do. We’re involved in some of the country’s most rewarding and high-profile projects, and it’s important that our team feels connected to that vision.
We also place a strong emphasis on work-life balance, supported by our wellness committee, regular events, and flexible working arrangements that really make a difference in our team’s day to day lives.
Personally, I’m naturally competitive and thrive on a challenge. Getting up in the morning is easy because you love what you do, and I genuinely do.
What is the best advice you have been given, or would give, in business?
Running a business can often feel isolating, which is why it’s so important to have the right people around you. A strong support network makes all the difference when challenges arise.
The best advice I can offer to anyone starting out is this: do something you genuinely enjoy. Passion for your work will carry you through the tough days. Don’t make it all about the money, but do make sure you’re paid fairly and on time. Business, like sport, comes with wins and losses. Learn from the tough moments, enjoy the victories, and keep moving forward.
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