Lack of senior management skills is preventing 85% of small Irish business’s from reaching their potential
21st February 2024, Dublin: At the official launch of Agile Connect by Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, Mr Tony Dignam, MD of Agile Executives, stated “Based on a 2023 report from Chambers Ireland and an OECD review of the Irish Economy, 2024 is a critical year for small to medium enterprise (SME) growth.“
The OECD states in its most recent report that Ireland lags behind other European countries when it comes to productivity within SMEs. A report from Chambers Ireland which highlights the challenge SMEs have in recruiting senior management may help explain why.
Government’s warning of a potential slowdown in “windfall tax“ and the possible threat of more job losses in multinationals puts greater impetus and urgency on the SME sector to grow further and create more job opportunities and add more value to the Irish economy.
The constraints on the ability of SMEs to attract top management and a lack of investment in training and developing talent has held these companies back for decades. There are over 1.17 million people, representing approximately 42% of Ireland’s total workforce, employed in the SME sector. 830k of these work in companies who employ between one and 49 staff.
Agile Connect was created with a view to providing senior management and leadership skills to SMEs on a fractional basis. There is a wealth of senior management experience in the country that SMEs can now tap into, as they need it.
“Senior executives with highly successful careers in business including finance, sales, marketing, digital, sustainability and many other areas are making themselves available to work with firms on a fractional basis. Rather than full time employment with one company, they are preferring to apply their skills and expertise to short, medium or longer term engagements in multiple companies. In response, we have developed Agile Connect which will help both companies who need fractional, senior support and individuals who want increased flexibility. Agile Connect will allow companies to see all available expertise on the website and make direct contact with senior executive talent.” said Tony Dignam.
Agile Executives has numerous case studies showing that the input of fractional senior executives to SMEs drives substantial growth and employment. The new Agile Connect platform is designed to make it even easier for SMEs to find suitable part time executives for their businesses.
“SMEs are the backbone of our economy, employing people in every corner of the country; their contribution to our communities cannot be overstated. It is imperative that SMEs have access to the talent and the leadership they need to continue to grow and scale. This Government is proud to back business, particularly small businesses, and to ensure that they have access to the supports they require, from mentorship to financial help.” said Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
About Agile Connect
Agile Connect is a leading platform providing companies with access to experienced senior business leaders for immediate value addition in both short-term and long-term engagements. With a commitment to flexibility, tailored solutions, and capacity expansion, Agile Connect aims to revolutionise the landscape of business engagements.
About Agile Executives:
Agile Executives was founded in 2019 by Tony Dignam and has grown to become one of the largest consultancy groups supporting SMEs in Ireland. Over 100 consultants have helped our 1,000 businesses since 2019. We have helped these clients access tens of millions of euro in grants, debt and equity funding and helped them increase their turnover, improve their cash flow and enhance the value of their business.
Contact:
Jennifer Chamberlaine / Tony Dignam
jen@agileexecutives.ie / tony@agileexecutives.ie
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAgileExec
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