County Wexford Chamber President's Lunch 2026

Creating a Winning Culture.

Over 300 business leaders joined us for last week’s President’s Lunch - a powerful afternoon of insight, challenge and ambition. The event also served as a fundraiser for the County Wexford Built for Business campaign.

CEO Paula Roche opened with the ambition behind the County Wexford Built for Business campaign, reinforcing the Chamber’s commitment to positioning Wexford as confident, competitive and growth-focused. President of the Chamber, Ed Murphy set the tone clearly: If we want a positive, innovative, economically strong future - we must work together to create the infrastructure and conditions to deliver it.

Our speakers were exceptional and the conversation did not disappoint:

Brian Cody – the legendary Kilkenny hurling manager and one of the most successful leaders in GAA history – spoke about building a winning culture across an entire county, not just a team.

• High standards. Honest confrontation. No guaranteed places.
• Ego is treacherous. Humility is non-negotiable.
• The jersey represents more than the individual - and 100% effort is the minimum standard.

Kevin Doyle – former Republic of Ireland international and Premier League striker – reflected on elite performance and resilience.

• “If you’re not five minutes early, you’re late.”
• Setbacks are inevitable — bounceback ability defines you.
• Small nations can compete globally when standards and unity are strong.

Aimee Connolly – founder and CEO of Sculpted by Aimee, now a 135-person global beauty brand – shared the realities of scaling internationally while staying authentic.

• Know your customer deeply.
• Move fast - trends don’t wait.
• Leadership requires constant decision-making, often uncomfortable.
• Growth and authenticity must coexist.

Denis O’Brien – international entrepreneur and founder of Digicel – challenged us to think bigger and act faster.

• Ireland needs renewal in infrastructure and planning.
• Speed is a competitive advantage - and we are too slow.
• Wexford has enormous potential in offshore renewable energy - but it will require political will, community backing and persistence.
• Don’t sell out early. Think globally.

Expertly moderated by Teresanne O’Reilly, Founder of Twelve and The Forest, the discussion was direct, ambitious and grounded in action.

Wexford’s potential is real. But potential means nothing without action.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, to The Riverside Park Hotel for their excellent hospitality, and especially to our speakers for so generously giving their time and insights. A special thank you to our sponsor, GreenTech HQ, for your generous support in making this event possible.