Start Date:

9:00am, 6th October 2026

End Date:

11:00am, 6th October 2026

Location:

Glandore , Fitzwilliam Hall, 25-27 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2 D02 T292 , Ireland

Country:

Ireland

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Conversation with a Leader: Building a Global Company Across Ireland and Portugal

Tuesday, 6 October 2026 | 09:00–11:00 | Glandore, Dublin

What does it really take to build a company that can grow beyond its home market — while keeping the people, culture, and leadership principles that made it successful in the first place?

The Ireland Portugal Business Network will bring together Hilary O’Shea, Co-Founder of Otonomee, and IPBN members and guests in Dublin for a special Conversation with a Leader, exploring the realities of building and scaling a global company across two very different business environments.

Hosted at Glandore’s restaurant private dining room in Dublin, this intimate morning event will feature an open conversation between Hilary and John G. Byrne of The Writers’ Bloc, the IPBN’s partner for this year’s Conversation with a Leader series.

Rather than a traditional interview or presentation, the conversation will explore the experiences, decisions, and challenges behind Otonomee’s journey — from leadership and talent recruitment to international expansion and the realities of building a successful remote-first organisation.

Building a global company

The discussion will touch on some of the questions facing leaders as their organisations grow across borders:

• Leadership and company culture: How does leadership evolve as a company moves from a local operation to a global organisation?
• Finding and retaining talent: What does it take to attract the right people in competitive international markets, and how can businesses build cultures that work across locations?
• International expansion: What are the opportunities — and the unexpected challenges — that emerge when taking a business into new markets?
• The remote-first workplace: How do you build trust, collaboration, and a strong company culture when your people aren't all working in the same place?
• Ireland and Portugal: What similarities and differences emerge in business management, recruitment, and company culture between the two countries?
• The journey to scale: What changes when a company moves from entrepreneurial beginnings to becoming a global business?

The conversation will last approximately 45 minutes to one hour, followed by an opportunity for audience questions.

Member Meet Member: Connect beyond the conversation

The morning will then continue with an IPBN Member Meet Member (MMM) networking session, giving attendees the opportunity to move from conversation to connection.

MMM events are designed to create a more informal and purposeful environment for IPBN members to meet one another, introduce their businesses, exchange ideas and identify potential opportunities for collaboration. They are particularly valuable for members looking to expand their network in Ireland, Portugal or across both markets, whether through new business relationships, partnerships, referrals, knowledge-sharing, or simply making the right introduction.

With a more intimate format than a large conference, the event offers plenty of time for meaningful conversations — making it an ideal opportunity to build relationships with fellow IPBN members and guests.

Join us in Dublin

This special Conversation with a Leader will take place on Tuesday, 6 October from 09:00 to 11:00 at Glandore, Dublin, in the private dining room of the Glandore restaurant.

With a compelling leadership conversation followed by dedicated networking time, this is a chance to hear directly from a business leader who has navigated the challenges of international growth — and to connect with others doing business between Ireland and Portugal.

Places are limited, so early registration is recommended.

Hosted in partnership with Glandore and The Writers’ Bloc.

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