‘CEO bootcamp’ in Japan was chance to ‘absorb insights from business leaders’

Mullingar businessman David Corcoran, CEO of Soltec Ireland Ltd, has returned from Japan, where he had joined a 140-strong delegation of Ireland’s top entrepreneurs for the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat.

Mr Corcoran, representing both his company and the midlands, participated in a high-level programme in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto in a week-long event that offered a mix of executive coaching, strategic workshops, and visits to global business powerhouses such as Sony and SoftBank.

Speaking about the experience, the businessman described the retreat as “a CEO bootcamp” that provided rare access to cutting-edge insights and global leadership expertise.

“The EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat to Tokyo provided me with a unique opportunity to absorb information and insights from business leaders at a national and international level,” he told the Westmeath Examiner this week. “It demonstrated the important role of Irish businesses abroad and gave us a chance to sharpen our leadership in a dynamic, global setting.”

A highlight of the trip included a ‘Mini MBA’ delivered at Hitotsubashi University by leading Japanese academics, as well as visiting Ireland House Tokyo, the centre of Ireland’s diplomatic relations in Japan, where the group met Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, Damien Cole. The delegation also engaged with senior executives from SoftBank, including President Kunihiro Fujinaga.

The retreat brought together the 24 finalists of this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme, alongside alumni and representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Julius Baer International.

Now in its 26th year, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year community has become one of the country’s most influential business networks. Collectively, its 650 members generate more than €25 billion in revenue and employ 250,000 people across the island.

Mr Corcoran’s firm, Soltec Ireland Ltd, is a leader in its field, specialising in environmental and chemical solutions.