Weekend Business Papers

Margaret Heffernan is a pioneering business leader, author, and thinker who has transformed the way we approach leadership, innovation, and uncertainty. She began her career producing TV and radio for the BBC before going on to become CEO of several US companies. She was named one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter.

Margaret is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of Management, and in 2023, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame for her enduring contribution to management thinking. She has authored several bestsellers, including A Bigger Prize, Uncharted, and Willful Blindness, which was recognised as one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times.

In her writing, Margaret challenges conventional business wisdom and advocates for collaboration, creativity, and resilience in an unpredictable world. Her TED talks have garnered over fifteen million views globally, sparking discussions on why we ignore obvious risks and how small organisational changes can lead to profound results. Her new book, Embracing Uncertainty, was published in March 2025.

The Business Posts reports on Ibec’s findings that Donald Trump’s tariffs are set to raise the cost of Irish exports by around €3.6 billion and could cut trade by up to €6 billion this year. The business group warned that the scale of the tariffs is unprecedented in modern trade history, making the impact — particularly on corporate tax receipts — difficult to predict. It also cautioned that the risk of a global recession in the next 18 months has increased.  Tánaiste Simon Harris will warn EU ministers at an emergency summit tomorrow that Europe must avoid the “nuclear option” in responding to Trump’s tariffs. His intervention aims to shield Ireland’s vital tech and services sectors from retaliation, as countries like France and Germany push for counter-tariffs on US tech giants — many of which, including Meta, Google and Apple, are based in Ireland. Harris will meet EU counterparts in Luxembourg before heading to Washington for talks with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, a critic of Ireland’s tax regime. Meanwhile, tax receipts rose 8.9% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching €21.9bn excluding a €1.7bn once-off Apple payment. Including that, the total tax take hit €23.6bn. Income tax rose 3.6% to €8.2bn, VAT increased 6.8% to €7.6bn, and corporation tax reached €4.8bn. With total gross voted expenditure at €24.8bn, up 8.8% year-on-year, the state recorded a €4.1bn surplus — up sharply from €0.3bn in the same period last year. Deel, the $12 billion HR startup, has lost its head of communications, Elisabeth Diana, amid a growing corporate espionage scandal involving its CEO. Elizabeth Diana, who joined Deel in 2021 after senior roles at Instagram and Meta, resigned last week as the company faces an intensifying legal battle with rival Rippling. Rippling, currently eyeing a $16 billion valuation, has accused Deel of paying one of its employees to spy on the firm — a claim that includes the bizarre allegation that the alleged spy locked himself in a bathroom before fleeing when confronted. WHSmith’s Irish arm reported after-tax profits of €5.8 million for the year ending 31 August 2024, up 40.7% from €4.1 million in 2023. Revenue rose 14% to €61.2 million, according to newly filed accounts. The results come as the UK parent prepares to exit the High Street, with reports it will sell its shops to Modella Capital, owner of Hobbycraft. In brief ● Ross Maguire’s New Beginning launches €250m rent-to-own mortgage product ● Izzy Englander’s hedge fund giant Millennium expands in Dublin ● Donald Trump grants TikTok 75-day extension to find US buyer ● Tesla growth prospects further cut after ‘unprecedented brand damage’ caused by Musk

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