Born in Belfast in 1971, Paul has Honours Degree in Hospitality and Business Management.

Paul commenced his career in 1988 in Belfast and then decided to move to the United States where he spent 4 years working for Hilton International in senior roles gaining a working knowledge of the 4 and 5 star hotels market from New York, Chicago and L.A.

On his return to Ireland, Paul went to work with the 5 Star Mount Juliet estates and for over two years took the opportunity to work at two Irish Open Golf Championships. He then was on his travels again to London to work with the 5 Star Conrad International before returning to Ireland to work for the Jury’s Doyle Hotel Group.

Over the last twenty years Paul has also held senior roles with in Campbell’s Catering, Compass Catering, Fitzer’s Catering and other stand alone properties where as with all his senior roles he has had controls on budgets, costs, sales and marketing, capital expenditure, customer service programmes, training and development, P&L and strategy reviews on new openings and loss making properties.

Paul is currently the lead partner in Leading Edge Solutions.

Mairead Crosby

 Born in Kilkenny in 1972, she has qualifications in Hotel & Catering, Life & Business Coaching and she graduated from D.I.T with honours in Human Resource Management.

Mairead started her career in Mount Juliet, Kilkenny where she under took the Cert Trainee Management Course for four years.  On completion of the programme, Mairead moved to London to work for the Four Seasons Group within the HR Department.

On her return to Ireland she joined Jurys Hotel & Towers Ballsbridge where she held the position of Assistant HR Manager and subsequently HR Manager.  During her five years with the group, Mairead also worked as HR Manager for the Berkeley Court Hotel.  She then progressed into retail and worked for 4 years with Brown Thomas, Grafton Street and then Dixons Stores Group (comprising Dixons, Curry’s & PC World) in 2004 as Group HR Manager.

Mairead has had extensive knowledge of Employee Relations, Recruitment & Selection, Industrial Relations, Training and Development, Coaching, Employment Law and People Strategy.

She is currently a partner in Leading Edge Solutions.

Brian O’Farrell

Born in Kilkenny in 1977, Brian Graduated from Shannon College of International Hotel Management in 1998.

Brian went on to Forte Post house where he was for over a year working from restaurant manager up to hotel catering manger running the 100 seat restaurant and conference and banqueting, catering for up to 250 persons.

Brian moved to the Jury’s Doyle Hotel Group where he has spent the last 10 years working in a variety of different properties across the U.K and Ireland gaining a vast knowledge of the working of different styles of Hotels. In these years Brian has held senior roles where he had controls on Budgets, costs, sales and marketing, capital expenditure, customer service programmes and training and development.

Within the last two properties Brian has had to undertake Strategy reviews on the rates P&L and costs focus to bring the business (properties) back in line with the company’s long term goals.    

Matthew Dillon

Born in Wales in 1975, Matt graduated from Pontypool College South Wales in 1995.

Matt under took this opportunity to travel extensively over the coming 2 years to learn about food, wine and service in different countries.

In January of 1997 Matt decided to settle in Dublin and became the Bar Manager for La Stampa Bistro. Matt’s time was spend wisely at La Stampa  putting together a new stock control system and maximizing gross profits on beverage sales.

As time moved so did Matt, to become Conrad Gallagher’s head waiter, Sommelier at the 0ne Michelin Star Peacock Alley.  This was a time to express Matt’s true understanding of Food and wine, costs and maximizing gross profits under the watch full eye of Conrad.  Matt moved to Conrad’s award winning Lloyds Brassiere as Head Waiter for a year before moving to London. To the two Michelin Starred Lindsay House Restaurant in London for two years before returning to Dublin.

On returning to Dublin Matt has been General Manager of some of Dublin’s best known Restaurants, Bruno’s of Kildare Street, Fado Restaurant and Jacobs Ladder. Matt over the last number of years has also been the Food and Beverage Manager of the 5 Star Dylan Hotel where as with all his roles he uses his experience of customer building, food and beverage cost control, maximizing targets, training and development to enhance the property he is involved with.  

Tom O’Hare

Born in Wicklow in 1968.

Tom has been in the building trade all his life, learning from old trades men that in his words, (showed the right way).After Tom’s apprentice ship he spend a number of years on property facilities learning the up and downs of capital expenditure on properties and finding the right contractors set at budgeted targets and times.

Tom decided to take his knowledge and experience and set up his own company in 2002 that specialized in core drilling, from the small beginning Tom company have carried out core drilling and facilities projects more some of the biggest developers in the country over the last six years.

Tom is currently undertaking the core drilling for a number of road projects in the South east of the country.

Myles Moody

Born Wicklow in 1967, Myles Graduated from Cathel Brugh Street with Honours.

Myles is currently Group Executive Chef for Compass Ireland Sports and Leisure Division. This position gives Myles overall responsibility for all food related areas, of the division,

This also includes menu design, implementation, innovation, costing & health & safety. Sports and Leisure is a new venture into Ireland for Compass and is a growing area, it currently includes Race Courses (Leopardstown & Fairyhouse) and also the new Aviva stadium (Landsdown Road).

Previous to this Myles was Group Executive Chef for the Business & Industry Division of Compass Ireland for 5 years, these involved 160 sites of varying sizes and contract types and as with all Myles roles they are hands on operational management roles.

Myles over the years has build up a number of operational achievements and site mobilisations’ from the N.I assembly, Brown Thomas, Bank of Ireland, Creative, Carlow I.T and over 50 other sites. He has also been responsible for new concept development, auditing site development and part of the business tender team.

Myles is currently part of the following panels, and received the following rewards.

• President Panel Of Chef’s of Ireland
• Member of Failté Ireland N.A.P Committee
• Member FSAI industry forum
• Honoury Member Emirates Culinary Guild
• Committee WACS world congress Dublin 2004
• Life member American Culinary Federation
• Recipient ACF Presidents Medal 2008
• Member Craft Guild U.K.
• Member AAA National Board ,( England ,Ireland, Scotland, Wales )
• Silver Medal Winner World Culinary Olympics 2008
• Continental multi medal competition winner

With our combined experience in the hospitality and Retail sectors at all management levels, across all  grades, branded and individual, in Ireland and internationally, we bring a wealth of knowledge and a proven ability to add value to any Property.

Our track record shows profit growth in the toughest of markets through dynamic sales and marketing and proactive cost control. We also believe in adding long term value to a business through its most important resource – its people. Customer service and staff retention are more important than ever and can only be improved by instilling a belief in people about what they do and how they do it!

Leading your Business

• Early involvement
• Strategic Advice, Acquisition
• Investment Reviews
• Capital Expenditure
• Costs

 From the moment of the appointment, we start implementation of agreed tasks.

Taking the reins, we control the operating business from the beginning.  Impacting capital expenditure plans, operating budgets, marketing strategies and cost control.

We also provide the support and the day to day activities to detail that your business demands.  The very basic core of our service to you is through the extensive monitoring at all levels by our team of highly experienced individuals that will ensure your property is running to achieve maximum return on your investments.

Leading our Perspective

What we find in the hospitality retail sector is that all properties are unusual, so we give them unique treatments, approach each differently.

The key is to always ensure we understand the business details first, these keys are how it operates its strengths, weakness, the potential opportunities and potential pit falls before deciding on the direction required.  It all comes down to thinking differently, looking at the smallest and finest details from driving costs and revenues to the capital and strategic approaches.

Leading on the Lookout

Leading Edge Solutions is always on the Lookout 

Every property has its own set of personalities and every investments it own change in circumstances. 

That’s were our team of consultants pay dividend, the effective anticipate and respond to these factors.  Equally Leading Edge Solutions is always looking to fulfil the needs of investors from single entrepreneur to multi national and financial institutions. 

We know the hospitality sector, people, the needs of your market and the clients that need to be attracted to your property.  We believe this will give you the time to focus on your own priorities, safe in the knowledge that Leading Edge Solutions will apply their expertise to maximise investment return.

Leading Edge Solutions the Expertise

Only those able to think outside the norm look and analyse the alternatives and have the experience to look at all the complexities that make our team.

Leading Edge Solutions has brought together a team of highly talented and motivated individuals, experienced in Operational Management, Finance, Strategic Planning, Sales & Marketing, Property Management and Leadership.  We know hospitality and understand that any investment into the hotel retail sector is a highly complex business.  Our team have the ability and knowledge to focus on the detail that will provide you with that competitive edge and solutions to obtain that all important return on your investment.

Service is a show; it’s how well you manage that show that counts

All of us wish to express ourselves with confidence, free from the burden of fear and free from limiting ideas about ourselves.  The programme teaches what true assertiveness really is, how to respond effectively in all situations; it highlights the obstacles to true assertiveness and provides for the individuals development.

Who Should Attend

This programme is ideally suited to those seeking to raise their confidence, develop presence and communicate with greater influence.  Perhaps those who have been out of work for a period of time and are now wishing to return to the workplace, those seeking a career change or simply a person who wishes to develop and motivate themselves to the next step.

Duration: 10 ½ days (one half day per week for a period of 10 weeks).  This course can also be tailored in hours to suit the needs of a business.  Total hours of course are 40 hours.

Programme Content

• Intensive Self Awareness Workshops
• Create a new focus for your life
• Understanding ‘Where you are’ in life, ‘Where you want to go’ and ‘How your going to get there
• Learning how to take action and move forward
• Guided mediation and visualisation
• Quiet time – getting to know who you really are and now what the world says you are
• Motivation workshops
• Integrating new knowledge and habits in your life
• Coaching towards a better experience of life, emotionally, physically and psychologically
• Time to explore what you believe about life and the reality that creates
• Practical exercises and directions

The Benefits

This programme is designed to help individuals tap into the limited reserve of resources, power, knowledge, wisdom and capacity for action that is hidden from you.  You have everything you need to begin creating the life you dream of and you can start to experience that life today.

Life’s not about standing still; it’s about growing to your potential

Human Resources in today’s work place is the under used tool that can achieve so much for an organisations in terms of the needs of the employees and the employer by creating the harmony of trust and honesty in both directions.  It is about both sets of peoples working together to achieve the goals of the business/organisation that they are employed by, to realise that with the right training and communication the same out come will benefit all concerned.

We at Leading Edge Solutions believe that all companies no matter what their size should be fully aware of their obligations in today’s market place when it comes to Human Resources and Human Resources planning.  As a company we can provide assistance in all aspects of the Human Resource function and tie these in with our training and development programmes to suit your individual needs.

Some of the functions we can offer are as follows’.

• Basic HR assessment of your business needs.
• Recruitment, Selection and Retention.
• Tackling Difficult Work Situations.
• Employee Relations
• Discrimination, Equality and Diversity
• Employee Information
• Payroll
• Bullying and Harassment in the Work Place

The list above is but a short summary of the many functions we can offer in the field of Human Resource Consultancy.

HR is about culture, yours as much as your employees.

As we are all too aware in today’s business climates our over heads and cost base can have a severe affect on the trading profitability of your business. We at Leading Edge Solutions though extensive knowledge has formulated a training manual to help with the most practical aspects of costs and margins.

Our clients will be offered a choice of different options in respect of this training from halve day to full day sessions. We will also give you the option to purchases the training materials so that you may conduct your own training though out a period of your convenience, as part of this service we will up date your manuals and materials every six months for a period of two years.  This course can be suited to your individual needs after a period of consultancy to identify the areas of major concern with in the business; the courses would most likely suit the Hotel, Catering and Retail Sectors.

Cost and margin, it’s all about looking, looking hard at the small details.

Training and Development is an essential component in the management and development of any small to large sized organisation. In today’s ever changing business environment, it is important that employers and employees realise that the implementation of a structured training and development programme will help maintain the skills necessary to operate profitably and efficiently in a rapidly changing business world.

Here at Leading Edge Solutions we believe that our training and development programmes will be tailored to the specific needs of companies and their individuals. We will ascertain the roles of managers and employees to best gauge the strengths and weakness within the company, so that specific programmes are in place for your company’s future development.  

Our varied range of training & development is designed to meet the needs of the different stages involved in the development and growth of business.  Some examples of the courses and programmes provided are:

• Employee Relations   
• Performance Management
• Recruitment & Selection
• Managing for Success
• Customer Service Excellence
• Cost Control
• Managing for High Performance
• Management Development Programme
• Time & Self Management

If you think you know it all, you are standing still, but if you want success, keep learning

With our Business consultancy we will provide an in depth look at how your business operates on a daily basis looking at the key components of where you as a business see your business progressing and what are your expectations for your business future. We will look at the following components from your Profit and Lose to your cost base, employee turn over, service provided, payment terms and cash flow and all the aspects that may affect your business performance.

As part of this service we will provide a detailed report on the strengths and weakness of your daily business and identify the solutions to each impending problem, with on site and off site support. As part of this service we will review your business performance every 3 months for a period of 12 months to ensure that you and your business are performing to a standard that is acceptable to you, your creditors and all others concerned.

Business is about where you are going, with your ideas and goals

Today’s business is as much about the team and the people that surround that team.  It is also about realising the true potential of ourselves and those we manage in order for our performance to add to the future of the business.

With all aspects of the modern age, we at times forget that our greatest asset is the people that we have in place in our organisations and by helping them understand their role the performance of the group will grow at all levels.  In our roles as managers, we can either encourage or limit the individuals in the pursuit of this excellence that they wish to achieve. The programme will enhance the participant’s understanding of their role and will help equip them with the practical directions needed to effectively manage their team of people and raise the level of their performance.     

We can assist in reviewing the current performance management system that a company has in place or alternatively assist you in designing a system that is congruent with the needs of your business.  In addition, we will train the individuals who have responsibility for supervising or managing people in the delivery of the performance management system.

The Performance Management programme will generally be a two day course based on the conclusion that all people are naturally motivated and wish to excel in their chosen profession/field.

Performance for performance sake does not get you the results

We offer the unique service of carrying out a detailed audit to assess our client’s compliance with its legal obligations in respect of circa 40 pieces of Employment legislation. This audit consists of:

• A full review of Contracts and terms and conditions of employment
• Examination of policies, procedures or practices in place
• Analysis of management of staff break and holiday entitlements
• Audit of working hours and rest breaks
• Audit of compliance with statutory entitlement to leave

The audit process can also be used to establish if an organisation is complying with its own practices and procedures.  On completion of the review the organisation will be furnished with a comprehensive report that will show the areas where the organisation is compliant and, more importantly, where there are omissions and breaches of statutory legislation and also areas that should cause concern to an employer in relation to employee relations best practice.

The report will also contain recommendations on the changes that should be implemented to ensure compliance by the organisation.

Implementation

Where the HR audit highlights non-compliance or areas where an organisation should have some concern, we provide fully compliant, comprehensive contracts and policies that, if adopted, will ensure compliance by an organisation with its statutory obligations.

We will in conjunction with the organisation:

• Amend existing contracts of employment and handbooks reflecting changes in legislation
• Produce or update policies in relation to:     
   
  • Disciplinary and grievance procedures;     
  • Internet and email policy   
  • Equality legislation;    
  • Data Protection
• Produce a system to ensure compliance with the Working Time legislation to include part-time and contract worker

On completion of the company handbook and contracts of employment, we will coach an individual within the client organisation for a half-day in the practical implementation of these processes.

On completion of this phase, the organisation will be furnished with a master copy of the company handbook, all amended contracts of employment, and a master copy of the new contract which can be used for any new employees joining the organisation.

Compliance is fine, ensure you are complainant and do not get the fine.