OUR PEOPLE

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Management Team

Chairman: Alf Smiddy

A chartered accountant by profession, worked with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Cork and Dublin, and is on a number of boards including Cork Airport Authority, Plato, IBEC, Cork Chamber, Cooperation Ireland-South, Granite Consulting Ltd, and Kedco Plc. He was Chairman and Managing Director of Beamish & Crawford Plc for over twelve years, and on the Board and leadership team of its parent company, Scottish & Newcastle (UK) Ltd, (the largest brewer and cider Group in the UK and Irish markets combined, and a FTSE company) until the takeover of the company by a conglomerate formed by Heineken and Carlsberg in 2008. Alf has spent 20 years in senior management positions in the international drinks industry, having joined the Foster's Brewing Group's Irish subsidiary, Beamish and Crawford Plc, as Financial controller in 1988.

Apart from being a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland , he is also a fellow of the Irish Marketing Institute, and has a Diploma in Corporate Direction from the Irish Institute of Directors. He is currently at the final stages of completing a Masters in Executive Leadership (Msc) through Boston College and the University of Ulster.

Managing Director: Aiden Lee

Aiden is the founding member of Eolas International. He is a qualified Food Scientist with over 14 years experience in the Food and Beverage industry. Aiden provides the strategic vision for the company and leads our business development as well as playing an active role in key projects. Aiden recently completed an Enterprise Ireland funded MSc in International Business in Trinity College Dublin, and is leading plans for the further development of the company. Aiden says "It has been a fantastic experience to have been involved in the development of a unique, progressive and innovative company, such as Eolas International. The combination of very talented, eager and motivated staff in conjunction with progressive and forward looking clients, places us in a very fortunate and exciting position as we continue to grow our business. It is our mission to become the unquestioned choice as partner for our clients varied research needs".

CEO: John Downes

Born and raised in Kerry, John is a graduate of the Engineering school in UCD. He began his professional life in the UK, working as a systems engineer with Electronic Data Systems. He soon spread his wings within this company, engaging as a project manager in Scotland, Belgium and Switzerland. After 7 years, John joined IBM, based in Dublin and working primarily for clients in the financial sector. In 2002, John brought his extensive project management experience with him to Cork. He co-founded Eolas International with Aiden Lee to capitalize on the opportunities provided by the need for innovative market research in the food and drink industry. He has overseen the operational growth of the company, and still immerses himself in projects, particularly in the market research and quality audit arenas.

John says "We have fostered a culture of continuous learning in this company. Our team is encouraged to innovate and to act intuitively and this is applied to all projects. This results in clients telling us that they are excited by our solutions and that is a huge compliment."

Consumer and Sensory Research Team >>