Four business and sports titans were inducted into the Business Plus hall of fame, at the inaugural Business Plus Lunch of Legends.
Celebrating 25 years in publication this year, Business Plus held the lunch, hosted by Matt Cooper, at the Landsdowne Football Club clubhouse beside the Aviva Stadium.
hVIVO plc chairman and co-founder Cathal Friel, Vicki O’Toole, Leinster and Ireland rugby legend Devin Toner and Katie Walsh were all honoured at the lunch, with DMG Media CEO Paul Henderson calling the addition of Business Plus ‘incredible.’
‘Business Plus is an incredible addition to DMG Media,’ Mr Henderson said. ‘As we continue to develop the brand in new areas, we were delighted to honour Cathal, Vicki, Devin and Katie at the first ever Business Plus Lunch of Legends at the historic Lansdowne Football Club.’
‘We appreciate that longevity in business and sport isn’t easy, which is why we are celebrating with this Lunch of Legends,’ Business Plus editor Nick Mulcahy added, as Business Plus celebrates 25 years of business in 2023. The upcoming May issue of Business Plus magazine will be issue 290.
The full list of honourees at the Business Plus Lunch of Legends are:
Cathal Friel
Chairman and co-founder of hVIVO plc, Cathal is a serial entrepreneur. He was responsible for transforming FastNet Oil & Gas into Amryt Pharma, which was acquired earlier this year for €1.4billion.
Donegal man Cathal also established boutique corporate finance house Raglan Capital and has effected three reverse takeovers on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market.
Vicki O’Toole
Selling the family packaging company JJ O’Toole after taking over in 2010 following the death of her husband, Fergus, in 2010, Vicki was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018.
Since exiting the packaging industry, she now operates a consultancy.
Devin Toner
Ireland and Leinster rugby legend Devin Toner was also honoured at the lunch, having joined financial advisor Pax Financial, now owned by UK wealth manager Fairstone, following his retirement last year.
Devin is now head of partnerships at Fairstone Asset Management.
Katie Walsh
Former jumps jockey Katie Walsh, whose accolades include winning the 2015 Irish Grand National, is now involved in the Walsh family business Greenhills Farm following her retirement in 2018. This involves buying yearling horses, and bringing them on to sell at breeze-up sales.
