As the Western Development Commission sets out to sell the region's advantages, one businesswoman who needed little persuasion is already up and running on the edge of the Burren.
London-born Ann Halloran, who graduated in combined science from Leicester University, relinquished a post with British Telecom to cultivate her Ballyvaughan family connections.
She began with a job in Galway Concrete, where she was thrown into the mixer of rough-and-tumble union negotiations and personnel management. When Galway Concrete folded, she landed a job with the multinational consultancy Arthur Andersen in Dublin, but the beauty of the Burren kept her plans and hopes rooted in Clare.
The arrival of the healthcare products corporation, C.R. Bard, in Galway city provided that opportunity. "It was very interesting to develop a personnel and training system from scratch," Ann recalls. "We tried out many management concepts that were innovative at the time. Hiring in new recruits and identifying talents within the company was a big part of the job initially. I loved seeing young people progress in the company."
As C.R. Bard grew, she carved out a niche in training that also opened up new opportunities. However, she was also spending two hours a day commuting to Galway from her home in Ballyvaughan. So, after the arrival of her first child, she decided to set up as a training consultant.
Ten years later, she has a list of prestigious customers for whom she designs and maps out training courses and she has taken on a new name - In-Tuition.
Shannon Development gave financial support for an office ex tension to the family farmhouse and assisted with a mentor in information technology. She reinvests in new technology systems regularly and can turn around a full colour newsletter for a client in three days. Her focus is to make life as easy as possible for her clients. "The people I work for tend to have very demanding and stressful jobs. I'm pleased if I feel I can take some of the load from them and deliver the results they need."
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Readers who wish to contact Lorna Siggins can leave messages by dialling (01) 670 7711, extension 6299