Working Week

08 February 2009  

Declan Monahan is managing director of Marketboomer International. The company sells online procurement software and consultancy services to clients in the hospitality sector. Established in Australia in 1997, it opened its international head office in Dublin in 2004. It employs 24 staff, eight of whom service the British and Irish markets. The company has an annual turnover of €1.7 million.

Marketboomer will host a series of procurement seminars at Catex, the national catering exhibition, due to take place in the RDS in Dublin from February 9 to 11

What are the main responsibilities of your job?

I am involved in all aspects of running Market boomer internationally. This includes marketing what we do to potential customers. I see myself as something of an e-procurement evangelist.

I believe that companies can save money by buying online. The idea behind our patented Dynamic Trading Engine technology is to enable our clients to achieve the best prices from their suppliers. I spend a lot of my time meeting clients, new and existing, elsewhere in Europe and further afield in Asia and the Middle East.

In the past 12 months, we have signed Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and InterContinental Hotels Group in Singapore. Clients in Ireland include the Four Seasons and Merrion Hotels in Dublin, Hotel Partners and The Carlton Hotel Group.

What are your primary professional motivators?

What gets me out of bed day after day is knowing that we have come up with a unique approach to procurement that works. There’s a little bit of ‘I told you so’ in that, but it has more to do with excitement than arrogance.

I also love working with smart, committed and innovative people who constantly challenge me.

How would you describe your work style?

Professional but not too formal. I am resourceful, enthusiastic and open-minded.

What would you rate as the best decision you ever made in business?

To find a niche and focus on it. During the dotcom boom and bust, many e-commerce companies took the ’jack of all trades’ route. By contrast, I chose to focus solely on the hospitality and catering sector, which is what I know best. This approach ensured early sales and growth thereafter.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt so far?

Never give up on what you believe in. You will never be short of people who tell you it can’t be done. Listen to your intuition and be prepared to go all the way.

Who do you most admire in Irish industry?

I admire Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair. He embraced technology and, through the internet, delivered lower costs to consumers.

Fifteen years ago, no one would have believed that there would come a time when you could fly from Dublin to London for under 50 quid. O’Leary drove this change and helped to create a massive travel and tourism industry that has benefited everyone.

What are your expectations for Irish business in the months ahead?

For many Irish businesses, the primary objective right now is survival. The international business environment will remain challenging in the months ahead, and currency movements will mean more exposure in some sectors than in others.

Added to this, you have shaky consumer confidence. On a positive note, there are many wonderful Irish businesses out there. I expect those companies that continue to provide real value added services, combined with an unrelenting customer focus and efficient cost base, to survive and thrive.

What is your ultimate professional goal at this point?

To establish Market boomer as the procurement solution of choice within the hospitality industry globally.