Alan O’Neill

Facilitating multi-million euro businesses to achieve amazing results Alan O’Neill knows what it takes to drive change right through a business – from top to bottom… and front to back. Up to 2004, Selfridges for example was a sleeping giant – but in recent years has achieved two significant accolades… it’s officially the best department store in the world… and is one of the most profitable department store in the world (per m²).

His retail and hospitality experience ranges from food to fashion… luxury to mass… single to multiple site… down-town to travel retail… in Europe, UK, Russia, the Middle East and Far East.

But it’s certainly not just about retail and hospitality. His B2B experience includes international giants like Glanbia, Intel, Kizad, Lavazza, Lufthansa, Moet Hennessy, Nissan, Pepsi, St Gobain,  Symantec, Vodafone, Xerox, etc., where he has brought discipline, rigour and common sense to change projects.

It is this unrivalled business acumen that has seen Alan facilitate and speak at conferences in several countries and conduct master-classes with C-level executives. He asks hard and uncomfortable questions, e.g. How do you renew culture and get it ready for emerging global challenges? How do you overcome cynicism and resistance to change? How do you ensure accountability and overcome complacency? How do you build a customer-service culture to drive sales?

With every engagement, Alan O’Neill takes time to understand the brief, the challenges, the expected messaging… and builds empathy before meeting his audience. Energetic, passionate and engaging… he will leave your audience with thoughts and challenges – that are guaranteed to provoke, inspire and give hope.  He is also a competent conference chair – helping to get the structure, style and content matched to the expected outcome.

Here are some of the great iconic brands that Alan has had the privilege to work with…

Banking AIB, Airplus, BoI, Future Finance, New Ireland, NIB, NIIB, Northern, PTSB, Ulster Construction Errigal Contracts, St.Gobain ​FMCG Ballygowan, Braun, Britvic, Bulmers, Donnelly, Fissler, Glanbia, Grants, Lavazza, Moet Hennessy, Tayto, T&G Woodware Hospitality Baxter Storey, Dalata, Gleneagle Group, Irish Hotel Federation, LVA, Monart, Ramada Dubai, Selfridges Restaurants, VFI Industrial ADPC, Airtricity, Design & Display, EDF Energy, Equilume, IMI-CCI, Kizad, LC Packaging, ORM Kitchens, Scottish Power, Texaco, Vonroll, Xerox Motor Ford, Leaseplan, Mercedes, Nissan, Renault, Subaru Professional Services and Property Chartered Inst Accountants, DNG, IPAV, Law Society, Sherry Fitz, Wilmington plc Retail Ann Summers, AWear, Blarney, Brown Thomas, Cash & Carry Kitchens, deBijenkorf, deGrisogono, Dubai Duty Free, Dunnes Stores, Eason’s, EU Promotions, Harrod’s, Jimmy Choo, Karstadt, Leroy Merlin (Adeo Group), Life Pharmacies, Mace, M&S, Rustan’s, Selfridges, Spar, Specsavers, Superquinn, TekZone, XL Tech Clavis Insights, Converge, Equant/Orange, Intel, IT Alliance, Lucent, Symantec, Touch Corp, Triangle, Vodafone Tourism Failte Irl  Travel and Freight Aer Lingus, Eucon, IEC, Irish Ferries, Lufthansa, Sealand, UPS Public Sector ARI, Central Bank, Enterprise Boards, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Nat Children’s Hospital, UN (CTBTO)

Alan knows how important a conference is to an organisation. So whether the organisation has key messages they’d like to get across and or motivate their staff into action or maybe just to think differently Alan takes the time to build real empathy with the client and their audience in advance. 

He studies the brief and then speaks to a number of the audience before the event – to ensure the content, structure and delivery style is right on target for the event and by drawing from appropriate case studies, he tailors every presentation to suit that client.

Change Management

Change is a reality and it comes at you in many ways. It might be prompted by external forces or you yourself might recognise the need to change.

Be careful – history shows that most change programmes fail. That’s not to do with poor implementation – but more to do with poor planning in the first place.

Alan knows what it takes to drive and to own the change in a business. Across industry, he has led and facilitated many large blue-chip companies through change and to overcome resistance. With appropriate case studies he will share the pitfalls and strategies for managing change and help you to land key messages for your business.

High-performance Culture

Everyone knows that culture eats strategy for breakfast. And that if you get your culture right, you can take on the world. While others can copy your strategy – no one can copy your culture. Alan will tell you where culture fits in to your big picture… what culture is, why it’s important, how it’s measured – and what it will take to achieve a high-performance culture for your organisation.

Alan can ask hard questions about your culture, your values and the engagement of your own people – and encourage you to take a fresh look at your own organisation culture.

Customer Service

Alan is passionate about customer service.

He can tell you how to develop a culture of great service from the board-room to the front-line – whether you’re B2C, B2B or Public Service.

He knows that customer service has to be practical and drive sales – and it requires a fully engaged workforce. While that’s obvious and sounds easy, we don’t all do it.  He will challenge you with examples, evidence and case studies to help you achieve consistency and to motivate your people into action to increase your sales.

Selling Added-value

Premium brands traditionally command higher prices. But the downturn caused prices to drop in several sectors. Low prices are usually not sustainable and as the market returns to growth, the legacy of ‘value’ prevails.  Alan can inspire your team with tools, great stories and confidence to sell added value and achieve better margin again.

Retail

From food to fashion, luxury to mass, big box to multiple site and travel retail to the high street, Alan has consulted with many many retailers for over 20 years.  Retail is changing rapidly and becoming even more complex. Coping with that is an ongoing challenge – even for the best and Alan can tell you how they do it.

And even if you’re not a retailer, it’s a sector that every business can relate to and learn from because of their sense of urgency, their focus on the customer and of course their commercial savvy.  Alan can share with you the secrets of their success in a way that you can learn from and adapt for your business.