On My Desk... Eamon Conway, MK Ireland Managing Director

Born and raised in County Tyrone, Eamon grew up playing Gaelic football and soccer, where he represented his county at underage level.

Eamon eventually moved beyond sport and went to Wolverhampton Polytechnic, where he graduated with a degree in business studies.  From here he quickly found work as a marketeer.

In 1996, Eamon joined Caradon Group - then the parent company of MK - and continued to work in marketing in the group’s plumbing division.  The company eventually reorganized, relocating Eamon to Dublin in 2000, where he assumed responsibility for the electrical division in 2002.  Following a review of growth opportunities, Eamon led the acquisition of OBF Distributors, which was in turn renamed Novar Ireland Ltd.  Eamon then took up the role of Managing Director, leading a team of 30 staff - from sales, finance and customer service - in marketing leading brands such as MK, Friedland, Ex Or and Ackermann.

1. Sales and Financials Figures: Eamon’s “bible of statistics” is filled with MK’s latest sales and financial figures, along with budgets and business plans.  “It saves me from having to think too much, as all the key business facts are close to hand,” said Eamon.

2. MK Sensors CD:  This informative CD uses animations to show different applications for the MK Sensor Energy Lighting product range.

3. Ex-Or Lighting Management Systems Product Catalogue: After a recent acquisition, MK have added the Ex Or Energy Lighting control products to the portfloio.  “This is a big opportunity for us,” said Eamon. “It provides us access to this growing market.”

4. MK Echo Brochure:  This document goes into detail about MK’s recently launched wireless and batteryless self-powered switch.

5. Novar Ireland SAP Implementation Project Documents:  MK Ireland have just upgraded their business software applications, keeping them aligned with their parent company in UK.  The upgrade is expected to facilitate better customer service and accurate order information and stock availability.

6. Photograph of Peter Canavan holding Sam Maguire Cup: Taken in 2003, this photo is of Tyrone GAA Football Captain, Peter Canavan, proudly holding the Sam Maguire Cup in the air after his team won the All Ireland Football Championship for the first time.  Eamon is a big fan of the Tyrone Gaelic football team

7. Gift Grub 6 CD:  This “best of” CD is of legendary Irish sketch radio show, Gift Grub.  “I listen to them on my way to work in the morning,” said Eamon.  “They are hilarious.”

8. Celtic View Magazine: Being a big fan of the sport, Eamon likes to keep up to date with the latest news.  And when he finds time in his busy schedule, he plays 5-aside soccer.

9. Apple: Eamon is on a “little health kick” this summer, trying to   “compensate for the odd pint of Guinness at the weekend”.

10. Irish Construction Industry Magazine:  This publication provides Eamon with up-to-date info on the market trends in the industry.

11. ESRI Medium Term Review:  This document from the Economic and Social Research Institution (ESRI) discusses economic indicators for Ireland for the next three years.

12. Mug:  Eamon’s cuppa is tea, milk and no sugar.

13. Camera: An avid traveller, Eamon has snapped up plenty of photographs from backpacking around the world.  He was also open to working abroad and had a five month stint in Sydney working as a door-to-door salesman.  Eamon is looking forward to planning his next big holiday adventure – Argentina.

14. Switch On MK Website:  Found at www.switchonmk.com, here you can find all the latest and greatest products and services from MK.

15. MK Lightswitch sample:  This easy-to-install and modern switch is “designed for life”

16. MK IRELAND One Page Plan:  Here business goals are summarized in a one page plan.  “This keeps me focused about what I want to achieve for the business,” said Eamon.  There are four key points to the plan, which include: developing people, growing sales, improving productivity and collecting and generating money for the business.