A Government funded initiative run by the Irish International Business Network (IIBN) to support Irish expats living and working in the UK has taken place in London today.

Twenty young Irish professionals became the first group to complete the 'Future Leaders Programme.' The purpose of this programme is to harness the skills and insights of successful senior executives and serial entrepreneurs to help coach and develop the next generation of Irish ‘rising stars’ and business leaders across all industries in the UK.
 
It is hoped these young professionals will go onto to become leaders within their industries in the coming years. Already the benefits of the programme are beginning to show, with a number of the young business owners landing major deals and building strong reputations, such as one participant securing €500,000 investment for his online tour booking business, another securing his largest ever contract of half a million Euro, while yet another has succeeded in breaking into the U.S. food market. 
 
The yearlong mentoring programme saw young Irish entrepreneurs and professionals, living in Britain, partnered with experienced mentors from a variety of industries and sectors, with the goal of catalysing their careers, by providing solid advice, making introductions and regular meetings to assess their career and business road maps.
 
Executive Director at IIBN, Sinead Crowley said, "The IIBN Future Leaders Programme has been a resounding success. Those graduating from the programme are all reporting major developments in their professional lives and there’s been a significant rise in applications from those who want to emulate the success of their friends and peers, for the coming year’s programme, which will see another 20 mentees starting later this month."

Source: www.businessworld.ie