Photographed at a recent HBSAI Speaker Luncheon were (from Left) Brendan O'Reilly (12th OPM), guest speaker Harry Lorton (15th OPM), Jim Barry (MBA '94), and George Good (43rd PMD). Photo courtesy HBSAI

According to former HBS Association of Ireland (HBSAI) president Jim Barry (MBA '94), it takes a while for Irish alumni to find their way back to the Emerald Isle — most graduates live and work in the United States or England for a few years before returning to their homeland. Barry himself was no exception. Born and raised in Cork, Ireland's second-largest city, he worked at Bain & Company in London after leaving Soldiers Field. Then, in the late '90s, Barry came home — for good, he says — as a manager for National Toll Roads in Dublin. The company, which focuses on road infrastructure, waste management, and renewable energy solutions, appointed him CEO in January 2001.

With a population of only 3.8 million, Ireland, Barry acknowledges, can't always provide enough career opportunities to attract HBS graduates — but the country, particularly Dublin (population 985,000), feels more like a supportive community than an anonymous nation. “People know people, people have access, and you hear about things,” Barry says. “It's very much a network culture.” That dynamic is a definite advantage when it comes to reaching HBS alumni — with eighty registered members and one hundred more in touch with the HBSAI, participation is at an all-time high.

About three thousand miles separate Boston and Dublin, so building and maintaining connections with the School is another top priority. Barry serves on the twelve-member board of the HBS Clubs Advisory Council and says the organization (which was established this year by clubs liaison Rogelio Fussa) has greatly facilitated communication between the School and club leaders worldwide. Barry also anticipates more contact with the School through research and other travel associated with the HBS European Research Center, based in Paris. “We expect to see even more faculty in Europe and as a result, in Ireland as well,” he notes.

Professor Dwight B. Crane, faculty chair of the School's European Research Initiative, visited Dublin last January as a guest at one of the HBSAI's Speaker Luncheons. Held six or seven times a year, the Speaker Luncheon features an influential person, generally from business, politics, or academia, to lead an informal roundtable discussion. In addition, plans are currently under way for the organization's main event: the Case Study Weekend. This conference, held every other year at a golf resort in the Irish countryside, brings together well over one hundred people — including HBSAI members and their partners, industry leaders, and guest speakers — to discuss and analyze two case studies. One subject for the February 2003 weekend will likely be the Irish economy. After five years of growth, Barry says, the nation is facing deficits and the unpleasant reality that “it has had the party but hasn't paid the bill.”

Barry, who joined the HBSAI when he returned to Dublin, first served as its secretary. He jokes that he became president in the summer of 2000 “because I was the last man left standing.” In reality, the HBSAI's lead role rotates from one active member to another every two years. At the end of August, Barry officially passed the reins to Dermot Berkery (MBA '91), who intends to strengthen the organization's networking function. “Most of us have spent considerable time working outside Ireland,” Berkery explains, “so meeting new people and having the opportunity to participate in social and more business-oriented activities on return is crucial. I hope to build on the variety of events we offer, including those involving HBS faculty, so we can continue to strengthen connections across the broad base of our members.”

— Amy Burton

For further information about the HBS Association of Ireland, contact Dermot Berkery at dberkery@mba1991.hbs.edu.

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