Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of facilities services and solutions

Latest News

The Education Sector in 2021

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The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for the education sector. The pandemic has caused massive disruption. Almost all schools and third-level institutes were forced to close, and there has been widespread deferral and cancellation of exams.

Amid the uncertainty, educators took brave and decisive action to keep people safe and continue doing their essential work. The pandemic upended their plans, and they needed to reimagine their operating models. As a result, we have seen the sector conduct online learning experiments on an unprecedented scale. This experiment has been a success. Internet technologies have enabled teachers to continue to teach and assess students.

Now, with multiple vaccines being rolled out, schools and universities are preparing a careful return to in-person learning. This document sets out our perspective on the important role the sector plays and provides guidelines and checklists to help achieve a safer return and to support the physical and mental wellbeing of returning students.

Download our guide

Eve Rushmer – Pushing boundaries and living life to the fullest

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Eve Rushmer is a valued and important member of our operations support team. Eve lives with a rare chromosomal disorder in which all or part of the short arm (p) of chromosome 18 is deleted. People living without this part of their Chromosome 18 have disabilities that make the world more difficult to navigate. Despite this, Eve has been very successful and has even found ways to help others.

She recently appeared on the C18 Podcast where she discussed both life and work whilst living with the disorder. She tells a remarkable story of resilience and determination to succeed at school, learn to drive, and get a good job. On top of that, Eve has completed a number of daring and demanding activities to raise money for Chromosome 18 Europe.

Eve very much lives her life by pushing herself to do the things she loves the most. Her condition doesn’t stop her from dancing, exercising, and even learning how to drive! Her story of overcoming these challenges throughout life are an inspiration to anyone facing difficulties.

“I would like to say to any parent out there (with a child that has C18 disorder) that it is okay to give your child the support they need to thrive in life. I know it is going to be hard, but you will get there. Look at me now. I drive a car, I have passed my driving test. I’ve even got a job in London and it is the best feeling”

Listen to the podcast below:

Bidvest Noonan signs deal to invest in Interact and H20 Solutions

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We are delighted to announce that we have signed an agreement that will see Interact, one of Ireland’s leading M&E Engineering services providers, and H2O solutions, Interact’s highly accredited water treatment business, join our group. This agreement, which is subject to CCPC approval, will significantly enhance our service offering and enable us to offer clients even greater value and support.

Interact is an exceptional business with a reputation for exceeding industry standards and leading best practice. The business employs 80 skilled and experienced people and operates nationwide across Ireland. It has a strong presence in many of our key sectors, including the Retail, Healthcare, Education, Commercial, and Public sectors.

In recognition of their strength, we have decided to retain the Interact and H2O Solutions brands. We will transition our own considerable M&E services business into Interact, doubling its size, and cementing its position as a market leader. Our dedicated transition team will implement a tried and tested integration plan to ensure a seamless transition. There will be no disruption to the services we deliver.

Interact’s Managing Director, Philip Murphy will lead this substantially larger business. Philip will have our full support and will be able to draw on the strength of our group to deliver exceptional service to clients.

We are thrilled to grow our mechanical and electrical engineering capability in Ireland. We do not plan to offer M&E engineering services in the UK, where our focus remains on growing our security and facilities services businesses.

Our CEO, Declan Doyle, MD of Workplace Solutions, Mary Kealy and Interact MD, Philip Murphy have recorded a brief message sharing their perspective on this exciting news.

“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can”

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Pat Byrne is an Area Supervisor at Bidvest Noonan, and an experienced one too! Pat took the long route to get where he is today and is something he is very much proud of. We want to share his unique perspective on life and how it helped forge his career.

“A colleague recently approached me who was struggling with his self-worth and questioned whether he had the ability to progress his career. He felt since he left secondary school, he was constantly being overlooked because did not have a college degree. I was able to empathise with him as I experienced a similar situation too. I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend college, but it never stopped my appetite to forge a career and get to where I am today.

I told him he wasn’t alone with his worries, and there are many others who often struggle to see a clear career path. I shared with him how my outlook changed when I changed my mindset. I firmly agree with the great Arthur Ashe. He says you should “start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can”. I focussed on my strengths, my abilities, and making people see the type of person I am. I believe that as long as you are putting in the graft, you will be noticed. “What’s for you won’t pass you by“.

I have seen first-hand how someone can go all the way to the top in a company by going down the long road. I believe inspiration is all around us, so do not let one person or job define you. Work hard enough and one day you will reap the rewards. Think positive, stay motivated, and above all else, back yourself.”

Editor’s Note:

Subsequent to writing this piece for us, Pat was invited to attend a Train the Trainer course helping him to take the next step on his journey.

Janice Knight – How to develop confidence as a leader

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What are some traits you think great leaders possess?

For me, I admire a person that is decisive and works with great integrity, a leader that has humility. Someone that can inspire others to make a difference and has unwavering resilience.

Which woman has inspired you the most and why?

My Sister Patricia, older by 4 years. I always looked up to and adored my sister, she was my biggest supporter and my toughest critic, always there to guide and mentor me. She most certainly kept my feet on the ground and was brilliant at helping me tease out any difficult decision. She was in banking for most of her life and had such a unique way of connecting with people. Later in her life, she took a risk, which paid off, and swapped banking for a life in the music industry, unsurprisingly she excelled there too. She had a can-do attitude that was infectious and had the unique ability to make people feel that they were capable of everything, she passed away from Ovarian Cancer in June 2017 at the age of 45.

How have you developed your confidence as a leader?

My passion is people, supporting and ensuring people feel connected to purpose, that they are enabled to do their job successfully and bring their best every day.

I have always felt this and believed this is what makes a difference. From my first role as a team leader to my role now as a Director, these values remain for me and I am dedicated to enhancing my team so that they feel that connection.

Confidence grows over time and with experiencing disappointments and failures. I have these experiences on occasion and I have grown from them. It’s tough, and its stings but it’s key to your own development. 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Do not feel you need to be everything to everyone, understand your strengths and play to them. If you are a natural ideas person, be that. Equally, if you are better at analysing the idea once presented, then do that. There is space for everyone at the table, once you have that realisation your confidence grows as does your contribution.

Cornelia Olivier on what makes female leaders unique

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What are some of the traits that leader possesses?

I have been fortunate to work with strong leaders throughout my career. There are a few things that strong leaders seem to have in common: they know their strengths, they keep learning, they look to work with people who are different from them, and they work hard at honing their technical and soft skills.

What do women leaders bring that is unique?

I think women leaders bring different perspectives. Women are well represented in our societies, in our customer bases, and our workplaces. Building empathy as an organisation with the traits and needs of that group is valuable. Our perspective as women leaders equips us to formulate solutions that can benefit our teams and our communities more holistically.

In your work situation, it is often women leaders that become your biggest allies. They are often the first to recognise that you are putting in the effort and loving what you do. Determine who your allies might be and start working out how you can earn more of their trust.

Which woman has inspired you the most?

When I was very young, I had a friend whose mother was a small business owner. This lady loved her job! She worked long hard hours, sometimes late into the evening. She sourced meals from people that cooked better than she did. She devised ways to do mundane tasks faster. Watching her showed me that the boundaries we experience are often self-imposed. She taught me that it is okay, in fact it is great, to delegate tasks that you’re not good at to people who can do them well. She taught me that you can be successful in your career while still loving your family. She said you can have it all but takes hard work to achieve it. She also taught me that, in some ways, women have more choices than men do. I always try to remember these when I want to retain strong female colleagues! She made such an enormous impact on me as a little girl and has helped me become the leader I am today

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

From my experience, leadership is a journey rather than a destination. You have to keep working at your technical and soft skills, stretching your abilities, and practicing your humility by doing new things and feeling uncomfortable every so often. Get used to making mistakes and apologising sincerely. Invest in relationships at all levels. Most of all, find joy in your job, it makes you an easier leader to follow.