"My leadership approach is shaped by the strength of the senior management team, allowing me to lead through delegation and empowering each individual to take ownership and responsibility"

John Healy, General Manager of CPM Ireland, reflects on leadership, management styles and the mentors who inspired him.

Who or what has most influenced your leadership style?

My leadership style is rooted in my upbringing on a tillage farm in Kildare, where I learned the values of hard work, ownership and accountability — principles that continue to shape how I lead.

I believe in building highperforming teams by surrounding myself with talented individuals, fostering alignment and creating a collaborative, purpose-driven culture.

Starting my career in the meat industry taught me resilience, but transitioning to a buyer role at Dunnes Stores introduced a new level of intensity.

It was a nononsense, performance-driven environment where I learned the power of meticulous planning, flawless execution and stakeholder management — thanks to the guidance of a remarkable mentor.

Joining Superquinn was a turning point. Working with Feargal Quinn and later Simon Burke offered first-hand insight into purpose-led, customer-focused leadership.

The business’s acquisition and integration into Musgrave further exposed me to diverse leadership styles and a deeply collaborative culture.

As global head of commercial at Aer Rianta International, I led across multiple markets and cultures.

This experience deepened my belief in the power of active listening and culturally sensitive communication to build trust, drive engagement, and deliver results on a global scale.

Which leaders do you admire?

Leaders I admire come from diverse backgrounds. In business, I greatly respect Michael O’Leary and Colm McLoughlin — both pioneers who built world-class companies through vision, resilience and innovation.

How would you describe your leadership style in three words?

Empowering, challenging and open.

How has your approach to leadership evolved over the years?

I’ve come to realise that true leadership begins with inspiring the team around you.

It’s essential to ensure everyone is aligned and fully invested in the business’s strategy and vision.

After that, it’s so important to trust your team — believing they’re the right people for their roles — and empower them to take ownership and drive things forward.

What’s the best leadership advice you’ve ever received?

Recognise the difference between important and urgent! Effective time management and smart delegation are priceless.

How do you handle ‘managing up’?

As the general manager of CPM Ireland, I’ve full ownership of the P&L, which allows me to maintain clear and timely communication with the group, alongside my CFO.

I have built strong, collaborative relationships with my peers at group level, who recognise that CPM Ireland has its own unique dynamics.

They trust our deep understanding of the local market, including its challenges and opportunities.

Over the past three years, we’ve consistently delivered exceptional results, earning the trust of the group to drive continued success.

This trust undoubtedly makes managing upwards more seamless and effective.

What kind of workplace culture do you aim to foster?

At CPM, our business is built around people — they are the heart of our brand.

We take pride in our diversity, which spans gender, age and ethnicity, creating a vibrant and inclusive environment.

Our culture thrives on empowering individuals to bring their authentic selves to work, ensuring they feel valued and supported.

In an industry as competitive as ours, we maintain a high-performance culture where excellence is the standard.

We offer a range of training and development programmes that help our people reach their full potential. Above all, we are committed to our core values: We Care, We’re Curious, and We Achieve Together.

What’s your approach to making tough decisions, especially under pressure?

I believe there’s always an optimal moment to make the right decision. I approach decision-making by carefully balancing data, facts and intuition.

While I rarely make impulsive choices, I don’t fall into procrastination either.

Not every decision will be perfect, but I always ensure I have a contingency plan in place just in case.

As a leader, I often make decisions independently, but I recognise the value of consulting with colleagues when necessary or when their insights could contribute to a better outcome. How do you balance the strategic and operational demands of your role?

My leadership approach is shaped by the strength of the senior management team, allowing me to lead through delegation and empowering each individual to take ownership and responsibility.

I maintain a structured yet flexible approach, which is essential given my responsibilities across the island of Ireland, overseeing 600-plus employees and more than 30 clients.

I prioritise time for strategic thinking, planning and networking with industry peers (both locally and internationally) to stay informed about trends and innovations.

Client engagement and collaboration are central to both my leadership and operational roles.

Last year, we achieved record client satisfaction scores, and staying attuned to my clients’ needs, priorities, concerns and challenges is critical for delivering value and responding effectively to their expectations.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges facing CPM in the current business landscape?

Opportunities include diversification into new sectors, taking on a more strategic role with clients and effective use of technology — replacing lowvalue manual tasks to enable the team to focus on tasks that add most value.

Challenges include the scale of the Irish market, increased costs of employment and macro-economic issues, cost of living, employer costs, full employment, along with the new restriction on working visas — and most recently the uncertainty and economic impact of possible new tariffs.

What’s been your proudest moment or achievement at CPM Ireland so far?

Most definitely winning the International Agency of the Year at the FMBE awards in London in February.

And the second — which drives the first — our outstanding financial performance by growing our business over 50 per cent in the last three years, since I took up the helm.

What advice would you give to other SME leaders navigating uncertain economic conditions?

Stick to your strategy. Know your USP, what has made you successful to date, but ensure you are innovating, embracing technology and evolving your product or service to best meet the changing needs of your customer base.

Continue to keep costs under review and check that all planned spend decisions are still valid.

Review your talent matrix, ensuring that the skills and experience in your business are what you need to be successful into the future.

What legacy do you hope to leave at CPM Ireland?

A successful agency — a leader in its field. A bigger, stronger, more diverse business — with proud employees and clients.