Six companies have been shortlisted for this year's Irish Times/PA Consulting management award, recognising excellence in the application of modern management thinking and techniques.
The award ceremony will take place in the National Gallery, Dublin, on Tuesday, November 21st.
The six shortlisted companies are: Iona Technologies; Parthus; Project Management Group; Friends First; Memorex Telex (Ireland); and Datalex.
Iona has become one of the leading software companies in the world. Its charter has evolved into helping corporations create enterprise portals, which are singular points of access on the Web that harness the combined power of a company's software systems for their customers. The company employs 750 people in 30 offices worldwide and has revenues in excess of $100 million (€116 million).
Parthus was founded in 1993 in Dublin. Since then, its operations have expanded globally and it has become one of the most highly respected technology companies targeting the mobile Internet.
The company employs more than 370 people and has offices in the US, Britain and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as Dublin.
Project Management Group is a leading engineering and technical services consultancy. Annual revenue has increased to £67.4 million (€85.5 million) from £16.7 million in 1995 and it employs more than 1,000 people. Headquartered in Dublin, the company also has offices in Limerick and Cork. It has also expanded significantly overseas, with offices in the UK, Poland, Singapore and the USA.
Friends First, a market-leading financial services group, has witnessed a remarkable turnaround since it recorded a loss in 1995. The company has moved to significant profit, while more than quadrupling its market value in the process. Friends First now has assets in excess of £3 billion.
Memorex Telex (Ireland) is an integrator and supplier of computer networks, data centres, storage solutions and computer consumables. Founded in California in 1961, the Irish organisation was set up in 1976. With headquarters in Dublin, it has offices in Limerick and Cork and employs 80 people. Its annual revenue is £30 million. Datalex was founded in Dublin in 1985. The company initially developed software-based communication gateways that were used by airlines and global distribution systems to connect PCs in remote offices and travel agencies to their mainframe reservation systems. Datalex is now recognised as one of the leading providers of e-business infrastructure and solutions to the global travel industry. It employs 450 people in 12 sites around the world.
Started in 1977, the Irish Times/PA Management Award gives public recognition to organisations that achieve outstanding results through excellence of management practice. The competition is open to organisations throughout Ireland, with the objective of rewarding outstanding performers in industry, commerce and public administration. The award is made to an enterprise that has generated outstanding results through a strategic, driven and innovative style of management. The winner receives a bronze of an Arctic tern, sculpted by Oisin Kelly and cast each year for the presentation ceremony.
The judges for this year's awards are: Mr David Went, group chief executive, Irish Life & Permanent; Mr Eoin O'Driscoll, managing director for Ireland and vice-president of international operations at Lucent Technologies; Mr Jim Flavin, chief executive and deputy chairman of DCC; and Senator Edward Haughey, chairman of Norbrook Laboratories.
