Norah Casey: the new quango queen and pr spokesperson for Gov

[Troubleshooter]

Did you see Norah standing beside Gilmore last nite supporting the labour party ,this from a businesswoman. Who is more right wing than Ganley , Of course Norah is
The Darling of this Government and is reaching a new record for Quango appointments ,she will get more rewards if the YES vote is carried I.e more board jobs and more fees !

[DCon]

'The lady doth protest too much' was my thinking at her constant claims that she is not in a political party etc etc

[Troubleshooter]

She is doing James Rielly biding in the Mater

[Dr. FIVE]

Titley was correct last night on Vinb when he said she may not in a political party but she is wedded to a particular ideology which makes her political.

"Anyone who starts by saying this is just common sense is trying to deny that it's a political question. She may not have party political allegiances but she does have allegiances to a certain version of competitivity and what that means for her as an employer and an entrepreneur"

I've caught the last two episodes of DD and she keeps making an issue of knowing your figures which is odd cuz,,,

From 2002

http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/f...ay-502467.html

THE Smurfit school of counting is not confined to ordering 20,000 more sachets of shampoo than for which it actually printed magazines. It now emerges that it tried to convince fellow Irish publishers that its own counting was better than the Audit Bureau of Circulation, (ABC),

THE Smurfit school of counting is not confined to ordering 20,000 more sachets of shampoo than for which it actually printed magazines. It now emerges that it tried to convince fellow Irish publishers that its own counting was better than the Audit Bureau of Circulation, (ABC), the bible of the industry.

A PPAI sub-committee held talks with the ABC and suggested that it adopt "alternative" counting methods here in Ireland. But the ABC decided against an Irish solution to Smurfit's problems.

Colleagues in the magazine industry are surprised that Smurfit Communications managing director Norah Casey, who doubles as chairperson of the Periodical Publications Association of Ireland (PPAI), had gone on holidays as a barrage of hostile emails, some calling for her removal, circulated around the capital.

Wrong circulation figures: magazines to return awards?


Members of the Periodical Publishers' Association of Ireland (PPAI) are considering calling for the resignation of its chairwoman, Norah Casey, after Smurfit Communications Ltd admitted last week that it had been overstating circulation figures for Woman's Way, Irish Tatler and U magazine by as much as 30 per cent over the past three years

Casey is also the chief executive of Smurfit Communications.

A sister company prints Smurfit Communications' publications and industry insiders said they were surprised that the situation had gone undetected for so long.

Casey says she discovered the overstatement in February and began an internal investigation.

Casey assumed the chair of the PPAI two years ago. The organisation represents the interests of publishers of about 70 consumer, business and professional magazines in Ireland.

Leading PPAI figures believe the latest revelation could damage the entire magazine sector.

The PPAI held its first awards ceremony last December and Smurfit Communications scooped three of the seven awards. Vanessa Harris of Irish Tatler won editor of the year and Woman's Way won consumer magazine of the year.

The chairman of the judges, Jack Lemmon, applauded Woman's Way's circulation increase.

It is understood that Smurfit Communications may be asked by the PPAI to return the awards. "It makes a mockery of the industry awards," one source said .

But Mary Finan, spokeswoman for Smurfit Communications, said there was no question of Casey resigning over the revelations. "That is definitely not on the cards," said Finan. "She discovered it."

Finan claimed advertisers had reacted "very positively" to the news. "They have been very understanding. The amounts involved are small. It really only affected advertisers who placed inserts in the magazines."

Advertisers contacted by The Sunday Business Post, however, were not as forgiving. "I have never seen anything like it," said a source in one of Ireland's leading advertising agencies. "It undermines the entire magazine industry and leaves serious doubts in the minds of media buyers and advertisers. Clients are bound to become a lot more cautious. Many of them are outraged."

The sources said the revelations could force publications to subscribe to the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), the recognised industry standard for independent auditing.

Smurfit Communications has not subscribed to the ABC for more than four years and advertisers have had to rely on the company's own sales figures. Only three PPAI members subscribe to the ABC -- Image, Business Plus and Gardener's World.

"I have always had a problem with publications that refuse to be ABC audited," said Richard Law, managing director of Mediavest. "Certain media owners don't seem to feel accountable to anyone.

"We need a robust industry standard and, while the ABC figures may need subtle changes, they are the accepted currency. When there is no transparency, there is bound to be a lack of trust, particularly in light of what has now happened."

Jane McDonnell, managing director of Image, is keen to see more magazines signing up for audited circulation statistics. "Magazines ought to subscribe to ABC," said McDonnell. "It's an industry standard. We're competing on a very un-level playing field. It really isn't enough to have a publisher's statement announcing your circulation any more."

Madison Dearborn, the sixth-largest buyout fund in the US, is driving a bid for the acquisition of the Smurfit Group. It is shaping up to be the largest takeover in Irish corporate history. Smurfit Communications is widely recognised as non-core to Smurfit's paper and packaging business. There has been speculation that Casey could be considering a management buyout, but Finan said Casey declined to comment on this.

Ireland eh?

[disability student]

Can't understand life of me that she is a businesswoman as she got her figures wrong last night.Her constant refrain ..'balancing the books' & ' keep credit lines free' re FST doesn't work out like that.

[Troubleshooter]

I wish I could cut and paste ( I will have to do a springboard course) the new quango queen did very wll out of Fas in 2001/2003 as editor of the Irish post she secured
Over 300'000 euros for Jobsireland shows in New York ,London,Manchester,Liverpool
And London again Mary Harney opened all of these shows and was then selected "woman of the year". By Norah

[Dr. FIVE]

any links?

[disability student]

I wish I could cut and paste ( I will have to do a springboard course) the new quango queen did very wll out of Fas in 2001/2003 as editor of the Irish post she secured
Over 300'000 euros for Jobsireland shows in New York ,London,Manchester,Liverpool
And London again Mary Harney opened all of these shows and was then selected "woman of the year". By Norah

Really? link please as it sounded to me that she has FFor PD connections?

[disability student]

Brief profile of Norah Casey:

Norah Casey is Chief Executive (owner proprieter) of Harmonia Ltd which assumed the business of Smurfit Communications in August 2004 following a management buyout. Nora was awarded the title of Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year for 2007.


Harmonia is Dublin-based and is the largest magazine company in Ireland printing over four million magazines each year. The company publishes a range of consumer titles: Irish Tatler, Woman’s Way, U, Food & Wine, Auto Ireland, Auto Woman, Your New Baby, and many contract publications including CARA for Aer Lingus. Harmonia also undertakes events including; The Women of the Year Awards; The Restaurant of the Year Awards; The Mum of the Year Awards. Harmonia also owns Ireland’s most popular woman’s web site iVenus.com with over 100,000 unique users per month and 1.4 million page impressions.


Prior to the MBO she was CEO of Smurfit Communications, Smurfit Online Services, and up to June 2003 she was also CEO of Smurfit Media UK which published The Irish Post, The Irish in Britain Business Directory and managed events including the St Patrick’s Day Festival and the Irish & British Business Partnership Lunch.


Prior to joining the Smurfit Group in May 1998 she was CEO of RCN Publishing, with a portfolio of 15 magazine titles, an event unit with over 100 conferences and exhibitions annually and a book publishing unit.


She undertook a post-graduate print journalism course with the NCTJ in England and subsequently gained qualifications in television production and radio journalism with Ealing College and the BBC. She studied strategic management at Ashridge Management College in the U.K., undertook a Smith & Nephew U.S.A. scholarship and registered for a Ph.D at the University of Wales in 1991. She is widely published in periodical and book format and published her own book Images of Romania in 1991 (Scutari Press).

Interests
Chair: Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival Advisory Forum
Board Member: Angels Quest
Board Member: Music Network (an arts council funded body which brings classical, jazz and traditional music to rural areas in Ireland).
Founder Member: Women’s Irish Network London
Member: The International Women’s Forum

Norah returned to live in Ireland in Spring 2002 and divides her time between Dublin and London. She is married to journalist and broadcaster Richard Hannaford, and they have a seven-year-old son Dara.

[Troubleshooter]

No links I will search however ,on Dd or in interviews she never talks about the FAS gigs Surmfit owned the Irish post in London and she was managing editor a lot of tax payers money went into these events and Van the man sang at one of them .
Cara magazine owned then by Surmfit got a lot of advertising money to bring the Irish home. It's mentioned in Tim pat coogans book on the lost irish .

[Troubleshooter]

The FAS New York gig was opened by mm as minister for education and ithe cost of it ran to 1million ,the Irish Voice a Smurfit paper got adverts and Norah was the CEO of Smurfit international at that stage .
This FAS /Irish post stuff should be looked at .

[C. Flower]

Brief profile of Norah Casey:

Norah Casey is Chief Executive (owner proprieter) of Harmonia Ltd which assumed the business of Smurfit Communications in August 2004 following a management buyout. Nora was awarded the title of Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year for 2007.


Harmonia is Dublin-based and is the largest magazine company in Ireland printing over four million magazines each year. The company publishes a range of consumer titles: Irish Tatler, Woman’s Way, U, Food & Wine, Auto Ireland, Auto Woman, Your New Baby, and many contract publications including CARA for Aer Lingus. Harmonia also undertakes events including; The Women of the Year Awards; The Restaurant of the Year Awards; The Mum of the Year Awards. Harmonia also owns Ireland’s most popular woman’s web site iVenus.com with over 100,000 unique users per month and 1.4 million page impressions.


Prior to the MBO she was CEO of Smurfit Communications, Smurfit Online Services, and up to June 2003 she was also CEO of Smurfit Media UK which published The Irish Post, The Irish in Britain Business Directory and managed events including the St Patrick’s Day Festival and the Irish & British Business Partnership Lunch.


Prior to joining the Smurfit Group in May 1998 she was CEO of RCN Publishing, with a portfolio of 15 magazine titles, an event unit with over 100 conferences and exhibitions annually and a book publishing unit.


She undertook a post-graduate print journalism course with the NCTJ in England and subsequently gained qualifications in television production and radio journalism with Ealing College and the BBC. She studied strategic management at Ashridge Management College in the U.K., undertook a Smith & Nephew U.S.A. scholarship and registered for a Ph.D at the University of Wales in 1991. She is widely published in periodical and book format and published her own book Images of Romania in 1991 (Scutari Press).

Interests
Chair: Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival Advisory Forum
Board Member: Angels Quest
Board Member: Music Network (an arts council funded body which brings classical, jazz and traditional music to rural areas in Ireland).
Founder Member: Women’s Irish Network London
Member: The International Women’s Forum

Norah returned to live in Ireland in Spring 2002 and divides her time between Dublin and London. She is married to journalist and broadcaster Richard Hannaford, and they have a seven-year-old son Dara.

Sketchy stuff. Never heard of any of that apart from Irish Tatler which is a dismal little gossip rag. Not sure if it is still in print.

[Troubleshooter]

It was amazing how the Harmonia stable of mags where supported by Fas when Harney ( Norah's best mate ) was in charge of FAS and mags like the village suffered
Because of its anti PD line.

[disability student]

There are simlarities between Gallagher and her as it reminded me of something like govt grants propping up her business (from her political connections).Her area of expertise was strategic management.

[Troubleshooter]

She was a midwife in Scotland ,the went to London as a Hack ,then a suit ,Fas where running Jobsireland with a 4million advert budget the Irish post got 500,000 of that and Harney opened
Most of these shows ,Norah is the new queen of Gilmore and her mags will pick Joan Burton as this years women of the year watch this space!