Dragon’s Den star to speak at Derry Chamber President's lunch

RTE’s Dragon’s Den star Peter Casey is to return to his home town this week to speak at the Derry Chamber of Commerce President’s Lunch.

Born and brought up in Derry, Casey (pictured) is now based in Atlanta and will address members and guests on the theme of “tax and talent” at the event being held in the Beech Hill Hotel, Ardmore, at 12.30pm this Wednesday. Gerry Kindlon, Chamber president, said it was a “real coup” to attract a star speaker of the quality of the Derry native.

He added: “Peter is one of that rare breed – a person famous to both the business community as one of their own and also to the general public.

“This gives Peter a respected position in speaking knowledgeably about business issues, while being listened to by a wider audience.

“Peter has an amazing experience as an entrepreneur. He has done it, seen it and is helping a new generation of entrepreneurs to do it too. There is no doubt that his words of wisdom can help our members learn to run their businesses even better. We are very excited.”

Casey is founder and executive chairman of Claddagh Resources, a global recruitment and search business that places high-level executives with some of the world's largest and most influential consulting and IT firms.

Having established successful business interests in Australia and Ireland, he set up Claddagh Resources in Atlanta, Georgia in 1995, where he is now based.

Claddagh currently operates from five locations worldwide including their European base outside Buncrana in Donegal.

Their clients include well-known names such as Tata Consulting Services, Ernst & Young, Oracle, AVG Software and SAP . Living in Atlanta with his wife Helen and their five children, he divides his time between there and his family home in Derry.

He travels extensively, working with a portfolio of blue chip clients worldwide.

He is also an accomplished writer, political and business commentator, with articles published in the Sunday Independent and Sunday Business Post among others.

He was named by Irish America Magazine as one the leading Irish American businessmen for 2007.

Since 2009, he has invested in commercial, residential and agricultural property in Ireland.