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Meet Mark Roden, Ireland's Entrepreneur of the Year

Roden is the founder of Ding, a company which employs 150 people in Dublin.

THE FOUNDER OF a company headquartered in Dublin, which allows migrant workers to transfer mobile phone credit to their families back home, has been named as EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.

Mark Roden’s company Ding has delivered $600 million to over 58 million mobile phone since its inception.

It employs 150 people in Dublin and has offices in Miami, Dubai, San Salvador, Bucharest and Dhaka.

Commenting on his win, Roden said he was proud of everyone in his company.

I am absolutely humbled to be in the company of such incredible winners and want to thank EY for putting us on the global map along with all the other finalists.

Roden will now go forward to represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo in June 2015 where he will compete with over 60 leading entrepreneurs from across the globe.

  • Mark Roden was also named the EY International Entrepreneur Of The Year.
  • John Purdy of Ergo, a consultative IT services partner to businesses, picked up the award for EY Industry Entrepreneur Of The Year;
  • Terry Fox of bespoke paper cup manufacturer, Cupprint, was named as the EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and former Attorney General of Ireland, Peter Sutherland also took home the Special Award, which is give to a person who has made a profound contribution through their entrepreneurial vision, innovation and commitment to excellence.

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21 Comments
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    Mute Peter King
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:17 AM

    Good for him. He saw a niche and filled it.

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    Mute Business Cat
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:43 AM

    That’s what she said.

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    Mute Secret Irishman
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:55 AM

    That’s really quite a clever idea, fair play to him for taking the initiative.

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    Mute Jack Dexter
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:30 AM

    Them awards are a load of rubbish one so called entrepreneur won an award for making paper cups.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:52 AM

    @ Jack – Fox won because he took on the chinese large volume only, two month wait manufacturers. “Cupprint offers a minimum order quantity of 1,000 cups for marketing companies and 5,000 for retail/cafes in a turnaround time of 15 days anywhere in Europe.” He also managed to create employment in this country in 2009. We need more people like this.

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    Mute James
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:56 AM

    I read their story in the paper few months ago. Before they came along you had to get big orders from China with a 8 week turnaround time, now their process can do it in days and they’re supplying orders of all sizes to all over Europe from Ireland.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:57 AM

    It’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and take pot shots and people who got out there in the world and did things. Most people wait around for life to happen to them, we need people, even if they’re a small number, who don’t wait around, who do things on their own initiative.

    At least the business he set up was useful, unlike Sutherlands former Goldman buddies who make money on pointless nonsense like moving steel around to diff warehouses to artificially restrict the supply and make money off the ensuing spike in prices, and who lets not forget, were at the centre of the subprime mortgage scam that brought down the global economy.
    We need entrepreneurs who actually provide goods and services and while this might seem like a small deal to you, I’m sure the people using it see the benefit.

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    Mute Ciaran Whyte
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:13 AM

    And prey tell, what do you do for a living Jack? How many jobs have you created? How much wealth? How many families are paying mortgages and bills through something you set up?

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    Mute Jack Dexter
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:46 AM

    Ciaran, I own 2 businesses and Im involved as a silent partner is 4 others also I own 6 houses that are rented out. In 1983 I invented a well known household product that I sold on for a tidy profit. At the moment I am looking at inventing a new form of transport so watch this space.

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    Mute Frances Faller
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:53 AM

    Well done Jack we need more people like you in Ireland

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:06 PM

    @ Jack – and you did’nt get an award. Sour grapes?

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    Mute Ciaran Whyte
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    Oct 24th 2014, 1:10 PM

    What’s your full name Jack?

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    Mute Kevin K
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Hi Mark!

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    Mute padser
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:58 AM

    A question on the product – is the money transferred out of the Country subject to an ‘exit tax’ for example?

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    Mute Mike O Neill
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:35 AM

    Congratulations to all winners, except Peter Sunderland of course.

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    Mute Fiannaoicht
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    Oct 24th 2014, 12:20 PM

    What’s your problem with Suds??

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    Mute Timmy Sharpe
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:01 PM

    Best friend of Denis

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    Mute Timmy Sharpe
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:05 PM

    Best friend of Denis ,must need to raise a few bobs.

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    Mute Timmy Sharpe
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:15 PM

    Best friend of Denis ,he must need to raise money

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    Mute John Kinsella
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:42 PM

    This Sutherland thing is a sick joke. A ruthless character. How twisted can things get in the rarefied air of the unknowing?

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