*Mick Guinee walks through the halls of Ei Electronics.
MICK GUINEE’s tenure as CEO of Ei Electronics concluded on Tuesday.
Management and staff of the 1,100 strong Shannon workforce hosted a reception on Friday to pay tribute to Mick for his leadership over the past four decades.
Amid applause and cheers from staff lining the corridors of the facility where General Electric established the original Ei Company in 1963, Mick made his way to a reception attended by management and staff.
In his address Mick paid tribute to the generations who have played a role in the success of Ei down through the decades. He particularly noted the support of fellow founders Jim Duignan and Dr. Mike Byrne, who along with him secured the management buyout of the EI Company from General Electric in 1988, giving birth to Ei Electronics.
Mick was presented with a bronze replica of the letter he wrote to the Ei Company Staff in 1988 formally advising them of the management buy out from GE and his confidence that ’together the team could build a successful indigenous Irish-owned company, trading on international markets’.
Despite trading during a very challenging period of recession and emigration, Mick’s vision was indeed prophetic. Ei is a global leader in its field, last year it had a turnover of €425m and is one of the largest employers in the Mid-West region.
On Tuesday, Mick formally handed over the reins to Leo Clancy, the former CEO of Enterprise Ireland and Head of Technology with the IDA. Mick will still remain actively involved in the strategic future and direction of the business in his role as Board Chairman.
