Bobby Kerr

Speaker / MC

Bobby Kerr is an extremely popular business, entrepreneurial and motivational speaker.

Bobby loves motivational speaking, especially when it comes to lessons which can be learned for both large and small businesses. He gets straight down to the basics, shares his experiences to date (both successes and failures) and most importantly shares the lessons he has learned in his career to date. He seeks a genuine connection with the audience and always tries to deliver a speech which will be relevant to them. He leaves an audience with a take home lesson which they can use and apply to their own businesses or careers going forward.

Bobby is probably best known for his role as a ‘Dragon’ on RTE’s popular business programme, Dragon’s Den. He featured on the show from 2008 to 2012 and is still involved with eight of his investments.

Aside from becoming a Dragon, in 2009 he spearheaded the sale of the Kerr family business – Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny – for €23 million and sold 51% of his Insomnia group to Penninn, valuing the business at €16 million.

As chairman of Insomnia Coffee Company he has led Insomnia to become Ireland’s largest coffee house chain over a 16 year period.

In addition to his role with Insomnia Coffee, Bobby has a variety of business interests in food and hospitality, technology, hardware and exhibition.

Bobby also presents the hugely successful ‘Down to Business’ Breakfast show on Newstalk FM.

Bobby is one of the owners of BANG Restaurant which has carved out a reputation as one of the finest restaurants in Dublin City. He has a variety of business interests in food & hospitality, technology, manufacturing and retail.

Bobby lives by the sea in Sandycove, just outside Dublin City, with his wife Mary and their four daughters. He is actively involved in raising money for a number of Charities, including Habitat for Humanity, The Special Olympics and Fairtrade. Bobby is also actively involved in raising money for Blackrock Hospice.

Bobby has been a keen yachtsman for the last 25 years and races competitively in Dun Laoghaire.

Bobby Kerr is a highly sought after public speaker and business mentor and is known for his witty and upfront speaking style. He feels that it is important, especially in the current climate, to spread a positive message about entrepreneurship and an optimistic view of the future.

Over the last five years Bobby has spoken for a host of organisations, from large multinationals to smaller local enterprises.

“Bobby Kerr was great at the conference, very engaged with everything and everyone, and really kept the whole event flowing.” ACEI Conference, April 2016