Bobby Kerr exits Insomnia Coffee Company
Insomnia chairman and former CEO has sold his shares in the company in order to focus on his broadcasting career and help small businesses
Print15 December 2017
Bobby Kerr is set to leave Insomnia Coffee Company in the coming weeks, after agreeing the sale of his shares to the other shareholders in the business.
Despite this exit, Kerr is not retiring however and will now focus on his broadcasting career and his continued weekend anchor role on Newstalk 106-108FM where he presents two shows. In the New Year he will also begin filming the second series of his popular maritime documentary ‘Along Home Shores’.
The well-known businessman also plans to step up his activity in angel investments and non-executive board participation, with the goal of fulfilling his passion to help small businesses.
Insomnia is Ireland’s leading coffee chain and the 15th largest in Europe. Celebrating its 20th birthday this year after starting life in a Galway bookshop in 1997, the business has enjoyed robust growth in recent years with a portfolio of 150 stores across Ireland and the UK.
Bobby Kerr spent many of those 20 years as CEO before changing his role to chairman in 2010. CEO Harry O’Kelly will now continue to lead the business, with Kerr praising O’Kelly’s “collaborative leadership style” which has “won the loyalty and respect of our people while driving the team to deliver record results”.
Given that Insomnia now has a strong presence in the UK market, and is progressing on plans to open in further territories, it is not surprising that Kerr plans to “watch its continued growth with interest”.
The news will see some changes in the senior management team at Insomnia where John Clohisey will become chairman and the current CFO Barry Kehoe has joined the board of directors. Dara O’Flynn has also joined as COO in December.
“We wish Bobby every success with his future endeavours and thank him for his service and hard work in growing the Insomnia brand,” said CEO Harry O’ Kelly.
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