Lorraine Higgins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Business Ireland
Lorraine Higgins is a former Senator, barrister, and a highly experienced public policy professional, media commentator and strategist. She has worked as an external consultant to several blue-chip multinational companies and was previously CEO of Ireland’s largest retail representative body.
A public speaker she has contributed to many public discussions on eCommerce and digital development and most recently addressed the United Nations eCommerce Week in Geneva and the Greek eCommerce Expo. She has worked closely with the largest lobbying body in the world, the NRF (USA), on the implementation of the GDPR for American retailers and served as a Director of eCommerce Europe (Brussels).
During her time as a Senator, she was a regular contributor on matters including business, entrepreneurship and EU issues and in an independent study conducted in 2014, she was named the second most influential member of Seanad Éireann in terms of shaping public policy and opinion.
In December 2015, she was also named by the Irish Times as one of the Top 5 People in Politics to Watch and one of the Top 50 People in Ireland to Watch. Lorraine is also currently Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic and plays a role in the economic and cultural development of the relationship between the Slovak Republic and Ireland.
She serves on the Australian Embassy’s Women in Leadership Committee and is Chair of the Emerald Leadership Programme established by the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce. She is also a Trustee of Sightsavers International (Ireland).
She previously worked as a Barrister and was a Lecturer teaching Contract Law and Tort Law to students undertaking the Law Society FE1 exams. She currently guests lectures for the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
Who do you most admire in business?
I have particular regard for any number of people who work in the SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) sector who night and day apply themselves to their businesses in order to maintain and build on what they have created. It’s a challenging landscape at all times but one that delivers real satisfaction.
What companies or brands do you like or do you think are getting it right?
There’s been a sea-change in how businesses operate in recent years with many of them embracing online to grow their footprint. There are so many disruptor companies innovating to come up with the newest solutions to help others do business more efficiently. A company in that space who impressed me most recently is Pointy who provided tech tools to retailers. They sold their offering for an impressive sum.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
When life or business comes at you hard decide if it is important or very important. Most of the time, it is neither.
What drives or motivates you each day?
I like to have a purpose. So whatever that might look like on a given day, I will reflect on how best to make it happen.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
I think social media, once used correctly, can have wide-ranging benefits for all businesses. Many Irish companies use such platforms to proximate their goods and services, and I think it is a really underutilised business development tool. Social media facilitates small businesses to become exporters which is a phenomenal situation.
Do you have a mentor or do you mentor anyone?
I do have a mentor who has provided me with great advice ever since we first met. I now do the same and mentor a couple of people that I hope benefit from my life and work experience.
How do you network?
I don’t actually purposely do it. I like to be active and involved in causes and initiatives that motivate me and my values, so networking for me happens as an aside to these activities.
How did you get into this line of work and What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same line of work?
Sometimes things happen by accident. I qualified as a barrister in 2005 and worked at that for over a decade. I was appointed to the Senate in 2011, and after my stint in politics finished, I ended up leading a representative body and subsequently working in consultancy. All experiences combined brought me to where I am today. So my advice to others is don’t discount anything you have ever done, harness what you have learned and recognise it’s importance in bringing you along life’s path.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Anything worth doing doesn’t come easy.
What’s the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Sometimes you have to critique your thinking or at the very least get others to do it. You also have to be resilient and recognise that just because you’ve hit a roadblock that it is not the end. You have to strategise and look for ways around the issue or problem and keep positive until you achieve.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I am most proud of the great relationships I have developed with family and friends and their unconditional loyalty.
How do you define success?
If you make a discernible difference to someone’s life or business, you are winning.
What do you think your unique skill(s) is that has helped you become successful?
I am grounded and am a practical thinker. I also qualified as a sociologist, a lawyer and worked in politics, so I understand people.
What valuable lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Be patient, don’t be in a rush and always wait for day eight.
Is there anything new you are working on that you would like to share?
I have just set up an e-commerce trade body called Digital Business Ireland (DBI) which counts members across a wide range of online businesses to include retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, agri-business and property. DBI provides a range of services to its membership to include training and events, networking opportunities, general advisory, insights, advocacy and public policy. Influence to help legislators create a better framework for online enterprises so that digital businesses can grow, thrive and achieve their ambitions.
Where’s your favourite place?
I’m torn between Bordeaux and Istanbul.
What is your hobby?
Golf, Hiking
Best holiday of choice?
Dordogne valley.
What are you NOT very good at and What are you good at?
I am tone-deaf, so singing is a challenge. Thankfully I don’t need this ability to hit a golf ball.
Which words do you overuse?
“I propose to do...”
Your social media platform of choice?
When are you happiest?
Hiking with great company
Would you like to share a positive quote with the audience?
“What you do today can improve all of your tomorrows.”
Would you like to share any positive message relating to the global pandemic COVID-19 situation?
There are not too many positives to be taken from the Covid19 pandemic. Health systems and economies the world over are in disarray and it will take us some time to recover from this disruption. However, there is now a growing recognition of the importance of tech and digital. Innovations in these spheres make it possible for us to work remotely, communicate with loved ones and ultimately remain connected at a time of great isolation.