Small business crusader Mark Fielding 'hangs up his boots'

MARK FIELDING HAS stepped down from his position as the ISME chief executive after serving for years at the helm of the organisation.

General manager of the Freight Transport Association Neil McDonnell is to take over as the head of the group, which represents hundreds of Irish small and medium business across the country.

Fielding said that after more than 15 years with the organisation “I am hanging up my ISME boots”.

“It has been my privilege to share in the rich and wonderful ISME legacy and to serve as the CEO. It has also been my privilege to be involved with such fine business people who show a loyalty to ISME and to each other.”

Speaking to Fora, Fielding said that he will continue to be involved in the small business community.

“I’m not dead, I’m just taking some time off,” he said. “I’ve been approached numerous times since I announced that I was retiring from ISME, there are plenty of opportunities out there.”

Not stopping

Fielding said that he will likely take on some sort of advisory role for small business.

“I will be working for myself, when you get to my age you find it difficult to work for other people,” he said.

“I will of course (miss ISME), I got great craic out of working in it and it has been a part of my life since I was a small boy, I’ve always worked in small business.

“I will miss the representative side of things and helping people but that won’t stop, I was doing those things before I went into ISME as well.”

Mark Fielding

Fielding is a very well-known and vocal campaigner on issues affecting the small businesses community, such as wages and strikes.

His blunt and outspoken manner frequently attracted media coverage and in the statement announcing his retirement Fielding gave a shout out to the press, saying that the people serving in the industry “made my job interesting, challenging and always enjoyable”.

He added: “ISME is (the) best SME business association in the world and has all its best days ahead. I am proud of what we have achieved.”

Replacement

His replacement, McDonnell, worked as general manager for fuels for London-listed transport services company Wincanton before serving in the Freight Transport Association.

McDonnell started his career as an officer in the Irish Defence Forces and has an MBS from Smurfit Business School.

In the statement announcing McDonnell as its new CEO ISME said that it “looks forward to the new leadership that will be provided by Neil, and wishes him well.”