Place Of Origin And Education Background
Having been born and grown up in Sligo, Finbarr Filan is a qualified Manufacturing Engineer with many years of senior-level expertise in Medical Device Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, and Construction. His educational background and personal character have sharpened his professional and individual skills and helped him play significant roles in business and progressive socio-economic programs in Sligo.
Other Professional Qualifications
Finbarr has also acquired a BTech in Manufacturing Technology, an ACCA Dip in Accounting and Finance, and postgraduate qualifications in European Studies and Management, which have helped him grow his career and professional skills. For this reason, he has worked in various capacity to help the business community and the public institutions improve the town’s services.
Current Professional Work
Finbarr’s business management skills have helped him succeed in the retail industry as the current head of operations at Centra shop – an award-winning, family-owned convenience store in Sligo famous for its delicacies such as soups, sandwiches, pastries, and fresh bread. The store is also highly rated for its affordability, efficiency, quality products, and excellent customer service.
Socio-economic Duties
Finbarr’s strong teamwork and leadership skills extend further than that. In 2012, took part in a pilot project financed by Special EU Programmes Body (EUPB) and supervised by Sligo County Council. This initiative explored various ways of revitalising the town centre and fostering a robust collaborative engagement between the Council and the business community.
On separate occasions, an assessment was carried out to determine the efficacy of the project’s team. UK-based town centre place managers’ preliminary and subsequent performance appraisal revealed that the newly set up town team had been successful in its objectives. More precisely, the town team had exceeded the initiative’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and even surpassed the performance of a number of key stakeholders in the project.
For this reason, Sligo took the lead and organised a vote among the business community, intending to set up a Business Improvement District (BID) to cater for the town’s fundamental interests. The local businesses voted yes in the plebiscite, which set the stage for founding the BID in 2016.
Recently, the BID carried out its second vote and obtained an 80 per cent vote for yet an extra 5-year term. Finbarr has been at the centre of this team and played a key role, having been the first Chair of Sligo BID for three years and now working as a board member.
Finbarr is committed to helping the town centre’s management plan as much as possible. He focuses on marketing Sligo as a desirable destination for modern-day global citizens, investors, and tourist. This goal can be achieved by safeguarding the town’s services and amenities’ efficiency and strengthening the link between the public and the private sector. Most crucially, Finbarr wants to play a critical role in ensuring the future existence of both the FDI and the indigenous SME businesses in regional towns.
Other Significant Roles
Finbarr now serves as the Chair of the Purple Flag team. This award recognises towns and cities that achieve a standard of excellence to support businesses and customers in the evening and nighttime economy.
He also serves as the Chairperson of Sligo Tidy Towns –an organisation of unpaid volunteers to keep the town in its best conditions and attract potential tourists and investors to live and work freely. This group is primarily motivated to do its work by their love for the city.
He is also the Chair of the Saint. Patrick’s Day Festival Committee. An event that brings together Irish art, culture, and tradition through dance, music, food, drinks, and of course, conversations! He is also a member of the St. Patricks Day Festival Committee. Having been born in Sligo, Finbarr is the person best positioned to understand the culture of the community in the town.
Finbarr is a member of the Government Advisory Group for the Town Centre First Policy in the Programme for Government, which is a multi-billion euro project tasked with dealing with the vacancy and battling dereliction to ensure the major parts of the town remain lively. The policy also seeks to provide housing for everyone and promote the regeneration of the rural economy and culture.
Finbarr is also an Irish Town and City Development Association steering group member. This association aims to develop functional, vibrant, and attractive town centres by supporting service delivery and uplifting the social and cultural life of the community in the town.
Personal Interests
When not working, Finbarr Filan likes to spend time with family and friends. In his spare time, he loves running long distances. He is proud of Sligo town and loves helping his community by participating in charitable initiatives. His vision is to see the town sustain its position as the perfect destination for tourists, business people, and individuals looking for a clean, serene, and vibrant area.