'It is hard to put into words all I got from the week': Director of Tyrone food manufacturer returns from biggest annual unofficial trade mission

A delegation of 140 of Ireland’s top entrepreneurs, including director of McColgan’s Quality Foods in Tyrone, have returned home from Japan having participated in the recent EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat.

The retreat saw entrepreneurs travel between Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto where they participated in a comprehensive programme of executive coaching, education and networking whilst also experiencing Japan’s vibrant culture and traditions.

Reflecting on the experience, William McColgan — whose company is the largest producer of savoury pastry-based products in Ireland — described the trip as unforgettable.

He said: “Having just returned from the EY CEO retreat in Japan; it is hard to put into words all I got from the week. The experience of seeing one of the world’s great cultures and economies first hand was a special experience.

“But it was the cohort of people who made this so very special. The 2025 finalists are an exceptional bunch, and the alumni of the program are truly the best and brightest of Ireland’s Entrepreneurial scene. In this gathering, EY have assembled something unique on the island.”

Highlights of this year’s retreat included visits to sites of major business, academic and diplomatic importance across Japan. Key visits from the trip included SoftBank Corporation HQ where the group met with SoftBank President Kunihiro Fujinaga and Executive Vice President Daichi Nozaki, a ‘Mini MBA’ experience at Hitotsubashi University, delivered by leading Japanese academics Professor Yoshinori Fujikawa and Professor Hiroshi Ono, and Ireland House Tokyo, the centre of Ireland’s diplomatic relations in Japan, where the group met with Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, Damien Cole.

The delegation for this year’s CEO Retreat included the 24 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalists as well as programme alumni representing a broad spectrum of industries and representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Julius Baer International.

Since it’s inception the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland community has grown into a tight-knit network of 650 alumni who harness each other’s wealth of experience, with three quarters (75%) conducting business with one another. Together, the EOY alumni community generates revenues in excess of €25bn, and employs more than 250,000 people across the island of Ireland.

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland programme is supported by Premium Corporate Sponsor Julius Baer International, and Government sponsors Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland.