Bobby Kerr, 49, had a very eventful year in 2008/2009. Aside from becoming a Dragon, he spearheaded the sale of the Kerr family business, Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny, for €23 million. Last year he sold 51 per cent of his Insomnia group to Penninn, valuing the business at €16 million. Bobby got the business bug at a young age while helping his father run the four-star Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny. A career in catering followed, when he landed his very first job at AIB Catering in Ballsbridge. He was soon travelling the globe, working as a chef on Oil Rigs in the North Sea, and then to Canada where he gained vast experience in stadium catering. He went on to coordinate catering for one million people during the Pope’s visit to Canada in 1985. He returned to Ireland in the mid-80s where he worked initially at Jury’s Hotels, followed by Campbell Catering in Cork and then Bewley’s. As managing director of Bewley’s Oriental Cafe, Bewley’s Franchising and Bewley’s Bakery he oversaw 30 Bewley’s Cafes and a bakery with a turnover of €40 million. He was also responsible for the overseas development of the Bewley’s brand in Britain, the US and Japan. In 1999, Bobby set up PERK Coffee Shops in Dublin, before selling the brand to Insomnia. Bobby reinvested all the proceeds of the PERK sale back into Insomnia and became a shareholder and chief executive. Since 2004 he has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 million.