‘My plan is to make sure Smurfit WestRock is one of the great companies of the world’: Tony Smurfit on taking the family business global

Tony Smurfit is The Irish Times Business Person of the Year for 2024

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Last month Tony Smurfit was chosen as Irish Times business person of the year for successfully concluding a combination of Smurfit Kappa Group with American company WestRock in a $24 billion deal. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Last month Tony Smurfit was chosen as Irish Times business person of the year for successfully concluding a combination of Smurfit Kappa Group with American company WestRock in a $24 billion deal. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times

This week, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Tony Smurfit, president and CEO of Smurfit WestRock, the biggest paper and packaging group in the world.

Last month he was chosen as Irish Times business person of the year for successfully concluding a combination of Smurfit Kappa Group with American company WestRock in a $24 billion deal. The Dublin-based company is now the leading player in its sector.

Grandson of the company’s original founding father Jefferson Smurfit, and son of Michael Smurfit who grew the company to become Ireland’s first multinational, Tony has led the business since 2015.

During this episode Tony discusses the impact of the WestRock deal on the group over the past nine months, the threat posed by Donald Trump’s tariffs, the special challenges of working for a company where your name is above the door, and his plan to make Smurfit WestRock the best company in the world.

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Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.