User:Radioscot/sandbox

Ciarán O'Toole (born October, 1980) is an Irish Technology entrepreneur active in the music industry, media sector and financial services industry of the United Kingdom. His work has involved technology and product development within various industries.

Early life
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, O'Toole spent his childhood in Bray, County Wicklow. He received his education from local schools and was a football player for Ardmore Rovers in the Dublin League.

Career
O'Toole's career in media began at East Coast Radio (Ireland), where he initially served as a programme producer and presenter. He then assumed the role of Operations Manager for East Coast and Sunshine 106.8, following the co-location of the two stations in 2002. O'Toole moved to the United Kingdom in 2005 to manage the radio business Q96, after The Wireless Group was acquired by UTV.

In 2006, O'Toole advanced his career by joining the Guardian Media Group. There, he became the Head of Broadcast programming for Real Radio Scotland and later led the launch of 96.3 Rock Radio in 2007. In 2011, he joined the Bauer Media Group as a strategy consultant. O'Toole embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in 2013 by co-founding his first company, TeamRock, after raising £15 million in private equity funding. The business went on to acquire Classic Rock Magazine and Metal Hammer Magazine from Future Publishing, for £10.2 million, and launch a UK national Radio service on DAB. Operating offices in London and a head office in Glasgow, having secured support from Scottish Enterprise. In 2015, he left the TeamRock business to pursue other interests, prior to the collapse of the business in December 2016. O'Toole was included in the 'BIMA Top 100,' recognising his work in the British media industry. .

O'Toole's second venture was a bid to win a commercial FM Broadcasting license advertised for the West of Scotland by OFCOM, in 2016. O'Toole, along with his Rockscot consortium, received backing from notable rock musicians, to secure the rights to the license. . As a key figure in Glasgow's radio scene, O'Toole's efforts were discussed as the city prepared to host BBC's 6 Music Festival. Rock Radio was not launched as originally planned and rebranded to Nation Radio Scotland in 2017.

Ventures beyond the media sector
As an entrepreneur and intrapeneur, O'Toole has utilised digital technology in his ventures within various industries, including Funerals. In 2018, serving as Director of Product and Innovation for Golden Charter, O'Toole launched localfuneral.co.uk, an online platform designed to assist independent family funeral directors. This venture was a response to an increasing threat from private equity-backed directories and referral services in the Funeral Industry. .

In 2021, O'Toole co-founded Songbox, alongside Michael Coll and Bryan Adams, a software as a service (SaaS) business for the music industry. The venture drew early backing from notable figures such as Adams.



Launch and Recognition
The business received considerable coverage worldwide when it officially launched in 2023. Key highlights include:
 * Coverage by BBC News of launch.
 * Bryan Adams joining the start-up, as reported by Yahoo Lifestyle.
 * Additional coverage by Scottish Television