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photobox.comApril 13th 2006, Notting Hill, London. Following his latest investment’s acquisition of a UK business, an excitable Fergal gate-crashes The Laurents’ wedding anniversary meal, overlooking (albeit unknowingly) not only the occasion, but the golden rule of never mixing business with friendship.
Much to Stan and his wife’s bemusement, Fergal’s investment involving a company called PhotoBox was the topic of the evening. A few glasses of wine down, their bemusement was matched by Fergal flushing 50 shades of shiraz once it dawned on him that it wasn’t the time or place to be ‘going off’ about his plans for strengthening the business and the management challenges the merger brought.
Despite Fergal’s mortification, Stan recalls the opportune timing of the evening’s conversation, dominated by Fergal’s enthusiasm which led to, “a really exciting and life changing ten years,” as President and CEO of the PhotoBox Group.
“To see Fergal rave about his company peaked my interest after sewing a foreign seed when I was considering a couple of other options”
Packing a punch with his persuasiveness, Fergal spoke passionately about what PhotoBox was doing and what it could become, and Stan headed home thinking, “Wow! Fergal really seems to like his last investment!”
A few weeks later, Fergal called Stan nudging him to look at PhotoBox. The snappy succession of meetings that followed saw Stan invited to a Board session and the friends began their ten-year business venture.
Regarding getting his friend on board, Fergal confesses, “I asked the question upfront about how Stan was doing, which opened up a discussion on laying a path forward for a new opportunity.”
“Normally you shouldn’t do something like this – you shouldn’t get involved with your friends in business.”
For Fergal and Stan, managing their friendship alongside intense work challenges has been the making of their professional and personal bond, and from the get-go, their focus on trust and teamwork has been completely aligned.
Nearly a decade after Stan joining, PhotoBox was sold. Stan recalls the poignancy of Fergal’s note thanking him for his involvement in which Fergal wrote how the greatest outcome of their PhotoBox journey was the retention of their friendship.
Reflecting on fusing work and friendship so seamlessly, Stan expresses that both he and Fergal were “aware of the risk” to their relationship, “which had to be actively managed.” As Stan observes, through keeping this mindset at the forefront of all challenges faced, “there’s been an absolute consistent, high quality relationship and never the slightest feeling of tension.”
They prefer saving that for their dinner dates.