WEALTH May 22, 2026 0 Comments

How Chris Mee Turned EHS International Into an Unstoppable Powerhouse Amid Market Chaos

Ever wonder what really fuels success? Is it raw intelligence, or is something else at play? Chris Mee’s journey—from leaving school at 14 to becoming the CEO and founder of EHS International—offers a compelling answer. He admits he wasn’t “necessarily the most intelligent” guy in the room, but his relentless drive and unquenchable thirst for continuous learning set him apart. Chris’ story is a vivid reminder that grit, persistence, and a willingness to learn are the real game changers in the business world—not just smarts alone. From the shipyards of Cork Harbour to the helm of a thriving safety consultancy, his path is anything but textbook, yet packed with invaluable lessons about timing, teamwork, and tenacity. If you’ve ever doubted whether hustle beats hustle plus brainpower, this one’s for you. LEARN MORE

‘I wasn’t necessarily the most intelligent, but I was driven. Continuous learning is essential for progress’ – Chris Mee, CEO and founder of EHS International

Can you tell me a little about your background, before you started your career?

I hail from Passage West in Cork Harbour. I left formal education at 14 and began working in a shipyard in Cork, later completing my Leaving Certificate via a correspondence course.

Good results led to a sponsored cadetship at sea as a marine engineer with Exxon Mobil Shipping in London, where I built a strong grounding in safety systems, engineering design and risk management.

I spent 12 years (and three days) at sea before moving to shore-based employment as an independent safety contractor in the pharmaceutical, construction and semi-conductor sectors.

In 1996 I founded Chris Mee Safety Engineering (later the ChrisMee Group), which I sold in 2020. I established EHS International in 2023.

Were you a good student?

I always valued education and won numerous academic awards through hard work. I wasn’t necessarily the most intelligent, but I was driven.

Continuous learning, formal or informal, is essential to progress.

What’s your motto for life?

In life it is ‘family first’, and in business it’s ‘acknowledge effort, but reward results’.

What is the best piece of business advice you have received?

In life, the best advice came from my father: “Persistence is a very important element in getting through life.”

There will always be challenges — what differentiates us is how we deal with them. If you stay calm and persist, you will generally get there.

In business, it’s surrounding yourself with the best team who are better than you are in their areas of expertise and always keeping an eye on cash flow — the lifeblood of any business.

What’s the most difficult thing about running a business?

Building and maintaining the right management team and getting your cash flow right.

Which business people inspire you?

People who build businesses with strong values and long-term thinking. I admire leaders who stay grounded.

Specifically, I admire Dan and Linda Kiely, John McGowan and Alf Smiddy.

What’s the last holiday you took?

A holiday for all my close family last Christmas in Tenerife. It was lovely to spend quality time in the sun with my partner, my daughters, their husbands and grandchildren.

What are your best and worst business habits?

My best would be persistence and long-term focus. My worst is getting into the trenches from time to time.

Regrets, we’ve all had a few — can you tell me one of yours?

Not moving quickly enough on certain opportunities.

You learn that timing is critical in business. Someone once told me about the 70/30 rule: if you have less than 30 per cent of the information needed to make a business decision, you probably don’t have enough to decide well.

But if you have more than 70 per cent, you’re likely already too late.

What do you wish you’d known at an earlier point in your career?

The importance of building the right team early. You can’t scale a business without strong people around you.

Chris Mee — Chris’ last holiday with his family in Tenerife

What’s your favourite day of the week and why?

Monday. It’s a fresh start and a chance to drive momentum.

If you could be Taoiseach for a month, what legislative change would you make happen?

I’d focus on infrastructure and safety. From a Cork perspective, a proper ring road and a bridge further down the harbour are long overdue.

More broadly, I’d push for stronger implementation of workplace safety standards. Safety is still too often seen as a cost, when poor safety costs far more in human and business terms.

Good legislation exists, but it needs to be applied consistently and supported properly on the ground.