Chartered Star Fiona Smiddy was inspired to set up her sustainable business by a life-changing trip that gave her a new perspective on the world. 

It was during a five-month career break in 2018, spent traveling from Colombia and Panama on to Australia and New Zealand, that Fiona Smiddy hit upon the idea for her own business—an eco-friendly venture that would help people shop more sustainably.

“I remember I was on this hilltop in Medellín in Colombia, and I looked down and saw this little kid who was flying what looked like a kite. I realised as I was looking at him that it wasn’t a kite. It was a plastic shopping bag attached to a string,” said Smiddy.

“I thought how lucky we are in Ireland with the economy we have, the opportunities and the climate. A lot of us can buy what we need. When you visit countries where people have so much less in so many ways, you realise just how much it matters to try to make a difference.”

A Chartered Accountant, Cork-born Smiddy is the founder of Green Outlook, an ethical retailer selling eco-friendly skin, hair, and personal care products online at greenoutlook.ie.

Smiddy runs the business from Rathangan, Co. Kildare, stocking products from close to 40 sustainable brands, including Daughters of Flowers, Janni Bars, Moo & Yoo, Oganicules and Sophie’s Soaps. 

Each has been selected to help visitors to the site shop consciously. Many of the products are plastic-free, and all are made with natural ingredients and sustainably sourced, the majority in Ireland.

“I set up the business after I came home after traveling. I took over a website that was already up-and-running. The founders were leaving Ireland and I wanted to get started as quickly as possible,” said Smiddy.

“I did a whole rebrand, started my own social media channels and really worked on promotion and publicity, building awareness and bringing more brands on board.”

Her work with Green Outlook has earned Smiddy the title of 2022 Chartered Star. Awarded in April by Chartered Accountants Ireland, the designation recognises outstanding work in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   

As this year’s Chartered Star, Smiddy will now represent Ireland’s Chartered Accountancy profession at the One Young World summit in Manchester in September. 

“My background in accountancy has been a huge help to me in getting my company off the ground. Once I knew that my future was going to be in sustainable business, I had this knowledge to hand right from the get-go, even down to simple things like filing VAT returns. 

“I have been able to self-fund Green Outlook. I didn’t take anything out of the business for the first 18 months. I kept reinvesting and I think the financial knowledge I had really helped me to understand how important that was and get off to the right start.” 

Recognising the important role Chartered Accountants can play in helping to combat the climate crisis, Chartered Star entrants must demonstrate how they are working towards, supporting, or living the values of any of the 17 UN SDGs. 

 Commenting on Smiddy’s win this year, Barry Dempsey, Chief Executive of Chartered Accountants Ireland, commended her “passion and commitment.”

“As a profession and an Institute, we are fortunate and proud to be represented on the international stage by Fiona,” Dempsey said.

“She follows in the footsteps of other Chartered Stars who have demonstrated passion and commitment in applying the skills and knowledge of the Chartered Accountancy profession to trying to address just some of the issues that the climate crisis presents.”