How a former Coca-Cola chief revamped a 'failed shopping centre' in the heart of Dublin

A shopping centre in the heart of Dublin's International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) lay vacant, until the former CEO of Coca-Cola saw its potential.

Co Down millionaire Neville Isdell may have left the country for Zambia when he was a child, but he still maintains that his nationality is important to him.

In 1966, Isdell (now aged 73) began working for the Coca-Cola company in a local bottling company. A mere six years later, he became general manager of Coca-Cola Bottling in Johannesburg, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa.

Over the years, he rose through the ranks and was eventually made CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, which he worked as from 2004 to 2008. He is now based in Barbados with his wife and daugher.

According to the Sunday Independent Rich List, he is worth €75m, but he tells Independent.ie he doesn't want to get carried away with the title he used to have.

"I realise that it's sort of tattooed on my forehead that I was Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola. I don't like people who feel that they've now become so much better than everyone else," he said.

"I still hang out with my buddies. I still drink a beer - actually I drink wine these days, so maybe a bit of sophistication around it."

Investing in Ireland

The Downpatrick native decided to return to Ireland and invest in the economic recovery soon after the Fine Gael and Labour coalition took power in 2012.

"I believed that Ireland was really changing that they were putting in the right policies and the right responses to the crash. Although that was painful for the Irish people, history already said that Ireland did it right. If you look at some of the others, they didn't do it the same way," he said.

For years the CHQ Building only housed four cafes, with Mr Isdell adding most people visited the centre "just to get out of the rain".

One day, Mr Isdell's step brother and his investment advisor stopped into the centre's Starbucks.  Noticing the centre's potential and that it was for sale, they decided to let Neville know.

"It was losing money and it was 25pc occupied, but this is a very special building and I decided it was a gamble.

"This is a very special building. I decided it was a challenge, but I'm stupid enough to take on a challenge - even in retirement."

Not long after, Mr Idsell, who now also acts as chair of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said he was "captivated by the building" and decided to ignore they naysayers who tried to talk him out of the deal. In the Summer of 2013, the CHQ Building was sold to Mr Isdell for €10m. Only a few years previous, it had been redeveloped at a cost of €45m.

"You only do good investments when most people think they are not good investments. This was seen as a failed shopping centre and no one had any idea what to do with it.

"That's why you get it at the right price.

"If you couldn't do something with this building, then you weren't worth your salt."

In recent years, the building's popularity among IFSC workers has skyrocketed. The centre houses a number of popular cafes, office space and EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum, which apts tells the stories of Ireland's emigrants who proved successful abroad, at varying degrees.

Despite its success, Neville is constantly thinking about further innovation and is looking forward to the centre's newest installation.

"In the second or third week of June, there's going to be a gastropub here. They're building it right now. We've just got approval to put in a fitness studio too.

"Getting that mix right is very important. We keep thinking."