John McHugh

Co-founder – strategic sales and PR 

Over the course of my career, I’ve gained valuable experience of dealing with the Asian market to source products, and also supporting product manufacturing and design right here in Ireland. Together with my friend and business partner Ivan Eustace, we founded TNS Distribution in 2000. We grew the business into a €100 million company that employed more than 100 people, shipping CE accessories across the world to well-known high-street retailers and online stores. We sold TNS to PCH in 2011 and then to CMS on behalf of PCH in 2017.

Having founded multiple businesses across the globe, from the USA to Europe and APAC, and worked at CEO level with some of the world’s biggest consumer electronics brands, retailers, and distributors, now I’m an entrepreneur and investor. 

The Covid-19 crisis was the trigger for StaySafe Masks, after the impact of the pandemic came home to me in a very personal way. Earlier this year, after my mother took ill, I was going with her to the hospital for a checkup. We wanted to get face masks to wear for the visit, but we realised there was no easy way to do this without needing to use masks from the hospital’s own supply of PPE. 

I’m a businessperson, not a doctor, but I believe wearing face masks is going to become part of everyday life for as long as the pandemic is with us. So together with my business partners, we want to provide an affordable high-quality product to consumers without jeopardising the supply of much-needed PPE to frontline healthcare workers.