David O’Brien is an open book

About this episode

David O’Brien discusses his career and the books that have influenced him, touching on themes of financial wellness and social entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Open Books, host Pamela Hellig sits down with the Founder and Managing Director of the financial wellness business, Meerkat, David O’Brien, to talk about his career and philosophy via the books that have shaped him. Having come from Ireland to Cape Town via the UK (to escape horizontal rain and other Northern Hemisphere perils), David’s career took him from corporate actuary of many years to what he defines as a social entrepreneur. His book selection reflects both his strong connection to his Irish heritage – home is where your rugby team comes from – and his outlook on luck, money and happiness. The conversation meanders through diverse topics, ranging from the incredible work on debt counselling and financial inclusion that David does at Meerkat, to his admiration of the actuarial profession. We also learn about his shopping addiction, his thoughts on social media, his passion for collecting things and his fascination with 20th century history, with the books providing thoughtful touchstones throughout. David’s book picks: Stirling's Men by Gavin Mortimer The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal The Pope's Children: Ireland's New Elite by David McWilliams…

People in this episode

Host: Pamela Hellig

Guest: David O’Brien

Topics covered

• financial wellness
• social entrepreneurship
• debt counselling
• financial inclusion
• Irish heritage
• 20th century history

Keywords

• financial wellness
• social entrepreneur
• debt counselling
• Irish heritage
• 20th century history
• books
• Meerkat

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meerkat

Books & works: Stirling's Men, The Hare with Amber Eyes, The Pope's Children: Ireland's New Elite, The Tyranny of Merit, The Hungry Spirit

Places: Ireland, Cape Town, UK

More episodes of In Focus with Insight

• Emile Stipp is an Open Book | Part 3: War, Humanity & Finding Meaning in Life · May 4, 2026 · 55 min
• Emile Stipp is an Open Book | Part 2: Philosophy, Meaning & The Limits of Logic · April 28, 2026 · 58 min
• Emile Stipp is an open book | Part 1: AI, Consciousness & What It Means to Be Human · April 22, 2026 · 1h 0m
• What Most Countries Get Wrong About National Health Insurance | w Masimba & Jonty Roland | BHF 2025 · April 13, 2026 · 18 min
• Who Protects Medical Scheme Members? | Governance & Regulation | Lube & Avril | Foresight 2025 · March 13, 2026 · 17 min
• Shaun Burger Smal is an Open Book · February 27, 2026 · 1h 3m