Karen Clince, the founder of Tigers Childcare, has been chosen as The Irish Times Business Person of the Month for May, an award run in association with Bank of Ireland. This follows the sale of the group to UK operator Kids Planet Day Nurseries. Tigers operates 34 creches countrywide, mostly in Dublin and the surrounding commuter counties, catering to 3,200 children and employing 640 people. The deal is likely to be worth €75 million. Clince started her business 23 years ago at the age of 21, when she was a resource teacher in Glasnevin, Dublin. The business began in a spare room in the school where she worked before expanding. Clince, who held a 36.5 per cent stake in the business, will continue to hold a reduced stake in the company. She and her executive team will remain in place to run the Irish business following the sale, with a view to continuing to grow it here. Will a Middle East peace deal make any difference to inflation? Listen | 32:03“This is not the end game,” Clince said following the announcement of the transaction. “We needed to grow more quickly and substantially in Ireland and we needed to find a funder to help deliver that. “It gives us the scale, support and shared expertise to continue growing in a way that protects quality and expands access for more families across Ireland.” Founded in 2008, Kids Planet is the second-largest childcare provider in the United Kingdom. It is expected that the Tigers’ business will rebrand as Kids Planet at some point