I asked a sample of my LinkedIn connections – located in New York, Ireland, London, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Madrid – a simple question: What does it mean to be Irish in business? The answers are as engaging and refreshing as these accomplished professionals themselves. As a global Irish person - and brand marketer – I’m proud to share them with you.

1. A brand marketer looks
at what it means to be
Irish in business

2. 2
I asked a sample of my LinkedIn connections –
located in New York, Ireland, London, Silicon Valley,
Los Angeles and Madrid – a simple question:
What does it mean to be Irish in business?
The answers are as engaging and refreshing as these
accomplished professionals themselves. As a global
Irish person - and brand marketer – I’m proud to
share them with you.
Margaret Molloy
Global CMO
Siegel+Gale

3. Margaret Molloy
Global CMO
Siegel+Gale
@MargaretMolloy
“To me being Irish in
business means a blend
of grit, global, grace and
gratitude.”

4. Stephen McIntyre
Head of EMEA Online Sales & MD
Twitter
@stephenpmc
“Many Irish people grow up
with their feet in Europe and
their heads in the US. Having
an understanding of both
sides is a great advantage for
Irish people, especially in the
tech industry.”

5. Kevin O’Sullivan
Editor
The Irish Times
@KOSullivanIT
“It means being able to meet
adversity and unpredictability
with resilience and creativity,
deploying our unique traits as
a people; the capacity to
think differently and yet to
display great teamwork.”

6. Ronan Dunne
CEO
O2 Telefónica UK
@ronandunneo2
“The digital revolution is the
greatest transformation of
business since the industrial
revolution. As an Irish person
in business, I am especially
excited about the
unprecedented opportunity of
this revolution to democratize
access to global markets for
small business and small
nations – business will never
be the same.”

7. Niall Gibbons
CEO
Tourism Ireland
@NiallGibbons
“Being Irish in business
means being part of a
global family that makes
an impact.”

8. Kieran Hannon
CMO
Belkin
@kieranhannon
“Being in Irish in business is
such a natural combination
bringing an inquisitive mind,
oratory prowess and
perseverance that is a
compelling force for success.
Oh, and a wit to match all
circumstances.”

9. Audrey Hendley
Senior Vice President
American Express
“It means doors can
open and I often get a
hundred thousand
welcomes.”

10. Connor Murphy
Founder
Datahug
@ConnorPM
“I believe that Irish people
excel at the soft skills. And
considering relationships are
at the heart of business –
especially at the early stages
when clients have to really
trust and believe in you –
being skilled in these areas
can be of huge benefit.”

11. “To be Irish in business
means you are connected to
a world wide network. If you
access this network
sensitively and with respect it
can yield you amazing
results.”
Willie McCarter
Consultant
Cooley Distillery and Beam

12. Barry O’Sullivan
CEO
Altocloud
@siliconbarry
“Being Irish in business
means being stubborn in
the face of adversity,
being absolutely
relentless, never giving
up.”

13. Jerry Kennelly
Founder & CEO
Tweak.com
@jerrykennelly
“Serendipity, location and
history have empowered Irish
entrepreneurs to enjoy
unique insights into the view
of European and US
customers.
Our can-do attitude, English
as a first language and native
cunning help us to punch
above our weight in global
business.”

14. Shane Naughton
Managing Partner
Inundata LLC
@inundata
“To be Irish in business means
to be able to stand on the
shoulders of the generations of
Irish workers who have built for
us a reputation for being hard,
smart and innovative workers
willing to face any challenges
placed in front of us.
The door for the modern Irish
business person is always
open.”

15. Una Fox
VP of Enterprise Data
The Walt Disney Company
@unafox
“To be Irish in business for me, is
to be authentic in all I do and draw
from three traits I see as
quintessentially Irish: passion,
courage, and faith.
Be passionate about what you do,
convey the passion with good
storytelling. Be courageous to
pursue the unknown, learn from
mistakes, and have faith that all will
come together in the end.”

16. Stephen Colvin
Executive in Residence
Lerer Ventures
“Being Irish in business
means working hard, not at
all taking success for
granted, maintaining a sense
of humility and showing a
deep respect for your
partners with the objective of
building long-term business
relationships.”

17. Kieran McLoughlin
President and CEO
The American Ireland Fund
“It means being able to
benefit from the
extraordinary support
and connections of
perhaps the most
widespread and
accepted diaspora
community globally.”

18. Darren Ryan
Head of Engagement
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
Dublin Ambassador
Sandbox
@ryandarren
“Being Irish in business
means having access to a
global community of
incredible support. Whether
you are looking to change
Ireland or change the world,
there are millions of people
behind you who just want you
to succeed.”

19. Kim Knowles
Director & Co-Founder
Coldlillies Ltd.
@burleighk
“In business, as in life, being
Irish for me means being part
of a very special community.
One’s status or perceived
successes are secondary,
and support and mentorship
is given freely without a
second thought.”

20. Pat Phelan
Co-Founder & CEO
Trustev
@patphelan
“To be Irish in business
means I have a pre-built
network wherever I go.
The Irish diaspora are
everywhere, especially in the
Valley where we are
welcomed with open arms.”

21. Kevin Abosch
Co-Founder
Kwikdesk
@kevinabosch
“Today, especially with
respect to tech, people I deal
with around the globe
understand that I’m part of a
formidable ecosystem in
Ireland that not only exceeds
expectations, but with
increasing frequency, is
leading the way.”

22. Joe Haslam
Chairman
Hot Hotels
Executive Director
OEMP at IE Business School
@joehas
“The perception of the Irish
as likable and easy to get on
with does open a lot of doors.
I think the Irish are better
underdogs than top dogs. We
much prefer to be plucky
number two trying to
dethrone the established
leader. Or to be an exciting
new entrant into a long
neglected market space.”

23. Dr. Rory O’Shea
Visiting Assistant Professor
MIT Sloan School of Management
@ent_net
“Raised in a typical
household in Ireland, I was
taught the importance of hard
work and determination, the
value of family and friendship,
and the importance of
integrity and loyalty. Being
Irish has provided me with
that value system.”

24. John Hartnett
Founder & CEO
SVG Partners
Board Director
Aer Lingus
@cjhartnett
“They always quote the ‘luck
of the Irish’ but when it
comes to business, ‘we win
our luck’ on our competitive,
hardworking passion for what
we do.
Our heritage and history is
steeped in creativity and
today in the 21st
century our
creative minds are winning in
technology here in Silicon
Valley.”

25. Pauline Turley
Vice Chair
Irish Arts Center
@paulineturley
“Irish people are known for
their creativity and their
ability to communicate.
Incredibly thought-provoking,
soulful and innovative Irish
work is being developed,
both in the contemporary and
traditional areas.”

26. Colman Lydon
Vice President
Everwise
@ColmanLydon
“The Irish business identity in
a global economy is about
culture, personality, attitude
and integrity.
In business, one must
assimilate the best ideas
globally and innovate to
succeed – assimilation of
ideas and innovation has
existed in Ireland since the
Stone Age.”

27. Kealan Lennon
Founder & CEO
Cleverbug
@kealanlennon
“Maybe it’s the size of our small
country, maybe it’s all the years
of political and economic
oppression, maybe it’s our
ability to tell a story, but
everywhere I travel, the Irish are
the most hard working,
ambitious nation of fighters,
punching way above their
weight, with an ability to
befriend so many nationalities.”

28. Kingsley Aikins
Founder & CEO
Diaspora Matters
@kingsleyaikins
“A mixture of nous,
networking, cop-on, a nose
for the deal, perseverance,
hard work, decency, humor,
consideration for others, high
tech AND high touch, a keen
sense of the ridiculous –
topped off with the
occasional dose of total
insincerity – an unbeatable
global combo.”

29. Peter Ryan
Deputy Consul General
Consulate General of Ireland
“I am always conscious of the
wonderful phrase 'ar scáth a
chéile a mhairimid'— we all
live in one another's shadow
—which reminds me how
inter-connected we are, and
why we should bring the
same values to business as
to every aspect of our lives.”

30. I hope you enjoyed reading these
perspectives as much as I did compiling
them.
Made your smile? Inspired you to reflect
on your experience?
Please share your take on what it
means to be Irish in business – we’d
love to hear from you.
er to
Tweet me @MargaretMolloy
Margaret Molloy
Global CMO
Siegel+Gale

31. 31
Simple
is smart.
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