Mark has achieved many successes during his career in eir; establishing a pricing and quotation team that considerably boosted profit margins, spearheading in-sourcing initiatives that resulted in significant cost savings and leading his sales team(s) to consistently achieve year-on-year revenue growth both in CSB and eir evo. Not one to sit still; Mark is always thinking what’s next.  Here, he shares how eir has enabled his career progression, he discusses his personal commitment to career development and offers insights on what others can do to advance their careers. 

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role:

I am the Director of Business Sales optimisation for eir evo with responsibility for maximising the profitability of eir evo’s Hardware, Software and Telco product portfolio. I lead four teams; Hardware and Software margin governance, managed via our pricing and quotation team, Telco – End to end responsibility for the order to bill process for all Telco Products and management of the Open eir relationship, our Renewals team and Distribution and Logistics.  Over the past year we have implemented a margin framework with great success, we have integrated the teams following the eir Business/evros merger, creating a really strong culture in the process. Now, our focus is on the consolidation of our partners to add more value to our margin and impact the overall P&L.

Can you tell us how you joined eir and how your career has progressed:

I started my career in the furniture industry where I had good success and progression.  When the recession hit, I had to pivot into a new career path which led me to joining eir.  I joined through an agency (CPM) in 2010.  I started in an entry level sales role, in order to gain the experience required to progress quickly through the ranks, and moved into more senior roles over the years.  Within a few years, I was brought in-house to manage the call centre operations. This was my first vendor management role. I then managed the field sales channel (Head of Field sales). Here, I was managing CPM; a full circle moment.  Over the years I held multiple roles across the channels within CSB.   In 2018, I moved into a new role; Director of Channel Sales in CSB.  In this role; I was the sales lead for insourcing the two biggest sales channels – Telesales and Field Sales. It was very testing with a high workload.  Taking this role was the biggest accelerator in my career and allowed me to build my profile both internally and externally.

How has your experience in other roles helped you transition to your current role in eir evo?

First of all; I had a strong core telco background coming from Consumer Small Business and then SME, in eir evo. From the IT side, we are surrounded by the best people in the business so leveraging that knowledge and building a team of experts around me was imperative. It was a steep learning curve but very enjoyable and fast paced.  I also had strong vendor experience from my time in CSB; this skillset is transferable. This involved regular commercial discussions and negotiation. The main differentiator for me was to not solely focus on filling the sales pipeline, but to take a more rounded approach, ultimately driving profitability rather than just revenue.

What steps have you taken to invest in your own development:

There are three things.  The first thing is having those career conversations with my manager(s).   I drive my own destiny. I feel like I have to control it and I should drive it.  I am open with my manager as to what I would like to do and what my career goals are.  I have always been very vocal in what I think I need to do to develop myself professionally.

Before I have the conversation about career moves and opportunities; I have always proven myself.  I have always ensured that I have been performing well in my role before opening a dialogue on other opportunities.  It’s important to quantify the success of your team and communicate that. 

I have always had an internal and external mentor.  I have maintained strong relationships with senior leaders who I have worked with in the past.  Building relationships is really important to me. My success has been down to other people giving me their own time.

I invested in a career coach which has helped me a lot. I now document my success and promote myself on social media platforms. There are still areas I want to develop; at the moment I am working on how I network at social events with clients. 

How has eir championed your growth?

It has really been the people and the senior leaders who have helped me in my career. They have been so approachable. 

What are your recommendations for those who are apprehensive to seek out other career opportunities?

You have to back yourself. I have had imposter syndrome.   When I started in eir evo, I experienced that. I felt I needed to prove myself. I have worked hard in this role to build my reputation. I had to be fearless and back myself. I have moved across 3 L1 roles ; each time , I have had to prove myself.  I have had to back the skills I have and understand what I can bring to each new role.

What do you do continually to develop yourself?

I am constantly learning. I am open to feedback on areas for development. I feel I am now more authentic.  This is something I have been actively working on.  I coach youth teams and would be quite calm and easy going outside work.  I enjoy running and exercise for a healthy mind. I wanted to bring that side of me to work and I feel that has helped me.  Authenticity is thrown around a lot. I think it’s important to be calm on most things. I am still direct but I don’t do it in a forceful way.

I am like a sponge, I am always looking for areas to work on. I don’t allow myself to be complacent. I am always pushing for what’s next. I don’t like the term Business as Usual (BAU).  The 360 feedback that we participated in last year was really insightful. I continue to work on areas of feedback I received. 

1. Hi Trevor, can you introduce yourself and your role in open eir?

My name is Trevor Byrne. I’m the Director of Service Assurance in open eir. At a high level, in my current role I oversee the repair and maintenance operations for both our fibre and copper networks. When our customers face service disruptions, it's my team of dedicated technicians who step up to ensure the customer has a positive experience throughout the resolution process. We work tirelessly to pinpoint the root cause of issues and aim to get things right the first time, ensuring a lasting solution. My team consists of just over 650 people who are fully committed to delivering for our customers. I feel an immense sense of pride in serving as the Director of Service Assurance.

2. Can you tell me about your career to date?

It’s been quite a journey, starting from my days as an Apprentice Technician back in 2011, progressing through various roles, and ultimately landing here in this pivotal position in January 2024. My path into eir was certainly different to the norm in that I started out my career in construction. When I left school, I did an apprenticeship with a leading builder and progressed quickly afterwards, embracing additional responsibilities and opportunities that were available to me.

I worked up through the ranks and gained valuable experience on various projects including Dundrum and Liffey Valley shopping centres. These were significant projects in terms of size and scale and after over 10 years in construction, I was very happy in that world. In 2010, sadly the recession hit and the construction work disappeared for myself and my colleagues. At age 30 and with a young family, I had to completely reset and pivot my career. Telecoms took my curiosity. I always felt a huge affinity to the industry and the brand as it was ever present in my family; my father worked for eircom and the van was parked outside my house as I was growing up. I knew I’d have to start in an entry level position and I did. In 2011, I joined eir as an Apprentice Technician. I worked hard and progressed thereafter. It’s been an amazing journey.

3. What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

It has to be seeing the positive impact that we have on Irelands’ infrastructure and on our customers. It is immensely fulfilling to work with people who strive for excellence and never shy away from hard work, particularly following storms Isha, Jocelyn and Kathleen. The teams’ tireless efforts in restoring services to our customers is truly remarkable. In addition, we have an excellent network that we’re continuing to invest in which will mean an even better, more durable product for our customers. NJJ have invested an astronomical amount of money into our fibre network; they understand our vision and have supported us significantly.

4. How has eir championed and encouraged your growth at the company?

The company has been incredibly supportive of my career goals to date. They have provided me with an apprenticeship, professional growth, training, mentorship and ongoing learning from day one. Our culture of internal promotion and encouragement to pursue personal career goals has been instrumental in my development.

5. What is the best career advice you received?

One piece of career advice that has resonated deeply with me is the importance of proactively seeking out new opportunities for learning and growth. I’ve taken this to heart, continually expanding my skill set and staying abreast of industry trends and technologies. As a professional in any role, you have to know what’s happening out in the market and not wait for a manager or colleague to come to you with information. Being proactive is essential.

6. What career advice could you offer to others in our business?

My advice is to take ownership of your career development, embrace challenges, and never shy away from stepping outside your comfort zone. It's through these experiences that we truly grow both personally and professionally. Proactivity is again key here. Invest in building your network; there’s a lot to be said for talking to people informally and getting yourself out there. Have a cup of coffee with a colleague and ask them how their team operates and what makes it successful. You’d be surprised how much it can help you make links and improvements in your own team.

7. What steps have you taken to invest in your career at eir?

I’ve had some fantastic mentors along the way and I constantly annoyed them with questions! People like Pat Kelly, PJ Stafford and Joe Phelan. I always wanted to know what they knew so I kept asking questions. In eir; there’s such a wealth of knowledge and I’ve always tried to tap into that. Typically, when it came to the day job, I’ve simply tried to be the best at what I’m doing. Back when I was an apprentice; I tried to be the best. I stretched myself and for example would volunteer to ‘act up’ when my manager was on holidays etc. That applied when I was a line manager too; working in a fast paced environment and building my knowledge as I moved forward with new projects. No one sits down and teaches you, you have to be curious, go out and build your knowledge yourself.

8. What support have your managers given you in eir?

I was given excellent guidance and feedback and this allowed me to thrive in the eir environment. I have always sought out feedback from my manager and others. You need to know what’s going well and not so well, so you can work on it. Sometimes you may not even realise that you’ve made a mistake! Positive feedback is a great motivator for me and I try to give that back within my team.

9. You have been with eir a number of years, how did you know eir would be a good fit for you?

I had a certain amount of trust coming into the company that it would be a great place to work and it has delivered. Eircom was part of my childhood; it was always there in the background. When I was baby, I was in the eircom van. Like me, my father was very proud to work for the company. Aidan, my younger brother, also joined the company and is now a service ops manager reporting in my team.

10. How do you maintain your motivation?

For this, it’s back to basics. I set and track very clear goals. I use excel and every week and month and I track where I am against them. It gives me great satisfaction to see the goals progressing. That is my reward to myself. It inspires me to keep going.

11. How do you continue your professional development?

I stay curious and seek out development opportunities in our business; they exist everywhere. I attend online workshops and forums on areas where I need knowledge or upskilling. Mentorship is very important. I encourage others to seek out a mentor on areas that they need to expand their knowledge. I have a good understanding on many areas but in my new role I’m also on a steep learning curve so I’m seeking out people to learn from. We’re always learning and having a mentor is a great way to accelerate your development.

Can you introduce yourself and what role you have in eir?

My name is Charlene Hackett and I am an Operations Manager. I am based in Cork and oversee 2 departments that are Customer Resolution team ( Formally known as Complaints) and Fulfillment. At a high level, my current role is managing the Fulfillment team who oversee all pending orders for fixed service and oversee the customer resolution team who mainly deal with high end escalations from customers, TD’s & Ministers from the Oireachtas, escalations that are sent directly to our CEO along with ComReg complaints. My teams both ensure the customers have a positive experience throughout and ensure once a resolution is achieved the customers are satisfied.

Can you tell us how your career has flourished in eir?

I have been on a huge journey within a short number of years.I first started my journey with eir as a mobile care agent in May 2016, I took to it like a duck to water. I really enjoyed my work and loved how I could turn a negative experience for a customer into a positive one. I soon started getting awards for best customer satisfaction, agent knowledge, agent of the year etc. I suppose it was around then that I came to the realisation that I quickly wanted to progress and help other agents. I went on to support all new hires and became a floor walker attending to any questions or doubts they had while they were still in the learning phase as a lot of people will know that somethings just cannot be trained in the classroom. The following year in 2017, I became a senior agent within mobile care and I loved it. Being a senior agent opened up so many more doors, I was learning the role of a team manager and what their daily tasks were. I mastered the skills needed to become a team manager and in 2019 I became a team manager to the Customer Value Management team (CVM). This area was very new to me as it was fixed & mobile services and all my experience had been around mobile. I took the challenge with both hands and hit the ground running. I was a team manager for less than 3 months and had one of the best performing teams in CVM. I went on to manage various teams and departments -Mobile Care, CVM, SMB Sales. SMB Retention, & Fulfilment. I worked closely with my operations manager at the time and again I wanted to learn and expand on my skills to progress further in my career with eir .He soon became my mentor and I found this very beneficial. He provided me with  invaluable insight and advice on how to navigate my career. It took some time to build the skills and ensure I was performing exceptionally in my current role and over the 4 years of being a team manager I acquired a great set of skills to help me on my career path. I built relationships which allowed me to expand on my network, and learned new skills which helped me identify more opportunities. In January 2023 I became Operation Manager. It’s been such a great journey

What is the most fulfilling part of your job? 

I get to see the direct results of my team's efforts, which is incredibly rewarding. The comreg figures and overall complaints for 2023 were record breaking, it's a great sense of achievement and we see further improvement as we move into 2024. It's a great sense of career satisfaction to see the goals you have on paper transform into reality.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Sometimes it can be quite challenging to try to split yourself in two ( Literally) - There are so many different tasks you work on daily as an operations manager and sometimes these tasks can differ from week to week. It can be challenging to prioritise when these tasks are all equally as important as each other so I normally determine what's important vs what is urgent. I have learned to take a moment to assess the tasks' importance and their deadlines. If Im totally honest, I work better under pressure and love a good challenge, so while it may be one of my challenges it comes with great reward once completed.

How has eir championed and encouraged your growth at the company?

I have had many mentors and role models through my years with eir & Ive been extremely lucky as they have gone out of their way to guide me, instruct me, &  encourage me. They have introduced me to their work peers who would have been helpful to me & my career growth with eir and for that I have some great relationships with some of our key stakeholders. 

What is the best career Advice you received?

Someone once told me to write down your goals so you can remember them and hold yourself accountable for accomplishing them. It's something that always resonates with me and something I still do to this very day in and out of work

What career advice could you offer to others?

Don't worry about having everything figured out, because you never will. The best thing you can do is make progress, no matter how slow. Moving in the right direction is more important than arriving.Being open to feedback especially early in your career sets the stage for continued development and professional growth. This openness to critique and constructive criticism not only leads to improved work but also helps in fostering a growth mindset, which is essential for personal and professional development

What steps have you taken to invest in your career at eir

Always looking to better myself so it's very important for me to always have goals set and when they are  reached or achieved create new goals which drives commitment but also gives great career satisfaction. Cultivate a positive mindset & believe in yourself and what you are capable of. Advocating for yourself is a crucial aspect of taking ownership of my professional path

What support has your manager (s) given you?

My manager is extremely supportive and is always motivating & encouraging me. She always gives recognition but equally will give you constructive feedback when needed which is extremely important in order to grow. She is always helping me expand on my skills and mentors me daily sharing her skills & knowledge with me which in turn broadens my skills & knowledge

You have been with eir a number of years, how did you know eir would be a good fit for you?

I was a qualified hairdresser for 10+ years and because of that I was always a people person. I had always been customer focused just in a totally different area. I decided to take my career in a totally different direction and interviewed for a role with eir. I'm extremely happy I went with a gut decision all those years ago and I'm ever so grateful I did. Eir has helped me make so many positive changes and I am extremely thankful for

How do you continue your professional development?

Focus on objectives and ensure goals are achieved in order to excel in the area you're in before looking for bigger opportunities. I surround myself with a team that help me thrive and allows me to be the best that I can be. I find a proactive way to progress my career is to keep learning. You never stop learning and it's so important to be willing and open to learning more, adopting a lifelong learning mindset helps you to advance your career. These actions I find will help to accelerate my progress in my professional development

What advice would you offer to others who would like to progress their careers in eir?

Be persistent: sometimes you will face setbacks and challenges along the way. Stay persistent, and don't be discouraged by obstacles . Keep working hard and pursuing your goals and it will pay off. This is something to use in and outside of work.

1. Can you introduce yourself and your role in eir? 

Of course, my name is Alan Reilly and I’m Head of Sales Optimisation in CSB (Consumer and Small Business). My role within CSB includes responsibility for retail operations, compliance, sales support and IT all linked together within the retail space. The structure of my team reflects this with four key people in specialist leadership positions reporting to me. Across the wider team, we look after FOTs (Feet On The Street), affiliate sales, BTSS (Business TeleSales), webchat, online and digital sales channels. Retail has the biggest population with over 300 people. The second biggest group are in FOTs with over 120 people. Thereafter are just over 100 call centre agents who focus on consultative sales approaches that are tailored to improve the lives of our consumer and small business customers. If I were to summarise my role, I would say that it’s about taking a step back and looking at the various sales channels mentioned above on a regular basis and challenging ourselves around where the opportunities, gains and challenges are. Thereafter, it’s about identifying where we can make the most impact, getting buy-in from our leadership and owners and then going out and delivering on our strategic plans. What’s amazing about working in CSB is its fast pace and the great willingness to change based on demands and needs of our customers. A great example of this is when we set up the outbound team to focus on existing customers in 2021. An opportunity was identified wherein existing customers would be approached to transfer from legacy products to upgraded products and packages which better suit their needs. This 25 person team was recruited within 6 weeks and significantly reduced the churn in this space and continues to do so. This was a lot of fun and very rewarding.

2. Can you tell us about your career to date in our company? 

Sure, I joined meteor in 2007 as a retail sales consultant in Navan, having taken a step back in my career in order to join a larger organisation with significant opportunities for career growth. Previously, I had been working as the store manager of a music store selling CD’s, records and DVDs. This was an industry that I loved but the market was changing rapidly and there were no further opportunities beyond store manager in an independently owned retailer. Within 6 months of joining Meteor, I was promoted to assistant manager in Blanchardstown and 6 months later, I was a store manager in Drogheda and later Navan. Meteor later came into eir and around that time I moved into head office to work on sales quality, compliance and projects. I went from there to Compliance Manager to Head of Direct Retail and later Head of Sales Optimisation. As you can see from my career, what has kept me interested and motivated over the past 17 years is the dynamism of the business and constantly challenging myself to take on new roles. Every day, there is always something happening and changing in our business. If you like that fast pace and rapid change combination, CSB is for you! 

3. What is the most fulfilling part of your job? And the most challenging? 

I really enjoy seeing a project through from the idea stage, to design, test and ultimately to launch. Take the retail refit project for example. Last year we did 22 refits. We’ve done 2 so far this year with more to come. It’s very energising to see our retail spaces transformed and the positive impact it has on our employees, customers and the communities in which we operate. Very soon, we’re opening a new store in Balbriggan because we have identified it as a gap in the market in our estate. Once we could show the business case to our owners, they were willing to support and expand our footprint. Once we launch, I’ll watch the team KPIs, assess the trends and work with the team to optimise. This type of project is very tangible and success is clearly measurable. 

4. What is the most challenging part of your job? 

Prioritising where to put my effort is the real challenge in my role and probably in all our roles. There are lots of projects we want to deliver in CSB; we are very ambitious in our vision for the future. But there are only 5 days in a week and like all businesses, there are limits to our resources. So we have to do the research and make data driven decisions about where we’re most likely to deliver the results. We go after that. 

5. How has eir championed and encouraged your growth at the company?

Being an enthusiastic person, I always wanted to get involved in areas outside of my core role and that was always encouraged in eir. I have always wanted to broaden my skill set and business knowledge. Whenever I showed interest in a particular project, I was always supported to get involved. When I didn’t have the skillset, I was given support from others to work with and learn from. I was always provided with an abundance of mentors in eir which I tapped into for knowledge and advice. This has been critical to my development. 

6. What is the best career advice you received?

‘There is no growth in your comfort zone’. In order to grow and develop, you must step out of your comfort zone to expand your skill set, performance levels and understanding of a business. I believe we all have the ability to write our own CV if we are willing to step out of what is comfortable to us. 

7. What career advice could you offer to others in our business? 

I believe you will get out of your career what you personally put into it. If you are willing to put in the effort to develop skills and gain experience, it won’t go unnoticed in the long run. 

8. What steps have you taken to invest in your career at eir? 

I put a lot of effort into networking in order to keep close to the market trends and consumer dynamics. I take every opportunity I can to network both internally in eir and externally. For example, I attend Retail Excellence Ireland events regularly and speak to other retailers about what they are doing, why and the impact it’s having on buyer behaviour. 

9. What support has your managers given you in eir? 

Throughout my time in eir, I have been supported with the freedom to learn, grow and deliver at a pace that suits me. I also had the opportunity to learn from my mistakes via rational discussions, capturing the lessons learned and moving forward.

10. You have been with eir a number of years, how did you know eir would be a good fit for you? 

Moving from meteor into eir, I had friends in the company and they had recommended the organisation to me. I knew that it was for me in the first week. I liked the dynamic nature and fast pace; I knew I could have a career here, not just a job. 

11. How do you maintain your motivation? 

I’m quite lucky in that the area I work in is very exciting! There is always a new opportunity, target or way of working to be introduced. It never feels old; every day is different and you can get involved in lots of different things. I also work with a brilliant team and I couldn’t achieve anything without their hard work and creativity. We all stand together and any success that I’ve had personally is down to the support of the sales team and the mentorship of my own managers along the way. 

Deirdre, can you tell us about your role?

I am the Head of Reward, I am responsible for all areas of compensation and benefits. This extends to anything related to pay, incentive schemes, variable pay schemes across our whole organisation and associated vendor management.  Within that role, I also manage the payroll team, who manage 11 different pay cycles.  They are an exceptional team and a great support.

Can you tell us about your career to date?

I started as a Generalist in HR in the retail sector but always leaned towards the numbers and analytics.  An opportunity came up as Compensation and Benefits Specialist in Oracle. From there; I moved to Towers Watson as a Reward consultant working with clients in various industries.  I learnt a lot in that role and it gave me insight into how different businesses and different industries apply reward to their business needs. It also gave me the opportunity to travel which I enjoyed at the time.  I moved onto State Street Financial Services. I stayed there for 8 years covering reward on an EMEA basis. Again some travel was involved here, working around different projects, countries and legislative requirements. I also did a stint in London during this time to manage the EMEA Annual Compensation cycle.

How did this led you to eir?

I took redundancy from State Street and took up a contract position with eir in early 2016.  At the time, it was a short term arrangement to work on a specific project.  This suited me; I was pregnant and planned to take up a permanent position after maternity leave.    

Following the birth of my son; I was asked to return to eir for another contract.  Later that year, both my manager and colleague left and I took over the management of the Reward Function.  

By 2018; we had a new Chief People Officer and we had a strategic priority of simplification. So while change can be challenging, I was hungry for it.   I valued how simplification could improve our ways of working.   At the time Payroll was a challenge. It was outsourced and we were inhibited in how we could improve and digitalise our ways of working.  A decision was made to insource Payroll and this became part of my remit as the new Head of Reward.

These career transitions must have been daunting, how did you manage it?

I looked at what was done previously - this gave me some foundation.  I looked at it with a critical eye, then with a lens of new ways of delivering more effectively and efficiently.  The insourcing of payroll was a particular challenge; we built our own system and created a team to deliver this in house.   This was during Covid, with no back up plan and a contract due to expire with the outgoing vendor.  

You can have a fear of failure, you can let that hold you back or you can push through it.  There was no alternative. We had really good resources, a solid plan and a commitment to execute. 

What has helped you in your career to date?

I think it’s really important to have a mentor in your early career.   I remember I had a very supportive manager who pushed me out of my comfort zone.  She would give me some direction but trusted me to find the answers. I probably didn’t realise this was happening at the time.  It was a true learning experience for me. I wanted to get things done and after 12 months, I was heading up the division. 

I learnt here to always show up, to have high standards but appreciate mistakes so you can learn and develop.

In your role you have great financial responsibility; what skills have you developed to ensure your success?

Precision, accuracy and the understanding of data. I need to have a deep understanding to convey confidently.  This is critical. I need to be really organised and I take my responsibility seriously.  There is a lot of pressure but I try to manage that and approach my work with a sense of calm.

What do you enjoy about working in eir?

I enjoy the culture, I have always said when I joined eir my shoulders relaxed.   I feel trusted and everyone is valued.  If we bring that back to the eir values; I think they are so relatable to everybody - whatever role they do in eir.

In essence I find what we do is so relatable; it impacts everyone both at home and in work.  I have not experienced that in other companies.  That is really important to me. 

What career advice can you give to others?

Do not think of your career as just a ladder to climb, think of your career in terms of its breadth and explore specialisms and all opportunities. 

In my role, I love to see how people can progress and move across functions. I would see eir as being more fluid than other organisations.

What do you do to support your own development?

I think there are two things.  First; I keep in touch with people who have been key influencers during my career.  They are experts in their area; I respect their opinions and guidance. It is always good to have a sounding board from people who understand what you do.

Secondly; I take time to invest in my own development.   I study with the World at Work (an international Reward accreditation body) to ensure I am up to speed on all Reward development and in line with best practice.

There is a lot of impending change for your area with new legislation – what challenge does this present?

There are key legislative changes that will impact Reward. The first one is pension auto enrolment. I’m leading our implementation plan on this at the moment.  It’s really important that employees are aware how this will impact them and their retirement plans.

We also have an EU directive on pay transparency. It is early days, so we need to see what impact this will have. But, we are in preparation mode to ensure we will be compliant. It’s a further extension to the Gender Pay Gap Report. 

It’s important when facing any changes like this to work with external contracts, networking, attending all the coffee mornings, to educate and to hear what others are doing in this space.  This is an exciting time as its forward thinking and I enjoy that, it keeps me interested. I’m not doing the same thing day in and day out. It’s really important that we implement these for our employees in a timely way and always compliant. 

Finally; what is the best career advice you have been given?

No job is too small…

Honour your instincts; trust your judgement and don’t be afraid to share your views.

1. Thanks your time today Terence. Can you introduce yourself and your role in eir evo? 

Of course. In eir evo, we sell Telco and IT products to businesses around the country. I lead the Telco Sales Support Team which is the traditional telecoms side of the business. My team of 12 people are responsible for all telco orders that come into our business which can be anything from a standard fixed line or broadband product right up to designed data circuits and eir collaborate products. 

2. What does a typical customer look like? 

A typical customer could be anyone from the owner of a Domino’s franchise with 7-8 shops, to a large enterprise like AIB, right up to Government body such the HSE and An Garda Síochána.   A customer or an account manager sends us their order and we process it as efficiently as possible, keeping the customer updated throughout. 

3. Can you tell us about your career to date in our company?

Since I joined the company just over 4 years ago, I’ve had a couple of different roles. After 10 months doing my first account manager role in the Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) team, I was asked to look after the mid-market accounts which is a similar role but with larger revenue customers and a wider range of products. After about 8 months doing that, I was promoted to SME Team Leader, managing my first eir team and the team that I joined originally. After a year and a half doing that, I got this job managing the Telco Sales Support Team. 

4. Was that the first line manager role in your career? 

No, so my background is largely in retail. I started working in Argos as a teenager in school and during the holidays and I just loved it. I loved working with customers, helping them, giving them a great experience and I still do. I was a store manager by age 18 looking after 64 people and went on to be a customer service manager in that company, collaborating with management to provide an excellent experience to both customers and staff.  

Later I went on to work for Synchro which were contracted by eir to manage their stores at that point in time. I managed a store and learned all about the telco products by selling them to customers on the shop floor. I knew I wanted to get into the commercial side of a telco business so I transitioned to a Digital Business Development Account Manager role in Vodafone for a while. Notd not long after that, I was approached by eir. I always wanted to get back into a line manager role and took the SME Account Manager role initially as a route into the business. 

5. What is the most fulfilling part of your job? 

I love to watch my team grow and develop. Whenever I move into a line management role, my goal is to develop them to eventually replace me to move on. I believe in mentoring others to progress, I always have. I also want to continuously improve the experience of our customers which is very fulfilling. 

6. How has eir championed and encouraged your growth?

Since I started in this company, I have never just worked in my current role and the company has always supported me in that. I have always made sure that I’m working on something more; be that a business improvement project or in a cross functional team of some kind. It’s a great way to learn the business, learn about our customers, meet people and network. Eir have also provided me with great mentors, albeit unofficially. Having a mentor like Mark Higgins (my director) helped my development enormously. Mark pushes me out of my comfort zone, challenges my thought processes and drives me towards opportunities. This support has been massively impactful over the past 4 years.

7. What is the best career advice you received? 

The best advice I have received to date is to believe in myself. It sounds a lot easier than it actually is, especially when under pressure. But if you can master than, you’re in a good place. 

8. What career advice could you offer to others in our business?

Go for it! Back yourself and take a risk on a new role or a project for your own development. 

9. How do you maintain your motivation for the role and the business?

There’s a couple of things that motivate me but firstly I’m motivated to move forward because I really see the value in my work. I love working with my team and upskilling them. That’s a big part of it.

I also think I found my niche early on in my career; I love working with customers and helping to make their lives easier with our products. I know this attitude goes back to my childhood experiences growing up in a home with deaf parents. I remember being in bank meetings and school meetings translating for them at 7 and 8 years of age onwards. These entities couldn’t meet the needs of their customers. Even shops didn’t have support to help them understand products and services. So I’ve always been in this role I guess; making things easier for people. And I’ve applied that to my roles for the customer. 

10. How do you continue your professional development?

I continue put my hand up for opportunities.  I ask my director for meetings to discuss ways to take the team forward and deliver our goals. There’s a good level of challenge in those meetings which is welcome. By meeting him, I’m learning what’s important as a leader at a more senior level. I would like to take another step up in my career at the right time and getting exposure to more senior people helps me on that journey. For example I also attend a regular ‘L2’ type meeting which is the step above my level, but it helps me think at an L2 level which I need to do. 

11. What advice would you offer to others who would like to progress their careers in eir?

Firstly it’s about championing yourself, even when you’re not feeling confident.  Over the years I have learned to take things professionally, not personally. That helps with the confidence building. But I also really advise people to network and build great relationships in our business. I have always enjoyed this aspect and it has helped me massively to deliver across teams. 

12. You mention networking a lot Terence, which can be a daunting concept to many people. What do you mean by networking and how do you do it specifically? 

OK, so if a colleague or a customer sends me an email, very often I will respond with a phone call. Emails can be very impersonal; I don’t know anyone who has closed a sale with email alone. I take the same approach no matter what level I’m communicating with in the business. So if it’s a director who drops me an email, I’ll still pop over to them and ask them if they have 5 minutes to discuss the topic through. Or invite them for a coffee. Networking is as simple as that. For me, it’s not about going to events and handing out business cards randomly. It’s more about introducing yourself to others at the right moment with the purpose of solving their problem. 

1. Thanks your time today Tanya. Can you introduce yourself and your role in eir evo? 

Sure, my name is Tanya Kavanagh and my role is eSource & Business Optimisation Manager. This means I’m responsible for two sales support teams; the goal of which is to optimise the customer experience from quote to product delivery. The ‘IT Sales Support’ team process the breadth of our IT hardware and software products. The ‘ICT’ team focus purely on Cisco products and customers; such is the volume of product that we manage for Cisco. Our orders come via our sales team or directly from customers. In addition, I am also responsible for the eSource platform which is essentially an online shop where customers can procure their IT equipment directly. Our customers love this platform as it is quick, easy to use and has a fast turnaround. For example, if you are a large Pharma company, you can build your own quote on the eSource portal and send it directly to your internal finance department for a PO without having to interact with us at all. Or, if you are a small business with a limited budget, you can build your quote and be discerning with your choices with the variety of products and specs that we have available. 

2. Where did your career start off?

I started working in business as a kid in secondary school; my auntie managed to get me into her office during the Summers and I basically did whatever was asked of me; administration, post, filing, reporting. I loved keeping everything organised and I knew the business environment was for me.  I went on to work in various sales and account management roles in various industries. Prior to eir, I worked in a company called Westcoast Ireland which is a large UK based IT distributor with a sales footprint in Ireland; about 50 people in total. When I had outgrown the role, unfortunately there was nothing there at the next level, no real alternative opportunities. Evros was a customer of theirs at that time and I always had great interactions with their business. When a role came up on Linked In, I didn’t hesitate.   I knew there would be opportunities for me to grow and develop in Evros, and then when we were bought by eir, the opportunities and projects that go with a corporate environment opened up to me even more. 

3. Can you tell us about your career to date in our company?

Since I joined almost 4 years ago, I’ve had 3 different jobs essentially. I started out as eSource Operations Specialist and threw myself into that role; learning as much as I could. I took the same approach that I’ve always taken; to come in and learn the products and learn the business. You’d be surprised how many people don’t do that. When my manager at that time left the business, it was a massive opportunity for me to take on eSource and be the subject matter expert on the front and back end of the platform.  After almost 2 years in the business, I was promoted eSource Operations Manager with two direct reports. After a year doing that, I was promoted to eSource & Business Optimisation Manager, with 10 direct reports. 

4. What is the most fulfilling part of your job? 

The people that I work with, in my team and across the business are excellent; I’m very lucky to work with the people that I do. They’re brilliant; highly skilled and they get things done.

5. What is the most challenging part of your role?

I suppose one of the challenges for me over the past year was learning how the people in my new team work individually in the first instance. Thereafter it was about me supporting them to work cohesively as a team to get the best results for the customer and the business.

6. How has eir championed and encouraged your growth at the company?

I have great mentors in Mark Higgins, my director and Laura Dillon, my line manager. Laura supports me in all my endeavours and guides me through everything in a calm way. I go to her for advice and she brings me on the journey of the business. For example, even when changes  don’t impact my team; she informs me so I understand what’s going on in the wider business which I really appreciate. With that, I have context. I also have Mark Higgins as a mentor who I have built up a great relationship with. When eir bought Evros, Mark came over to the offices in Cherrywood months in advance to meet me and get to know me. It really put me at ease. He was really interested to learn about eSource and the products, so we went on a journey together; optimising and making things better. Mark constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone, challenges and always finds something new for me to do!

7. What is the best career Advice you received? 

When I first joined Evros, I worked for a great lady called Lisa White. Her advice to me was to always think as yourself as a brand. You’re in control of how you present yourself to others; your work, meeting your deadlines, your responsiveness; that’s all your brand. That’s how I’ve managed myself in the business. Ireland is small and the IT industry is smaller. So your brand, reputation and your results are very important. 

8. What advice would you offer to others in our business who want to grow their career in eir?

Come in and learn the business; learn the products, understand how we make money and why we’re better than our competitors. Get involved in more than just your role; cross functional projects, meetings – whatever it is. This is how you’ll build relationships with your colleagues across the business. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek advice from other managers. This includes directors. My experience is that many people are afraid to ask directors questions but if I’m struggling on something, I just ask them to bring clarity on a given situation. They’re just people the same as us and they want the job done. Finally; in reality, I think you have to do a bit more than just your role to be seen and to get exposure. When I joined, I did a lot extra just to understand what was going on in the business and what my job was. I read articles, I did research. I think that’s necessary at different times in your career. 

9. You’re currently involved in Culture Team in eir evo. Can you tell me more about how you got involved?  

The leadership team was looking for somebody to organise an event for the company and Mark put me forward because he knows I’m a doer. The event was a great success, so we just kept doing more.  Philip O’Meara has been at the helm from the beginning and with his passion and drive, it’s developed into so much more. The culture work and outputs benefit both our colleagues and business and it has been invaluable to me in terms of growing my network. Since joining, I have got to know the 12 or so team members really well and I can pick up the phone to them when I need information or need to get something over the line. It’s a great opportunity to network. 

10. What steps have you taken to invest in your career at eir?

Right now, it’s often about me creating my own projects. Let me explain; I think it’s about understanding the value the business needs to create and then going in yourself and creating projects to deliver that value. So for example; I’m starting a dynamics CRM project to ensure that my team can do as much as possible with this new tool. I’ve been looking into the background at what this tool can do for the business. I’ve had conversations with Joe Brady, IT Director, who agrees we can be using it more to elevate our processes and deliver more value to the business. Watch this space! 

11. How do you maintain your motivation?

Honestly, it’s the people in this business who give me motivation. They’re the best in class and they inspire me every day to be better. 

12. How do you continue your professional development?

I never stop trying to make things better. I keep putting myself forward for projects and development opportunities. I keep the business goals in the forefront of my mind and constantly think about what I can do to add to what their trying to achieve. Sure at times, self-doubt creeps in when you’re leading a new team or project. But what’s the worst that can happen? No matter what, you always learn something from these experiences.  

What’s your current role, and how long have you been with the company? 

 I’m currently the Webchat Sales manager and act as channel lead for Digital Sales in CSB. I’ve been working eir since August 2010

What drew you to this team or department? 

I spent my first 11 years with eir working in retail. Starting with the launch of eMobile, I was a store manager across the Dublin region for both the eMobile and Meteor brands before they eventually merged to the single eir brand. I knew it was time for a change and covid really gave me the incentive to take a risk and try something new. I was aware of the potential in Digital Sales and how the company was looking to transform how we did business online and when I became aware of the opportunity to move into that area, I jumped on it.

Was there a defining moment or opportunity that influenced your career path here? 

I’ve been lucky to work with some great colleagues and managers over the years. I had always felt committed to a career within eir but sometimes some guidance or inspiration was needed to fight this ship. Back in 2021, when most of us had been going through a difficult time, I applied for a role fully in the expectation that I would get it. When I didn’t, it initially felt like a real sucker punch and it left me reeling a bit and questioning what I was doing and if I really knew what I wanted from my career going forward. I decided to take the time to engage with a career coach and really take a step back and look at what my priorities were. 

What’s a key project or promotion you’re proud of?

When I made the move to Digital Sales, it was really a baptism of fire. I started as Webchat Sales manager but very quickly had to learn the ins and outs of all aspects of Digital Sales and Marketing from SEO and Analytics to Digital Marketing and Ad words. My role has evolved into a channel lead that liaises between the sales, marketing and digital teams while reporting overall performance for the channel and still maintaining that crucial people management role for the team of webchat sales agents. I suppose I’m most proud of carving out that role for myself while at the same time leading a high performing sales team with a strong culture of support, friendly competition, trust and respect. 

Did you pursue any training, certifications, or mentoring relationships that supported your growth? 

In 2021 I undertook a diploma in HR Management and Strategy. Since 2023 my role move out of the Digital Marketing team and into the Sales Org. However, I have maintained regular meetings with my former LM as in mentor/mentee capacity and found it to be incredibly valuable to me in the last 18 months

Where would you like your career to go in the future? 

This is something I’ve been focusing on a lot more of late. I’ve started to reach out and have conversations about what my next step might be and how the experience I have gained from across the business can be best applied and where so, watch this space I guess.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone just starting their career here? 

Take risks and don’t be afraid to reach out and have a conversation. There is a wealth of experience across all levels of our business and there is guaranteed to be someone who has had the same thought process as you when it comes to being unsure what to do next or how to take that next step up? My time in eir has taught me that everybody wants us to succeed and thats at all levels of the organisation. If you’re interested in a different part of the business or a role that might seem too far removed from your own, don’t second guess it. Instead take the chance to find out more and learn from those actively involved. At worst, you find out that it may not be what you thought it would be but at best you’ve opened a door and made a connection that could potentially offer support and advice that will lead to success in that new role