I had an interest in technology from a young age which I pursued in college, studying Business Information Management & then computer networking. That gave me a great grounding in computers and the use of data in business. During college I worked part-time as an IT administrator, so emerged with a good mix of theory and practice. I took a year out to go travelling in Australia, but I got restless after a while and ended up working as a consultant for a large bank in Sydney on a pretty foundational data project. It was a great opportunity to apply my skills, and I also learnt a lot about just throwing yourself into the situation and the value of teamwork. Around that time a friend from college was involved in Baltimore Technologies, a new internet startup in Ireland.

I left Australia and joined them in 1999, initially as a consultant but pretty soon moved into sales and then into developing new commercial ventures for the company. It was a really entrepreneurial company and during the 5 years I was with Baltimore it grew from about 100 employees to FTSE 100 and Nasdaq listed, but unfortunately then it was pretty much wiped out. It was a truly remarkable journey and taught me a lot about the process of selling, commercial operations, business planning and again about teamwork, hard work and diligence. After Baltimore I took some time out and completed an MBA. That process helped me make a decision to change careers and I joined the Private Clients division of Davy. Davy has also been a really interesting journey.

It's a pretty entrepreneurial organisation and I've been fortunate to get involved in developing different business ventures. When I started Davy was an investment business, but drawing on my commercial experience from Baltimore, myself a brilliant colleague Sandra Rockett, started developing personal business plans for clients. Fast forward 10 years and Davy are now the No.1 provider of financial planning services in Ireland. That development changed the core business that Davy is in and has delivered 10 years of growth and created a significant number of jobs. My current role involves the development of the strategic direction, ongoing business planning & the delivery of commercial targets for Private Clients. I also lead one of advice teams and I lead the technology change & innovation program.

My Dad always provided a clear sense of direction and purpose, but never pressured me to do anything. I'd love to emulate that with my children. My wife sees through my blind spots and has been the most sensible counsel.

She doesn't always agree with me, which is important too! Sandra Rockett has that great mix of technical skills and commercial acumen. She was a brilliant business partner. Stephen Felle, who was a Director in Davy, mentored and sponsored my early career in Davy. He took an active interest in me and my development and gave me loads of latitude to run with ideas. The teams the I lead are full of talented people who challenge and teach me new stuff every day. I hope they get the same in return.