Conor Byrne, Global Marketing Director, NextGen Markets, Indeed
It has definitely been a non-linear path that has led Conor to his current role at Indeed, where he is responsible for the marketing of Indeeds Next Generation Markets. Starting off wanting to be a chef, he quickly realised that after nearly burning down a top Dublin restaurant, he may not be the best path he worked in Hospitality Management for a few years.
From here, he spent ten years in the Not-For-Profit world, mostly working for Children's Hospitals and then moved into the world of marketing, first on the agency side and then landing at Indeed, where he has worked across both B2C and B2B sides of the business. He lives in Ireland by the sea with his wife and three children.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I am currently drawn to Instagram, I think I'm a visual person by nature, so the content there just suits me. I was an early adopter of Twitter but went off it for a number of years and have just recently dipped my toe back in there.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
It's a fascinating role. I get to work on some of the newer or up and coming markets for Indeed. The markets span across APAC, EMEA and LATAM and in many ways could not be more different, but in other ways, there are lots of unexpected similarities.
I am a curious person, so I love delving into the markets, understanding the cultural nuances that make a difference. In addition, the role requires me to focus across the full audience spectrum, so I get to think about both the B2C and B2B sides of our business and help drive growth.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Discovering new things. Marketing is a great way to discover new and unexpected things. For example, we often think people will behave or react in a certain way, and they often don't discover that and try to figure out why I find it fascinating. I did a degree in Psychology later in life, and I think it ties into that desire to understand human behaviour.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"You have two ears and one mouth; use them in that proportion" - Derek Byrne. That's one from my dad, and I love it, stop and hear more than you have to say.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
A few things. Maybe kind of cliche, but my family and my kids inspire me; I want them to be proud. Problem-solving is the other thing, and I love trying to figure things out, having challenges and looking at ways to overcome them with others and getting to an end result. Sometimes that isn't always a positive outcome, but there is a learning in there.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
That's big! In my career, I am really proud of some of the work I did with Not-For-Profits especially bringing together the three largest children's hospitals together to work on a collective broadcast fundraising programme that raised millions of euros. I just think the impact of that on sick children had to have been immense.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
When I get introduced to someone, I think that works really well for me as it's an easier introduction, and I've met some amazing people this way.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I think my curiosity and creativity are things that have helped me a lot. Being curious makes me constantly interested, trying to learn, and I love the creative process (even when I was a bad chef).
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That I wouldn't end up where I started out, although who knows, I may end up back there yet.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Do I have to pick only one? Doug Cameron (co-author of Cultural Strategy) is an amazing mind - academic and creative. I have been lucky to work with Doug directly and spend time with him, and his insight into people and his ability to bring that to life with his team in creative ideas is amazing. He is great fun too.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Ironically I do still love to cook; my two boys have a metabolic condition called PKU. So, some of my free time is spent working on managing their diet, but it gives me a chance to be creative and try to create things for them. I bought a guitar during the lockdown, and I thought I would be amazing by now; I can barely do the five basic chords.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Our senior leaders have been amazing at looking after us their people, and it's been truly amazing. I have always felt as an employee that we are the number one priority; their humanity has been so admirable, and honestly, for many of them, their legacy will be how they have shown future leaders to behave during a crisis.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I have had a formal mentor, and that was a great experience; I felt like I was really able to understand some of the things that drove me and were important to me. I have informal mentors too, my dad and my brother are big to go to's for me, and I have a very good friend who is a world-class marketeer that I talk to a lot for advice.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Read and Meet. Read lots, read things that are opposed to each other, so you understand all sides and make the most informed decisions you can, but know that's what they are, they are decisions you make based on the best information you have at the time - it's ok to change your view later.
Meet lots of people, push yourself to meet and hear from the best in the business, those you know and don't know and learn from their experience.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I think people should fail, so it isn't a bad thing to fail. I think people give up because they think failure is a bad thing and therefore don't want to fail.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
People are more important than... (and you can insert anything after that, for example, numbers, revenue, your brand metrics).
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I really like brands like Ooni (pizza ovens) or Gym + Coffee or Little Bliss (both clothing). For me, these represent brands that are built on a quality product and a community of advocates. So, if you have one of these products, you will love them and tell people about them.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
What success evolves over time? Finding happiness in small wins along the way and building on them to get the next small win, for me, feeds into an overall larger sense of success. For example, recently, we launched a brand campaign in Italy, which was a huge step for our team. That, to me, was a really successful moment, and now we have celebrated that we are moving to the next thing and will celebrate that when it happens.