LYNN KEEGAN – WHY I JOINED TYRELL

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY? 

Right through school, I’d always had a interest in Law and Business – so I decided to combine both with my college choice by completing a degree in Business and Law at Dublin Business School (DBS). I had envisaged undertaking further study to qualify as a solicitor but, as John Lennon said, life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

The travel bug bit and I found myself picking up a one year residency visa for Canada, years – may I point out – before the world and his dog was doing so. I had a ball, including a short daliance with the world of Medical Academia working in a college of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (still no idea what it is!) before finding my true métier tending bar in the most tabacco stained dive bar in Toronto. The year of messing eventually came to an end so it was back home to try to do something about a career.

Having had a taste of being a Woman of means, I decided that more study wasn’t something I was too keen on so took the plunge and joined the grown up world of work. After a few weeks of CVs, applications and interviews, I happened across a crowd called Avid who did something to do with movies.

I started with Avid in the sales administration function which was a brilliant place to make contacts and build relationships within the Avid organisation and across their channel partner network, including a certain Mr Bryan Malone (the M.D. of Tyrell).

BUSINESS SUPPORT – EUROPE

I stayed in Dublin until 2003 when I had the opportunity to take up the role of Business Operations Manager in Avid’s newly opened direct sales office in Soho.

During this time I met Dan Muchmore, who was also working with Avid and is now the Sales Director for Tyrell. Also I gained a solid understanding of the UK Broadcast and Post-Production industry which is largely based in the Soho area of London.

Leaving London in 2005, I returned to Avid’s Dublin facility from where I acted as Business Support Manager for the Nordic (Denmark, Norway & Sweden) and Russian markets.

This was a very interesting role in that I had the opportunity to work with and manage other nationalities all with different approaches to work, communications and cultural nuances. It also gave me the opportunity to regularly visit Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Moscow– all wonderful cities but very definitely best experienced on expenses!

Oh, and company policy dictated that I had an armed minder when visiting Moscow.

BUSINESS SUPPORT – ASIA

Fast forward to 2007 and I again relocated for another role within Avid, this time taking up the role of Business Support Lead in the Avid’s APAC (Asia Pacific) operation. Based in Singapore, I again found myself managing a geographically and culturally diverse team spread across the region.

My two years in Singapore were hugely fulfilling both professionally and personally in that I was challenged by new ways of working, additional responsibility and exposure whilst building many enduring relationships with what were then colleagues but are now the firmest of friends.

BUILDING THE TYRELL TEAM

By 2009, home shores were calling and I was delighted to take up a role with Tyrell. I had known Bryan and the team for many years and I was confident the experience and perspective I’d gained in my decade with Avid would enable me contribute to ongoing growth at Tyrell.

It has been an interesting journey at Tyrell, in the nine years I have been working with the company, we have tripled the size of the team, we have opened a London office and we have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful people.

We have improved our processes, including Support, we have scaled our offering and we have continued to focus on delivering for our customers. We have had births & weddings and we have lost some good friends. There have been outstanding successes and frustrating failures.

There have been fall-outs and tantrums before people eventually agreed that I was right! It’s been a blast, it still is and, nearly ten years later, I know we are only getting started!!