My American Adventure

On October 19th 1993, thirty years ago, I emigrated to the U.S. on board Aer Lingus EI 105 headed to New York en route to San Francisco. Like millions of Irish before me, I was leaving my home to live in the United States. I always had a somewhat romantic desire to wander, see the world and experience different things. However, romance was certainly not what I was feeling that morning. There is a little emotional space that exists just between exhilaration and terror and that’s exactly where I was. I was leaving a life that was safe to satisfy an internal voice that told me I ought to explore. The “thunk” of the 747 wheels as they lifted and my final view of the County Clare coastline as we ascended out over the Atlantic was my farewell to Ireland. The journey had begun and relatively soon I would be home again after a stint in silicon valley - or so I thought.

To say I wasn’t qualified to walk into the technology industry was a significant understatement. I was an electrician by trade, an instrumentation & control technician by circumstance and had earned half of a Masters Degree in Education. I wore overalls, a hard hat, boots and safety glasses. I overhauled large control valves and calibrated pressure transmitters on a daily basis. I had completed a program in Training & Development at the University of Limerick and (most surprising to myself) I had won a national award in Ireland for some work I did in the field of flexible work practices. My resume was a hodgepodge of experiences that cumulatively qualified me for, well, nothing of note in the tech industry. However, I had hope, confidence, tenacity and a fair degree of Irish stubbornness.?

My first job in the U.S. was a lesson in “shit that I don’t want to do but I have to.” I was an electrician at a cardboard recycling plant in San Jose - not exactly what I envisioned as the American dream. It was a dirty and dangerous job but it paid the bills. I bought a cheap suit, ironed the front of my shirt and talked to as many people as I possibly could. In talking to people, I began to understand the importance of storytelling and I weaved all my work experiences into a compelling story of my career and where I was headed. I began to get responses and landed the first white collar job of my career at Lam Research as a Corporate Trainer in Total Quality Management.I had a computer that I didn’t know how to use but a ton of enthusiasm in learning. I worked hard, learned how chips were made, completed my Masters in Education and developed a keen interest in the process of software development. Things were still a little convoluted but were starting to come together.

I applied for a role at Andersen Consulting (subsequently Accenture) and got rejected twice. I learned that you get jobs by networking with people, not filling in applications, and a month later I joined the firm as an Organization Change Consultant. I had to buy a real suit, get on an airplane every week and work my ass off. Everyday was an adventure at Accenture. They trained me well and provided me with opportunities that stretched me.. The hours were long, the learning curve steep but the experience was outstanding. After 6 years at Accenture I had proven something that would become the bedrock for my future in the tech industry. I could lead people and get things done.

After leaving Accenture, I went on an adventure to Japan - where I lived for three years. I took over the Japanese division of Portal Software. It was one of the most challenging roles of my career. I had to throw out just about everything I knew about western management and learn how business is done in Japan. The operation was in trouble and the role was very much one of a turnaround. We had a major billing project implementation in process and it was in jeopardy. I learned the importance of being on the front line with my team, providing them the cover necessary to perform their jobs and shield them from the beatings that are part and parcel of life in Professional Services. We delivered that project and the first ever profitable quarter in the history of the business. I had learned how to run a company.

For the past decade or so, I have ridden the SaaS wave as a Professional Services executive in the startup sector. It’s a fun place to be for someone like me who is comfortable with ambiguity, knows how to bring order to chaos and can pivot on a dime when things don’t go as planned.

I thought I would have long since moved back to Ireland but with each wave of technology I made the decision to remain in the valley to be at the forefront of it.. I have accomplished more than I ever set out to do and in the process worked with some of the smartest people in the world. Getting on that plane 30 years ago was a great decision but in the not too distant future I will catch the return leg, feel the rubber hit the tarmac in Shannon and wrap up this adventure.

Until then, why not be part of the AI revolution??