I am a project manager, mentor, coach and trainer with over 30 years’ experience in many industry sectors all over the world.
Born in Co. Galway, Ireland, my first career was with Apple Computer in Cork. I spent twenty pressurised, lucky, crazy, frustrating, exciting, interesting and happy years bringing Apple’s wonderful products to the European marketplace.
My last role at Apple was European Localisation Manager responsible for 29 languages with a staff of 35 people in 10 countries and an annual budget of $7m.
One of my highlights was having dinner in the Louvre in Paris with Steve Jobs in 1999 as part of the Top 100 Apple Managers offsite – despite a heated discussion with him on the bus back to the hotel. I was lucky he didn’t remember the other encounter we had in California in 1984…!
Since 2001 I have been practicing, training, mentoring, and consulting in project management all over the world in many industries and organisations. I particularly enjoy taking on difficult projects that have not been done before, or rescuing projects that have gotten into trouble. I work hard to get projects “unstuck” and launched on a new path for success.
The pandemic in 2020 was a relatively easy transition for me. I have been working from home since 2001, and was an early user of Webex. Years before that, at Apple, I was regularly working with colleagues in California, Tokyo, and Hong Kong by video-conference.
I am a certified trainer with ProZ.Com on the Moodle platform, and was a moderator and speaker at the ProZ.Com Virtual Translator’s Conference with more than 5,000 attendees worldwide in 2010. So I was very comfortable with WFH and remote working – but I still think nothing beats personal interaction.
I believe activity should never be confused with progress. And I believe life balance is key to happiness, which is key to success. Which is why I have added coaching to my portfolio of services.
Since 2014 I have been coaching clients on a one-to-one basis to help them take control of career and life issues. I find the role of coach incredibly rewarding. I have learned to focus on enabling the client to resolve their own issues in their own way. There is tremendous satisfaction in witnessing the moment the client says: “I know what I am going to do”.
When I am not working I can be found playing the banjo, mandolin, piano, accordion, bones or bodhran; writing songs, tunes, poems and stories; drawing and doodling; fishing; doing projects around the house and garden; or in my shed making percussion instruments.