My Business Life: Ken Ryan, Qualcom

Ken Ryan, managing director of Irish IT services company Qualcom, shares his life and business lessons.

Qualcom provides IT and cybersecurity services to organisations across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK and the Channel Islands.

It emerged recently that the investing €500,000 over the next three years to establish a dedicated artificial intelligence practice as more of its customers seek to integrate AI tools into their operations.

The Dublin-based company plans to recruit four AI specialists as part of the expansion. The investment also covers upskilling for existing teams and a new partnership with NROC, the AI infrastructure provider.

Tell us about your background, what journey did you take to arrive at where you are?

I have been with Qualcom for over 20 years, previously as Service Director before moving into the role of managing director in 2020. A self-proclaimed ‘techie at heart’, I work closely with SMEs and enterprises in the public and private sectors to deliver technology solutions that make their lives easier.

As managing director, I spearhead the business direction and performance across all functions, and am responsible for driving continued growth, shaping the company’s strategy, and overseeing daily business operations.

Why are you doing what you are doing? What need are you meeting? What’s your USP?

We do what we do in order to secure customers’ data – providing ultra-secure managed IT services using a security-first ethos. We have the specialist capabilities and the platforms in place to quickly resolve any issues and maximise IT uptime.

In the current technology landscape, customers need to be compliant with new and changing regulations and, in particular, those in supply chains are required to meet certain standards. I believe Qualcom’s USP is understanding our customers’ needs and having their data secure and available 24/7, as well as our proactive support.

How did you fund and start the business and what are your growth plans?

I was involved in a management buy-out five years ago and, since then, have placed a keen focus on the growth of the business.

Last year, we announced that we expect to grow revenues to €18 million by the end of 2027 – which represents 10% year-on-year growth for the business – with plans to increase employee numbers by 20% in this timeframe.

What are your key skills and qualities that set you apart?

Understanding what people need and, in turn, ensuring that they have this so they can deliver. I allow people to grow using their own initiative, while equipping them with the right tools to succeed. I also believe I’m empathetic, stemming from years of being out on the road and working to understand customers’ needs.

What (or whom) has helped you most along the way? Who was your greatest mentor/inspiration?

Throughout my career, I believe I have learned the most from engineers, as well as customers. I also enjoy listening to the Business Leader podcast – it’s interesting to hear the perspectives of interviewees from a range of business backgrounds.

What was the greatest piece of business advice you ever received?

‘Manage your cash’. I think this probably applies to all aspects of life and not just business!

What circumstances/qualities/events can mark the difference between success or failure in life or business?

If you work hard and cleverly, and look after people well, I believe you will have a much higher chance of success. Try to do the right thing by people, be kind, and make time. That said, there’s always a little bit of luck and sometimes it’s all about timing.

What was the most challenging aspect of either starting or growing the business?

Winning new customers can be challenging as the IT business is quite competitive by its nature. It’s sticky and you don’t get a lot of customer movement, making it difficult to grow the business organically. In saying that, we put a lot of time into getting the right combination of services and certifications, which contributes to business growth by layering offerings for our existing customers.

How did you navigate your business through the pandemic and what lessons did you learn?

At the time of the pandemic, we were already utilising a hybrid work model and were up and running on platforms such as Microsoft Teams. This meant we could seamlessly move to remote working and support customers through the same transition. A key lesson learned was that you can never be too prepared.

How has digital transformation been a factor in your scaling journey and do you believe Irish firms are utilising digital technologies sufficiently?

There’s no question that more and more companies are embracing digital technologies – it’s a requirement for doing business nowadays. However, there’s still a bit to go in this regard and the next challenge is artificial intelligence (AI) – we’re still not sure what it could ultimately mean for business. Far more organisations are now cloud-based, but another challenge will be how to embrace newer technologies as they undoubtedly continue to emerge.

From Qualcom’s perspective, digital transformation has contributed hugely to our growth as we help customers to implement digital tools and navigate the continually changing landscape. As a business, Qualcom has embraced AI, particularly to streamline ticketing and to ultimately support a boosted customer experience. We enable businesses to leverage the latest innovations, presenting practical solutions and empowering them to reach their goals.

If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

The technology industry has gone through such change. What we do now versus even 10 years ago is worlds apart. It’s hard to say what you might do differently as, being in a sector of continuous shift, you’re driven by the evolution of technologies. You adapt to demand so your services and offering change in line with this.

Who inspires you in business today?  

My own management team. They work so hard and have such a belief in Qualcom.

What advice/guidance do you give new hires and how do you nurture talent in your organisation?

At Qualcom, our customers are at the core of the business and we ensure that our customer service culture is instilled in all of our new joiners. We nurture talent through development and training – both internal and external – and whoever wants to learn will learn.

In addition, engineers have great opportunities to learn and upskill across multiple disciplines – working within a managed service provider is a great training ground for engineers.

What business books do you read or would recommend?

I would recommend Measure What Matters by John Doerr to learn how to leverage your company data to track progress and set goals.

What technologies/tools do you use personally to keep you on track?

Both in business and personally, I couldn’t be without my iPhone. It contains everything – from contacts and calendars to various apps – that I use on a daily basis.

Microsoft Copilot is also invaluable for time management and streamlining workflows.

What social media platforms do you prefer and why?

I use LinkedIn most regularly – both for staying in touch and for hiring talent.

What are your thoughts on where technology overall is heading and how it will apply to business generally and your business particularly?

Over the next three years, Qualcom expects to see the biggest growth in cybersecurity services, managed IT services, compliance, and round-the-clock IT support. This demand is being driven by the changing cyber risk landscape, advancements in AI, and expanding attack surfaces. As our customers increasingly utilise AI, we work closely with them to ensure that tools and platforms are ultra-secure.

We’re also seeing heightened demand from customers for support around standards such as ISO 27001 and DORA compliance, with businesses increasingly looking to secure their supply chains in response to growing cyber threats. To meet this need, we’re planning to roll out a number of new cybersecurity and managed services.

Finally, if you had advice for your 21-year-old self – knowing what you know now – what would it be?

I would endeavour to start a business younger in life – or have the confidence to at least try! Starting earlier would mean more time to develop and hone the business.

• Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here

• For support in challenging times, click here

• Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. Latest episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:

• Spotify

• SoundCloud

• Apple