Adam Kelly, country manager at Avanade Ireland, shares his life and business lessons.
Avanade, the leading digital innovator on the Microsoft ecosystem, recently celebrated its fifth anniversary of operating in Ireland
Since opening its doors in 2018, Avanade has employed almost 200 people, been awarded Ireland’s Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023), and named current Microsoft Partner of the Year for Ireland.
“Generative AI isn’t about replacing people’s jobs, it’s about enhancing how people work and the work itself”
It has also achieved some significant milestones, including year-on-year revenue growth, while supporting the local economy and job market.
Tell us about your background, what journey did you take to arrive at where you are?
Having completed my Maths degree at Manchester University, my career began at Norwich Union in the insurance sector. This led to a 20-year tenure at Accenture, where I held several senior positions including managing director for Financial Services and Insurance and heading up Insurance and International Financial Services for Ireland. I joined Avanade as country manager for Avanade Ireland.
Why are you doing what you are doing? What need are you meeting? What’s your USP?
Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Every day, we make a genuine human impact on our people, our clients, and our communities. We do this because we have a passion for technology, we innovate with purpose, we deliver with excellence, and we believe everyone counts.
As a responsible business, we are helping to build a sustainable world at a time that has never been so exciting, with endless possibilities driven by data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as shining a light on the value and impact that technology can bring to business and wider society – now and into the future.
“I feel I am a people person, which I believe is key to any individual’s success, regardless of who they are or what they do. I have a genuine interest in others and enjoy watching and supporting their journeys”
How did you fund and start the business and what are your growth plans?
Avanade is a joint venture between Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation, established in 2000. Today, we are a 60,000-strong $2bn organisation, operating in 26 countries. Since 2000, we have experienced an average year-on-year growth of 20%.
Avanade Ireland opened its doors in 2018, with a goal to hire 100 professionals to significantly grow its presence in Ireland. Today, there are over 200 people in our Dublin office with plans to hire significantly more to support the exponential demand for digital transformation in key industries such as manufacturing, retail, banking, and healthcare.
Over the past five years, we are proud that Avanade Ireland has:
- Created an award-winning employee experience that has attracted top talent and has earned the Number 1 Top Employer in Ireland for three years running by the Top Employers Institute.
- Reached 42% gender diversity in Ireland setting a standard for inclusion and diversity with programs like LGBTQ+ ally network and partnerships with diversity organisations like Connecting Women in Technology.
- Brought its purpose of making a genuine human impact to life through programs such as Junior Achievement, the FIT apprentice program, the VelocITY Graduate campaign and so much more.
Looking ahead, we are very much looking forward to supporting our clients through the next wave of innovation in areas such as Generative AI – where the opportunities are limitless.
What are your key skills and qualities that set you apart?
I feel I am a people person, which I believe is key to any individual’s success, regardless of who they are or what they do. I have a genuine interest in others and enjoy watching and supporting their journeys. This in turn has helped me build solid client relationships skills throughout my career, which is critical in the competitive environment in which I work. I also have deep technical expertise, which is often not the case for leaders of organisations, but it certainly helps gain credibility across all levels of our clients’ businesses.
“Learn fast and fail fast. You can never stop learning. Try new things, new ways of doing things, explore your creative side – and fail! If you don’t fail, you will remain stagnant”
What (or whom) has helped you most along the way? Who was your greatest mentor/inspiration?
There have been so many people that have helped me throughout different stages of my professional and personal lives, but first and foremost, I must call out my Dad. He instilled great values in me that I carry forward in my work ethic. During his career, he went from being the youngest qualified accountant in the UK to being the oldest medical student, when he decided to entirely change the direction of his working life. This was a bold and brave move mid-career, and it really taught me to follow your dreams and be passionate about what you do.
While too many others to mention, one inspirational leader for me was my first boss Andrew Wilkinson at Norwich Union. His mantra was entirely selfless and centred around how he could enable his employees to be successful. He was very much of the mind that all individuals should have the opportunity to progress and not be blocked by managers’ own personal career aspirations. He also taught me the value of building a long-standing and sustainable network throughout my career.
I have more recently been privileged to work for and with some incredible and talented individuals at both Accenture and Avanade, who truly demonstrate that your own personal values should be applied in business to solidify a culture-first mentality; the ultimate key to the success of any organisation whatever the industry. I truly believe that you learn something from everyone you meet.
“I get my strength in my life from my family and the friendships I have built. In business, it’s the same”
What was the greatest piece of business advice you ever received?
- Learn fast and fail fast. You can never stop learning. Try new things, new ways of doing things, explore your creative side – and fail! If you don’t fail, you will remain stagnant.
- Listen before you speak. Understand the ask before you act.
- Don’t underestimate the value of human connection. It’s critical to driving a business forward. This can so easily be lost in the pace of work, enabled by technology.
What circumstances/qualities/events can mark the difference between success or failure in life or business?
In life it’s all about spending time with people, creating valuable memories. I get my strength in my life from my family and the friendships I have built. In business, it’s the same. Building connections and making memories through experiences. Doing what matters is the key to bringing the best out in everyone and enabling us to live rich and fulfilling lives and careers. What matters to me will differ from what matters to you, but we ultimately end up in the same place if we focus on this.
What was the most challenging aspect of either starting or growing the business?
When you grow at pace, it can be challenging to maintain a culture-first mentality, but at Avanade we work hard to achieve this. Our culture is focused on creating the future by expanding your thinking, experimenting courageously and learning and pivoting; inspiring greatness by empowering every voice, encouraging boldness and celebrating progress; accelerating impact by amazing our clients, prioritizing what matters and acting as one. Our employees live and breathe our culture.
Attracting and retaining talent – the right skills in the right place – remains an ongoing challenge. We focus heavily on engaging Early Talent as well as upskilling and cross-skilling our existing talent to maintain our competitive edge.
Finally, prioritization can also be challenging. When the opportunities are so vast in our digital era, it is often easy to try to do everything, but focusing on those actions and initiatives which will drive the most impact is key. And maintaining a healthy work/life balance is essential to our well-being.
“Our business in Ireland remains a key pillar in our global growth and transformation strategy”
How did you navigate your business through the pandemic and what lessons did you learn?
Ultimately, the pandemic forced us to change the way we work – overnight. While uncomfortable for many leaders, trust in our people became paramount – trusting that they would continue to work as effectively at home as they do in the office. The circumstances of this forced change in behaviour were far from ideal, but a positive outcome was it has changed the way we think about work. Technology has enabled us to work anywhere, at any time. Ultimately, this has led to a marked increase in employee productivity and satisfaction at Avanade. Our people feel more empowered to make decisions, adapt their work lives around their personal lives and giving them more time outside of the daily commute to think creatively about how we can add more value to the work we do for our people, our clients, and our communities.
How has digital transformation been a factor in your scaling journey and do you believe Irish firms are utilising digital technologies sufficiently?
Our business in Ireland remains a key pillar in our global growth and transformation strategy. It continues to go from strength-to-strength by supporting Irish businesses to digitally transform during turbulent economic and political times. The exponential demand for our services is testament to our talented people, the unique partnership we have with Microsoft, and our ongoing commitment to do what matters.
Leading a diverse, talented, and ambitious team to deliver advisory services to our clients as we enter a new era is a great privilege. We have delivered some of the largest digital transformation programs in the country through periods of extreme uncertainty over the past five years, including the global pandemic. I am hugely proud of what we have collectively achieved, and I look forward to continuing our growth trajectory to further support the country’s economy, as well as recruiting local talent.
If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t change a thing. As I’ve mentioned, we learn from every experience we have, and that’s what shapes us as humans. I very much live by the ethos of “never have any regrets”. Everyone has ups and downs in life. Focus on the future, not the past. If I did something differently, I may not have had the same journey towards working in a job I love, meeting my wife and being blessed with two wonderful children.
Perhaps if I had to say one thing, I would have moved to Avanade sooner than I did. Our people, our culture and the values that we instil are what get me up in the morning.
Who inspires you in business today?
Three individuals that greatly inspire me are Satya Nadella for the direction in which he has pivoted Microsoft for exponential growth, which in turn has translated into growth for Avanade.
Anne Sheehan for the work she is doing leading Microsoft in Ireland. Her unique perspective on the industry, combined with her laser focus and drive to do what matters for clients are second to none.
And finally, our CEO Pam Maynard. She is an exceptional leader who is passionate about building a people-first culture for our employees while driving sustainable, responsible growth centred around client success. Pam also ties our purpose to the contributions we make to our communities and the planet.
What advice/guidance do you give new hires and how do you nurture talent in your organisation?
- Get stuck in … get involved …
- Learn, be inquisitive, ask the questions no-one else dares to ask
- Network, network, network – across all levels
- Understand where you add value to the organisation and yourself, where you feel in flow and aligned to do what matters to you and the organisation
What business books do you read or would recommend?
There are many great books that I have read over the years, and too many to list here, but one in particular that stands out for me is “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. It describes how companies transition from being good companies to great companies, and how most companies fail to make the transition. A must read, particularly in the world of unknowns we currently live in. I also enjoy biographies written by individuals from all walks of life. You can learn so much from others who have embarked on varied journeys to success (and failure!) and apply the learnings to your own professional and personal lives.
I enjoyed Michelle Obama’s biography “Becoming” which described a deeply personal experience about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House. A fascinating read!
“Generative AI will trigger massive waves of change which can redefine entire industries and unleash a new era of GDP growth. Generative AI puts the power of the technology into everyone’s hands”
What technologies/tools do you use personally to keep you on track?
To collaborate at work, I use Microsoft Outlook, OneNote and Teams. I am particularly looking forward to trying out the new Teams capabilities, which include minute taking! My phone – it not only keeps me productive in my work life, but helps me to optimise my health and wellbeing, which is so critical when we work in sedentary jobs.
What social media platforms do you prefer and why?
My social activity very much depends on who I am engaging with. For work, it is mainly LinkedIn, and Facebook and Instagram for my personal connections.
“Generative AI will trigger massive waves of change which can redefine entire industries and unleash a new era of GDP growth. Generative AI puts the power of the technology into everyone’s hands”
What are your thoughts on where technology overall is heading and how it will apply to business generally and your business particularly?
Generative AI will trigger massive waves of change which can redefine entire industries and unleash a new era of GDP growth. Generative AI puts the power of the technology into everyone’s hands. In the enterprise, that means everyone from front line workers to office staff to software developers to business leaders will be able to supercharge their roles with AI ‘copilots’ to do their jobs more effectively and easily.
AI will become as pervasive as the mobile phone and the Internet—and that kind of dramatic shift will require businesses to rethink how they can—and should—use AI within organisations.
We call this having an “AI-first mindset,” which is all about realizing that as AI becomes a natural part of every business process, organisations must consider not only how and where the technology can (and should) be used, but how it can also be done responsibly and ethically.
Avanade has been involved with OpenAI since it was first in private preview in 2021 with Microsoft. This advanced view has given Avanade the early experience needed to help our clients get a head start on where generative AI can help their organisations, their people, and their customers the most.
Avanade is helping many of our clients right now explore how generative AI can be used within their organisations to improve everything from customer service interactions to designing and developing new products and services.
From the very beginning, we’ve integrated early versions of generative AI tools into our own organisation. At Avanade, we use generative AI in a variety of business processes—everything from how we develop software to how we collaborate and go about our daily work and, most recently, how we engage in our sales process.
Generative AI isn’t about replacing people’s jobs, it’s about enhancing how people work and the work itself.
Finally, if you had advice for your 21-year-old self – knowing what you know now – what would it be?
The world is a small place! Be kind, be empathetic, treat everyone as equal, and never burn bridges. You never know when you may need the help of others. I would also say, it’s okay to fail … to get things wrong. Learn from your mistakes, dust yourself off and keep going.
