My Business Life: Carmel Owens, GlobalLogic

Carmel Owens, CEO of Sidero, a GlobalLogic company, shares her life and her business lessons.

Led by CEO Carmel Owens and founded in Athlone in 2013, the business employs 230 people.

Its experience design and engineering teams based in Athlone and Newry, Northern Ireland, facilitate the creation of innovative solutions that will directly benefit GlobalLogic’s current and future clients.

Last year Hitachi subsidiary GlobalLogic entered into an agreement to Sidero for an undisclosed sum. This week (10 April 2024) Sidero announced its merger completion and will operate as GlobalLogic (a Hitachi Group Company) in Ireland. This merger expands GlobalLogic’s European footprint and positions the company as a leader in the Irish tech market.

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

I have over 20 years’ experience in the technology industry, having held senior executive roles with leading indigenous and multinational technology players, including SQS (Expleo), Version 1, Dell EMC, and Sungard Availability Services. I see a pattern throughout my career of being attracted to companies that are growing.

My experience of growing businesses dates back to my time as a founding member and Sales Director of Irish IT distributor Commtech, where I, along with my brother, drove early growth for the company which was ultimately acquired by US firm Arrow Electronics in 2017. Previously holding head of sales roles for regions across EMEA, I also have experience in expanding business footprints into new markets.

I graduated from Dublin City University with a BSc in Computer Applications but I quickly moved from the deep engineering side of things to focus more on engaging with customers.

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

GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company and digital engineering leader. We help businesses across the globe to design and build products and platforms for the modern world by integrating experience design, engineering, and data expertise.

We have design studios and engineering centres around the world, servicing enterprises in the automotive, communications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, and technology industries.

In Ireland, GlobalLogic plans to drive growth in the life sciences and MedTech sectors amid a rise in demand for these types of technologies. As the use of AI in technology continues to accelerate, we will build on our expertise in the AI space to deliver innovative solutions and services and meet the evolving needs of our customers.

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

I joined software and cloud specialist Sidero as CEO in 2020 and helped to drive the continued growth of the business to ultimately spearhead the acquisition by GlobalLogic last year. GlobalLogic itself was acquired by Hitachi in 2021, and we are excited to be part of Hitachi’s growth strategy in Ireland and the expansion of its European presence. Some 15 of GlobalLogic’s top 50 customers have a presence in Ireland and our combined strengths are bringing differentiated capabilities to our respective customer bases. The deal is enabling us to provide increased value to our customers in Ireland and globally, and build on our capabilities in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, and the public sector.

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

I believe I have energy and drive and a passion for growth – both within the business and within our teams. I have extensive experience with leading high-performing teams and have taken learnings from my previous roles with leading multinationals. I’m an advocate for always pushing forward.

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

I’m lucky enough to have had several mentors over the years. Shane Craddock has a wealth of knowledge and is someone that I admire hugely in business. He heads up a support network for CEOs and business owners and his book, The Inner CEO, is a fantastic tool for decision makers in business.

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

Don’t give up. Have a break or a rest if you need to, but dust yourself down and keep going. Sometimes the difference between success and failure can be one last try.

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

A bit of luck is always important in business, whether it’s that first customer, that first sale, or meeting the right people. As the saying goes: the harder you work, the luckier you are. More seriously, though, the ability to remain resilient is crucial. The tech sector is unpredictable, and change is the only constant. You can’t see around corners, so you need to be able to react quickly (without over-reacting). I find the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) concept a good basis and useful tool to understand, navigate, and prepare as much as possible for the ever-changing business landscape.

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

Engaging potential customers has undoubtedly been the most challenging part of growing the business – particularly in the digital age. It’s difficult to get the attention of the right people in a time where they’re constantly targeted digitally via email, LinkedIn, etc. As a seller, it’s difficult to cut through that noise.

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

We were relatively lucky – we didn’t see a drop in productivity and, in fact, were busier than ever as organisations scaled up their digital transformation strategies. However, I was always conscious to encourage collaboration (albeit remotely) as much as possible to keep that sense of team and common purpose front of mind while employees were dispersed. Showing appreciation for a job well done is so important in the decentralised workplace. Nonetheless, we learned that there’s no replacement for real human connection.

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

Digital transformation has been a major driver in our growth, particularly from a customer point of view. Customer demand has driven our scale – much of this has been in the telecoms industry, but it’s also evident within our broader customer base. We deliver solutions that drive and maximise efficiencies for our customers.

However, I don’t believe that Irish business are, in the main, maximising digital technologies. There is certainly a move towards it, especially with the proliferation of AI tools and processes over the past couple of years, but in many cases, companies may not have access to the necessary resources or budgets to sufficiently scale up their digital strategies.

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

I wouldn’t have been so afraid to stick my head above the parapet early on in my career. It’s so important to be visible and put your hand up. I also would have been less afraid to make mistakes – nobody minds if you make an honest mistake and it’s all part of the learning process.

Who inspires you in business today?  

I really admire leaders who use technology to support social inclusion. For example, Iseult Ward of FoodCloud is doing incredible work in combatting food waste while simultaneously supporting charities and communities experiencing food insecurity.

Sandra Healy of Inclusio is also using technology to drive meaningful change across diversity and inclusion within organisations. A diverse and balanced workforce is an imperative link in the chain of success in modern business.

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

I try to ensure that everyone within the organisation (and particularly new hires) knows that we’re all here to help and support each other however we can – but I truly believe that ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own careers and it’s important to encourage that mindset. It’s crucial to make yourself visible and put yourself on the radar while, at the same time, knowing your own worth.

We run a graduate programme to nurture talent emerging from local third-level institutions including the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), the University of Galway (formerly NUIG) and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). We believe our midlands base offers key advantages for hiring and retaining quality talent.

We also recognise the value of a diverse and balanced workforce – we pride ourselves on having a team of 26 nationalities and we actively encourage more women into engineering roles. I believe that people are the engine of any organisation, and I aim to ensure that GlobalLogic fuels this engine with trust and compassion by creating an inclusive, safe, and empowering environment for all.

What business books do you read or would recommend?

I’m a fan of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – I’ll admit that I don’t always live it, but it’s a great guide to dip in and out of. I would also recommend Rebel Ideas, which provides great insights into diversity of thought and how it can aid performance.

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

I always have the usuals such as my phone and tablet, but I’ve recently discovered AirTags to keep track of things like my keys and purse – game-changing!

What social media platforms do you prefer and why?

I’m guilty of ‘doom scrolling’ on Instagram to switch off and can easily lose hours looking at content on homes and interiors. I also find that YouTube is fantastic for practical things such as tutorials on how to change the oil in a car.

From a business perspective, LinkedIn is so important to connect with customers in a meaningful way.

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

The growth of cloud and cloud providers has been phenomenal, while investment in AI is huge and getting bigger. From GlobalLogic’s perspective, the AI trajectory is currently massive for us, and its applications are seemingly endless. For example, AI in MedTech is fascinating and can be used to collate or analyse data, review scans, help to diagnose illnesses, provide better access to healthcare, and much more.

AI isn’t something to be afraid of – jobs are undoubtedly going to change, but I believe it will be for the better and the benefits will outweigh the negatives.

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

Go for it! There’s so little to lose at that stage in life.

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