My Business Life: Susan Colman, De’Longhi

Susan Colman, head of Ireland at De’Longhi Group, shares her life and business lessons.

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

I had a keen interest in business and in particular Marketing and I went on to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree in UCC and from there I went to the USA on scholarship program and received my MBA in International marketing.

From there I began my career with Black and Decker in USA where I learned a huge amount and I was lucky I got to travel quite a lot within the role.

Upon my return to Ireland I started my journey with the De’Longhi Group and 2024 marks my 25th year working for the company.

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

During my time working on De’Longhi, Kenwood and Braun brands, I have had the pleasure to watch each brand grow in their own right in Ireland. When you have a love for the brands you represent and a belief in them it makes my job that little bit easier.

I love working across each aspect within in my role as Head of Ireland at De’Longhi Group. I especially love the variety each brand brings (De’Longhi, Kenwood and Braun).

I am very lucky to have a small but mighty team here in Ireland. With a great team and with our trade partners who understand our vision this has ultimately allowed us to grow significantly over the last 25 years in Ireland.

We are continuously championing new product development, with many first to market desirable products, we never stand still as a brand constantly changing and exciting the market with new innovations.

What are your growth plans?

We recently just launched our Kenwood Go collection to the Irish market. The focus is compact kitchen appliances to allow for smaller kitchens and spaces. This was an exciting launch which we collaborated with Una Leonard – 2210 Patisserie on social media content and an instore demonstration in Arnotts in our purpose built area.

Our 2025 plans are ambitious in a market that can be turbulent at times but we believe the consumer looks for quality products that will deliver that authentic experience. De’Longhi Kenwood and Braun brands continue to inspire new entrants to the market which allows us to deliver on our growth plans .

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

I am a people person. I love meeting different people across the board and my role within the De’Longhi Group allows me to do just that, as relationship building is key to bringing each brand to the next level with our trade partners.

I am very passionate about all of the brands I work with and I ensure every decision that is made is striving for success in each individual category. I enjoy coming up with new and innovative ways to do this.

Creativity would be a strong point for me, coming up with in store fits outs to creating marketing incentives for consumers.

What (or whom) has helped you most along the way? Who was your greatest mentor/inspiration. This is difficult to narrow down as there are too many to mention. However my parents from a young age were very focused on education and they really encouraged me every step of the way. Going to university and experiencing a new world, was thanks to my parents.

While studying for my MBA I met my now husband Aman who is an amazing mentor. We travelled a lot through America, South America and Asia. Aman opened my eyes to new cultures and new countries which nurtured my curiosity to do things differently, it has stood to me in business, follow your own path it rarely leads you astray.

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

Listen to your customers, feedback should be treated like a gem, as it’s information you can gather to use and improve your business potential. Feedback in generally given when someone wants you to achieve, listen carefully!

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

Preparation is key to success. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail. With any new product it is key to prepare to ensure everything runs smoothly. Working closely with trade partners and listening to them in terms of what works for each individual trade partner is vital for the success of a product.

Being consistent and reliable is key for good business to business relationships.

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

One of the most challenging aspects when I started with the business was understanding and learning about the retail landscape in Ireland.

Once I gained experience and knowledge  within the industry, it was vital for me to carve out new opportunities in this space and to do something different, to make a mark. Through working with our trade partners we have some really great shop fits, instore activations and more.

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

The pandemic was a very interesting time for the electrical industry while stores may have been closed for a period of time, online shopping exploded, everyone need a either a hand mixer for banana bread or a reliable coffee machine.

So during this time while working from home, it was an extremely busy time within the industry.

I think it taught us all , how important that human connection is and nothing beats the face to face meetings and the energy that it brings.

The pandemic taught us all that being able to adapt quickly to change.

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

The digital transformation has been a traffic help with everything we do. Being able to analyse your decisions and strategically plan your moves with the information that’s available through our reporting systems, is unmeasurable, saving us all time, information is so readily available now, we can be as agile as the market demands.

The whole digital landscape across social has also allowed us to reach our audience in a meaningful way.

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

To be more courageous. I felt the pressure many times over my career but you keep going and the rewards do come. I also believe that I wore my hats while building the business up and was slow to ask for help but you learn that not everything can be done all at once and asking for help makes you grow in confidence as you learn from others and it allows you focus on the more important things.

Who inspires you in business today?

I’ve huge admiration for so many Irish females entrepreneurs across various industries, who have been able to turn their passion and talents into a thriving business, such as Una Leonard, Aimee Connolly and Pippa O’ Connor.

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

I look for someone who can work independently and is creative, someone who isn’t afraid to try new things and new ways. Changing and challenging ourselves is key to improving.

When someone joins our team, it’s very exciting to see them be creative and flourish. I believe in being a good mentor to my team and offer advise and support along the way, but allowing the individual to make their own mark in their own way.

A team spirit and ethos is essential, it is absolutely key to high performance so that every individual will always be clear on the mission and we are all working towards that goal. Building trust with your team is key and not having to micro manage is essential.

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

Having a healthy lifestyle keeps me on track and I use my FitBit to measure my steps when I am out walking daily with the dogs.

I also use social media in two ways. I use my Instagram to connect with my friends and family. I also keep up to date on LinkedIn to watch what is happening in the market place and to engage with my peers and colleagues in other markets as this offers fantastic inspiration on activations we can achieve here in Ireland

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

Online retailing is growing year on year and in 2025 we will see new online platforms in our retail space. Being agile is key and having a USP in that online space will be essential, be that the quality of the information of the products you sell, the after sales service or time of delivery brands need to be transparent. That being said, nothing beats the shopping experience in-store.

Over the years we have built up our branded instore experiences to a level that engages and educates our consumers we are always looking for new ways to build in the self-service and educational aspect to our installations using touch screen technology here has being helpful for example the demo mode making all our high end coffee machines interactive in store.

We are excited to explore new and advanced ways of enhancing the consumer’s in-store experience. The products we bring to market are best in class using the most sophisticated one touch technology to deliver coffee shop quality at the touch of a button.

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

To be fearless. I truly believe when you set out your goals and not allow any obstacles to get you off track, the possibilities are limitless.

Main image at top: Susan Colman, head of Ireland at De’Longhi Group with the latest Kenwood brand ambassador Una Leonard

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