By Business & Finance 
Mark O’Rourke, Managing Director, Bibby Financial Services Ireland
Mark O’Rourke, Managing Director, Bibby Financial Services Ireland, takes on the Business & Finance 60-second interview challenge.
Q. What was your first job? Working in an amusement arcade in Wildwood, New Jersey. I say job but I was on a J-1 visa so I had a lot of fun, too. Q. What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date? From a career perspective, being appointed Head of Business for Bibby Financial Services Ireland in 2017 was a real high point for me. I joined the business in 2006, so being part of Bibby’s growth, gaining invaluable experience in various roles along the way and now leading the Irish entity, it has been an amazing journey. At Bibby Financial Services Ireland, we take time to find out about all aspects of the companies we work with, the challenges they face and what their long-term goals and ambitions are. It’s a great source of pride for us when we see these companies grow in confidence and expertise and particularly when they expand and begin working on an international scale. From a personal viewpoint, I am the proud father of four young boys – although I share that achievement with my wife! Q. In three words or less, how do you define success? Health and family. Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The person in question wasn’t actually giving me advice but they taught me a great lesson. Around ten years ago I went into a meeting with a preconceived notion of how it was going to go. It didn’t go as I had planned and I felt like a fool at the end of it. I carry that meeting with me to this day and ensure I always prepare for all eventualities. Fail to prepare – prepare to fail. Q. How do you motivate yourself and your staff? I always talk in terms of ‘we’ and ‘our’. This is our business and they aren’t staff or employees, they are colleagues. It is very important that people feel part of where they work and that they can share in any success. Q. If you could step into the shoes of one business person for a day, who would it be and why? The people I most look up to are not well-known national or international business people. They have, however, had and continue to have an influence on me. I’d like to step into their shoes to see what else I can extrapolate from them! Q. How do you relax? I get great enjoyment watching my sons take part in their various sports. They are young enough that their leagues are non-competitive so it’s all about enjoyment. Q. What’s your motto? Not sure it’s a motto but I do recognise that I don’t know it all and I am not afraid to reach out for assistance. Q. What are your aspirations for the future of the business? We’re aware that there are many challenges for SMEs, particularly when it comes to cash flow and this is where we feel we can assist businesses. At Bibby Financial Services Ireland, we want to help businesses thrive and grow in domestic and international markets by providing a range of financial solutions which will help with cash flow. Our goal is for Bibby Financial Services Ireland to continue offering Irish SMEs a viable alternative to traditional lending options, broadening the products available to them and playing our part in helping them to succeed. SMEs are the lifeblood of the Irish economy and need continual backing and support. We will also strive to give our team the right environment and tools to deliver excellence and quality to our clients.
This is our business and they aren’t staff or employees, they are colleagues. It is very important that people feel part of where they work and that they can share in any success.
Bibby Financial Services Ireland is an independent invoice finance partner for small-to-medium-sized businesses. The firm is the largest independent invoice finance company and a trusted financial services partner to over 10,000 businesses globally. A funding provider with a truly global footprint, it forms a key part of the Bibby Line Group (BLG), which was originally founded by entrepreneur John Bibby in 1807. Building on this 200-year heritage, the group is today involved in a range of sectors including transportation, logistics and a range of other business services.
