By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Conor Moules, Head of Sales, Bamboo.
Conor Moules, Head of Sales at Bamboo.
Gorey man Conor Moules honed his sales skills with a stint in Australia early in his career, before returning to Ireland to work his way up through a number of Business Development positions before joining Bamboo in 2019. The Bamboo app allows users to order coffees and lunch in advance from local cafes and restaurants, saving time and building in a rewards programme. With popular lunch spots like with popular names like Freshii, Bear Market, Chopped, Wowburger, Cocu, Tolteca and Rockets all on board in Dublin, the team are looking towards the UK and Europe for expansion.
What was your first job?
CK Signs and Display. Gavin and Colm–who have taken the company from a shed in Colm’s parent’s backyard to a large industrial unit–are great guys, hardworking and Gavin especially put time into helping me progress, which I appreciate looking back. That helping hand that was extended to me is something I always try to extend out to new hires or anybody who really needs it really. A little goes a long way.
What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
I am very lucky that I have found a career path that I love. Working my way from door-to-door sales to leading business development functions at a business intelligence (BI) company called Qlik that went on to be acquired for $3bn. Now heading up a sales function at Bamboo that has the potential to be a world leader, I have always luckily enough been involved with groups of people who were so determined to succeed that the only option was success, this is how I look at every problem. There is always a solution if you have the right mix of people who feel confident in sharing previous experience and new ideas with each other.
In three words or less, how do you define success?
Executing under pressure.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started”. Removing my ego from decision making was something that I learned pretty quickly at Qlik. I used to torture myself over my decision making at times. I was so desperate to make a good impression that if I made a mistake It would affect my mood and productivity. I had to learn to trust my decision making. I read The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters around that time and it made a huge difference to the way I did my job.
How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
When you have such a great group of people who believe in what we are trying to achieve, motivation is never really an issue. Personally, before a big meeting, I will have my earphones in and my playlist pumping usually Counting Crows or The Kings of Leon. I find leading from the front is the only way to truly motivate staff, pulling the sleeves up and getting stuck to help goes an awful long way to building a connection with a team mate that can be the difference between hitting or missing KPIs.
How do you relax?
I recently became a big fan of fishing. It is a complete change of pace from my day-to-day and regardless of catching anything, I always leave with a smile on my face and a clear mind. I also take my son Lenny to football every Saturday morning. It is consistently my favourite hour of the week. I will also try to get out for a date night with my partner Lisa once a week. I have struggled with the work/life balance at times and I think as I mature that is the main thing that I want to perfect.
What’s your motto?
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
To have sales functions on the ground in every major European city in the not-too-distant future. We have such a solid team and I think maintaining our culture as we scale will be something I am looking forward to the challenge of successfully executing.
