By Business & Finance 
Ken Ryan has been with Qualcom for over 20 years. Ryan works closely with businesses in the public and private sectors to deliver technology solutions that make their lives easier and more secure.
By Héloïse Chaudot
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
My main goal is to keep customers’ data protected 24/7 with ultra-secure managed IT services, while ensuring a strong customer service culture within the business. Aside from that, developing an inclusive and empowering internal culture for our team is paramount.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
A major challenge is differentiating the business in a crowded market. As the technology landscape continues to shift, we are also looking at how we implement artificial intelligence within Qualcom – both internally and across services for customers.
How do you keep your team/staff motivated?
I believe that constant communication around the business direction and performance with our team is vital. Alongside this, reward and recognition schemes help us to create an environment where people feel valued, as well as social days such as Pizza Fridays and our Summer BBQ. Training and development are also a big part of this environment, and we encourage continuous learning, achieving accreditations, and providing and receiving mentoring.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
AI will pose challenges – as well as opportunities – to the industry as a whole going forward. “Memory pricing” is currently a big issue as the AI surge is already leading to a global shortage of memory chips and, in turn, significant price hikes. Growing cyber threats are also causing continuous concern as they evolve faster than organisations are able to keep up with.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
Cybersecurity and the advancement of cyber tools for both attackers and defenders continue to be a major trend. As well as this, compliance with industry standards and regulations such as NIS2 and DORA is becoming a focus for an increasing number of organisations. And, of course, how we use AI to deliver a better, faster, and more efficient service to customers is a key focus across the board.
Are there any major changes you would like to see in your sector?
As a sector, we need to be seen as business risk partners – not just IT support – and this, in turn, will help organisations to properly invest in cybersecurity. There are still businesses that do not see the value in security services and feel they will never be targeted by cybercriminals.
As an employer, are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
Rather than skills gaps alone, we’re finding that there’s an overall shortage of talent within the IT industry. We believe that the competitive skills are there, but it’s the shallow talent pool that poses the bigger challenge.
How did your strategy develop in the context of the banking crisis and economic crisis?
The reality is that we cut back – we had to reduce salaries, pare back operating costs, and cut costs for customers. Essentially, we weathered the storm, which was the only thing we could do at the time. It was a different scenario from the COVID-19 pandemic, where we were able to pivot our service offering as businesses adapted to new ways of working.
How do you define success, and what drives you to succeed?
To me, success is a customer who is willing to refer or recommend Qualcom to other businesses. We are driven by our appetite to deliver the very best technical solutions and the most proactive support to our customers.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given in business?
Manage your cash – cash is king!
What advice would you give to others starting in business?
I would advise examining how the business will generate revenue to cover the cost of actually running the business. Have a realistic three-year plan that is achievable. Be sensible with your spending and investments, and get expert financial advice if needed.
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
Last year, we announced that we expect to grow our revenues to €18 million by the end of 2027, representing approximately 10% year-on-year growth for the business. We also invested €250,000 to support the continued expansion of our team and enhance facilities at our Dublin headquarters.
In addition, in early 2026, we launched our new AI practice, which will support secure AI adoption for our customers. We were also thrilled to celebrate 30 years in business in 2025.
What’s next for your company?
We will continue to develop our AI and cybersecurity service offerings and build on our strategic investments. We are also open to acquiring the right business that will help to equip the company for continued growth.
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
Ultimately, we want new customers to come to us, so we will continue to build on our brand awareness and on enhancing and evolving our service offering in line with changing customer requirements. We also plan to have firmly embedded our own internal AI platforms within the business to ensure that we can provide businesses with streamlined solutions that meet their needs.
What is the best book you’ve ever read (non-business) and why?
Dumb Luck and the Kindness of Strangers – a wonderful book by the award-winning sports writer John Gierach. He captures the beauty of Colorado while also letting us see the kindness of people.
What is your favourite hobby and why?
I have a passion for the outdoors – I’m usually at my happiest when out on Lough Corrib or Lough Derg with a fishing rod and no distractions.
What is your mantra for life?
Make the most of every day – you never know what’s around the corner.
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