By Business & Finance 
Niamh Collins is Centre Director of the non-profit Guinness Enterprise Centre, Ireland’s largest start-up campus. Her career spans over 18 years, during which she has designed and managed accelerator programmes and overseen the operations of enterprise and innovation centres.
By Emma Montalbani
What was your first job?
Dunnes Stores from age 16 to 20 during my Leaving Cert and then college. I wore the original navy/white J-Cloth-style flared uniform dress with red shoes. I looked like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz!
I gained super experience dealing with the public, working with teams and multiple personalities, and managing money.
What are your main priorities and goals in your current role?
My main priority is to consistently deliver excellence across both the GEC’s physical workspace environment and the comprehensive suite of business supports that surround it, ensuring that the GEC continues to operate as Ireland’s largest start-up campus.
This year, the GEC marks 25 years in operation with a programme of celebratory initiatives, including the publication and launch of our 25-Year Impact Report.
What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?
I didn’t look for a career in the startup ecosystem: an opportunity came my way with the DCU Ryan Academy running their accelerator programmes, which progressed into a chief operations officer role.
I gained great experience running the centre, and that led me to Nova UCD as director of their AgTech Centre.
My previous experience has provided a strong foundation and prepared me for my Centre Director role in the Guinness Enterprise Centre.
Each opportunity allowed me to work with amazing startup founders and be part of their journey, which I have huge admiration for.
How do you motivate yourself and your team?
I motivate myself and my team by bringing them fully into the journey of the work – not just the tasks, but the purpose behind them.
I believe people are most engaged when they understand the bigger picture, so I prioritise keeping the team informed, aligned and connected to our goals.
I involve them in the decision-making process wherever appropriate, creating space for contribution, ownership and shared accountability. This builds trust and strengthens commitment.
I am also a strong believer in learning by doing. I encourage the team to take responsibility, try new approaches and develop through experience. My role is to advise, guide and provide perspective and then watch the magic happen.
In one sentence, how would you define success?
Personal success is doing what matters to me, making progress I’m proud of, and feeling good about how I got there.
Similar can be said for business success, but add in the layers of targeted KPIs, achieving clear strategic goals via strong financial performance, meaningful customer value add, and a motivated, high-performing team.
How do you relax?
I’m a very family and friend-oriented person, so with a busy work life Monday to Friday, I like to meet my family and friends, go for meals, coffees and walks. I also like to travel; I rarely go to the same place twice.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Writing it down means you’re going to do it – bad ink is better than a good memory.”
Also, trusting your gut rarely lets you down.
How do you handle adversity?
By staying calm and solutions-focused, taking time to assess the facts objectively, and then identifying what I can control. If there’s a problem, there’s usually a solution. I treat challenges as opportunities.
What are the aspirations for the future of the business?
My aspiration for the future of the GEC is to continue evolving as a leading enterprise hub, supporting start-ups to scale globally, drive innovation, collaborate nationally and internationally, and maintain sustainable growth within Ireland’s start-up and scaling ecosystem.
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