By Business & Finance 
Alan Browne is the co-founder & CEO of Soarvo, a cloud-based platform that transforms drone and survey data into interactive 3D maps, enabling professionals to analyse, manage, and share geospatial information with ease.
By Héloïse Chaudot
What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?
Like a lot of people, I fell into this field rather than choosing it. However, I quickly realised how much I enjoyed the combination of technology and problem-solving. What really hooked me was seeing how technology could make a real difference in people’s lives, whether that was helping them do their jobs more easily, saving time, or giving them insights they didn’t have before. That practical, real-world impact of innovation is what kept me here and gave me a real sense of purpose.
What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
Without doubt, it’s been building KOREC. Of course, I’m proud of the financial success and growth, but what really stands out is seeing so many colleagues come in, grow in confidence and skill, take on new responsibilities, and build careers of their own. It’s one thing to build a profitable business, but creating an environment where people can succeed and thrive is the real achievement for me.
Career-wise, would you do anything differently?
Looking back, I think when I was younger, I probably tried to do too many things on my own. I felt the need to prove myself by doing everything, which in hindsight wasn’t always the best approach. I should have reached out more, partnered more, and leaned into collaboration earlier. Success comes quicker and often more easily when you bring people along with you. It took me a while to really understand the power of that.
In one sentence, how would you define success?
Success is knowing you have given yourself every possible chance to win. You’re not always going to come first, but if you’ve put in the effort and positioned yourself well, you’ll always be in contention. That’s what really matters.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice I’ve had is to never, ever give up on your dreams. You won’t always get there by the route you first planned; life has a way of throwing you detours, but if you stay committed and keep going, you’ll eventually find a way through. That’s been a guiding principle for me, and something I’ve leaned on many times when things weren’t straightforward.
How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
I find that motivation comes from having something new to aim for. I always try to set fresh challenges for myself and the team so there’s a sense of progress and purpose. It’s also about accountability. Holding each other to account keeps standards high and makes the wins feel shared. Motivation isn’t about big speeches; it’s about creating an environment where everyone knows what they’re working towards and feels part of it.
How do you handle adversity?
For me, the best way to handle adversity is to face it head-on. Avoiding it only makes it bigger. As a leader, tough times are when people look to you most, so you’ve got to step up and show you’re prepared to take on responsibility. It’s not always comfortable, but I’ve found that leaning into adversity often uncovers strengths you didn’t know you had and teaches you lessons you wouldn’t learn any other way.
How do you relax?
Running has always been my way of switching off and resetting. I love being outdoors, whatever the weather, with no headphones or distractions. It’s time away from the noise, where I can think or not think at all. I’ve never once finished a run and regretted it; it always leaves me in a better place mentally and physically.
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