“Learn from others, listen and take advice, but always be your own person” – 60 seconds with John O’Keeffe, CEO of ePower

What was your first job?

Stacking shelves in Roches Stores on Patrick St earned me my first ‘own’ money. I joined Smurfit Kappa’s graduate recruitment programme straight from UCC. It was a pretty steep learning curve, they immediately threw us into the management deep end with customers, manufacturing and decision making.

What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?

No push required. I feel really lucky to be involved in ePower and EV charging. It is the first time in over 100 years that everyday transportation is being transformed, and to be part of the move to green energy is exciting, challenging and a privilege. I get ridiculously excited by what we are doing and the social, political and economic tailwinds are great for the business.

What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?

I was lucky enough to develop a couple of teams that went on to build industry leading businesses. The team work, common purpose and knowing you are working with great people is very satisfying. After that, the rest takes care of itself.

Career wise, would you do anything differently?

Not yet! Seriously, though, everything about my career to date now informs how I run and grow the business, develop and motivate my staff and create a real impact in the industry.

In one sentence, how would you define success?

Getting the balance right and remembering that a win is a win. Small or large milestones; they all have something to teach us as we move continuously forward.