By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Enda Casey, Managing Director of Paragon Customer Communications Ireland
Enda Casey is Managing Director of Paragon Customer Communications Ireland, the UK & Ireland’s leading provider of omnichannel services for marketing, transactional, operational and workplace solutions. Paragon help clients transform the way they connect with their customers, combining generations of experience with the latest innovations in technology and smart data to enable responsive and meaningful interactions between organizations and their customers. Enda has a rich background leading teams in delivering technology led solutions and has over 30 years’ senior management experience in sales, operations & technology solutions.
What was your first job?
My first part-time job was in the early 80’s with Switzer’s department store while I was at school and during college. I worked in the men’s shoes department and received some great training on sales targets, how to look after the customer and how to upsell by recommending shoe care products with each sale. My first full-time job was as a field service engineer with the multinational office equipment company Gestetner. This role was very interesting as I visited many different organisations from financial institutions to manufacturing companies and everything in between and gained a great understanding into how different businesses operated.
What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
When I took the decision in 1996 to leave my job with Gestetner and start my first business. The first few years were difficult and we came close to failing on a few occasions as we struggled to manage cash flow during our growth. Despite a challenging start, this business grew and generated funding to start a number of other businesses.
In three words or less, how do you define success?
Enjoying your work.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Never give up.” In my early days in business when things were not going to plan I had some great encouragement from a small network who kept reminding me never to give up. I have found over the years that you often innovate and get your best ideas when you are under some pressure and forced to find solutions.
How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
Work on the culture and create a happy, respectful, positive working environment and have a bit of fun. Be inclusive, share information and have good two-way communication at all levels where team members know that they are being listened to. Uncover each person’s strength and work with them to ensure they are in a role where they can contribute and feel valued.
How do you relax?
I am a keen outdoor enthusiast and look forward to getting up very early at the weekend for a long cycle, a hike along the coast or on one of our many mountain trails. I also have a particular interest in visiting islands off Ireland and I am slowly managing to visit all of them. I enjoy exploring and staying overnight and learning about the history of the Island
What’s your motto?
Never give up.
What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
To continue to evolve and be relevant to our customer’s needs now and in the future by continuing the growth of our digital service offerings. Having recently completed a multimillion euro investment in our Irish business, we are now positioned for growth within the Irish market. We are also well positioned to support our strategy of delivering in-country services to a European customer base, especially within sectors such as Wealth and Asset Management and other regulated industries.
