By Olivia DeWan 
John Newell is Finance & Operations Director at Java Republic, Ireland’s leading coffee roaster and tea supplier. He oversees finance and operations, leading a team focused on delivering exceptional customer service and high-quality coffee and tea solutions across multiple channels.
What was your first job? My first job was at the local convenience store in Newcastle, Galway during school holidays, where I progressed from stacking shelves to being responsible for locking up. It was a very busy store that offered me a good grounding in the world of Retail and Customer Service. What are your main priorities and goals in your current role? My primary focus is on delivering long-term sustainable growth for Java Republic with a focus on our customers and colleagues at the core. People, Product & Performance are key pillars underpinning this goal, ensuring we combine coffee expertise, consistent execution and strong customer relationships as we grow. What pushed you to pursue a career in this field? A keen interest in numbers evolved into pursuing a career in Finance. Finding the right balance between challenge and support in a number of key Finance roles has supported me in being successful in my pursuit of operational excellence, particularly in a business where the end product and customer experience are so closely linked. How do you motivate yourself and your team? Motivation for me is driven by having a real purpose in what the team and I do on a day-to-day basis and delivering that purpose with real conviction. Motivation comes with clarity and alignment on what we are focused on, driven by meaningful engagements and clear communication, and a shared understanding of how our roles support our customers every day. In one sentence, how would you define success? Success for me is building an environment where colleagues are continually developing, while also driving a customer-centric business forward, consistently delivering quality and reliability to our customers. How do you relax? Spending some quality time with my wife Karen, daughter Sophia (4), and son Callum (3), and a 5 or 10km run along the local canal two or three times a week helps me stay balanced, usually followed by a good coffee! What is your favourite (non-business) book? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I studied it as part of Junior Cert English, and it has been a favourite of mine ever since. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Be part of the solution! It can often be too convenient to critique from above. How do you handle adversity? Setbacks will happen; it’s how we react that really counts. I approach challenges as opportunities to grow and develop, and to improve how we operate and support our customers. What are the aspirations for the future of the business? Java Republic recently celebrated 25 years in business. I aspire to help successfully guide the business through its next milestone. The next chapter promises to be a very exciting one with many opportunities and challenges ahead. I am focused on ensuring we remain agile and responsive to our customers, while continuing to build on our reputation for quality, consistency and strong partnerships, supported by an engaged and ever-developing team.
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