Carolan Lennon, managing director of Eircom Wholesale and Inspirefest 2015 speaker
As international leaders in science and technology descend on Dublin for the first ever sci-tech event of its kind on June 18 and 19, we speak to Carolan Lennon, managing director of Eircom Wholesale, about leadership and meaningful diversity.
Having studied science and maths in university, Carolan Lennon quickly realised that she wanted to get into the business and management side of tech. Having returned to college to study a full-time MBA, she soon found her calling when she joined the mobile telecoms industry at a time when it was in its infancy in Ireland. Today, bringing broadband to the masses is what keeps her awake at night.
Just last week, Eircom announced it was ratcheting up its high-speed fibre broadband rollout and that it will increase its footprint from a targeted 1.6m homes and businesses by 2016 to 1.9m across Ireland by 2020. The additional 300,000 homes and businesses are spread across 1,070 communities in all 26 counties, and include 300 communities not currently served with high-speed broadband.
Speeds of up to 1Gbps will be available through the use of ‘end-to-end’ fibre to the home (FTTH) technology. This expanded footprint means eircom will invest €400m in fibre over the next five years. The homes and businesses to be served are largely ribbon-style developments across rural Ireland in communities such as Fybagh, Co Kerry; Blacksod, Co Mayo; Goleen, Co Cork; Maam, Co Galway, and Ring, Co Waterford.
By her own admission, Lennon had a far from straightforward trajectory to the role she loves today, but she has some great advice for those looking to excel and climb the corporate ladder in tech and telecoms. Watch the full video interview below.
Carolan Lennon is a panelist in the leadership session of Inspirefest 2015 — Silicon Republic’s international event running 18-20 June in Dublin that connects sci-tech professionals passionate about the future of STEM with fresh perspectives on leadership, innovation and diversity.
