After leaving school, John Kelly began his career as an apprentice, spending seven years balancing study and work before earning the degree that ultimately led him to Suir Engineering, where he now serves as CEO.
Kelly joined Dave Burke on the latest episode of the Business Plus Talks podcast, produced in association with Philip Lee LLP, to discuss his route into the industry, leadership, and the importance of teamwork.
Starting out as a QS General apprentice, Kelly recalls a role that demanded flexibility and determination. As he puts it, “you were a general dog’s body, and you were running around after all the other quantity surveyors”.
Reflecting on those formative years, he explains: “It helps with the work ethic, and it helps you get used to the business from the bottom up, because you go in and there isn’t even a rung in front of you, not even the bottom rung, there isn’t even a ladder at first.”
Over the course of his career, Kelly worked with companies including Mercury Engineering and Imtech before taking on his current leadership role at Suir Engineering. Despite his success, he says the collaborative nature of the industry remains the most rewarding aspect of the job.
“I enjoy being part of a team, I’ve always liked team sports or teams in work and that’s why I like the industry, because you’re put in as part of this team, you have an objective, you deliver the objective at the end, and then the team gets slightly changed, and you go and do another project.
“It’s like leaving and starting a fresh every 18 months of your career.”
Originally from Liverpool, Kelly says his Irish heritage played a major role in his decision to relocate to Ireland. With both parents being Irish, he jokes that he used to frustrate his father by supporting England as a child.
His move to Ireland also highlighted cultural differences between the British and Irish approaches to social interaction.
“When I was working in London,” he says, “when a stranger spoke to you, you looked at him with suspicion, whereas here you’d probably engage in a life-long conversation and have a friend for life by the time you leave.”
Drawing on years of experience managing large teams and complex projects, Kelly believes leadership is less about individual brilliance and more about bringing people together.
“You don’t always have to be the most talented in the room; it’s more about how you can actually pull people together.”
Throughout the podcast, Kelly balances insights from his professional journey with stories from family life, encouraging listeners to appreciate success while learning to enjoy the present moment.
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