Remembering Brian

I met Brian Conlon for the first time on this day 10 years ago – imagine that - the 5th of August 2009. Christ, where does the time go?

I had joined First Derivatives as part of its inaugural graduate program the previous day – the legendary Options Class of 09 (pictured above) – with corkscrew curls down to my shoulders, two of my Da’s old suits and only a faint notion of the incredible platform for professional growth that was being laid out ahead of me.

There were just 150 staff at that time and it was clear that Brian took incredible pride in operating the business like a small family office, something that I’m glad to say hasn’t changed even today with over 2400 colleagues. FD is a people company and our people continue to be our greatest asset.

Brian took immense pride in lots of things: dress code, work ethic, continuous improvement and continuous training – he was never one to rest on his laurels. Loyalty, trust and honesty meant everything to him and he absolutely hated surprises – even good surprises!

The true genius of Brian Conlon was his ability to see potential in others. He put wind in our sails even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. He pushed us to our limits when things were going well and was the first to put an arm around you when projects or programs were going sideways. He rewarded calculated risks, despised bureaucracy (even today applying for a job at FD takes less than a minute) and believed in meritocracy at all times: “Let the results do the talking. There is no room for spoofers and no time for suffering fools” he would say.

I was very fortunate to spend 3 years (2014-2016) working very closely with Brian in Newry and living in the same small town of Carlingford before relocating to New York to manage FD’s North American operations. During that time we developed a close personal relationship that centered around family (minding baby Fionn), art (he liked Chagall but not Miro), classical music (the jury was still out on Wagner), war history (he was a walking encyclopedia) and cycling. I’ll always remember those years fondly.

Last month I met with Brian in Carlingford while back in Ireland on a short visit. I told him I was proud of him for the momentous positive impact he has had on so many individuals and everything he has done for Newry and Northern Ireland.

Brian – your spirit lives on in your colleagues, family and friends. Your pride, passion and vision will not be forgotten and now, more than ever, we’ll keep our shoulder to the wheel for you.

Thank you Big Man – ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis