Employee Airtime: Get to know EMEA's Director of Enterprise Sales, Ryan O'Holleran

Get to know EMEA's Director of Enterprise Sales, Ryan O'Holleran, Europe's first commercial Enterprise Sales hire.

What is an interesting fact about yourself? 

I moved to London a week before the first COVID lockdown so my entire experience in the UK has been in and out of lockdowns (the photo below is a pretty good representation of that). That being said, I’m still very much enjoying living here and the opportunities I’ve had to meet new people and travel to exotic places.

A snowy winter's day in London!

What motivated you to join Airwallex?

I can honestly say it’s the people. Airwallex has such a diverse group of individuals scattered across the globe that it not only creates a collaborative work environment, but also provides a very unique set of viewpoints.

Working at a company that is international by nature allows for you to gather different perspectives you might not otherwise have worked somewhere that is siloed to a single location.

What’s the best thing about working at Airwallex?

One of the best things about working at Airwallex is the diversity of our customers. You might have a call in the morning with a company that’s helping local Scottish fishermen sell their inventory online and by the afternoon you’re working with a multi-billion dollar software company expanding into APAC. 

What has surprised you the most about Airwallex?

The biggest surprise I had was with regards to the openness and willingness of team members to help you succeed. There have been multiple instances where my team has been working on a complex problem and a colleague from Singapore or Australia has jumped in to provide their input since they faced a similar situation.

What’s your one biggest career lesson? 

Surround yourself with people who will make you a better person. This was also a big part of the reason why I joined Airwallex. I find that there are a ton of opportunities to take ownership of products or solve complex problems, but also receive guidance and mentorship from leaders within the company.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?

The biggest misconception with sales, in general, is that sales just wants to get a contract signed and move on. The most successful individuals I’ve worked with build long-lasting relationships with their customers and are experts in their domain. 

The success of our business is based on the success of our customers. If our customers are not growing and successful, then Airwallex will not be able to grow and be successful. This is why we have ongoing relationships with all of our customers and continue to invest in their long term growth.

What do you do for fun outside of work? 

My two favourite hobbies are travelling and hiking. A few years ago my fiancé and I received our scuba certification which was a bucket list item for me. I was able to swim with sharks and did a bit of cave diving in Belize as well.

When I’m not spending time in the ocean I love to go on hikes. This past year (and in between lockdowns) I had the opportunity to visit a few trails in the Scottish Highlands which had breathtaking views.

Scuba diving in Belize with my fiancé, Katie!

What does your morning routine look like? 

I’m definitely more of a morning person rather than a night owl. I feel like I can get my best work done as soon as I wake up and want to make sure I am optimising for when I’m at my peak.

My standard routine is to wake up, work out, have a coffee, and then immediately dive into my tasks for the day.

Everyone operates in a slightly different way and I think it’s important to have an understanding of how you operate at your best. Once you figure that out, take advantage of it and focus on your most critical tasks during this time.

What does success look like to you? 

For me, success equals happiness - and happiness is a byproduct of achieving your goals.

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