In the High Flyers spotlight this week is John-Paul McCorley, chief technology officer of multi award winning software company Obbi Solutions, which is the world’s first cloud-based system which integrates 10 key business areas on one platform.
What was your first job?
Working summers as a teenager in my father’s electronics business, assembling circuit boards, and helping my mum a few nights a week in her residential home. My first job outside of our family businesses was working in the bar and at functions in the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick.
How much were you paid?
Minimum wage, part-time hours - enough to keep my car running and afford a laptop and other gadgets! It allowed me to compose music, dabble in tech, and create websites in my spare time – the mid- to late-nineties were an interesting time!
What qualifications do you have?
Nine GCSEs, three A-Levels, BEng (hons) electrical & software engineering from Queen's University and an MBA from Ulster University.
What’s been the highlight of your career to date?
Launching an energy storage business with my father, Arbarr EST, it was a great buzz getting our first customers on board. Same for Obbi, with Gareth & Clodagh, each new contract is a highlight – with plenty of high fives and celebration around the office. I enjoy creating things that serve people, things that solve real problems for them and make their lives a bit easier, and some of the testimonials we have received from customers have really blown me away.
How would you describe yourself to someone who’d never met you?
Thoughtful, optimistic, pragmatic, creative, methodical, solutions oriented, hard-working, helpful, enthusiastic, and a learner.
Who do you look up to in business?
My mum and dad, for their work ethic. My dad for his creativity. My mum for her generous and helpful nature. I’m drawn to people with vision who make things happen, often against all odds and from nothing, people like the Macklin family, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Tom Bilyeu, and Ray Dalio.
What one thing would you change to make your job easier?
Access to finance. Traditional commercial banking facilities aren’t necessarily a fit for high technology businesses and sometimes lack nuanced operational understanding of those businesses – i.e. businesses that do not deal in bricks and mortar or physical product. The business model has to sustain those cash demands, which can be intense during high growth periods, requiring a strong emphasis on partnership, co-creation and creative thinking.
How do you get the best out of people who work for you?
At Obbi Solutions (www.obbisolutions.com) we have an amazing team, hand-picked for their can-do creative energy, which has undoubtedly enabled us to make such huge strides in the burgeoning technology sector in Northern Ireland. We are a close team and I believe that listening to them, supporting them, and clearly defining both yours and their expectations is paramount to success. Let people know what’s expected of them and when it is expected by, then give them the freedom to work towards that thing – whatever it is. Let them know they are a vital cog in the machine and why the machine exists.
What’s your greatest passion outside work and family?
Composing and performing music, entrepreneurship, and personal development.
What’s your favourite book?
It varies! In fiction His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman and The Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman. In non-Fiction is Mindset by Carol Dweck, Relentless by Tim Grover, and Principles by Ray Dalio.
What sort of car do you drive?
Citroen C3 Picasso.
Have you any unfulfilled ambitions?
I’d like to leverage my experience in technology and music to create something that helps people achieve and maintain mental health, something that helps them deal better with the obstacles that life throws at them.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?
Listen to advice, consider it, but make your own decisions. Take responsibility for yourself and the things that are in your control, be optimistic, there is no power in blaming outside influences or in being too self-critical. Surround yourself with great people who are where you want to be, model their behaviour. Don’t place value in being right or having the right answer, place value in learning and seeking the best solution.
If you could swap jobs with someone else for the day, who would it be and why?
Probably Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos - 25 years ago, 10 years ago and today. To get first-hand experience of how someone effectively manages such a range of interests and companies through the various phases of growth – to be a fly on the wall!
