High-Flyers in STEM

The job you prepare for today may not exist in the same form ten years from now. So, what should people learn, and what should employers provide, when the future of work keeps moving?
In the opening episode of The Tomorrow People, host Deirdre Finnerty speaks with two leaders from Fidelity Investments: Lorna Martyn, CIO, Corporate Services Technology, and John Ruane, Ireland Site Lead and VP, Operations & Services Group.
Lorna has spent thirty-five years in technology and twenty-two at Fidelity, from graduate software engineer to the C-suite. In that time, she has watched entry-level demand pause at four separate moments of major technological change: mainframes, distributed computing, the internet, and now AI. Her reading of the present moment is that it is another inflection point rather than an ending.
"At every one of those pivots the same concerns and anxiety came in, are my skills going to be redundant, are the jobs going to be redundant? And at every single one of those steps, the market expanded."
John trained as an accountant, joined Fidelity in 2009 and was Chief Financial Officer for the Ireland region before moving into business operations, a function he has now led for eleven years. He sees the same shift from the other side of the hiring desk: the routine work that once taught people their trade is increasingly automated, and that changes how quickly people have to learn.
"Traditionally, you learned your domain by doing. You started with the simple tasks, became expert at that, moved on, and built it up over years. The pace at which we need to learn that is much quicker now, because those simple tasks are in a lot of cases automated."
Between them they give a specific answer to what makes a graduate stand out now. Lorna's advice is practical: go back to the employers who gave you an internship, put your projects somewhere an employer can see them, and make sure your CV speaks to what you are learning independently. She graduated in 1991, when perhaps half her class was employed straight out of college and others took six to twelve months, and she sees little difference in what is happening now. John's test is the appetite to learn: companies, he says, are less focused on what you know and more on how you apply it.
Lorna is also one of Ireland's most consistent advocates for female representation in technology, and she explains why with her own start rather than a statistic. She came out of the University of Limerick as a computer systems graduate into a Bank of Ireland programme of twelve graduates, six women and six men, in an industry so young in Ireland that nobody was counting.
"When I started my career, I wasn't even aware that there was a lack of female representation, because it was a very different time. I really want everyone to have the experience I had early in my career, where you didn't have to worry about advocating for females or indeed for males. It just happened."
Fidelity has since begun a research project with Dublin City University to establish which STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) interventions would be most effective, from primary school through to mid-career development, and to share those findings with the wider industry.
John brings the conversation down to daily habits. For him, allyship is about action rather than talk, and about making sure other people get the chance to use their voice. His most practical point is one every manager will recognise: the tendency to keep going back to the same reliable people, when someone else could also be considered for the opportunity and has the skill set.
He also tells the story of a plan that fell through. John was due to build a finance centre of excellence in Ireland until the decision was made to locate it elsewhere. His boss told him to take a couple of days. What followed was a feasibility study for business operations in Ireland, then a team to build, and then a team to lead.
"It's been the most rewarding role I've had. And it started from what at the time felt like a massive setback."
Episode highlights:
•   Why entry-level hiring has paused at every major technology shift Lorna has lived through, and expanded again every time
•   How automation is removing the simple tasks people once learned on, and why John now looks for the appetite to learn when he reads a CV
•   Why female representation in technology matters to Lorna, and the research programme Fidelity has begun to find out which STEM interventions would be most effective
•   The specific things graduates can do right now to make their potential visible
•   Why John sees allyship as action, not talk, and the habit every manager needs to break
•   Whether the four-year degree still holds up, and how apprenticeships, scholar programmes and career changers widen the gate
•   What John learned when he stopped being "the expert"
•   The plan that fell apart and led John to the most rewarding work of his career, and why Lorna says some of her best moves were sideways
A practical, thought-provoking conversation for anyone starting out, changing direction, leading others, or shaping the workforce of tomorrow.
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs.
For more updates, follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting job opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths): Permanent Job Opportunities and Contracting Job Opportunities.

A start-up will hand you a variety of experiences you would wait ten years for in a multinational. It will also hand you uncertainty. 
In this episode of The Tomorrow People, host Deirdre Finnerty speaks with two leaders from ProVerum: Gordon Crowley, Chief Operating Officer, who has spent close to thirty years in medical devices across MedNova, Abbott and Novate, and is now part of a business whose ProVee device, for the treatment of BPH, gained FDA approval last year and is selling in the United States; and Amy Murr, who arrived from Australia this year with twenty years in HR behind her and is helping to build ProVerum’s team across Galway, Dublin and the US. 
Gordon is even-handed about the two environments. 
“If a large company gives you systems and frameworks, a small company gives you first-principles thinking. There’s no SOP, no manual, no divisional subcommittee to escalate to. You’re driving the train and laying the tracks at the same time.” 
His advice is to do both, in order. Build the technical foundation somewhere you can see what good looks like, then take it somewhere you can actually influence. 
On AI, he makes an argument you will not hear often: the anxiety is justified, but aimed at the wrong target. 
“In the medical device industry, AI isn’t going to replace human judgment. And it isn’t going to, because the regulatory framework won’t allow it. You need, as a company, to explain and defend your output.” 
The risk, in his view, is not the tool. It is the guardrails placed around it, and whether a qualified person still owns the outcome. 
Amy brings the people half of the same argument. On culture, she is clear that if you are not deliberate a culture will form anyway, and it might not be the one you wanted to build. On the mistake early-career people make, it is waiting to be told what to do. And on hybrid working, her focus is on output rather than optics. Good leaders, as she puts it, don’t manage visibility. 
Episode highlights: 
What start-ups and multinationals each offer at different stages of an engineering career 
How skills in design, process validation, manufacturing and quality support a growing medtech business 
Why specialist contracting can be a deliberate strategic choice at key development stages, rather than a workaround 
How initiative, thoughtful questions and evidence of real project work help candidates stand out 
Why AI can’t take the judgment out of a regulated industry, no matter how fast the work gets 
Why mentoring, relationships and purposeful time on site still matter for learning 
A grounded conversation for anyone building a career in medical devices, or building the team behind one. 
🎧 Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts: [EPISODE LINK] 
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs. 
For more updates, follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting job opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths): Permanent Job Opportunities and Contracting Job Opportunities.

In this episode of High-Flyers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s)  #GreatnessHasNoGender, Deirdre Finnerty sits down with Adriana Vindas, Senior Director of Operations, and Mary McGrath, Program Manager, Packaging Sustainability at Coca Cola, a global leader in beverages, known for its incredible products and commitment to innovation and sustainability. 
Adriana and Mary share two inspiring stories of leadership and growth that, while very different in path, are deeply connected through purpose and curiosity. From Adriana’s early passion for science and her journey across operations and manufacturing, to Mary’s unconventional route from IT into packaging sustainability and her focus on people. Both women bring to life what it means to lead with authenticity and courage. 
Their conversation explores how curiosity drives progress, why inclusion and empathy are at the heart of great leadership, and how embracing difference helps teams and individuals thrive. Adriana reflects on how her scientific foundation continues to shape her problem-solving approach, while Mary speaks about the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and trusting your own path. 
At Coca-Cola, Adriana and Mary lead by example, nurturing talent, amplifying voices, and shaping the next generation of STEM leaders. Their stories show how leadership is about inspiring purpose, empowering others, and making a positive impact every step of the way. We’re delighted to have these two incredible women share their stories and insights on our podcast. 
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs. 
For more updates, follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting job opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s): Permanent Job Opportunities and Contracting Job Opportunities. 
Available now on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.

In this episode of High-Flyers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s) #GreatnessHasNoGender, Deirdre Finnerty sits down with Linda Greaney , Operational Excellence & Growtth® Manager, and  Síle O’Connell, Production Unit Leader at Freudenberg Medical, a global innovator in advanced materials and precision engineering, shaping the future of medical technology and sustainable manufacturing. 
Linda and Síle share their unique journeys into STEM, from early career decisions to unexpected pivots that opened doors to new opportunities. They discuss how a willingness to embrace change guided them from roles in Finance to Operational Excellence and from Product Building into Production Lead where they now influence and inspire others. 
The conversation explores the challenges they faced along the way, including moments of self-doubt, setbacks, and the importance of mentorship. Both highlight how guidance from supportive colleagues, combined with personal determination, helped them grow into roles that demand strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
At Freudenberg Medical, employees are encouraged to grow, take on new challenges, and make a real impact in medical technology. Linda and Síle share how Freudenberg Medical supports career growth through education, creating a culture where employees can reach their full potential. Linda and Síle also reflect on the human side of leadership, how empathy, communication, and investing in people’s development are central to their success. We’re delighted to have these two incredible women share their stories and insights on our podcast. 
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs. 
For more updates follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s): Permanent Job Opportunities and Contracting Job opportunities. 
Available now on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.

In this episode of High-Flyers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s) #GreatnessHasNoGender, Deirdre Finnerty sits down with Joanna Lynch, Project Quality Manager, and Preeti Aggarwal, R&D Operations Manager at Valeo, a global leader in automotive technology, driving innovation in safer, cleaner, and smarter mobility. 
Joanna and Preeti share inspiring stories of curiosity, courage, and pushing boundaries. Joanna reflects on how her love of biology, drug design, and problem solving led her through pharmaceutical science, quality roles, and into Valeo, where she champions quality that bridges scientific promise with everyday performance.  Preeti recounts her path through engineering, multiple domains, and early leadership and how stepping out of her comfort zone has always fueled her growth. She reflects on her father’s deep belief in education as a lasting asset, a value that shaped her own drive to learn and evolve. 
At Valeo, innovation is not only about advancing automotive technology, but also about creating an environment where people can pivot, grow, and make their mark. Joanna and Preeti explore what it takes to lead in STEM; the stretch moments when you don’t feel entirely ready, mentors who create safe spaces to try and fail, and the importance of bringing your authentic self to work. Joanna talks about how starting in smaller roles even outside your first choice can lead you to where you truly want to be, and Preeti emphasizes how being in a culture that values openness, fresh ideas, and collaboration can accelerate learning and leadership. 
They also challenge the stereotype that you must be the loudest voice in the room to be heard, showing how thoughtful, measured leadership can be just as powerful. From embracing discomfort to welcoming problems as opportunities for growth, Joanna and Preeti’s stories remind us that leadership in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s): is as much about mindset as it is about mastery. We’re thrilled to have these two talented women share their stories and insights on our podcast. 
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Fenero, a multi-award-winning company specialising in financial success for contractors, freelancers, and solopreneurs. 
For more updates follow HERO Recruitment on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie, or explore exciting opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s): Permanent Job Opportunities and Contracting Job opportunities. 
Available now on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.