In the first instalment of our “Ask the CEO” series, KerrySciTech sits down with Seán Ryan, founder & CEO of Aspen Grove Solutions and one of the key founding members of KerrySciTech, and digs a little deeper into the driving force behind the KerrySciTech organisation.

Why did you get involved in KerrySciTech?

The answer is a combination of factors, but it is strongly linked to why I brought Aspen Grove to Kerry in the first instance:

Lots of people hold where they came from dearly and I am no different—Kerry is in my heart.

So KerrySciTech is just about pride of place?

No, it is about more than that.

I believe strongly that, as human beings, we have an obligation to do what we can to make the world and the environment a better place for everyone.

I am a strong believer in volunteerism. I believe that it enhances communities, builds relationships, drives activity, and makes the environment a better place. Kerry needs jobs; it needs sustainable economic activity; it needs investment for now and for future generations, and it needs loud voices so we can be heard in Dublin and beyond.

What does KerrySciTech mean for Kerry?

Many towns and areas in Kerry still have high unemployment rates relative to the rest of the country. I believe strongly that a rising tide lifts all boats. By working together to attract talent and business to Kerry, stimulating the economic activity in the county and playing a role in that agenda, I can contribute in my own small way to where I live and work, where I raise my kids, where I have my business, where my work colleagues earn their living. I want to showcase Kerry to the rest of the world.

Can KerrySciTech really make a difference?

Yes. KerrySciTech is a member organisation, serving all its members and driving strategic initiatives to benefit us all. It is bigger than me, bigger than Aspen Grove, and it is bigger than any member of KerrySciTech. It is about collectively doing what we can to raise all boats.

I am not concerned about talent being poached. I am not concerned about an Aspen Grove agenda.I am not concerned about the costs of being involved. I see all of these concerns as ways to prevent innovation, to hamstring what we can do, to prevent us getting to where we need to go, to hold Kerry back.

I’m here because it is my personal social responsibility and it is our collective corporate social responsibility. I owe this fantastic place something of me because it has given me so much and continues to do so.

That’s why Aspen Grove is in Kerry and that is why KerrySciTech exists.