EY Entrepreneur of the Year emerging finalist: Darragh Richardson, Agile Networks

Darragh Richardson is the founder of Agile Networks, a company which designs, builds, and operates IT networks.

He founded the company during the recession, after a management buyout of Telindus’s Irish operations.

Richardson spent 14 years working for three large multinationals in various marketing and management roles. He initially worked with South African conglomerate Datatec Group and then US vendor 3Com, going on to become country manager for Belgian- based integrator Telindus.

In 2011, Telindus wanted to exit Ireland. Richardson’s options were redundancy, relocation to the UK or leading a management buyout.

He approached key customers, suppliers and staff and, with their backing, had the confidence to take the plunge in setting up Agile Networks.

Agile had six staff, seven customers and a turnover of just under €900,000 at that stage.

Four years later, it has 1.3 million end users across 1,300 sites, 74 customers (including 16 of the top 25 internet service providers), 17 staff and a turnover of more than €8.3 million.

Its customers include the ESB, DCU, Abbott Laboratories, Analog Devices, Microsoft and Three, and it was named one of the top 100 businesses from an initial field of 17,000 businesses at the 2013-2014 European Business Awards.

What moment/deal would you cite as the game-changer or turning point for the company? At Agile, winning the contract to roll out a broadband network to every secondary school in Ireland with HEAnet was our turning point.

The successful pilot programme had proven the technology, but securing funding from the Government was critical.

Once we secured that business, it boosted our self-belief, giving us confidence to compete with the really big players.

What is the hardest thing you have ever done in business? Admitting to past failures. I spent a long time working in big companies, wasting my time in internal meetings gazing at my navel (metaphorically).

I now have a much clearer idea of how to make a difference, not wasting my time by sitting in meetings I don’t need to be at.

What was your biggest business mistake? Staying far too long in roles where I was comfortable, well paid but bored.

I always felt that there was something more out there but I didn’t want to sacrifice my job security. Ironically, facing the prospect of losing my job before the management buyout in 2011, gave me the kick and the motivation that I needed.

What is the most common mistake you see entrepreneurs make? Staying too involved in the day- to-day running of their business.

Because we build networks and I am not a network engineer, the only way I can add value to the business is by working on longer-term plans, partners and developing our position and reputation in the marketplace.

What is the single most important piece of advice you would offer to a less experienced entrepreneur? Don't say yes if you really mean no.

This is a particular trait we have in Ireland, which I learned to my expense doesn’t translate well internationally.

If you don’t want to do something, just be straight and say so. It saves time, stress (mostly on yourself) and, in the long term, people will respect you for it.