As part of our HR Leaders Series, we speak with experienced HR leaders about their career journeys, lessons learned, and perspectives on the future of the profession.
In this edition, Mary Mullin sits down with Ciaran Condren, HR Director at Auxillion, to discuss his path into Human Resources, the importance of commercial awareness, and why authenticity remains one of the most valuable qualities for HR professionals today.
Q1. Was this the career path you had always planned? What avenues did you take to bring you to where you are today?
Unusually, yes. While I didn’t necessarily know the profession was called Human Resources when I was younger, I always knew I was interested in people management and the ethics of how people are treated in the workplace. Understanding what motivates people, solving workplace challenges, and ensuring people are managed fairly were all things that naturally interested me. That interest led me to study Business Studies in DCU, where I chose the HR specialism. It was there that I realised Human Resources was exactly the profession I had been looking for. One of the advantages of studying business was that it provided a broader understanding of how organisations operate. Alongside HR, I gained exposure to commercial, financial and marketing disciplines, which later proved invaluable throughout my career.
Following my degree, I completed a Master’s in Human Resource Management while working full-time. Although balancing work and study was challenging, the experience broadened my perspective and helped open the door to management consulting opportunities later in my career. My first professional roles were in recruitment, initially specialising in financial services recruitment before helping establish a financial and banking division within a recruitment agency. While recruitment provided valuable experience, I quickly realised that the sales aspect of the role wasn’t a natural fit for me. That insight encouraged me to pursue opportunities within in-house HR, where I felt I could make a greater impact.
From there, my career evolved through a variety of HR and leadership roles across organisations including IBM, KPMG Consulting (later BearingPoint), British Telecom, Aer Lingus, Cullen Group and several senior HR leadership positions. Looking back, every role contributed something different. Whether it was project management, organisational change, employee relations, leadership development, international HR operations or business transformation, each experience helped shape the HR leader I am today.
Q2. What was the best piece of career advice you ever received?
Without question, it was simple advice: Don’t doubt yourself.
Earlier in my career, I had the opportunity to work with an excellent coach who challenged me to trust my own judgement more and stop questioning whether I belonged in certain situations. The advice wasn’t about becoming someone different. In fact, it was the opposite. The message was to be comfortable with who you are, trust your abilities, and avoid comparing yourself to others. As professionals, we can sometimes spend too much time focusing on what we think we’re lacking instead of recognising the strengths we already possess. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to influence how I lead teams and support others in their own development.
Q3. For those considering a career in Human Resources, what advice would you give them?
Two things stand out. Firstly, develop strong commercial awareness. The most effective HR professionals understand how businesses operate, what drives performance, and what commercial challenges leaders are facing. Without that understanding, it becomes difficult to provide meaningful solutions that genuinely support organisational goals.
Secondly, be authentic. Authenticity builds trust. Whether you’re supporting employees, advising managers, or partnering with executive teams, people respond to honesty and genuine engagement. Commercial credibility and personal authenticity are a powerful combination. Together, they allow HR professionals to influence effectively while maintaining strong relationships across the organisation.
Q4. In your view, what are the top 3 strengths that define a successful HR professional today?
The Ability to Listen
Strong HR leaders take time to understand what people are saying and, equally as important, what they are not saying. Listening allows HR professionals to identify underlying issues, understand business challenges, and build trust with employees and leaders alike.
Commercial Awareness
HR cannot operate in isolation. Understanding business objectives, financial realities and operational priorities enables HR leaders to design solutions that create meaningful impact and earn credibility within the organisation.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Successful HR professionals balance immediate challenges with long-term organisational goals. Whether managing change, supporting growth, or navigating difficult employee situations, the ability to step back and see the broader context is essential.
Q5. Over your career, what would you consider to be your best memory or achievement?
One of the most significant experiences of my career was helping to lead the people strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic while working within the Cullen Group. At the time, the organisation employed approximately 2,000 people across nine countries, with each country experiencing different restrictions, regulations and operating conditions.
Managing the people aspect of the business during such uncertainty required constant communication, rapid decision-making and close collaboration with business owners. The challenge was not only understanding the evolving situation but also ensuring that leaders had the information they needed to make informed decisions. What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is the outcome. Despite the unprecedented challenges, the organisation successfully retained and grew its workforce throughout the period. It was a demanding experience, but one that reinforced the importance of leadership, teamwork and people-focused decision-making during times of uncertainty.
Q6. If you were entering the workforce again, would you do anything differently?
There are very few things I would change. One practical change would be completing my Master’s degree earlier, rather than balancing it alongside full-time work. Beyond that, I would focus on believing in myself sooner. Like many professionals, confidence develops over time through experience. Looking back, having greater self-belief earlier in my career would have allowed me to take opportunities with even more confidence.
That said, I would follow a very similar path. I genuinely enjoy Human Resources, the variety it offers, and the opportunity to work with people while helping organisations achieve their goals.
Q7. If you weren’t in your current profession, what possible path would you have chosen?
The alternative path would likely have involved social work or coaching. Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to helping people navigate challenges, develop their potential and improve outcomes. That interest eventually led me to qualify as a Life Coach, which provided another perspective on personal growth, development and supporting others. While I strongly believe HR was the right choice for me, a profession focused on helping individuals create positive change would certainly have appealed.
Thanks to Ciaran for sharing his career journey which highlights a theme that is increasingly common among successful HR leaders: the ability to balance people-centred leadership with commercial business understanding. His journey demonstrates that effective HR is not simply about policies and procedures. It is about understanding the business, building trust, solving problems and helping people perform at their best. For aspiring HR professionals, his advice is clear: be commercially aware, stay authentic, trust your abilities and never stop learning. Those qualities continue to define successful HR leadership in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.
Ciaran Condren
Human Resources Director
Auxilion
