Irish Innovation Day - Innovating in your career

The pivots, the pressure points and the decisions behind senior careers

Careers rarely run in straight lines. The moves that matter most often come from a moment: a restructure, a move across the world, a new technology, a gut call to try something different.

To kick off Irish Innovation Day, Digital Irish Australia brings together senior Irish leaders in Australian tech to share the real stories behind their careers. We’ll hear about the pivots they made, what was happening for them at the time, and how they’ve kept evolving as industries, technologies and their own ambitions changed.

This isn’t a session on CVs or job-hunting tips. It’s an honest conversation about how careers are actually built: the risks taken, the roles reinvented, and the lessons you only learn by living them.

Panelists

Roisin Parkes, Director of Engineering (Kids & Families), Google From engineer at IONA in Dublin, to Sydney and back, to Gumtree Australia’s first female CTO, and now leading engineering for Google’s kids and family products.

Ciarán Hale, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Deputy From teaching web development in Dublin to leading engineering, cloud and data at Commonwealth Bank and Atlassian, and now CPTO of Deputy.

Denis Hoctor, Founder, Arrabeg

From MyHome.ie in Dublin to CTO of Pet Circle and Shippit, and most recently the leap to founding his own technology advisory practice.

Moderated by Seán Bryceland, CTO, Now Book It, and Treasurer, Digital Irish Australia

Who it’s for

Early-to-mid-career professionals in tech and digital who are thinking about where their career goes next, and how to steer it with intent.

What to expect

7:45 am: Arrival, coffee, breakfast and networking- 8:00 am: Panel discussion- 8:40 am: Audience Q&A• 9:00 am: Networking and close

Part of Irish Innovation Day

This is the first of three events on Thursday 26 November:- Morning: Innovating in Your Career (this event)- Lunch: Innovating in Your Company, for founders and growth leaders considering international expansion- Evening: Celebrating Irish Innovation, our awards receptionExplore all three events at https://luma.com/digitalirish?tag=sydney

About Digital Irish Australia

Digital Irish Australia is the Australian chapter of Digital Irish, connecting Irish innovators, entrepreneurs and professionals across Sydney and Melbourne. We run learning events, build connections, and act as a launch pad for Irish digital businesses in Australia. Find out more and join our community at digitalirish.com.au.