Rob Stack, Ericsson

Rob Stack, General Manager, Core & Access Networks at Ericsson's Global Services Delivery Centre, Ireland, gives his tips for success.

After my graduation I worked for a year with EMC, before joining Ericsson. I wanted to travel so I took on the role of Technical Training Engineer, going around the world to give courses in telecommunications to staff and customers.

A turning point

In 2001 the entire telecommunications industry suffered a huge downturn. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time: I was managing a project in Stockholm and was asked to investigate where typical cost leakage happened. This gave me the opportunity to learn how the business works, and I was then given a permanent position in business control.

Career highlight

My present role is my biggest achievement: I am responsible for 250 professionals working in all parts of the world in the latest technologies. Just staying abreast of what they are up to each week is a challenge in itself.

Advice for graduates

Be patient, work hard and enjoy yourself! My time spent travelling and sampling other cultures helped me understand what I really wanted to do.

Key skills for future leaders

Business leaders need to be people leaders, organisational leaders, and thought leaders. If I was to select a single skill to underpin these, it has to be the ability to communicate. The ability to influence and lead organisations is founded on the ability to get your point across.

Rob Stack completed a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at University College Cork in 1995.