WATCH John Ryan speaks about Career Progression at Three Ireland

John Ryan is a Managed Service Specialist at Three Ireland has had a varied career in a variety of roles within Three, and now looks after the reporting for some of their biggest corporate customers. 

John Ryan is responsible for the day to day running of Three’s managed service accounts which include large corporate customers and some government accounts

John Ryan is a Managed Service Specialist at Three Ireland. John has been part of the Three Ireland team for 18 years and has had a varied career in a variety of roles within Three, and now looks after the reporting for some of their biggest corporate customers. 

Where you are from and who you are?

I grew up in O’Malley Park, and I now live in Westbury on the Limerick Clare border. I have one child, Seán, who is 6.

I’m also a huge music and sports fan, and am fanatical about the Beatles! I love hurling and soccer – it’s a good time to be from Limerick with the success our hurlers are having!

Tell us about your career history with Three Ireland so far?

I have been working with Three (previously O2 before Three’s acquisition of the company) since March 2004. In the past 18 years, I have worked in various areas of the business.  I started as a Customer Care Executive supporting our consumer customers. This was a great starting point for me as I got an opportunity to learn all of the systems, as well as interact with our customers and work out how best to help them.

From there, I moved to become an Activation/Retail Support Specialist. I worked closely with sales reps to help them get their activations live before month end, dealt with inbound calls from retail stores including helping them with any queries in relation to business accounts. My time in this role was fantastic, I gained great experience during that time and got to see how the retail side of the business works.

My next role was within the coaching bay team, which meant I was responsible for helping new agents settle into the business as well as supporting them while they took calls for the first time.

From there I moved onto the key account team in 2015. I looked after all admin and report request for some of our high-profile customers, and finally, I moved into my current role of Managed Service Specialist in 2018.

WATCH John Ryan is a Managed Service Specialist at @ThreeIreland & is part of the team for 18 years at their Limerick headquarters and loves his job!#jobsatisfaction #careergoals #careergrowth #careersuccess #threeireland #lovelimerick #limerick #limerickandproud pic.twitter.com/kvQhbhG7TY— #LimerickandProud (@ilovelimerick) November 7, 2022

Tell me more about your current role

Currently, I am responsible for the day to day running of Three’s managed service accounts which include large corporate customers and some government accounts. I am the first port of call for any customer care queries, and I support the corporate account managers by advising on the best price plans for our customers among many other things.

The Managed Service team also provides various audits and reports to our customers, including analysis around the type of queries that have been logged.

What attracted you to a career at Three?

Before I came to Three, I had heard good things by word of mouth. Friends that worked here before me raved about the great culture, development opportunities, people and work/life balance that can be found here. The mobile industry was booming at the time and it seemed an exciting place to start a career.

How easy was it to progress within the company?

When I first joined Three Ireland, my endeavour was to go as far as my ability would allow me. I found that within Three the support structures to enable career progression are many and varied. The support I have received from management and our learning and development team has been more than influential in me getting to where I am today in the company.

How supportive were Three throughout your career progression?

Three were very supportive. Within Three there is a culture of always wanting to learn and improve, which leads to many of us upskilling on a regular basis. Should we show an interest in any particular area, our management team is always there to provide the necessary support for employees who wish to progress. Whist I am happy in my current role, I would never rule out moving to another area and should such an opportunity arise I know I’ll get the necessary support from Three.

What have been the greatest challenges in your career?

I have a 6 year old son who has autism. His behaviours and sleep patterns are very challenging at times. Three have always given me support when I needed to take him to appointments or if I needed to work from home.

All my managers throughout my time have been very supportive with taking hours off and working them back. They have been amazing in helping me manage my work life balance.

Is the company culture a contributor to your long tenure with the company?

Definitely, Three’s culture is one of empowerment, and ownership, this has supported and enabled me to develop and progress within the company. The people here are so supportive. Three is a very vibrant work place. I enjoy coming to work every day and the people I work with are a major part in this. Another thing that means a lot to me personally is that I help raise money for my son’s school and Three have always donated a phone for a raffle prize when needed. Individuals treat each other with respect and kindness, and the company culture encourages meaningful interactions between colleagues.

What is your favourite part about working at Three?

The atmosphere within the company is amazing. It’s been said many a time from former employees that they miss the culture and people when they leave Three. We all work extremely hard for our customers but take the time to have fun also, be it on a company night out, a sports day or one of the many other activities that happen regularly.

The people working here are amazing, there is always good banter, and everyone is so supportive of their colleagues. Many counties are represented here in Three so the craic around Hurling season is mighty!

What does a typical day look like in Three?

A typical day in Three for me starts by checking my calendar to see what calls or meetings lie ahead for the day. My mailbox is my next port of call, as this is where I mainly engage with our corporate customer base. Throughout the day I would work with customers, dealing with their various queries and requests. Building relationships and strong rapport with customers is the part of the job I enjoy the most.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

I am very happy working with Three so my hope would be that I am still here. I am always looking out for new opportunities and challenges within Three so my hope would be that I have further progressed.

What do you love about Limerick?

I love the passion of our people. Be it sports or events such as Riverfest, we always pull together and get behind the county. Being a mad hurling fan, the passion and release of emotion after the 2018 final is something I’ll never forget. Grown men and women (myself included) in tears, overwhelmed with pride.

Our county has so many beautiful spots such as King Johns Castle, and the scenic River Shannon. Also, Limerick people traditionally have a great sense of humour – the roar of laughter is a common occurrence in most Limerick pubs, and something that I love!

For more stories on Three Ireland Careers go HERE

To learn more about Careers with Three Ireland go HERE