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“When you’re supported, challenges become opportunities” Robert O’Donovan on building his career with Mercury
For those in the construction industry, challenges can come in many shapes and forms, but for Robert O’Donovan, Business Unit Director at Mercury, it’s how a team reacts to and embraces the challenges they face that sets them apart.
Robert currently heads up Mercury’s Life Sciences division and it’s a position he has found great fulfilment in- “when you enjoy what you do the whole ecosystem you’re operating in benefits, and Mercury have allowed me to take chances to use my skills in new ways at every turn of my career.” Robert has had a busy 2023 leading Mercury’s teams on complex pharmaceutical projects in both Ireland and mainland Europe, and he’s invigorated by the opportunities in the sector.
The Cork native started his career as an apprentice working across several projects in Ireland in the late 1980s before establishing himself further afield in the U.K. and Middle East. Having joined Mercury in 1996, he marked 27 years with the company this year. Reflecting on the different stages of his time with Mercury he comments, “To be honest, the one thing that’s stayed the same is that nothing has stayed the same. You realise quickly at Mercury that change is a good thing, both personally and professionally and when you embrace challenges you can really flourish.” Robert worked with Mercury on various major projects across Ireland in the 1990s and early 2000s, in several roles, from Site Supervisor and Package Manager to Project Manager, before overseeing a large-scale hospital project in the U.K. in the early 2010s. He then took on his current role, spearheading the company’s expanding work in the fast-paced and multifaceted pharmaceutical arena in 2019.
Building supported teams
To grow your career with one company over almost thirty years is a unique feat and Robert attests that the support he’s received has been paramount to his success. “Mercury have a track record of backing their people to achieve their absolute best.” He continues, “When you know that you are supported and valued it motivates you to achieve more. Over the last twenty-seven years, I have witnessed Mercury’s approach yielding great results- that combination of having a solid support network while being provided with those challenging opportunities that help you develop is the perfect foundation for creating a new wave of industry experts.”
He emphasizes that being exposed to a vast range of cross-sectoral experience throughout his career has proved incredibly beneficial to his current role. “Since I’ve joined, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on many different projects with a wide range of teams who I have learned so much from.” This culture of open knowledge sharing is something that clearly sets Mercury apart for O ‘Donovan, “There’s a real sense of the importance of continually learning for everyone, and ensuring people are provided with the opportunities to fulfil their potential. A key element of that is the guidance and mentorship which can be seen in all our teams.” Robert relishes building teams to lead the company’s work in the Life Sciences sector. He notes that critical to his approach is applying the lessons he’s learned over the course of his own career thus far.
Leading innovative project delivery
However, what does it look like for these teams on the ground when they are “embracing challenges” during the hustle and bustle of a busy day on site? O’Donovan affirms that this attitude of pushing forward is instilled in everyone at Mercury from the outset and can often focus on “embracing technological innovations and new ways of working to improve project efficiency and delivery,” he affirms that this is central to ensuring Mercury remain a powerful industry player- “what has kept us in the game this long has been our agility and willingness to utilise new methods. Our teams lead with a digital-first approach which sets us apart in terms of efficiency and guaranteeing the best results for the client.”
He comments that “the last few years have made clear more than ever before how critical the healthcare sector is and the clients we work with play a major role in this. We understand that the projects we’re delivering have the potential to be focal points for real change on a global scale.” He states, “Our teams understand the importance of building the absolute optimal facilities for our providers to develop products which could be revolutionary, it’s a responsibility we take incredibly seriously.”
Embracing every challenge
Now based in Dublin, O’Donovan has spent significant periods of his career working abroad with Mercury and still regularly travels between the company’s ongoing pharmaceutical projects across Europe. He says that being afforded the opportunity to travel in your career is “fantastic, particularly in our industry, working abroad can expose you to new approaches. While it can be demanding, it’s ultimately very rewarding” and he notes that fostering “collaboration between cultures is a key element of Mercury’s success.”
As the year draws to a close, he is invigorated by the opportunities that lie ahead in 2024 and beyond, but upon reflecting on his career, he is most proud when thinking back on a moment he had as a junior apprentice. “At the start of your career, it can be difficult thinking about reaching your goals, I remember working with Project Directors on jobs and thinking that’s the role I’d like, I loved the people aspect and having that level of responsibility and expertise seemed really exciting to me, but I had no idea how I was going to make it happen.” “I don’t stop to reflect often- so much of my role is about building on the momentum we’ve created and pushing ahead- but my advice to that younger version of myself starting out on the site would be- don’t be afraid of the change and challenges that will inevitably come, when you embrace it, wonderful things can happen.”
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CAREERS AT MERCURY
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