Rules for robots

From her office at Invert Robotics in Dublin, Deirdre Hayes FCCA recalls growing up on a farm in Tipperary. It is only a couple of hours’ drive away but a world apart from the fast-growing startup where she is currently CFO, having built a career in tech-related roles with an international focus.

As part of her Leaving Certificate, she did an accounting module, went on to do a business degree at university and then spent a short year working in marketing. ‘ It did give me good insight into other business aspects, and an important one at that – attracting customers. But I ultimately decided to follow the numbers into accounting,’ she says.

Landing a role with Dublin-based practice Kenna & Company, the small accounting firm environment – doing everything from audits, accounts and tax returns for SMEs to income tax for individuals – provided not only plenty of broad business exposure but also a chance to get ‘stuck in’ and figure out that she ultimately wanted to work within companies.

Tech intro

Her first role in industry was with Canadian online gambling platform Sports Interaction. ‘All the head office services were out of Ireland, and it was a large business with international presence. It was very different to what I’d been doing in practice, but it was my first introduction to tech and its very different environment working with developers.

‘If I wanted to create a type of reporting to understand a particular aspect of the business, then there were developers who could make this happen. That internal resource gave us the ability to create more meaningful reports and analysis.’

She spent seven years at Sports Interaction as finance manager, and introduced process automation and an entirely new reporting system. She also found the time to get an MBA from Technological University Dublin.

‘Working with different departments across the company I wanted to gain a deeper business understanding of how finance interacts with the whole company, as well as the strategic aspects.’

‘It’s been 100% worth it. I can confidently have conversations about supply chain, corporate finance, innovation, HR, marketing. The MBA has given me the confidence to progress through my career.’

Global expansion

Continuing in the tech sector, Hayes moved to eyecare retail software developer Ocuco as group financial controller of around 20 entities located around the world, at a time when growth and expansion were high on the agenda.

‘When I started, Ocuco turned over €13m in revenue and when I left it was €35m, gained through a 50/50 split of acquisition and organic growth. It was highly acquisitive; in the 10 years I was there we acquired around 10 businesses that provided a relevant mix of intellectual property and geographical expansion. It was really interesting, and was constantly evolving and growing.’

Hayes’s last three years with Ocuco were as CFO, and she signed off in style with a significant equity fundraising – ‘a great achievement’.

A different kind of tech

While only in the CFO chair at Invert Robotics since May 2024, she has hit the ground running. ‘It’s a different kind of technology. Sports Interaction was B2C, Ocuco B2B, and Invert is tech-enabled services. I find the premise really interesting.’

The offering is niche to say the least. Invert Robotics makes inspection robots for the food production, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and energy sectors. Its guiding principle is that no human should have to enter a confined space for inspections when a safe, more precise and efficient method exists.

‘I still get to work with developers and engineers but in a new dimension, which has been fascinating,’ says Hayes, whose plate is full with fast-growth startup CFO targets, such as putting in a structure and process while remaining dynamic.

'People easily get consumed with having to do everything, so good processes help them to navigate the competing demands that naturally occur. I try to shine a light on the priorities and to bring an air of calm so that people can think without feeling bogged down.’

International advantage

Ireland’s growing strength as a tech hub has wings, she believes, partly due to the talent base’s international exposure. All three businesses she has worked in since leaving practice have had international elements, whether growth or operationally.

‘Invert is in many different regions, and from a finance point of view that brings a lot of challenges, especially with regard to regulations and compliance, which for a small company is difficult,’ she says.

Thankfully, she has a solid team and her leadership style suits the startup world. ‘People deserve autonomy. I have good people around me that I trust to get the job done, but I’m also approachable when they need me. You have to manage people without looking like you’re managing them.’