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‘I feel very Irish’: Carolan Lennon on career, culture and leading with authenticity
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Carolan Lennon, country leader of Salesforce Ireland and winner of CEO of the Year at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025, has crafted a career with a far-reaching impact.
From her early career days, Carolan Lennon’s north star was clear: to build a career in Ireland. Graduating in the 1980s meant this might not be straightforward, but for Carolan, it was always part of the plan.
“To be honest, it was the only part of the plan,” she smiles. “I really had no big plan other than wanting to build a career in Ireland. I feel very Irish. I love being here and being part of everything that is Irish – from the GAA to Katie Taylor. I love it all,” she says.
“So, though there wasn’t a big plan, wanting to build a life here did inform my career strategy by guiding the opportunities I said ‘no’ to,” she says. Her career has brought her from her early IT degree to Vodafone and onwards to Eir, where she became the first female CEO. These moves came through an MBA at Trinity College Dublin, which she credits as a “game-changer” for her career. Today, Carolan is the country leader of Salesforce Ireland, a position she took up in March 2022, leading over 2,900 people. Testament to her career to date, she was named CEO of the Year at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025.
“It was a privilege to win – I was blown away by the quality of the women on the shortlist, so I was not expecting it,” she says, before sharing that one of her favourite elements of the annual awards night is hearing the other “leaders in the room – you can hear about their secret sauce, it’s very powerful.”
Asking her what brought her from telcos to tech, given her expansive experience with Eir, she credits her natural curiosity, and it is advice she shares with all young professionals. “Remain curious and agile. Put your hand up and try something – you can always pivot. Never be afraid to change course or challenge norms,” she encourages.
In her current role, she became the first woman to lead Salesforce Ireland, and she oversaw the opening in 2023 of the Salesforce Tower Dublin on North Wall Quay. An urban campus of four interconnected buildings, it is one of the largest Salesforce offices in the EMEA region and is noted as one of the first Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the Irish market. It was a big moment for the global software company, which employs around 80,000 people. Last September marked the company’s 25th year in Ireland – the Dublin office was the first to open after the original office in San Francisco. Carolan feels a deep sense of pride in the anniversary. “In our Dublin hub… we’re building careers, nurturing local talent and making an impact globally,” she explains.
She cites diversity as being “central to our success”. “Hearing languages from over 20 nationalities in our Dublin office makes me feel proud – it’s vibrant, alive and representative of Ireland’s true multicultural identity.” As we discuss diversity in tech, Carolan speaks passionately about the importance of equality of opportunity. “I got a grant to go to UCD. I wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise. A lot of kids who go to Trinity and UCD, for example, come from the same schools. We need to shift that in the workplace because having people – men or women – all from the same area is not diversity.”
As a leader, she strongly advocates for the need for diverse voices in business. “It is about having all those different opinions in the room and feeling comfortable with that, yes, they might challenge you. I might have an unconscious bias, and we need to hold ourselves to account through a… diverse set of opinions and ideas. I think that’s the best for everybody.”
Creating and maintaining a connected, motivated workforce is a priority for Carolan. She champions initiatives like regular “listening tours,” where she engages directly with her teams to understand their needs and aspirations. “When people feel they are heard, they bring more energy and dedication,” she says.
Considering AI through a values lens is essential. We need honest conversations about transparency, fairness and the broader impact of our work.
Does leading a team of such scale require a very impressive secret sauce? “I know people would say I am very values-based, and I do like to pride myself on calmness and consistency,” she says. “Consistency in terms of how you treat people, whether things are going really well or things are going badly,” she explains. “I have built a lot of teams, and they talk about trust, a lack of blame, and really getting behind people when there are challenges. You’ll never have a career without challenges, but if you get behind your people and support them, they’ll find their way through.”
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, she believes trust and ethics are more vital than ever. “Considering AI through a values lens is essential,” she says. “We need honest conversations about transparency, fairness and the broader impact of our work.”
Reflecting on formative leadership moments, she simply refers to the challenges you face. “You know how good you are as a leader in the tough times. I wonder how much we all learn in the good times,” she muses.
Her leadership style seems to reflect a simple truth: authenticity isn’t just a buzzword; it is the foundation of meaningful leadership. She smiles as she notes, “My style was and is authentic, before authentic was cool.”
Photography by Kieran Harnett
We’re interviewing each of our outstanding winners from the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025. To hear more about their career journeys, expert insights, and more, visit image.ie/pwc.
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