Each fortnight we will be spotlighting a member of the team so that you can get to know the people behind the Pacem brand. This week we feature director, Kevin Kelly. Kevin leads on business development, strategy and marketing. Originally a client of Daniel and Tony, Kevin co-founded Pacem and ensures the customer is at the centre of everything we do. He holds a 1st Class BSc Hons (Marketing), MSc with Distinction (Strategy) and an MBA. He is also a Director of Podiem and Co-owner of MLN.
Kevin tells us a bit more about himself below.
Employee name
Kevin Kelly
Your role at Pacem
Strategy and business development.
How long have you been with Pacem?
Since before it all began!! I was a client of Daniel and Tony before co-founding the business with them in 2017.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Competitive. Solid. Fortunate. Others have described me using the sentence “couldn’t like him if you reared him!”
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I started my career as a carpet-fitter! Since then I have been variously employed as a petrol station attendant, a mystery shopper (for Guinness – I brought a lot of authenticity to this role), a go-cart attendant, a male model (1 shoot which required me to look upset and hide me face – I thought I had found my niche, alas not!), a removals man (“person”), and a roofer (for 1 day, during which time I discovered that I had vertigo and started crying in front of my new colleagues – thankfully it was in the USA and I haven’t seen them since).
What do you like most about your job?
That it is not any of the above! In all seriousness, we have a fantastic group of people at Pacem, and it is an honour and pleasure to work with each and every one of them. Pacem’s 5th birthday in Barcelona will live long in the memory.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
Tell my kids they aren’t getting any. Tough love.
What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
I was particularly effective as a Guinness mystery shopper so I could revisit that.
Favourite food?
Christmas Dinner. In truth I love all food with the notable exceptions of celery and blue cheese!
Favourite book(s)?
The best book I have read in the last 5 years would be ‘A Prayer for Owen Meany’.
Favourite film?
The Lord of the Rings films (sad, I know). This trilogy would probably be my favourite books as well.
Where is the best place you’ve travelled to and why?
I worked in San Francisco for a couple of summers. Great city to live in. To visit I would go for the Perhentian Islands off the Malaysian coast. An enjoyable paradise.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
A second language and/or a musical instrument. Standard issue answers!
What is something you learned in the last week?
To say ‘no’ to writing Employee Spotlights and organising 7th birthday parties – my nerves are still wrecked!
What interests/hobbies do you have outside of work?
I love sport although it is more watching than playing these days. Recent highlights were being at the Aviva to watch Ireland win the Grand Slam, in Madrid to see Liverpool win number 6 and at Anfield’s greatest ever night!
Most importantly…….. of course…… is spending ‘quality’ time with my wife and 4 young children!
