Leadership, growth and building differently: Insights from Otonomee CPO Brendan Ring
At Otonomee, we spend a lot of time talking about customer support, operational excellence, professional services, and the future of work. Behind all of those conversations sits something even more fundamental: people.
That's why we were delighted to see our Chief People Officer, Brendan Ring, recently featured in the Irish Examiner, where he shared his thoughts on leadership, growth, remote work, AI, and the culture that continues to shape Otonomee's success.
The article comes during an exciting period for the business. Following Otonomee's recognition as one of Think Business Ireland's 100 Hottest Start-Ups to Watch in 2026, Brendan reflected on the journey so far and what lies ahead.
Building something different
From the beginning, Otonomee set out to challenge traditional assumptions about outsourcing.
While many organisations still associate outsourcing with large physical contact centres and rigid operating models, Otonomee has taken a different path: building a high-value, remote-first business designed around adaptability, talent acquisition, and fostering long-term relationships.
For Brendan, that approach has always been central to the company's vision.
"We're not following the traditional outsourcing playbook. We're building something more flexible, more people-centric, and, we believe, more sustainable."
That philosophy has helped Otonomee grow rapidly across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia while maintaining a strong culture and an unwavering focus on quality.
Growth brings opportunity—and responsibility
Otonomee has experienced significant expansion over the past few years.
Brendan joined the company in 2021 after helping scale Voxpro during one of the most ambitious growth stories in the outsourcing industry in Ireland. Those experiences continue to influence how he approaches leadership today.
"We've all taken a lot from our previous experiences," Brendan explained. "Things that we did well, but also things that we did terribly."
That willingness to learn, adapt and continuously improve remains a defining characteristic of Otonomee's leadership team.
As the company continues to expand its service offering—including becoming a certified Fin Solution Partner—Brendan believes growth must always be balanced with intentionality.
"We are continuing to evolve as a business, in terms of expanding our international presence as well as increasing the breadth of our service offering."
Culture without walls
One of the themes Brendan discussed extensively was culture.
Building a culture in a remote-first organisation requires a different approach than traditional office-based businesses. Without the benefit of physical proximity, communication, trust and clarity become even more important.
For Brendan, culture is never about buildings.
"For us, culture isn't about walls or location; it's about great people, strong partnerships, and clearly defined values that help guide how we operate every day."
That philosophy has helped Otonomee maintain strong employee engagement and an employee retention rate that significantly exceeds typical industry benchmarks. Combined, these are powerful levers in an industry noted for high staff attrition. Employees with longer tenures retain knowledge and know-how, driving better results for end customers (and ultimately for Otonomee’s clients).
Why remote-first continues to work
Otonomee's distributed model has allowed the company to access remote talent across geographies while giving team members the flexibility to build meaningful careers from the locations where they perform at their best.
That flexibility is both a recruitment strategy and a key driver of retention and engagement.
"When you remove something like a two-hour daily commute and combine that with trust, you tend to see much higher engagement in return."
Brendan believes the ability to remove geographic barriers has become one of Otonomee's greatest strengths.
"We can now access talent in places that would typically be overlooked, and that opens up huge opportunities."
Taking a practical approach to AI
Few business topics generate more discussion today than artificial intelligence.
While some conversations focus on disruption and replacement, Brendan takes a more measured view.
At Otonomee, AI is viewed as a powerful enabler that helps people perform at their best rather than replacing the human skills that matter most.
"For us, AI is there to support our people, not replace them."
By removing repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows, AI allows teams to spend more time on complex problem-solving, customer relationships and the types of interactions that require judgment, empathy and experience.
As Brendan notes, the rise of AI may actually make uniquely human capabilities more valuable than ever.
"Soft skills—or what many now call power skills—will become some of the hardest and most valuable capabilities to find."
Proud of where we've come from—and excited about what's next
Looking ahead, Brendan remains optimistic—not only about Otonomee's future, but about Ireland's ability to continue producing ambitious, innovative companies capable of competing on a global stage.
As Otonomee continues to grow, the principles that have guided the company from the beginning remain unchanged: invest in great people, embrace innovation thoughtfully, and build long-term relationships with customers, partners and team members alike.
We're incredibly proud to see Brendan's leadership and perspective recognised by the Irish Examiner, and we're excited for what comes next.
You can read the full Irish Examiner feature on Brendan Ring here.
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