It was while on a business trip to Madrid with General Electric that Paul Herrick decided to find a way to move there for a couple of years and learn Spanish. "I was sitting on the Castellana, the main thoroughfare, and I thought to myself I would love to live here. I asked GE but they couldn't find a good business reason for doing that so I took matters into my own hands."
After spotting an opportunity with travel technology company Amadeus, Herrick moved to Spain in 2000. "I didn't get the job I went for but they gave me a different job as training and recruitment manager for the Madrid site. It was a step back from where I came from but I really wanted to come to Madrid so I took it."
Thirteen years, several promotions and a change of company later, Herrick is now managing director of human resources, EMEA, for Burson-Marsteller, a global communications and public relations firm. His role ranges from actively headhunting senior executives in the company's different markets to being responsible for training and development within the business.
One of his flagship initiatives is a reverse mentoring programme where digital savvy junior staff mentor senior executives on social media and digital tools, which since been adopted globally within the organisation.
Herrick has also branched out into thought leadership. A speech at the flagship Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development conference in the UK led to Burson Marsteller’s talent management strategy being featured in a book, which in turn led to further speaking opportunities for Herrick; a role he enjoys.
“It’s given me an outward looking focus in terms of profiling the company and being a thought leader on top as being HR MD for Europe.”
He says that the business environment in Spain may not be accurately reflected in the stories of economic woe we hear in Ireland. “I’m finding new challenges all the time. I think when people think of Southern Europe they think of the recession and difficult economic climate but actually Madrid is the third largest city in Europe. It is a bustling, active, vibrant city and there are opportunities for developing.”
Herrick, who was born in Cork and grew up in Galway, studied psychology at NUI Galway and UCC, where he specialised in human resources and occupational psychology. Graduating at the tail end of the 1990s recession meant the early years of his career consisted of a number of maternity leave contracts, before he found work with the international arm of the ESB.
He spent 18 months working in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan and Malaysia, recruiting staff for start-up power plants. “I left Ireland to work in the Middle East, which was a fantastic experience,” he says. “I’d gone from working in factory environments in Ireland to tribal areas in Pakistan.”
On his return to Ireland he took a job with General Electric as European human resources manager, but had been bitten by the travel bug. “I love being Irish; I’m very proud of being Irish but having been away and got a flavour for the exotic, I wanted to get away again.”
He says that his international experience has shown him that culture gaps are often overstated. “People can overplay cultural differences,” he says. “It’s about respect. Once you have respect and you really listen that will get you a long way. People will understand that you’re doing that and forgive you any minor faux pas.”
In fact, he says, Spanish and Irish cultures are remarkably similar. “Both Spanish and Irish people focus on family, our relationships are extremely important. The sense of fun and our attitude to life are similar. So actually travelling to Spain hasn’t been that hard from a culture point of view. It actually feels right to be here.”
Since moving to Spain, Herrick has married his Irish girlfriend and the couple now have three children. He says they are happy to stay where they are. “It’s an exotic city for a European city and we have a great life here. I speak Spanish fluently; my kids are bilingual. From a lifestyle point of view I love Madrid.”
However, he advises people who are considering moving to a non-English speaking country to be more prepared than he was. “When I first came here I didn’t realise how big the language barrier was. It took me a couple of years before I would consider myself fluent.
“If you’re going to somewhere like Spain I would encourage you to speak the language before taking the plunge because it’s very difficult without.”
