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Aidan Lawlor

As part of our special 25 Years, 25 Graduates series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the TU Dublin Foundation, we’re catching up with graduates from the Class of 2001 to reflect on college life, career journeys and everything in between.

This spotlight features TU Dublin alumnus Adrian Lawlor, who studied at the College of Marketing & Design (COMAD) in Mountjoy Square. Since graduating in 2001, Adrian’s journey has taken him from playing music in Austin, Texas to helping lead one of Ireland’s biggest consumer food brands at Kepak.

In this quick-fire Q&A, Adrian reflects on student life in Dublin, sausage, beans and chips in the canteen, lessons that have stayed with him for 25 years, and why the best is always yet to come.

And if you’re part of the class of 2001, we’d love to hear from you too. Get in touch at alumni.network@tudublin.ie to share your story and where life has taken you 25 years on from TU Dublin.

Headshot

College Days 
  1. Which campus did you call home?
    I was at the College of Marketing & Design (COMAD) in Mountjoy Square.  
  2. Your graduation year?
    2001. 
  3. One word to describe your first day on campus?
    Exciting.
  4. What was different about studying in an executive learning environment? 
    Lunch was either the canteen for sausage, beans and chips, or a roll from Centra on  Parnell Street. When nice coffee started becoming a thing, it was East Coast Coffee  Company on O’Connell Street. 
  5. The hardest exam you ever sat?
    They were all hard! 
  6. One lecturer or lesson that stayed with you?
    I recently found my college notes in my late parents’ attic and realised just how  much the programme shaped my approach to work. So really, all of the lecturers  helped change how I think in some way. 
  7. Best memory from a student society or sports club?
    A trip to Inis Mór with Conradh na Gaeilge, or playing the Art Ball in the Big Tree. 
  8. Did you ever pull an all-nighter in the library?
    I don’t remember there being a pub called the library… 
  9. Your go-to-order at the student bar?
    Always Guinness
  10. What did you were to your graduation ceremony?
    I've no idea, cap and gown!
Your Career Journey 
  1. Your very first job after TU Dublin?
    After playing music in Austin, Texas, I started in a sales support role on the Rustlers brand at Kepak, where I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to build my career in a great environment. 
  2. What do you do now in 10 words or less?
    Lead growth, sales, marketing, innovation and strategy for Kepak’s consumer  brands. 
  3. The most valuable skill you learned during college?
    A commercial and human understanding of how businesses, and the functions  within them, really work. And I got fairly handy at pool along the way, a skill I’ve long  since lost! 
  4. Your proudest professional win so far?
    Helping great people learn, grow and thrive in their careers, and being part of  building one of the biggest Irish-owned food brands, Rustlers. 
  5. Biggest piece of advice for the Class of 2026?
    Back yourself. Stay optimistic, humble and curious. Treat everything as a learning  opportunity. Work hard to understand yourself and, with others, seek first to  understand before being understood. Be kind, be inclusive and don’t let perfection  get in the way of progress. Ultimately, your career is what you make it. 
  6. How do you spend your first 25 minutes of the workday?
    No two days are ever the same, but I have a few routines that generally set me up  well — thinking about what I’m grateful for, sharpening my focus for the day ahead,  and then reviewing sales numbers and other reports.
  7. One book or podcast every alum should check out?
    It really comes down to what you’re trying to work on or learn at any given time. Real  Time Leadership, Leadership Plain & Simple and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are books I always refer back to. 

    As a member of the Bord Bia Brand Forum steering group, I would highly  recommend the Brand Forum Podcast. I also enjoy Brand Growth Heroes for  inspiration from insurgent brands, and Squiggly Careers for practical career  development advice. 

    Just For Fun
  8. Working from home, the office, or a mix? 
    I travel pretty much every week, so there’s no set pattern, but it’s generally a mix.
  9. It’s May in Dublin. Where are you heading for a walk?
    I live in Skerries, so I’m lucky to have lovely walks on my doorstep, but I love any walk through any part of town. 
  10. One thing you’ve done 25 times and would happily do again?
    Eat a Rustlers Quarter Pounder, toasting the bun and adding salad. Trust me! 
  11. If you could go back 25 years, what would you tell yourself?
    The same thing I told myself then — the best is always yet to come, and you need to  enjoy every minute of the journey.
  12. What's guilty pleasure Dublin snack?
    McDonald’s Chicken Selects or a Rustlers. On Rustlers, I only feel guilty if I haven’t bought one for the kids too!
  13. Favourite way to spend a sunny May bank holiday? 
    A relaxing day with my family, with nice food and a drink. Or playing traditional music in a pub in the west of Ireland.
  14. Early bird or night owl?
    With the exception of getting up for 6.30am flights every week, I’m definitely a night owl!
  15. Finally, what's the one way you stay connected to TU Dublin today?
    An easy one — my wife Helen works in the TU Dublin Conservatoire!