Corporate warrior takes up arms - Newbridge Networks' Pres and COO Pearse Flynn - People

CommunicationsWeek International, Dec 13, 1999 by Peggy Salz-Trautman

Pearse Flynn does not do things by halves: while at Newbridge's EMEA division he wielded the sword both literally and figuratively, slashing jobs and boosting revenue by 40% per quarter. Now the company hopes he'll do the same for the whole group--although they may not realize what they have let themselves in for.

You could say that Pearse Flynn should have been on the stage, given his flair for performance. As a student he worked backstage for a rock band and did a few sets as a stand-up comedian. More recently during his tenure as executive vice president and general manager of Newbridge Networks Corp.'s EMEA division, he stunned colleagues at a company sales convention by dressing up as the Scottish warlord Braveheart--wearing a kilt and brandishing a five-foot sword nicknamed Excalibur.

But rather than treading the boards the 36-year-old Flynn has concentrated his energies into climbing to the top of the management ladder--in November, he was appointed president and chief operating operating officer of Newbridge. But he will need every ounce of his famous energy and drive to help revitalize the struggling vendor's fortunes.

Disappointing figures have prompted Newbridge's management to accelerate the deployment of an action plan to put the company back on its feet. And thanks to Flynn's achievements at Newbridge's EMFA division, where he was the driving force behind revenue that was up over 40% per quarter for the last four quarters, he was seen as the man for the job.

Indeed, Flynn's debut as Braveheart marked a new era at Newbridge, recalls Brian Keating. Newbridge's executive vice president for global marketing. "Pearse was very somber and waited for the laughing to die down, and then he basically announced that he wanted to apologize to the 5% of the audience who shouldn't be there...He said that they should know who they were--and that they shouldn't be there because they weren't good enough. Then he promised that they wouldn't be there at the next gathering. You could hear a pin drop."

But, Keating adds, it's precisely Flynn's honest approach that is the secret of his management style.

Before joining Newbridge in February, Flynn worked at Wang Labs in Scotland and then spent 12 years at Compaq Computer Corp., where he held several executive positions. It was during this time that Flynn gained a reputation as a charismatic leader--and was presented by his staff with the five-foot sword to recognize his "dynamic leadership and ability to turn an adverse situation into an opportunity for victory," recalls Eddie Minshull, a Newbridge executive vice president.

Minshull, who worked with Flynn for two years at Compaq before following him to Newbridge six months ago, says he believes the Braveheart image is a perfect fit for Flynn, who seems to enjoy beating the odds. "He was instrumental in change at Compaq...and now he's the one to make things happen at Newbridge," Minshull says. "But he doesn't do this by looking over your shoulder...He gives a lot of autonomy to his team."

If anything, Minshull explains, Flynn moves so fast that he can leave others behind. "He has a lot of energy and demands that others move at a similar speed...He supports those who deliver and he can be clinical and cool to those who don't [deliver]."

Flynn has an ambitious turnaround plan for Newbridge, which he sees as a nimble company that is undervalued and underestimated. "I want us to exceed analysts' expectations for the next six quarters," Flynn explains. "We've been punished for inconsistent performance. So my job is to get consistency and get this company worth what it is...I want us to be a moving target [for companies plotting a takeover] and not a sitting duck."

Flynn is proud of his non-conformist and no-nonsense approach. "I came up through the ranks myself so I have a huge aversion to bullshit," he says. "For me it's important that we don't insult [employees'] intelligence with a lot of management mumbo-jumbo. They want to hear the facts."

For this reason, Flynn has launched "Voice from the Bridge," a weekly three-minute voicemail that goes out to all employees and updates them on recent developments. "He's re-energizing the company in a way that the company and all the employees can understand Keating notes. "He has really galvanized a team spirit."

Meanwhile Flynn, an avid movie buff, is already planning his next performance and the message he wants to get across. "The theme of our next conference might be something like Robocop or Terminator," Flynn jokes "That'll be [once] we've killed our competition."

Born in Ballycotton, Ireland, Flynn says it's partially his passion for soccer that makes him a better boss. "I love [soccer] because there's real people and real passion at it. Sometimes in this job you get treated so well and looked after so well that you forget reality."

Indeed, while he was based at Wang, Flynn became a loyal fan of Glasgow Celtic, even flying in from the United States to catch a game.

Flynn has degrees in applied physics and digital systems. When he's not working a 15-hour day or following Celtic, he spends his time with his wife and three children. "I'm very selfish about my time with my family," he says.