Meet Senior Product Analyst, Liam Linnane
Liam, our Senior Product Analyst, is a vital member of our Dublin team. We sat down with him to explore his journey at Fire and learn more about his connection to the payments industry.
Hi Liam! When did you start working at Fire?
I started working at Fire in 2016 so I’ve been here for 8 years already. Over ¼ of my life which is pretty crazy to think about!
What are your main responsibilities?
As a member of the Product team, my job is very multi-faceted. We’re a small team so I cover every aspect of the Product Delivery Lifecycle. On any given day I’m a product manager, product owner, UX/UI designer and project manager so there’s never a dull day. I’m responsible for ensuring that the product we bring to market is valuable to our customers, both internally and externally. Personally, I am currently focused on our FX services, international transfers, electronic funds transfers and fraud management.
What do you find most fulfilling in your job?
The most rewarding part of my role is being able to bring an idea from just a thought right the way through to a functioning service that really helps our customers or colleagues. It’s also really rewarding to be part of a small team so that your voice and opinions are heard, and I can really help shape the future of the company.
What's the most interesting problem you've tackled so far?
There have been quite a few exiting challenges so far but the Authorised Push Payment Reimbursement directive in the UK is the one that jumps out to me straight away. As the Product Analyst responsible for ensuring we’re ready for the directive when it comes into force in October 2024, I’ve been involved in multiple industry forums, working groups and consultations. I’ve learned a lot about how the payments and finance industry in the UK really works and developed a lot of new and existing skills over the past few years working on this project. This directive will have a huge impact on the banking and payments industry in the UK and it’s been exciting to have been part of the journey to see it through to implementation.
Can you tell us about your background and what drew you to a company like Fire?
I took a bit of a winding road out of school before finding myself in Fire. I had always said you’d never catch me in an office job but here I am, and I can honestly say I’m not disappointed.
I had always thought I’d become a teacher or similar when I finished school. After toying around with a lot of different subjects in an arts degree in college (7 different subjects and 3 different languages), I settled on a plan to become an Urban and Environmental Planner. Not my best plan considering I finished college during the financial crash when there was nothing being planned or built! The lack of jobs in my field led me to taking a call centre job with a large Irish bank to pay the bills. This role allowed me to complete my QFA qualifications and find out that I had a keen interest in the payment ecosystem.
When I saw an ad on Facebook for an intern role in a new, innovative payments company I thought I’d take a leap of faith and leave my permanent, comfortable job in a bank and see what happened at the end of the 3-month internship. 8 years later I can look back and say it was definitely the right decision!
If you had to pick three words to define the culture, what would they be?
Innovative, open, enjoyable.
What do you appreciate most about your role in the payments field?
For a long time, payments were the forgotten child of the banking and finance sector. Now, it’s a booming sector with constant innovations coming to the fore driven for the last while by PSD2 and will get another boost soon with PSD3. It’s great being in a company at the forefront of these innovations and one that we can really position ourselves to take advantage of new technology and regulations to bring new, truly helpful services for customers to market.
What do you get involved in during your spare time?
I’ve a 1-year-old at home so he keeps me pretty busy outside of work these days! When I’m not working or chasing him around, you’ll find me reading, in the garden, out on the bike or out with family and friends for coffee (or something a little stronger)!
I am also a huge rugby fan, although my playing days are behind me, it’s rare that I’ll miss an Ireland or Leinster game! I also like to volunteer and organise fundraising events for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, a cause close to my family and one that Fire have been extremely generous with sponsoring the Mizen2Malin charity cycle for the last number of years!
Do you have any interesting or unusual talents or fears?
My wife always tells me I have a ridiculous amount of obscure facts and general knowledge stored in my head so I’m not the worst person to be with at table quizzes.
I am also freakishly good at the TV gameshow Catchphrase!
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