Donal Connolly

MSc Behavioural & Economic Scienc, 2017

Based in:

Nairobi, Kenya

Formerly from:

Ireland

First job:

Worked in a shop all through my undergrad. But my first 'real job' was selling tickets to the Hop On, Hop Off City Bus Tour of Vancouver. I loved that job.

Ambitions for the future:

I really think that we, human society, can achieve SDG7 -- universal access to energy -- by 2030. For me, that is the main ambition for the coming 5-7 years, if it ends up taking a little longer. After than, who knows. Maybe world hunger!

Describe your current role and what attracted you to it.

My job is not what you'd expect from the title.

However, most of our customers don't have enough money to buy these life-changing products ($60-70). So, our company offers them to customers on a financing model where they can 'pay-as-you-go' to complete the purchase and finally own their solar kit. This can take up 2 years of paying $0.15-$0.20 a day! My job is to ensure that the customers are ultimately successful with their first formal financial loan product. It's a very demanding job, trying to determine creditworthiness of some of the world's poorest people who have no bank account, no previous experience with financial products and have often very limited financial literacy and then servicing that customer over the coming years of their repayment journey. But it's all worth it when we see the difference that our "d.lights" bring to their lives of our customers and the massive transformative impact they have on their whole family. I love it!

What’s your favourite part of the role?

Getting the chance to explore the most remote regions of Africa, warmly invited into people's homes as they proudly show me the solar product they bought from us that is now lighting up their home is a real privilege. My favourite aspect of the role is the ability to work side-by-side with our amazing local teams that are truly passionate about bringing lights to their fellow countrymen, left behind in the dark, and seeing this happen in real time across the continent. With 650m people in Africa still without access to energy, there is plenty more work ahead!

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

At Warwick, I studied an MSc in Behavioural & Economic Science. This was split between the schools of psychology economics and the WBS. The approach that we took in those classes -- relying on data to put forward theories, using scientific method to test out hypotheses and generally the high-standard of research & analysis -- has been something that I've taken with me through to my job today. We do lots of mini-experiments and test to work out exactly what works best, why it works and then how best to launch it to a wider group.

As well as some of the 'hard-skills' of doing data-driven experimentation, my time at Warwick also taught me a great deal about the importance of maintaining a growth mindset and taking lessons from as broad a spectrum of different disciplines as possible. Ours is a brand-new industry, so there's not yet a 'right way of doing things'. The interdisciplinary approach that was taught at Warwick has set me up for success right now, as we shamelessly pick the best practices from industries like MicroFinance, FMCG, energy utilities all underpinned with the latest technology tools and ways of working.

Did you have a specific career path in mind when you chose to study at Warwick?

No. I knew that I really wanted to study that topic of behavioural science, and I also knew that I badly needed some time and space to properly answer that question, a luxury for which my previous job in London did not allow. Part of the success of my time in Warwick was having that freedom to explore many new ideas as a mature student, which ultimately helped me to form the decision that what I was really looking for was a career path with meaning. I found some of the 'learnings-on-the-side' (I'd never even heard of the SDGs!) to be as impactful on my future career decisions as the learnings in the classroom and library.

What top tips do you have for Warwick graduates who would like to work in your sector?

2. Be ready for a lot of ups and downs. It's been a very bumpy road with the different companies I've worked with in this sector. Things can get very tough, and long days, in some pretty desolate places. But the flipside of that is some of the most memorable work experiences I can think of.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I ride a motorbike to the office because I can't stand sitting in hectic Nairobi traffic. Get there for about 8.30am or so. In my role, I oversee all our operations across all the various markets in which we operate (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria... etc) so I am on a lot of calls. I try to get these done in the morning, and early afternoon - leaving my late afternoon and evenings to myself to get more of my deep work done. While I'm in the office more often than not, I'll aim to get out into the field to meet customers, hear from our teams and see how our products are working at least a few days per month.

What has been your greatest career challenge to date and how did your experience and skills help overcome it?

Honestly, my biggest career challenge was spending the first 5 years of my career bouncing through a few different jobs that I didn't enjoy, at which I didn't feel like I learned a great deal, looking for something that I really wanted to do. Taking time to do the Masters in Warwick helped with that, but it's definitely a constant challenge and a question that I still ask myself.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in relation to your career?

Reach out to someone directly and ask to meet for a coffee to hear how they're doing something that you're interested.

What should current students or recent alumni be doing to move their careers forward?

I do think more students and alumni should really stop and think about: what does the world need the most right now? how can I help? A lot of time is spent on 'exploring what you’re passionate about'; when I do think that often just following the biggest problems or challenges can lead to very inspiring careers.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were applying for jobs?

On the inside of these big organisations, it's often way more disorganised and chaotic than they may seem on the outside.