Niall Downey
Niall Downey is a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology. He has been a senior telecommunications executive for over 18 years, leading large cross-functional teams to successfully deliver strong results by bringing new products and services quickly to the mass market in emerging markets across both the South African Development Community and Asia-Pacific regions.
Niall has made a significant input through his senior positions, including chief executive officer of both Bmobile and MTN, to improving technology capabilities within some of the remotest countries in the world. He has received many business awards in his capacity as a CEO for these technology companies, including Green Business of the Year and Best Commercial Brand.
The new services that Niall has launched have included the rolling out of 3G/4G services in the early 2010's with both Digicel and Bmobile. More recently he has overseen the successful launch of City Wi-Fi zones, new media content including the first launch of Netflix on a mobile platform in Africa, unified communications and mobile financial services. He has managed very large multi-functional teams which has helped him develop a strong overview of the telecommunications sector from sea-cables to video content platforms.
Niall enjoys supporting start-ups and has been working within the financial sector for the past few years devising business strategies for digital convergence packages and innovative products that are both sustainable and meet renewable standards to combat the ill effects of climate change which are currently pounding many of these markets. This is through Revenue Ventures, a US Fund based in both California and the UK. This funding followed a new method of finance called ‘Open Revenue Participation’ which helps owners of companies not dilute their equity while giving investors access to monthly cashflow. This is a win for both business owners and investors alike. This unique model is effective for businesses that are seeking management buyouts or launching new products or services into the market designed to diversify these companies’ revenue streams.
Niall is now the general manager of Interchange limited and is helping the company set up a new technology fund to help future proof the business.