Stephen McKeown grew up in the Glens of Antrim and developed his engineering skills as an "volunteer" mechanic in his Dad's car workshop. He now heads a Digital Centre of Excellence for Fortune 100 company Allstate and this core part of the business just happens to be located in Belfast. The insurance giant came to Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement with the modest ambition of creating 50 jobs. It now employs around 1700 in its European operations and Belfast has transformed from outpost to core hub. Stephen takes us through his early career: which spans a PhD from Queen's; helping build Ireland’s "bad bank" (NAMA) during the financial crisis; and bootstrapping successful tech startups. He discusses the revolutionary shift to a "product mindset" at Allstate with work focused on problem-solving and customer outcomes, a cultural change that led Allstate to win the prestigious Tony Hsieh Award. What's great is that Stephen still manages to balance global leadership with his volunteer role as a mechanic on the local Cushendall lifeboat. This episode is a masterclass in driving change and seizing opportunity in the evolving tech ecosystem; a lesson in how geography is no barrier to being at the centre of global organisations; and a reminder that a good and healthy workplace culture is vital to success.Brought to you in association with EY.The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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