John Riordan

Pioneer
DISC Type : IDS

Chair of the Board of Trustees at Sanctuary Runners

Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Overview

John is a seasoned customer services leader and board member with executive experience at Shopify, Apple, and Virgin Atlantic. He now serves as a board director and advisor for companies like Athletics Ireland and Otonomee, leveraging his expertise in remote work and team building. People often describe him as professional, personable, and an encouraging leader.

Outside of his board duties, John is passionate about community and sport. He is the Chairman of Sanctuary Runners, an organization promoting solidarity with refugees through running, a sport he has been involved with since 2018. In 2010, he returned to his hometown of Cork with his family.

He was an early pioneer of remote work, creating home-based customer support solutions in the early 2000s, long before it became a global trend.

Personality Overview

Driven But Considerate

Dynamic But Sincere

Decisive But Friendly

They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed  If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)

Topics They Care About

Remote Work Advocacy
As Chairman of Grow Remote and an evangelist for over 20 years, he actively promotes remote-first work cultures built on trust and local community impact.
Community & Inclusion
He is the Chairman of Sanctuary Runners, a non-profit that uses running to foster solidarity and inclusion for refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland.
Customer Experience
His executive career was built on leading international customer service and support teams at major brands like Apple, Shopify, and Virgin Atlantic.

Media Appearances

Athletics Ireland Board Members. Featured in Athletics Ireland

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New Athletics Ireland Board. Featured in Athletics Ireland

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Work History

12-2025
Chair of the Board of Trustees at Sanctuary Runners
7-2025
Board Member at Athletics Ireland
3-2022
Board Member at Otonomee
2-2022
Board Member at Boundless
2-2021 - 3-2025
Chairman at Grow Remote

Education

1984 - 1988
Bachelor of Commerce from University College Cork
1988 - 1989
Masters of Business Studies from University College Dublin

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 4 Location : Cork, County Cork, Ireland Job Level : N/A Designation : Chair of the Board of Trustees at Sanctuary Runners
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Insights For Selling To John

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but nurture the relationship too
  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don’t be very informal during the early interactions even if they are being so themselves
  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with John is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from John

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will John move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can John take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And John

Personality Compatibility


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