Eamonn Kinsella, an Ireland native, arrived in Hawai‘i 32 years ago only expecting to stay for a short layover during his trip between Dublin and Aotearoa. Although he never made it to Aotearoa, Kinsella is now thriving as SOCOTEC Honolulu’s regional director.
Kinsella had to keep a low profile in the beginning of his career, taking jobs at non-union carpentry shops and other labor-intensive jobs, but that all changed when he received mail from the State of Hawai‘i declaring he won the Green Card lottery.
“The previous year I didn’t get it, so it was really a turning point in my life because I was going to go home, get back into the city in Ireland, and all of a sudden, now I have this opportunity to be legal,” says Kinsella. “The lottery gave me a break to be what I could be here, right? It was just a catalyst that [threw] the doors open for me to just walk through.”
After receiving his green card, Kinsella built up his resume over the years until settling in at SOCOTEC last summer.
Question: Can you describe your role?
Answer: So what the company is, is a cross-disciplinary architectural engineering firm specializing in the building envelope, which is the skin or armor of the building. So on any given project where we do design, we want to make sure that our design is kept right … to the onsite performance of the contractor.
So my job is engaging with our [clients] … and listening to what their needs are. We focus on the client’s benefit and trust as a priority. There’s no need for me to come in and bang on the door and say, “Hey, I’m here to see what we can do!” That’s the reverse of how you should do it. What you should do is ask, “Can I be invited in?” No banging on the door. Our work speaks for itself.
Q: Was transitioning to a new company and team challenging?
A: We have a really, really solid, high-quality team. I’ve been with a number of companies in my career, and I know people who are genuinely up for the work [and] have a good work ethic. We’re passionate about the work we do. Everyone here cares about helping make a better world through our work in the built environment -— a safer one and a more sustainable one. So I must say, even in my shorter tenure with SOCOTEC, it’s very apparent to me — our actions create value in our communities. … That’s what it’s really like to work with us.
Q: What projects have you worked on since you started the position?
A: We’ve been fortunate to … continue gaining market share with being awarded some big wins for notable projects locally.
Q: What have been the main challenges of getting to where you are now?
A: Starting from scratch, that was a massive challenge, which I embraced. I didn’t turn around and get homesick … and go back to Ireland. There was a massive challenge ahead of me and it speaks again, to my personality, my character, my dreams about myself and my career, to make a success of myself in Hawai‘i. … I got some breaks because I knocked on a lot of doors, and some remained closed, some were open. I’m always thankful and grateful to people who did give me breaks along the way to allow me to be in a position today where I can give back.
Q: How do you define success?
A: A lot of people put it down to a monetary number. My wife would kick me under the table for saying that. I define success in terms of, you know, a life well-lived, relationships created. I played high-level rugby in Ireland and won some cups and medals. I don’t know where the cups and medals are but I know where my friendships are, my relationships are.
As I continue along in my career, I ask myself, “What lasting impact do I want to make, being a seasoned professional?” For me, it’s all been predicated on relationships, and nothing better than to work with somebody and help continue making them successful, right? Bring a project in … and the building is performing well, and you get that atta-boy saying, “Well done.”
