‘Moving in your 50s is a big step – you just have to go for it’

The view of Antoni Gaudí's world-famous church of the Sagrada Familia is one Gary Mullan never tires of. “Our office terrace looks out on to the famous church. It’s the most incredible vista.”

Mullan moved to Barcelona with his digital recruitment company Prosperity.ie to expand into an already growing Spanish market, while also maintaining his Irish and French markets.

“I want to be the biggest digital media recruiter in Europe, that’s what I tell my staff. But for now we’re really enjoying growing our business here and at home.”

Originally from Donnybrook, Mullan first left Ireland in 1989 after completing his Leaving Cert in Blackrock College. “I moved to San Francisco, which was a hub for artists during that time and I worked with a theatre company called Tour de Force.”

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Mullan lived in downtown San Francisco, working catering jobs by day and being on stage at night. “It was still possible to live in San Francisco if you were an artist back then. I was lucky to get a green card in the green card lottery, so it was a great opportunity.”

After two years, he decided to get a formal acting education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena just outside Los Angeles. “I trained as an actor for two years, picking up roles in theatre and ads, before getting cast in Nash Bridges with Don Johnson.”

Mullan worked as a jobbing actor in Los Angeles for eight years before moving home in 2000. “I worked in commercials and short films like the award-winning Debutante and in theatre when I came home, before I decided on a career change.”

The turn of the millennium was also the cusp of the digital revolution and he decided to start his own business in that realm.

“Prosperity is an ecommerce and digital recruitment agency which offers jobs in digital media. We place roles in digital advertising, marketing, sales, design and product roles.”

The company, which has clients across the digital media platform working with brands like Google and Facebook, identified a market in Europe – namely France and Spain – and began offering talent acquisition services in those countries remotely.

Mullan says he set up his Spanish branch of his business, prosperitydigital.es, hiring local staff to accommodate the local markets. “I also have a French url and use French staff to service our growing market there. We work with big agencies in Paris, even though we aren’t based there.

“I always liked the idea of moving abroad again and, once Covid-19 made it possible to work remotely and productively, I used the opportunity to set up a physical base in Barcelona.”

Because the company was already established there with extensive databases and networks of relevant candidates, all he needed to do was make a physical move happen.

But Mullan says there was lots of red tape. “I hired an English-speaking accountant to navigate the paperwork. It is always daunting, but, once you start the process, you just get through it bit by bit. Finding the office space and somewhere to live was easier and cheaper than in Ireland.

“There’s a massive start-up scene here in Barcelona and the market is full of skilled and talented people from all around the world. I still have clients and the Irish arm of the business, which I’m managing successfully from here. Before Covid-19 that would have seemed less possible.”

Mullan says he hired local staff, but is also open to Irish people coming to join his crew of 15. “We have two full-time people working on the French market from here and have a great young team.”

The idea of living and working in a European country was always a dream and, because of growing digital connectedness, it is possible to do so, even if you are not a native speaker. “I’m learning Spanish, and have a tutor several times a week. I’m also speaking Spanish when I go out, but this is such a multicultural hub, you get people from all around the world living here.”

With the Mediterranean on one side and mountains on the other, Barcelona is a perfect place to move, he says. “There are so many options here. You can go hike close by, or to the beach, which is only around 10 minutes from the office. Then you can travel to France, the Pyrenees or the Balearic Islands by ferry. Then you have the famous nightlife and incredible cityscape.”

Mullan says moving in his 50s was a big step. “When you’re settled into a life at home, you can make any excuse not to make the move. I often read articles about people packing their bags and moving abroad and I wanted to do the same. You just have to go for it.”

Observing the marketplace, Mullan says younger people have more opportunities than his generation did. “Remote working and working in the digital space is so much easier now. You can work in Ireland, but live in Spain or the other way round.

“Thanks to the digital world we can grow our market share in Ireland and gain a foothold in Europe. The digital and evolving world we live in makes it all possible.”