You've got to understand risk" - Tommy Kearns on surviving a €50m hit

Tommy Kearns, CEO of Xtremepush, discussed surviving a €50m loss and restarting his business career during a Business Plus Talks podcast episode. The conversation focused on risk, ambition and failure, drawing on Kearns’ 23-year background in telecoms. He said his early lessons came from rugby—where every part must work for the whole. After moving into telecoms and later building a business in Mexico that completed $20m in deals within 18 months, Kearns described a major setback after returning to Ireland and entering property with his father. “We went for the big swing but we didn't understand the risk,” he said, framing resilience and “the fear of failure” as key motivators.