Frazer Furlong remembers the Ergo co-founder
Trade
John Purdy
Since John Purdy’s shocking passing in January, there have been many expressions of loss from many quarters.
John was my direct line manager for over 21 years, and following that, he chaired the board I served on. It’s difficult to fully articulate what I learned from him over that time, but I know this – it was both rare and immensely valuable.
Over that time, I had a front-row seat to what John built with Ergo. From its early days to becoming one of Ireland’s leading IT services companies, the journey was shaped by his ambition and resilience. Along the way, there were defining milestones including the spin-off of Fenergo, which went on to become an Irish unicorn, and strategic acquisitions such as MicroMail that strengthened the business’s scale and capability. These achievements didn’t happen by chance; they were the result of John’s constant drive to grow, adapt and push the business forward.
I still remember my interview for the role of Ergo’s marketing manager with John in October 1999. It went well, but there was a second stage: a PowerPoint presentation outlining a marketing plan for a new service launch. After I got the job, I made the mistake of letting John know that I had asked my sister, “What’s a PowerPoint presentation?”. That became one of many stories he returned to for the next two decades. John always found a way to either open or close the conversation with a laugh – at some else’s expense, but never without warmth.
John often said one of his proudest achievements in business was never missing payroll. In the early days, that was tested a couple of times. This was a high-pressure environment, and there were times when things were genuinely tough. Language like ‘street fighting’, ‘punching above our weight’, ‘scrapping for every deal’ was very much part of the culture. We were building a business on the fly. Of course, we had plans, budgets, and models, but as we know, in our industry, a good plan is only good for a couple of quarters.
The management team would always feel a certain anticipation ahead of John’s return from his annual holiday. John would have spent his holiday thinking about how the business should reshape internally and pivot externally. Not all of those ideas proved right, but his instinct for action and willingness to push forward ensured that progress was constant. Balancing that drive with pragmatism was often a challenge, but it was also what propelled the business forward.
John’s passion was sales. Strong, high-achieving sellers were hugely valued, and he’d ensure they knew it. High commissions, annual sales trips and public praise were never spared. As the company grew, there were moments when tensions between sales and operations could have emerged, but John was clear: we were all there to serve customers, and in that sense, we were all in sales.
Customers were genuinely cherished and John’s unwavering loyalty to them despite the circumstances was frequently a source of tension. But it’s fair to say, that many customers see loyalty as a two-way street and this has been a vital part of the story. There are a cohort of customers that demonstrated patience while we matured to the standards that they expected. You know who you are – thank you.
There were a number of characteristics that I admired in John and maybe these are common in entrepreneurs, but it sure felt to me that these were very special.
He believed strongly in leading by example: working hard, thinking carefully, and constantly reassessing what truly mattered. We had many conversations about focusing not just on what needed to be done, but on what should be done differently.
Selling is hard work, particularly when the markets were tough and we were trying to grow fast. “People buy from people” he’d say and he invested huge time and effort into his network of friends, colleagues and customers. And he was always humble enough to know when to reach into that network for help, support or guidance. “I drink a lot of coffee,” he’d say – his shorthand for making time to connect.
John made more decisions than anyone else in the business and, naturally, more mistakes as a result. His tendency to break the inertia of the status quo would mean that his default position would be that any decision is better than no decision. My tendency is to gather as many facts as possible before making a decision – John saw this as procrastination. Looking back, particularly in times of high flux or indeed crisis, John’s bias for action was often the right approach. On the really big calls, he overperformed.
John’s standout characteristic was his immense tenacity. He just kept going. This was never a ‘lifestyle business’, everything was reinvested to build a bigger and better business.
Under John’s leadership, Ergo grew into one of Ireland’s most respected IT services companies, not just in scale, but in the strength of its relationships and the consistency of its delivery. What set it apart, though, was the culture he built along the way. Many people built long and successful careers in Ergo, shaped by the pace, the expectation, and the opportunity that John created. He demanded a lot, but he backed people to grow and succeed.
Reflecting on the achievement and tragedy from January, I’m very grateful that John got to enjoy the plaudits of his Ergo story when its sale to Presidio was announced in October.
Around that time, he shared some thoughts: “For the last week or two I have felt a little strange. It was always the dream with Tim Sheehy [Ergo co-founder] to build an enduring and substantial business. We have done that… of which I am incredibly proud. I am also a little sad. Almost like a bereavement… Ergo has been in my thoughts every day for 33 years. Audrey said once, I only had one mistress: Ergo.”
Not long after, he said something that has stayed with me: “I hope your reward helps you and your family live a little easier. I am forever grateful for your support.”
John, I’m forever grateful for everything. Thank you, and thank you again.