Meet Marty O’Doherty

For Marty, sports and the great outdoors are a major source of activity and entertainment. Being active started early in his life on the family farm in Ireland—paving the way for his current interests in outdoor activities, hiking, and physical fitness.

He’s also a big sports fan—with Irish rugby, both Gaelic and American football, and golf as the main attractions. “I’ve watched rugby all of over the world,” he exclaims. However, being a rugby fan from Canada means waking up early to stream European matches. “Fortunately, the coverage and connectivity are getting better here as the fan base grows in North America.” And with the pandemic on the wane, he hopes to fly back to see matches across the pond. “We also have a potential World Cup coming to the U.S., which is something to look forward to.”

Marty is also an avid golfer, an interest he developed on the windy seaside links courses in Scotland and Ireland. “I enjoy the social aspects of the sport,” he explains.

Real-life MBA

Marty left the family farm in Ireland to attend university in Newcastle upon Tyne. In his 20’s, he then undertook “real-life MBA” learning experience. Were he learned best-in-class manufacturing processes with leading Japanese firms, new product development in Holland, Germany, and the UK, and then supply chain logistics in Europe and The Emirates.

He eventually landed with a UK-based recruiter who offered him an opportunity to relocate overseas. “I had been based in the north of England in a industrial region and saw the Canadian way of life offering an opportunity.”

Heading for Canada

Marty had actually been to Canada in 2001 on various work assignments, so he’d seen some of the sights and met people here already. He also had cousins in Oakville and had done some road trips including Montreal, Ottawa, and Chicago. “So, in our 30s, my wife and I decided it would be a good place to put down roots.” Arriving in March, they found it a tad chilly. They started out in Toronto before relocating to Oakville, and then finally to their current home in Guelph.

Travel for work and fun

Marty has enjoyed a lot of travel in his life, both for business and leisure. “When my wife and I lived in Northumbria, we could fly cheaply to cities like Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona, and Copenhagen and take in the different cultures and foods. My work life has always supplemented my travel life,” says Marty. In Canada, the family have loved trips to cottage country, Montreal, and Vancouver Island. The family are looking forward to coming out of the pandemic and expanding the list of Canadian locations and the international destinations he’d still like to visit, including southeast Asia, Distillery Tour of the Islands in Scotland, Coast to Coast in Spain, and Japan.

Authenticity at Farber

As a recruiter himself, Marty has a special perspective on joining Farber. “I’ve placed 500 industrial leaders, executive officers, and board level people in my career, and we always talk about the alignment of new talent with the hiring firm. At Farber, I had the opportunity to plan this transition with Ian and Charlene and it was interesting going through the process myself as a candidate.

When it comes to culture, Marty finds that people care most about family and authenticity and those are the priorities he sees within Farber. “We all understand the need to be commercially aware,” notes Marty, “but it’s the authenticity with our clients, with the team, our shared values, the freedom to navigate your career and collaborate with colleagues and clients that are most important. That is purposeful work for me.”

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