1: Intro
A passing notion is usually just that: a fleeting second of genius that disappears like smoke into the wind. Such incidents are common in the world of business, the air saturated with ambition and drawn-out deliberations. Occasionally, however, an idea refuses to disappear, unshakeable in its drive to become material.
2: Before Clear Strategy
The ‘Lightbulb moment’ that gave rise to Clear Strategy occurred over a decade ago when Director David Fitzpatrick observed a shift in the industry. Data was viewed as a luxury as opposed to a non-negotiable necessity. When some of the largest global corporations began to explode in size and popularity, it became clear that a new dawn was on the horizon. Data became a must-have in order for these companies to succeed and compete for the top spot. Owing to extensive experience in the field, David Fitzpatrick had predicted this shift, as well as foreseeing the hunger for experts in the field that would follow. He knew that companies would need more than just software, they would need a partner that had ‘walked the walk’ to help them unlock the full potential of their data . It wasn’t about doing what other companies were doing; it was about shaping the future of how businesses approached data and used it to transform their businesses. Data became the upper hand that businesses required in order to stay alive, compete and grow. David quickly noticed a gap in his trend however: companies may have been adopting the bones of a data strategy, but without the right experience, they were attempting to set sail without wind or a compass.
3: The Beginning Of Clear Strategy
Clear Strategy was formed on a single yet compelling insight: how organisations use data determines whether they succeed or fail. The potential outcomes are as profound and arbitrary as that. It is the difference between choosing to be a dynamic business with a culture of continuous gains versus being a business where management decisions and operating practice are based on rear view mirror insights.
Struggling in the cut-throat business terrain as a one-person startup. David Fitzpatrick knew that in order to provide the best service possible for clients, he required a partner; an expert who could provide an additional perspective to Clear Strategy’s work. Julie Collison, a highly experienced Senior Data and Analytics expert joined the team in 2018, bringing with her a wealth of real-life experience and expertise. This union would be the catalyst that inspired a fresh and cutting-edge approach to consultancy work, placing the client at the forefront and equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to flourish in the ever-evolving landscape.
Clear Strategy was perfected to help clients to build better businesses, to enable them to turn insights into a powerful source of competitive advantage and value creation. With over 20 years experience each in various, diverse industries, Julie Collison and David Fitzpatrick worked together in a proactive measure to create a solution to the pain points felt by their clients throughout their combined 4 decades of experience in the industry. Since its inception, the headcount of the team has on average doubled year on year and Clear Strategy have developed 2 cutting-edge products: Tempo and Kerbi.
Since 2018, Clear Strategy has won a number of prestigious awards: ‘Most Trusted Data Analytics Consultancy’ (Irish Enterprise Awards, 2021), ‘Most Disruptive Data & Analytics Consulting Service Provider’ (Irish Enterprise Awards, 2022), ‘UKI Services Accelerator Partner of The Year’ (Snowflake, 2024), ‘Sustained Excellence in Data Analytics & Consultancy Services’ (Judges Choice Awards, 2024), Business Success Award 2024 (IPBN), Top 10 in Deloitte’s Fast 50 2024, Top 15 in Deloitte’s Fast 50 2025, Scale Up Award 2025 (Tide, Everywoman Awards), Entrepreneur of The Year 2026 (IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of The Year Awards)
4: The Dark Side of Business Growth
The journey to the top was no easy trek. There were so many aspects to building a business so being able to share the responsibilities, particularly during the intense times, was hugely important for David. In the early days there were many nights where Julie and David alike worked through the night, delivering for clients and trying to win tenders, only to repeat the process for days at a time. Transforming businesses did not come cheap in the early days, where sacrifice after sacrifice was made for the sake of clients. However, the work was worth the reward: seeing clients transform their businesses was the light that helped Julie and David navigate the challenges of starting a business and the sustenance to continue on their journey to number 1.
5: The First Big Win
(David Fitzpatrick) ‘Landing our first major modern data platform was a big step-up for us. We won the business through a national tender, competing against much larger companies. What set us apart was our specialisation as an end-to-end data company, and we really understood how data could drive their business forward. We were able to articulate what their businesses needed and where their business could go with data. We saw serious potential where they didn’t. The project was very ambitious, a full modern data platform designed and delivered within 16 weeks for a business operating in seven countries worldwide. It was huge for us and for the team, we gained invaluable technical experience and we worked so hard to make it a success. It was also delivered in the height of Covid, carrying out an incredibly ambitious project remotely! It gave us enormous credibility, proving our ability to deliver complex, high-stakes projects and we built it with standards we defined, methodologies and processes we created. It was here that Kerbi started becoming a figment of my imagination!’
6: A Winning Streak
Following an extremely successful project during the pandemic, Clear Strategy continued to grow exponentially, competing with huge names for projects and helping to transform large scale organisations nationally and internationally. Tempo and Kerbi were the next steps. These products were designed and brought to fruition to fill gaps that many people in the industry didn't know existed.
Kerbi; Seamless Data Integration for Snowflake, was designed to simplify and accelerate the building and maintenance of data platform implementations. Kerbi streamlines data movement from source to target tables, ensuring data integrity and simplifying data governance with just a few generic procedures.
Tempo: A Game Changer for Reference Data Management, is a purpose-built application designed to effectively manage Enterprise Reference Data within your Data Platform. Tempo allows important information to flow seamlessly across your organisation with effective governance.
What makes these products special is that they were born from extensive experience in the industry, spanning several decades. They are expert-made, with exceptional attention to detail, placing seamless usability at the forefront. Both Tempo and Kerbi are user friendly and focus on making our clients lives easier, not only from a time/money saving standpoint but from a security perspective, eliminating human error and ensuring that our clients are always putting their best foot forward into paving their future path.
7: So What Is ‘The Algorithm of Success?’
For Clear Strategy, the algorithm of success has been perfected. We always begin by putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes, because we have been where they are and we understand how difficult it can be to navigate the process. We have seen that there are any number of consultancies offering good technical solutions, with great business engagement methodologies. This is not how we operate however. We believe that every deliverable should be exceptional and this is simply not possible to do unless you really take the time to understand the client, to take an empathetic approach. Too often, the starting point in consultancy work is to sell a data solution, rather than trying to understand the clients problems or business operations model. The algorithm of success is proximity and empathy, to put oneself in the clients shoes, do the leg work and work through the process side by side with the client, as a partner should.
8: Dominating The Data Market
Since opening our doors in 2018, Clear Strategy has experienced remarkable growth, driving innovation and fresh thinking across the data and AI landscape. The company is well on its way to becoming Ireland’s leading Data and Analytics Consultancy and the momentum is unmistakable. As their client base expands and their projects scale in both scope and impact, the team continues to grow in size, skill, and ambition. Clear Strategy is not just keeping pace with the tech frontier, they are defining it. And they are only getting started.
