5 Questions with Hannah Dobson
VP Entertainment & Media, Enterprise Ireland
Hannah Dobson (she/her) joined Enterprise Ireland in September 2016 and is responsible for advising and supporting the growth of a world class portfolio of Irish companies across the animation, VFX, production, gaming, VR/AR, and broader entertainment industries.
1. Where’s your hometown?
Dublin, Ireland.
2. How did you get into STEM?
My undergraduate degree was my first real insight into STEM. I studied Marketing Innovation and Technology (MInT) at Dublin City University, a degree that is a collaboration between the DCU Business School, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, and the Faculty of Science and Health. It is designed to teach students how to bridge the innovation gap, the phase between the invention of a technology and its emergence on the market, and it was created in response to demand from the growing technology industry in Ireland.
Throughout my studies, I gained an understanding of emerging technologies and began to focus my interest on technology entrepreneurship. One of the most interesting modules for me was one we studied in our final semester called “Information Technology in Society”. It gave us insight into how innovation in technology affects our daily lives and allowed us to explore topics such as e-health, blockchain, biometrics, and AI.
3. What is a piece of advice that you have found especially useful?
Connections, connections, connections…so many of the people I’ve met in my (relatively short) career to date have been instrumental in my success. A mentor once advised me to build relationships with as many people as possible, as you never know who might be valuable to you in the future. I think we sometimes underestimate how willing people are to help if they are in a position to do so.
4. What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you deal with it?
A personal challenge for me is being so far away from my home and my family. Luckily, my work takes me back to Ireland several times a year, which I am always very thankful for. In addition, the fact that the tech industry in Ireland is continuing to accelerate helps me to feel safe in the knowledge that I can continue with my current career path in Ireland when I am ready to move back across the Atlantic!
5. What are you most excited about right now, in or outside of STEM?
I’m most excited about Immersive Technologies at the moment. Working closely with the entertainment and media sector in Ireland has exposed me to the exciting growth in this area. In particular, Virtual Production has piqued my interest. In the most basic of terms, it’s a technique in which you have the ability to mix live action footage with computer graphics. With the increasing use of CG Animation/VFX in TV and Film production, Virtual Production allows the director and production team to see an almost-finished picture of what the final shot will look like.
