Jim Hughes
CEO and co-founder of Innovate – The IT Solutions People
How have you come to live in Ireland’s South East?
I’m originally from the South East, Wexford specifically so it’s always been home for me. I left initially to study a Bachelor of Commerce in UCD and to gain experience early in my career, but I always had the intention of coming back.
When we founded INNOVATE in 2006, bringing the headquarters back to Gorey was a very deliberate decision. The South East offers exceptional talent, a great quality of life, and the ability to build a business that can operate nationally and internationally.
Tell us about your career journey and how INNOVATE came about.
I saw early on that the IT sector was a high-growth area and recognised the opportunity that presented. I started out as an IT support engineer, moved into consulting roles, and eventually into senior management as an IT Director.
But I was always more interested in the commercial side of business, building something, not just running it.
In 2006, myself and Enda Cahill co-founded INNOVATE with a clear vision: to deliver real value to customers through technology, with a strong focus on service and building a high-quality team.
Over the years, we’ve continued to evolve the business from traditional IT services into a fully managed services provider, and now into a company that is helping organisations navigate one of the biggest shifts we’ve ever seen, Artificial Intelligence.
Alongside that, I recently completed an MSc. in Business and Leadership at UCD Smurfit, with a particular focus on corporate governance. That’s proving highly relevant given the level of responsibility organisations now face around AI and risk.
“The South East is a fantastic place to build a business. While you will almost certainly need to look for markets beyond, the most valuable natural resource the South East has to offer is its people and their talent.”
What does INNOVATE do today?
At its core, INNOVATE supports organisations with their entire IT environment.
We have a highly skilled Managed Services team that looks after day-to-day IT operations, security, performance, monitoring and support ensuring everything runs efficiently and securely.
Alongside that, our projects team designs and implements IT solutions, whether that’s infrastructure, modern workplace environments, or full technology transformations.
We work with organisations of all sizes, but particularly those who see IT as a strategic enabler, not just a cost.
Our key partnerships with Cisco and Microsoft underpin everything we do, allowing us to deliver secure, enterprise-grade solutions.
What’s changed in recent years is that we’re now helping organisations layer AI, governance and risk management on top of that core.
How do you see the current technology landscape?
We’ve moved into what I would describe as the most significant shift in technology in our lifetime, Artificial Intelligence.
The opportunity is enormous, but so is the risk.
What we’re seeing right now is widespread use of what we call ‘shadow AI’, employees using AI tools without any governance or oversight.
That’s a serious issue.
‘You wouldn’t believe the amount of unregulated AI currently being used across organisations, it represents a huge organisational reputational and data risk.’
My advice is simple:
‘Organisations need to close the floodgates, employees should not have access to any AI tools that aren’t formally approved and governed by your organisation.’
What should organisations be doing right now in response to AI?
They need to approach this in a structured way.
First and foremost, get control of your data.
‘Protection of organisational data is foundational, it’s the precursor to any AI implementation.’
Then, put in place proper governance and risk management frameworks.
We guide organisations using the Three Lines of Defence model:
- Management owning risk
- Compliance setting control frameworks
- Audit providing independent assurance
And we align that with recognised standards like:
- Cyber Security Essentials
- ISO 27001
- ISO 42001 for AI
Can you explain ISO 42001 in simple terms?
ISO 42001 is essentially a framework for managing AI properly.
It ensures organisations have:
- Clear accountability for AI systems
- Structured risk management
- Strong data governance
- Ongoing monitoring and oversight
Without that structure, AI introduces risk at a level most organisations aren’t prepared for.
How important is regulation in this space?
It’s becoming critical.
The EU AI Act, which comes into effect on August 2nd, 2026, is a major development.
It places real obligations on organisations around:
- Transparency
- Risk classification
- Governance
- Accountability
This is no longer just an IT issue, it’s a board-level responsibility.
‘The EU AI Act is a game changer. Boards need to take this seriously, this is governance and fiduciary responsibility at the highest level.’
How is INNOVATE helping organisations adapt?
We’re working with organisations to assess where they are right now through AI Readiness Reviews.
That includes:
- Identifying shadow AI
- Assessing data security and governance
- Understanding compliance gaps
- Aligning AI with overall business strategy
From there, we help build out AI strategies and risk frameworks, aligned to the organisation and supported across all three lines of defence.
Our People
“We have made this a nice home for ourselves and are surrounded by friends.”
Dean Caron, Unum
“You just can’t beat the work life balance.”
Aoife O’Brien, Taxback Group
“Ireland South East is a very friendly and artistic area, with a cosy, intimate community.”
Tomm Moore, Cartoon Saloon