To mark our 75th Anniversary, we are shining a light on some NCI alumni to showcase the amazing talent the College has produced throughout the years.
Brendon Gonouya, Head of Applied AI Solutions at Aya Data
Alumni Spotlight: Brendon Gonouya
BA (Honours) in Business (2018)
Head of Applied AI Solutions, Aya Data
About Brendon
Since graduating from National College of Ireland in 2018, Brendon Gonouya has built an international career spanning banking, marketing, business development and technology. Today, he leads the Applied AI Solutions business unit at Aya Data, working across Ghana and West Africa to help organisations adopt artificial intelligence solutions that deliver meaningful impact.
Alongside his professional career, Brendon serves as a founding Trustee of Friends of Ireland Ghana, a platform developed in collaboration with the Irish Embassy to strengthen connections between Irish and Ghanaian communities through culture, education and enterprise.
Looking back on his time at NCI, Brendon credits the College with helping him realise that a global career was not only possible, but achievable through strategic thinking, hard work and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.
"NCI showed me what was possible and proved that the global career I wanted was within reach, provided I brought the right strategy and work ethic."
Learning Through Experience
Two experiences stand out most from Brendon's time as a student.
The first was attending the Human Resource Management lectures delivered by Dermot Killen. Although human resources was never the career path he ultimately pursued, Dermot's teaching style left a lasting impression. By drawing on extensive real-world experience and grounding lessons in practical examples, he demonstrated how theory could be applied in professional settings, a lesson Brendon continues to rely on throughout his career.
Equally influential was NCI's Career Management module and the support provided by the Careers Team. As the first person in his family to pursue a corporate career, Brendon entered college without a clear understanding of the recruitment process or the opportunities available to him. Through mock interviews, careers fairs and direct engagement with recruiters, he gained valuable insight into the professional world while developing the confidence to pursue ambitious career goals.
It was during this period that he first encountered the Jameson International Graduate Programme at Pernod Ricard Irish Distillers, a programme that would go on to launch his international career.
Building a Global Perspective
The strategic mindset Brendon developed during his studies has become one of the defining themes of both his career and personal life. Since graduating, he has lived and worked across three countries and successfully navigated careers in multiple industries, continually applying the same problem-solving approach he first developed at NCI.
Today, his work at Aya Data focuses on helping organisations adopt AI technologies while ensuring Africa remains at the forefront of technological innovation. His role includes supporting businesses to achieve tangible returns from AI investment, while also contributing to projects such as low-resource language speech models designed to increase access to knowledge in areas including agriculture and food security.
For Brendon, one of his proudest achievements is leading a talented team working on enterprise-grade AI solutions that have the potential to create meaningful change across the continent.
"Nine years ago, when I was leaving NCI, I couldn't have predicted this is where I would be."
Leadership, Inclusion and Opportunity
Brendon believes the foundations of his leadership approach were established during his time at NCI and later refined through the managers and mentors he encountered throughout his career.
As NCI celebrates its 75th anniversary, he sees the College as an institution that has consistently championed equality, diversity and inclusion while creating opportunities for students from all backgrounds.
As a first-generation Zimbabwean-Irish immigrant, Brendon believes NCI has played an important role in supporting talent that might otherwise be overlooked, helping to ensure that representation across professional sectors continues to grow.
"To me, NCI is an incubator for talent that might otherwise be overlooked, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds."
Looking Ahead
Having spent much of the last four years living and working outside Ireland, Brendon has developed a strong appreciation for the role educational institutions play in shaping future generations. He believes colleges such as NCI help prepare graduates not only for successful careers, but also to represent Irish education, values and innovation on a global stage.
His advice to current students reflects the outlook that has guided his own journey:
"The sky isn't the limit, it's the starting point."
He encourages students to stay curious, build meaningful relationships and pursue opportunities with ambition, resilience and careful planning, recognising that some of the most important opportunities arise through the connections made along the way.
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