Bazaarvoice expects to grow its team in Belfast to 100

Bazaarvoice software powers the ratings and reviews used on the websites of some of the world’s leading retail brands, providing shoppers with guidance for their online purchases and crucial information to brands about what their customers like and dislike.

The Austin, Texas headquartered company has been in Belfast since 2017 and moved into new bespoke offices on Castle Street at the end of last year. Today, the firm has 58 staff members and will be recruiting for new roles in software engineering, R&D, design, user experience and business development.

Bazaarvoice committed to the talent acquisition goals as the Belfast office received its first visit from the company’s new CEO Keith Nealon, who took up his role in January.

Mr Nealon, who is based out of Bazaarvoice’s headquarters in Austin, is originally from Dublin and said he was delighted the company is continuing to grow its presence in Northern Ireland.

“New product innovations and acquisitions focused on driving measurable results for our customers have extended our leadership position and set us up for the next chapter in our company story. I am excited to lead the business into its next phase and excited that Belfast will play a crucial role in the company’s global operations as we grow,” he said.

“Bazaarvoice pioneered the category of authentic reviews and user-generated content, serving as a trusted partner to leading brands. At a time when consumers increasingly insist on trustworthy user-generated content to make purchase decisions and brands and retailers seek to innovate to drive revenue growth, Bazaarvoice is poised to deliver increased value to all of them.”

Bazaarvoice initially planned to locate a client services and support centre in Belfast as well as creating software engineering roles, but after seeing the high-quality talent available in the city the company decided instead to make Belfast its first international R&D lab.

Seamus Cushley, who has joined BV as VP of Research & Development and site lead, said 2020 will be a big year for the company and Belfast will play a key role as it expands into Europe.

“The team in Belfast is creating business critical software that directly impacts how some of the world’s best brands run their businesses and interact with their customers. There are not many companies here with true potential to scale which also offer their teams the opportunity to deliver products that are used by millions of people every day,” he said.

“By the end of this year Belfast will represent around 10 per cent of Bazaarvoice’s workforce and will have an increasingly important role in the company’s global R&D function, which is helping drive growth into new markets. We are keen to recruit smart, curious, enthusiastic people from diverse backgrounds to join the team at this exciting point in our evolution.”