My journey since leaving Loreto College, St Stephen's Green

I was always interested in law and had done some work experience in small solicitors’ firms but wasn’t 100% sure that I wanted to be a solicitor. To be honest, I found it hard to settle into university life after leaving the Green. I did Business and Law in UCD, but it wasn’t until my final two years that I found my feet and decided to apply for traineeships in the Dublin firms. So, after leaving UCD in 2005, I did the FE-1's, went to visit my friends from the Green in Australia and then started my traineeship in Beauchamps. I loved every minute of my traineeship and working in Beauchamps. I was extremely lucky to get a job in 2009, in the eye of the global financial crisis, as a solicitor in the Construction team in Beauchamps. Fast forward a year and I was head hunted by Matheson to join their real estate team led by the brilliant Cara O’Hagan. I have been given so many opportunities working in Matheson with some of the most brilliant lawyers in the country, amazing domestic and international clients and helping navigate the strategy of the firm through some very challenging times.

My current role’s most and least interesting parts

I am currently a senior partner and head of the real estate practice. I also sit on the firm’s management committee, which is equivalent to the executive board. No two days are the same so there is nothing that I don’t find interesting. On the management side the most interesting part is my role on the management committee because it’s all about strategy – business strategy and people strategy. How can we create an environment that attracts and retains the best legal talent, that people genuinely love to work in? How can we position ourselves to win the type of business we want to win from the type of clients that we want to work with? Every day is a learning day!

The best career advice I have ever received

Ask for help. An aunt of mine gave me that advice when I was starting back to work after my first maternity leave. The real advice was that you don’t have to, and can’t do, everything yourself. Surround yourself with supportive people that are working in the same direction not pulling you off course. It worked!

Role models I look up to

Michael Jackson our former managing partner. Raser sharp mind always focussed on how to do things better. I think role models can change, and you can have many depending on the stage of your career or what your goals are at any time.

The person who taught me my most important values

My mother! A force to be reconned with. Family is at the heart of everything I do.

My favourite memory from Loreto College

There are so many! Probably my first day – it was so exciting, meeting so many new girls. It was a beautiful August day, and we spent a lot of it outside. I have a very vivid memory of lots of giggling girls on the steps outside the canteen getting our photo taken. My closest friends are the girls that I met that day.

The teacher who most influenced me

Probably Ms Barton – she without doubt unlocked my competitive nature and never give up attitude!

The one thing I wish someone told me at the early stage of my career

I don’t think it would have altered my path necessarily, but I still wish someone had told me to “pause”. There have been various points in my career where I had a decision to make – most times I just say yes sure let’s do it without pausing to think, is this the best thing for me. I see so many people unhappy in their career because they have just followed the road or path put in front of them, rather than really thinking about what is best for them at each stage of their life or career.

The skills I think will be most important in the future work environment

Creativity, relationships, analytical thinking

The one thing I would do if I could come back to Loreto College for an hour

Walk up and down the stairs between classes planning our weekend or next night out!

Plans for the future

Professionally, there are one or two roles that I would like to take on in Matheson in the future but for the next five or six years I am focussed on growing our business to a point where I can pass it on to the next generation of talent. In law firms we are really the trustees of the firm for the next generation. It’s not a business that we can sell, our role is to grow the business and hand over a bigger and better business than what was given to us. Personally, my eldest son is starting secondary school so I want to be as present as possible for him to help him navigate his secondary school days so that he can enjoy them and get the most from it in the way I did.