Q. Tell us about your role at your firm. What do you do, and what do you find most interesting about it?

I’m the Joint Owner and Director at Carpenters Group, Insurance and Legal Services firm. My day to day is very different now to 30 years ago when we started the business. Now I meet with the Exec team and feed in on strategic decisions. I still find it fascinating to see how we keep growing and the work our people do for customers every day. I also spend a lot of time and effort supporting a number of charitable organisations and mentoring – it gives me such a kick to be able use my time and skills to make a difference. I always wanted to live a life with purpose and now I get the chance to do that. It is a privilege I don’t take for granted.

Q. What are the challenges facing your business right now, and how are you working to overcome them?

Every growing and evolving business faces new challenges every day. For us, we are always trying to balance our growth with our original culture and values. It is important to me that we keep tight hold of who we are, it is what has made us makes us successful. There are external challenges too, most people will know how vocal I have been on the need for improvements to the OIC portal! I also worry about people and their future careers – technological innovation is all very well but we’ve got to make sure it is in partnership with human resource. We have got to keep offering people rewarding careers across the insurance sector. Your people are your success; you can never lose sight of that.

Q. If you could go back to the start of your professional career, knowing what you know now, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

Two things.
1. Just give it a go! There is little point waiting to be ready or being too scared to try. Just give things a go and see what happens. If it works out, great. If not, dust yourself off and try something else. I wouldn’t be where I am if I had not taken chances, pushed myself out of my comfort zone and had great support too.
2. You deserve to be here. I think sometimes if you are not from a certain background, you always feel like you will be found out, asked to leave or told not to get above yourself. But the truth is, everyone deserves the same shot. Talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not and this is why social mobility is one of the hills I would die on! I want to see a fairer and more representative society where everybody can thrive.

Q. What would be your key predictions for the industry in 2027 and beyond?

More automation, more cyber risk and more complex claims. But also, I hope there is more inclusion, more putting the customers at the heart of decision making and more collaboration. When this industry works together it can achieve so much. That’s when the magic happens.

Q. What made you want to work in this sector?

After training in different areas on law, I knew personal injury was for me. I love people and I believe in justice so looking after somebody who is injured and helping them has always given me great satisfaction. I started out in trade union personal injury, but when I found motor insurance, I knew it was for me. Building Carpenters Group from the ground up, with John, has been an amazing privilege but very tough too. I think we both wanted to see all the positive stuff we’d learned become part of Carpenters’ DNA and values and to disregard all the bad stuff we’d seen along the way.

Q. What has been your most significant or proudest achievement in your current role, or previous roles, so far?

Can I say thankful rather than proud? I am thankful to John Carpenter for having so much faith in me. For believing in me before I believed in myself. What we have built at Carpenters Group is beyond both our imagination. I’m thankful for my Carpenters’ team who are as committed to the business as I am. I am thankful that I can now give back and spend time investing in causes I care about like women, grassroots sport, social mobility, homelessness, mental health and addiction. Most of all I am proud and thankful to be Irish – that influences everything I am and do!