I recently took a leap of faith into the world of company secretarial, after beginning my career in investment accounting. This position sits within the legal team, and my role and responsibilities have seen quite a change as a result of this 12-month secondment. I have a unique opportunity to work closely with the executive team and the directors of the company.
The new role gives me the opportunity, early in my career, to observe how a company operates across all aspects of the business. From the annual financial statements to diversity and inclusion, to sustainability, I am exposed to high-level decision making, taking account of the complex needs of stakeholders, including customers, employees, regulators and our parent company. I love that I am constantly learning in an evolving landscape.
Being selected for ACCA’s Leaders of Tomorrow is an opportunity to grow my network
Zurich employs over 1,000 people across its locations in Dublin and Wexford. I work for Zurich Life, which offers a range of pension, investment and protection products.
The last few years have proven extremely disruptive for businesses. Between a global pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, rising inflation, cost-of-living crisis, climate change and a challenging employment market, the biggest challenge that I see will be keeping up with the speed and pace of change across each challenge and beyond.
Digitalisation is a key focus that will enable our business to meet both the challenges and opportunities it faces now and in the future. Digitalisation enables us to respond in an agile way, grow efficiencies, and meet the expectations of our customers and key stakeholders.
ACCA has given me the skillset and mindset to apply my knowledge and continued learning to any field. Being selected for ACCA’s Leaders of Tomorrow is an additional opportunity to grow my network with my fellow leaders from across Europe and learn from industry experts from a multitude of different disciplines. It’s easy to become insulated in your field, so this is a fantastic chance to branch out. I’m learning from and with other industries, understanding the similarities and differences between the challenges we face, and how we respond.
Learn through your own mistakes and successes, and learn from others
The most important business lesson I have learned in my career is to constantly seek to learn. Learn through your own mistakes and successes, and learn from others. Treating every opportunity as a chance to develop is the best mindset to ensure you are seeking out growth and evolving professionally.
Travelling is the one time I really feel like I can switch off and relax. Stepping completely out of my routine and into a new place and a different pace of life gives me the chance to reflect and gain new perspectives, which I find important to continually evolve personally and professionally.
