The Lighter Side

What business person do you most admire?

Anne Heraty, CEO of Cpl Resources plc – a trailblazer in Irish business, and the first female to take a company public on the Irish Stock Exchange.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Italian gelato – consumed with gusto on a recent trip to Venice with my husband.

How do you unwind?

Laughing with loved ones, going for a walk along the lovely Dodder walk near my home and spending time painting, reading or baking all work a treat.

How much money is in your wallet?

Very little, I prefer to use cards.

The last book you read?

The Tattooist of Auschwitz – based on a true story and well worth a read. Very moving.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given?

I respect all advice that Richard Branson shares such as, “There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.”

Who is the most famous person in your contacts list?

EU Commissioner Phil Hogan.

How do you manage your work-life balance?

For me, it’s more of a work-life blend. Prioritising is key to success.

The last film you watched?

Mission Impossible Fallout with my kids Willow and David.

What is your favourite possession?

My vast collection of photos which capture so many happy memories and life moments.

What’s your most memorable holiday ever?

It’s hard to pick just one as I love to travel but a family trip to meet Santa in the North Pole stands out for being magical, with the special bonus of seeing the Northern Lights.

What social media do you use?

LinkedIn, Twitter and WhatsApp for work, and Facebook for personal. I have resisted Instagram as everyone says it can hoover up the hours.

If money were no object, what would your fantasy purchase be?

A villa somewhere sunny and exotic – the Caribbean, Maldives, Bali.

What is the first website you look at every morning?

The Irish Times.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

A night owl, aspiring to be an early bird.

If you were Taoiseach for a day what would you do?

One day is a short time-frame so I would channel my energies on one issue – our serious problem of homelessness. I would focus on passing a new social housing policy to accelerate solutions for the 10,000 people in Ireland without homes.

What person do you most admire?

My mum. She lost my father to cancer when she was 32 and singlehandedly raised four of us. She has taught me a lot about resilience, leadership and positivity. Thanks to her great foresight in securing me a green card for the States, I was lucky to live in New York and San Francisco in my 20s.

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

Given it's the festive season, the Shelbourne Hotel, which I love for soaking up Christmas cheer and for its sense of tradition.

Anything you would like to plug?

If you need a talent solution for your business or you’re looking for a new opportunity, our team at Cpl are experts and would be delighted to advise.

We’re also passionate about the future of work and enabling companies to be future-ready. The Cpl Future of Work Institute offers research, workshops and people-centred solutions across seven core areas: diversity and inclusion, talent technology, employer proposition, new workforce models, creative leadership, Government and regulatory and future skills.

Lastly, I serve on the board of Teenline and donations are always welcome to fund helplines, which support over 2,000 calls from young people each month.