Eight questions with… Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton made his way through a few areas of the profession – corporate finance, corporate recovery, business development, to name a few – before landing in managing consulting, stating that trusting his gut when making a move has always landed him in good stead. 

Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your expectations?

I did not know where I would be! At the time, I was a Chartered Accountant working as a manager in BDO Corporate Recovery, but I knew deep down that a change was needed to secure a position that best suited my key skills.

I originally signed a contract for audit, switched to corporate finance, then went on to corporate recovery before moving to clients & markets as head of business development. It was a brilliant 12-year journey, but not a traditional ACA journey. BDO Ireland allowed me to forge my own career and I cannot thank my former colleagues enough for that.

I recently joined Korn Ferry as a Managing Consultant (in search) and although it was not an expectation of mine to be in this position five years ago, I believe that if you maintain the core values of honesty, respect, empathy, integrity and combine them with a positive work ethic, you can never go too far wrong and different opportunities will fall your way. 

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

I guess the biggest challenges that I have faced in my career relates to moving on from positions that I knew so well and was successful in. It would have been easy for me to stay within corporate recovery, but I love a challenge and while moving into business development was a huge change, I knew that it was the right move for me. 

I faced the same challenge when the opportunity arose to join Korn Ferry. BDO is such a fantastic place to work and an environment I was comfortable in, but I knew that joining Korn Ferry would really enhance my own expertise and, ultimately, benefit my overall career. At times, you need to just go with your gut, and thankfully it has worked out for me.

What do you wish you had known earlier in life?

In my personal life, I, unfortunately, lost a close friend to cancer in 2013 and it jolted me into realising how short life is. Treat people the way you want to be treated! Separately, never forget to make time for family, friends and yourself. Some people forget the last one.

In business, it’s important to be resilient. You will inevitably encounter setbacks, but I honestly believe that if you maintain the values that I mentioned, you can never go far wrong. 

Where do you see yourself this time next year?

I hope to have really established myself in the Irish market as a Managing Consultant and contribute to the growth of Korn Ferry in Ireland. I hope to also continue working with global companies, providing valuable advice and reliable talent solutions to them.

I am also looking forward to continuing my role in mentoring and lecturing with a number of fantastic associations such as Chartered Accountants Ireland, the Inner-City Enterprise, TU Dublin and others. With my rugby hat on, I hope to continue managing the Terenure College RFC 1st XV and the Irish Club International team.

Separately, I am keen to continue my education in some capacity and build on a recent diploma that I completed in corporate governance. So much is changing in all aspects of business, we must upskill where we can!

Who inspires you, personally and professionally?

There are so many leaders I have met that I am just in awe of! I am a big sports fan, so how can I look beyond Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Paul McGinley or Jim Gavin? They are fantastic professionals who lead from the front with complete passion for their sport. 

Outside of that, with a keen interest in technology, we have to be very proud of what the Collison Brothers have achieved with Stripe.

Separately, there is one individual who has had the biggest impact on me: my father, John Hamilton. He worked for Allianz for most of his career and then set up (and subsequently sold) his own business. I have huge admiration for him in how he just got on with things in his personal and professional life, no matter what challenges got in the way. He has a great ability to adapt to all circumstances and continues to push forward, while keeping friends and family at the centre of his life. His resilience, positive work ethic and how he values all relationships are things I have tried to bring into my own career

How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life?

My career has taken me across various roles, companies and sectors, but the one constant throughout my career has been my ACA qualification and membership. Not only has it opened doors for me and given me access to a fantastic network of professionals, but it is also a globally recognisable qualification that instantly portrays your ability to have meaningful business conversations.

If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing?

I do a lot of mentoring and guest lecturing with various associations which I love. I guess if I was not forging a career with my ACA qualification in professional services, I would be a lecturer of some kind, or potentially a career guidance professional. In fact, they are two areas I would love to get more involved with in the future.

What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants?

First, my advice is to keep working hard and give yourself the best possible chance to pass your exams at the first attempt! 

Second, get into career mode now and start planning for the next five years. When you join Chartered Accountants Ireland as a student, the focus is to pass your exams and qualify. The focus needs to then turn to your own plan. Where do you want to be in five years? What sector? Industry or practice? Ireland or abroad?

Reach out to colleagues, friends or even cold call companies to see if they have positions that interest you. Having these conversations will not only inform you on what career route best suits you, but it will really help develop your personal network. It is important to start building on your network now, so get active on LinkedIn and start having coffees. The soft skills and communication skills that you will develop as a result will really stand to you the rest of your career.

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