The fundraising financial controller

Pauline Madden ACA works in a fact-paced environment, but always finds time to fundraise for a cause close to her heart.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I am the Financial Controller at Valeo Foods and as my role is a very varied one, no two days are the same. I also work with a great bunch of people.

What particular aspect of training has stood you in good stead?

I trained at PwC and the audit skills I gained there have been invaluable. This, coupled with the experience I gained from working in several industries in finance roles, has given me a very focused commercial outlook. I have also had some excellent mentors throughout my career, who have helped me develop both personally and professionally.

Who is your role model, and why?

I don’t really have any one role model, but I do admire anyone who leads by example, believes in themselves and overcomes the obstacles that life throws at them.

What gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction?

Completing the goals I set for myself.

One of your goals recently had a charitable motive. Tell us about that.

My proudest moments include completing a trek to Mount Everest base camp, a 32-county challenge run in Ireland and the New York Marathon three times. All of this was done to help raise funds for children with a congenital heart defect (CHD).

How did you get involved with CHD and ‘Team ANNAtude’?

It’s all to do with Annabelle and Abbigael, who are twin daughters of a college friend, Anita O’Donnell, and her partner Mark. The girls were born six weeks premature with Abbigael showing no ill effects and coming home at eight days old. Annabel, however, was born with a CHD called ‘tricuspid atresia’, where the tricuspid valve in the right side of the heart has not formed. This is a potentially fatal heart defect and can only be treated by multiple open-heart surgeries. Annabel spent her first 10 months in the neonatal intensive care unit at New York Presbyterian Hospital and left after having four open heart surgeries. She suffered multiple heart failures, cardiac arrest, addiction to pain medications, intensive care unit delirium, gastrointestinal issues and various developmental delays. Thankfully, Annabel is now a happy five-year-old, going to school with her sister and enjoying life. Almost everyone knows someone born with a CHD, and I’m very proud to be able to raise awareness and funds for such a great cause.