“I remind myself routinely that I can do anything I put my mind to”

Maria O’Connell talks to Accountancy Ireland about how, through resilience, adaptability and the support of a strong female network, she has achieved career success

I decided to become a Chartered Accountant when I was 16 after reading an accountancy career brochure. I didn’t know any Chartered Accountants at that stage and my school didn’t teach business subjects. 

When I was growing up in Cork in the 1980s, career opportunities were scarce and often viewed through the lens of emigration. Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant seemed to offer an exciting career path with many opportunities, travel options and income security. 

I qualified with PwC in 1989. The foundational skills underpinning my career – business management, communication, problem solving and technical knowledge – were laid during these years. 

The Chartered Accountants Ireland training programme nurtured a highly transferable and versatile skillset, which has been integral to my career success. 

Drawing on my bank of achievements 

Keen to travel, I moved to PwC in Milan, Italy, in 1989. I learned to speak and work in Italian, integrated into a new working environment and experienced a beautiful country, people and culture.

Then, in 1992, I interviewed for a junior finance role with JP Morgan in Milan but was offered the role of Bond Settlements Manager. I had no experience working in the Italian government bond market – a prerequisite for such a role. 

However, the Director of Operations at JP Morgan in Milan was a Chartered Accountant and understood the value of my training and related skills. He could see an alternative approach to filling the position. 

I took a chance and moved into this entirely unknown world. The job was exciting, challenging, fascinating and demanding. I loved every minute of it.

My role at JP Morgan was the start of an exciting career journey, leading me to other incredibly fulfilling financial services roles in Italy and Ireland – roles that rarely followed the traditional accountancy career pathway.

When I returned to Dublin in 1994, I focused my job search on companies in the developing International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and that took me into the asset management industry.

Always curious and genuinely interested in people, I continually seek new challenges and opportunities to add value and learn.

These traits have propelled me to leadership positions covering strategic, business-critical, transformational and governance initiatives in global-facing organisations, such as Bank of Ireland Securities Services, Bank of Ireland Asset Management, Irish Funds and State Street Global Advisors.

I have also been extremely privileged to work with highly talented people with vision and foresight who have always focused on my abilities, experience and potential. These role models provided me with precious opportunities for further development.

Of course, I also encountered hurdles as I navigated my way, but every hard-earned success added to my internal bank of achievements, which I draw on to this day when my confidence falters or a challenge seems insurmountable.

I remind myself routinely that I can do anything I put my mind to. As women, I think we often tend to focus on what we can’t do rather than what we can. Drawing strength from our bank of achievements will always direct us to our ‘can-dos’.

Aligning my career with my life priorities 

By 2004, I had three children aged six, eight and 10, and a fourth on the way. I decided to take a career break to focus on my family. 

This decision was tough as I had invested so much in my career. Despite having a husband who shared the family workload and a flexible employer, I felt I was always letting someone down – my children, colleagues or clients. 

Every family is different and we make our choices based on our unique set of circumstances. My decision to take a career break at that time was the choice that worked best for my family and me.

Throughout my career, I have always tried to align my career with my life priorities. This choice was one of many steps on that alignment pathway. 

Rebooting my career

When I decided to return to work in 2013, my first port of call was Karin Lanigan, Head of Members Experience at Chartered Accountants Ireland, who gave me practical advice and guidance.

I was lucky to secure a place on the first Reboot Your Career Programme, run by the Institute to support those returning to the workplace. 

The course was invaluable in providing me with the confidence, toolkit and ready-made network to kick off my job search and set me on the next stage of my career journey. 

It was not easy to return to the workplace after a nine-year break. Colleagues had passed me out on the promotion ladder, and the world of financial services had changed significantly following the financial crisis of 2008. I faced a very steep learning curve. 

I was determined to learn as much as possible, however, concentrating on what I could achieve rather than on others who had moved ahead of me. 

All the traits that had propelled my career forward in the past, resurfaced and I was able to move forward again in a senior leadership role at the EU headquarters of one of the largest asset managers in the world. 

My advice to anyone rebooting their career would be to leverage the supports available from Chartered Accountants Ireland, your own network and to tap into your existing bank of achievements. 

Don’t compare your career with others; focus on your own motivations, what you want to achieve and then go for it.

The power of the female network

As a trainee Chartered Accountant, many of my new female friendships evolved quickly into a highly supportive and powerful network in which experiences, challenges and solutions were openly shared. 

This precious network of women, built up over many years, now extends to diverse roles and disciplines beyond the accountancy profession as well as different generations and geographies. 

Building positive relationships as we move throughout our lives ensures that we stay connected with each other – and that we are not merely connections on a list. 

None of us signed up to this network ‘overtly’, but we all understand the unwritten rule that anytime we reach out for advice, we will find support.

Our natural empathy as women, innate ability to connect with and learn from each other and openness to share experiences are powerful tools in driving and embedding change.

More women are holding senior decision-making roles, yet we are still navigating structures designed to cater to a single gender order. 

Our networks are critical in harnessing our collective strengths as we and our male colleagues reimagine more equitable, diverse and inclusive structures. 

I am grateful to be part of a network of diverse, insightful, talented and kind women. Our networks are intrinsic drivers of positive change and sustain us through tough times.

Key lessons as a Chartered Accountant

My career as a Chartered Accountant has far surpassed anything my 16-year-old self could have dreamed of. A kaleidoscope of experiences has gifted me these key lessons:

1. Seek out those exciting, diverse, non-traditional roles. Don’t let others discourage you. 
2. Stay curious, always looking for new challenges and new things to learn.
3. Draw strength from your bank of achievements. You can do anything you want to. 
4. Periodically assess how your career aligns with your life priorities. Don’t be afraid to make changes when they fall out of sync.
5. Focus on what you want to achieve and what motivates you. Don’t compare your career with those of others.
6. Value, nurture and leverage your female network. It is a precious resource. 

Enjoy the journey. It will take you to amazing places.