I finished up in college in 2011, when the recession continued to be a hot topic. It wasn’t the best timing to be a new graduate entering the employment market, let alone a graduate physiotherapist looking to work in the HSE. After months of full time voluntary work in Temple Street, I made the decision to look for more secure job that could help me pool some funds together and go travelling in the not so distant future. Choosing to move away from my chosen field of study was a hard one at the time, but as I was quickly learning, opportunities did exist in different industries, some of which really sparked my interest.

When I landed a role on the Graduate Programme in AIB, I was apprehensive to say the least, but suddenly realised that many of the skills I learnt in college applied in a business sense also. Senior management recognised my experience and background as somewhat unique and that allowed me to stand out from the crowd. Initially I viewed my role in Finance as a short term filler while I figured out a vision for my career. As part of the Graduate Programme, we were advised to complete exams with the Institute of Bankers, and it was only when I realised how invested in that study I became, that I began to question whether this role was in fact more suited to me than I had ever envisaged.

I passed my exams, and as I grew to learn and grow in AIB, my enthusiasm and motivation to achieve in this field was a sudden curve ball to this career path I thought I had initially wanted. (Before settling in fully, AIB offered me the opportunity to take a short career break once I had completed the Graduate Programme. I took 4 months to see the world and it allowed me get rid of the travel bug before settling into what felt like a more serious career decision at the time.) I always had a great interest in business while in school, but working in that environment became so much more enjoyable than I expected. Between challenging projects, strategy workshops and working with such a wide breadth of stakeholders, I made the decision that there was so much I wanted to learn about Finance and how the industry worked.

On coming to that decision to make the most of my time in AIB, it quickly opened lots of new doors for me within the organisation. I made a commitment to myself early on that I would continue to challenge myself and always make sure I’m learning something new. When I feel overly comfortable in a position, I’ve always made it my own priority to seek out a new position – that’s the beauty of working in a large organisation.

I’ve been so lucky to have had such fantastic guidance while shaping my career to date.

My parents have offered unwavering support over the years, particularly when I chose to change up the direction of my career.

Having originally studied as a Physiotherapist, moving to a career in Finance was quite the turn that not too many people expected. But in saying that, I’ve always been encouraged by family to do something that I enjoy.

Friends have always reminded me to be open minded, and have given so much of their time to offer up information on their own professions so I can get a better sense of what other career options are out there.

My husband continues to motivate me, and always encourages me to push myself to achieve that next goal, whatever that may be. When I get bogged down by things, he reminds me of the bigger picture which is always refreshing.

It’s hard to believe I’ve worked in AIB for almost ten years now, but during that time I’ve been so lucky to have some of the best managers and mentors I could ask for. Despite us all moving to work in different areas across the Bank over time, I know I can turn to them if ever unsure of where to go next. They’ve identified job roles for me in the past, ones I’d never have thought of going for. They’ve helped me recognise where my strengths lie and have worked with me over the years to shape a career in product management for which I have strong a passion.

It was simple google search! I few friends of mine had begun working with AIB’s call team and I was hoping to follow suit. I sent my CV to [email protected] and was brought through their Graduate selection process. This included an aptitude test, along with an interview. I put a huge amount of work in preparing for the interview, and really wanted to demonstrate how much I had researched AIB and what it would mean to join an organisation like it.

Receiving the call to say I was selected was a big day – I still remember exactly where I was at the time, and who I ran to to share the big news.

My progression within AIB has been as a result of a number of internal interviews. The application process can feel tedious at times but putting in that extra effort to completing the submission and update the CV always prove worthwhile. I try to review my CV at least twice a year, just to remind myself of what I’ve achieved and where I want to go.

During my time in AIB, I’ve been promoted every two years to a new role. This progression has kept me motivated over the years and I enjoy reaching for that next goal. Shaping a career path can at times prove difficult, but understanding the various opportunities presented by an organisation like AIB can bring a new slant to the job.

It’s interesting to consider whether a ‘typical’ day looked different pre and post Covid. Working remotely took some time to get used to in the first few months, but now over a year in, the ‘typical day’ is much the same thanks to the remote working capabilities. I don’t miss the commutes but would love a face – face coffee with work friends which is hard to replicate over Zoom.

In my current role, I’m working on AIB’s Digital Team. I’ve always had an interest in all things digital, and it’s exciting to work in an environment that is ever evolving.

The day begins with a large coffee! I try to login at about 8.30am and catch up on emails from the day before. When 9am hits, it can often mean meetings. At times, back to back meetings become tiring, but where possible I block at some time to make sure I don’t fall too far behind on the ‘to do list’.

 

Every meeting should have a clear set purpose, and we’re getting better at that on the team. At some meetings I do the presenting, while at others different stakeholders may be the chair. No matter the session, making sure we achieve specific objectives from each meetings is key. Workshops are always an enjoyable part of the week, where we get together and get creative. I really enjoy being part of more collaborative exercises which often energise me for the rest of the day.

After some lunch, it can either be back to meetings or time to get some work done! I’m working on a large project at the minute, which has pressing deadlines and lots of spinning plates.

There’s nothing better than when a project you’re working on hits a big delivery milestone. Taking the time to acknowledge such achievements is so important. It’s always good to take the time to reflect and soak in the lessons we’ve learned, not just when stuff goes well, but equally as important when things go wrong.

I aim to log off by 5pm, but if I’m honest with myself I often find that hard. In reality, it’s closer to 6 / 7pm when my husband gets back from work. Although I may work late some evenings, I do try take back these hours and leave a little earlier on a Friday, when I have something nice planned. That balance and flexibility to the workday really helps during the longer weeks!

My latest appointment sees me positioned as the Head of Risk, Governance and Support on AIB’s Digital Service Management Team.

Our team has two sides to it. One aspect looks after the day to day management of our online channels. We have lots of different channels in AIB, which help our customers in managing their day to day banking needs. Our Mobile Banking App is as an example of one of our channels - ensuring it’s up and running, and does what it says on the tin is central to our role! We look after our channels from a risk perspective which is so important. That means making sure it’s operating correctly, and we avoid any big issues on our channels where possible. If something does go wrong, we bring together all the different teams and reflect on why this may have happened, or how we could improve the services we provided to our customers going forward.

Separate to that, we’re also running a big regulatory project which could take at least a year to complete. This project is all based around ensuring our online channels are in line with the EU and Irish directives relating to data management. We need to make sure we’re fully transparent with our customers when it comes to any data which we may collect. With different workstreams, and milestones mapped out between now and 2022, we’re kept busy with this project!

Although it’s a positive when working in the digital sector, the ever evolving landscape can be challenging at times to keep up with. Working in AIB, trying to bring together old systems and new systems creates it’s own problems.

On top of that, we cover different brands and jurisdictions. Understanding that you’ll never be an expert in all the various products we have out there can be frustrating at times. But trusting your colleagues is what’s important there. In my role now, I see myself often as a ‘Jack of all Trades’, which could be interpreted as a ‘Master of None’. But there are so many subject matter experts out there too, that when we combine all the skillsets we can achieve almost anything.

All of the above means for a busy day – probably the biggest challenge of all. Time management is testing, and the importance of good prioritisation is something which our team has to put at the fore of our working day.

First and foremost – it’s the people (without sounding too corny about it!).

I’m surrounded by a great team, and it makes any job more enjoyable. I strongly believe you can tackle almost anything in the day job with the right people who have an open and honest outlook.

Before AIB, I worked in smaller companies, and always thought the concept of working in a big organisation would be quite daunting. With so many thousands of people, how would you know where to go, or who might be able to help etc? Now I see it as the very opposite. Meeting new people is something that I really enjoy. And as new projects arise, or changes and restructures take place on different teams, you often get the opportunity to learn about somebody new. The diversity amongst the team makes each day interesting.

Flexibility has more recently become a nice perk, and the annual leave is always something I cherish! Each employee was recently granted an extra days holiday to ‘digitally disconnect’ – definitely something I welcomed, but more so it was AIB’s acknowledgement of the importance of switching off.

It’s safe to say we still undertake a number of ‘tick box’ exercises. What can feel like pointless tasks which don’t seem to benefit anyone, either the customer or the business. We do our best to challenge some of these tasks, but at times there can be a mentality that it’s easier to just get them done. It’s always a nice win when you can shut down these types of tasks, and I always encourage people to stand back and question everything they do. But in saying that, there are moments of the week where you can feel like time was wasted on something that is now just saved in a folder on the off chance someone might need to refer to it in years from now. In those instances, I can’t help but think that surely we could have spent our time better!

I work in Technology, but bring to the job my business and commercial acumen. My strong ability to translate tech heavy principles into easily understood outputs is core to my role.

In terms of specific skills, they’d include things like strategic thinking, data / risk analysis, problem solving, project management and user research. Applying a customer centric mindset to all that we do is key to my job.

Having excellent communication skills is also central to the success of my role. Throughout the day, I’ll need to draw on my good influencing and negotiation skills in order to gain consensus with different stakeholders across the bank. My leadership style is something which I’m always striving to improve, while considering what type of leader I want to be.

What can seem like the more straightforward attributes, like time management, prioritisation and a good eye for detail are also so important as part of the day to day job.

While in school I did a real mix of subjects, from Music to Accounting. I really enjoyed the problem solving side of Maths and Chemistry, but my real passion was for languages. German was definitely my favourite subject. Although my German is now pretty rusty, I like to think my ear for languages has helped shape my ability to translate some of the more technical language into meaningful business terminology.

My wide range of subjects in school showed early on that I liked to have a good mix topics to keep me engaged.

I went into Physio with having never studied Biology, and I remember other students at the time thinking I was crazy, but all in all there was no great downfall to that. I had to work a little harder in my first year, but I quickly got up to speed. It felt somewhat similar walking into Finance with no strong business background.

I really think that being adaptable is so important to whatever career path you’re thinking of pursuing.

No matter the subject, if you’re a rounded individual you’ll find that you’ve learned certain attributes which you can apply to any job.

I went to school in Loreto Beaufort in Rathfarnham where I completed my Leaving Cert in 2007. I was thrilled to get accepted to UCD, where I was awarded a BSc in Physiotherapy. The Physio course is all about gaining practical experience, and I spent much of my college years working in the Mater Hospital, St Vincents and the National Rehab in Dun Laoghaire.

Not travelling too far, I then went from Clonskeagh to start on the Graduate Programme in AIB Ballsbridge. (During my colleges exams in the RDS, I used to look across the road at Bankcentre and wonder what it was all about!)

Since joining AIB, I’ve completed the QFA exams with the Institute of Bankers which was split over a two year timeframe. In the past year, I then completed that Diploma in Digital Transformation with the Institute of Bankers also. Their awarding body is UCD also, so back with my roots!

That practical experience in the hospitals has definitely help shape my communication style. The communication skills I learnt during my education are so important to what I do today.

In college, a lot of what we did outside of the hospitals was group work. We were tasked with problem statements and asked to present back as a team. I like to think my strong presentation skills now, are largely backed by the feedback and guidance I received from my lecturers at the time.

The QFAs of course gave me that more specific financial knowledge which has helped me in understanding the regulatory environment in which we operate.

Most recently with the Diploma, I’ve now established a great network of peers across the industry. I think this is so important for what I do. Having that understanding of what is going on in the wider market is always of interest. Often people talk about our ‘competitors’ and can be nervous of learning and sharing from one another. The Diploma showed me the importance of a strong network and how that can help me in improving the ways in which I approach the day job. We don’t need to get down to the nitty gritty of what one another is doing, but having the support of others working for different organisations and knowing they face similar challenges is definitely reassuring.

A few years ago, I received an Employee Achievement Award which was definitely a highlight – it was marked by a fancy dinner in AIB’s Bankcentre with some great key note speakers.

In 2019, I was invited to take part in the INSEADs Inter Alpha Programme which was a fantastic opportunity. Again, it was an opportunity to create a strong network, but this time with different Banks across Europe. I was thrilled to be selected to represent AIB at this programme. Better yet, I got to travel over to Copenhagen for week. During the day, we had multiple lectures, but in the evenings we headed out on different tours, out to beautiful restaurants and great pubs to get a proper feel of the city.

I love to travel, so any opportunity to jump on a plane has always been a standout for me - I’ve attended workshops in Amsterdam and London which proved to be really interesting.

Before the lockdown kicked in, we had a great night out at the Spider Awards which looks to recognise digital leaders across the industry. This was a black tie event, so a great excuse to get dressed up with colleagues. Our Voice ID solution for customers came in as a winner under ‘Best Use of Disruptive Technology’.

Fancy dinners and travel are one thing, but the most rewarding days are those spent doing voluntary work. AIB affords us two days a year to roll up our sleeves and help out local charities across Ireland. I’ve had the pleasure of working out in the FoodCloud warehouse, and have even set out on the road collecting the food supplies from farms and grocery shops across the country. I also organised an event with Habitat for Humanity, where we pulled together a team of volunteers to renovate a derelict house in Dublin city centre. This house was then granted to a very worth family who had struggled for year to find a home - we were invited to the house warming ceremony which was a really memorable day for us all.

I’m someone who is always motivated to achieve results, and think this has really helped me get where I am today. Having that drive and determination has brought about so many great opportunities for me. I’m quite a social person too, which has helped me in growing that strong network of colleagues without which I’d really struggle to keep energised at the desk! I’d like to also think I’m empathetic, which definitely comes through in my customer first approach to problem solving.

In just a few words, I’d like to be on the Exec Committee of a charity one day – leading out on their Digital Team to help them use technology to be the best that they can be.

At the start of my career in Finance, I had many hobbies – from social hockey to playing in a concert band. As I began to advance in my role and take on more responsibility, I found it difficult to carve out the time, but that’s always been a challenge for me. A healthy work – life balance is something that is always encouraged, and what I’ve come to learn over the years is that it is entirely up to the individual to make it happen. Although my hobbies and interests have changed over the years, I’ve made sure to take time in the evenings to switch off.

Thankfully, the security of what I do afforded us the opportunity to buy a house in the last year. Needless to say, DIY has become a new hobby, between gardening and interior design.

In just a few months’ time I’ll be taking maternity leave as we get ready to welcome our first baby. Having the reassurance that my job will support me through this milestone is something which I value greatly, especially as I see friends in a similar position who are struggling to work through some of the challenges presented by maternity leave.

Be open minded – a career in Finance doesn’t sound the most riveting at times. But if I told you that I worked in one of Ireland’s leading technology companies would that change your view?

You don’t need to be the most tech savy individual, but once you have a passion for all things digital, and want to create customer first solutions, considering a job in this field could definitely be something for you.

 

If you’re someone who can bring these three characteristics to the job, you’ll definitely enjoy the job while inspiring others:

• Show good emotional intelligence (e.g. self / social awareness)
• Be curious – always ask why!
• Think outside the box – are there different ways to solve a problem?

Nothing frustrates me more than when people aren’t willing to work together on achieving a common goal. There’s a term called ‘silo’d behaviour’ that is referenced quite often, but that idea of people not wanting to collaborate is difficult for me to get past. When you look at what great results can be achieved for our customers when we come together to deliver, being a team player is more important than ever.

After completing my BSc in Physiotherapy, and then changing my career path, I worried a lot about doing the ‘right’ course this time around. In hindsight I probably was overthinking things! Within my first few years in AIB, I finished my exams to become a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA). This was a big achievement, and felt like a real milestone in establishing my career on the business side. I took a few years off studying to find a course that suited where I wanted to go, and recently completed a Diploma in Digital Transformation (Financial Services) awarded by UCD. I was delighted to receive a first class honours in this course, as it almost proved to myself that this is an area in which I thrive. This Diploma is a stepping stone to a wider Masters in Financial Services which I’m hoping to complete over the coming three years.

AIB have supported all my post graduate education to date – definitely another perk to the job! 

Senior Product Manager (Head of Risk, Governance & Support in AIB Digital)