The first main decision was after my Leaving Cert and deciding (a) whether to go to college and (b) what to study there. I decided to study Science in UCD - I had considered doing Medicine or English because I was really unsure of what I "wanted to be when I grew up"

I thought that Science would give me a broad base from which I could specialise in the future without having to pigeon-hole myself at age 17. Once in College I really enjoyed studying chemistry and so I majored in this subject.

The next main decision was towards the end of the 4 years of my BSc degree and whether or not to look for a job, or to study another discipline (at this stage, whilst still vaguely interested in English and Medicine I had also become quite interested in Psychology) or whether to go on and do a PhD.

The course of action I ended up taking was informed in part by the fact that I was sick of doing exams. Another factor was that most career paths within the Pharma & Chemical industry in Ireland were helped by having a PhD.

Lastly (and possibly the biggest factor) was that I had really enjoyed doing one of my final year projects within one particular research group in the Chemistry Department - they were a really fun bunch of people! So ultimately my decision was to stay on after completing my degree and pursue a PhD within this group.

The next big milestone came in the middle of my doctoral work when I had an idea to start a company based on commercialising the outputs of the sort of research I was engaged in. However, I still had two years to go to complete the PhD, so the idea went on the back-burner for a while until such time as I could focus on getting a company off the ground - i.e. when the PhD was finished.

My main influences were my parents who had always encouraged me to do something I was interested in - rather than doing something which I thought might lead to a job which was well paid.

They used to always tell me that there's no point in earning all the money in the world if you are unhappy in what you're doing. This STRONGLY influenced me, and to this day if I could give anyone a piece of career advice it would be to pursue a career in something that interests YOU - not to do something just because your parents wish it for you or because you "got the points for it"!

Another big influence later on in my career was my circle of friends. I had a number of close friends who started their own businesses (to varying degrees of success) but they were all incredibly supportive of my efforts to get the company going and to lend advice, encouragement and words of wisdom when I needed them most.

I did the following subjects for my Leaving Cert: Irish, English, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting and Applied Maths.

When choosing my subjects in 5th year in School I deliberately ensured that I did at least one business and one science subject because this gave me more flexibility in my choice of courses. I would recommend this strategy - particularly for those who aren't sure what they wish to study in college.

My job does allow me have a lifestyle I am happy with, although being honest I sometimes struggle with getting the work/life balance right - but I am getting better!

Starting a company can be stressful and frustrating at times but equally at other times it can be exhilarating and rewarding. The stresses arise particularly in the early stages of the company's development when there is no money coming in and you are living from week to week and wondering whether or not you will have enough money to pay yourself and your staff.

Work is often brought home and can constantly be on your mind and there is very little sense of job security. At times you become "married to the job"! Needless to say, this can also be stressful and frustrating for your nearest and dearest.

On the flip-side the rewards come in the shape of satisfaction at seeing something which at one stage was just an idea, becoming a real, tangible and viable company. Also, from the perspective of having studied a scientific discipline I find it enriching to be constantly exposed to a whole range of new experiences and learning a new skillset in the commercial arena.

1. Patience
2. Ambition
3. Enthusiasm