‘Be proud of your achievements’

In a packed convention centre in the Rochestown Park Hotel a Cobh woman who has risen to the top of Wall St, Deirdre O’Connor, claimed Irish people need to be more confident and prouder of their achievements.

Speaking at the Corkmeet business gathering, Ms O’Connor, a managing director with Wall St bank Goldman Sachs, said Irish students and firms need to know what they are up against in New York.

“Irish people are a bit more humble. I had a double whammy of being a woman, because women are naturally more humble when they present their ideas and recommendations. I have the privilege of meeting many Irish graduates and companies who come to New York. I look at the parallels between their presentation styles and my own, they are very similar. But I interview a lot of American students and they will just come in and advocate for themselves, talking about their accomplishments. Irish people have all the accomplishments they are just less confident about talking about themselves.”

She said the ability to talk about her own accomplishments and network had been key to her success in the fiercely competitive world of New York high finance. She said she had to make a conscious effort to stop talking about the weather and tell key people about the deals she was working on and her achievements.

She said she agreed with Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, who has urged women to out play men at their own game.

“I think she is starting a debate, 13% of the key positions in America are held by women. If we get to 33% we will be in a position where we can start making changes.

“I do find there is sponsorship where you really want somebody who can pound the table for you, someone who can help you connect at senior levels. When all of the people in those positions are men that makes a difference because people tend to sponsor people who look like them. Unless we change at the senior levels it will be a struggle to break in.”