Skills & Talent SIAR I N G THEBAR

Sinéad Aherne quali ed as a chartered accountant in 2010 a week a er playing for the winning Dublin team in the AllIreland Senior Ladies’ Football Championship. Now a director at KPMG, she captained Dublin when the team went on to win the title again in 2017, 2018 and 2020. At an event held in January at KPMG’s Platform X studio in Dublin in partnership with 30% Club Ireland, Aherne was one of the panelists discussing the role of sport in the professional development of women. It coincided with the release of research which found that 75% of female decision makers in businesses nationwide have participated in sport in some level; this rises to 90% for female CEOs. e rst of its kind in Ireland, the research commissioned by KPMG and conducted by iReach revealed that 88% of those surveyed believe that the skills they have learned through sport are transferable to the workplace.

Teamwork (90%), con dence (87%) and self-belief (63%) were all cited by those surveyed as top skills they had developed through their participation in sport that are transferable to a career. Similar research in the UK and the US has indicated that women who partake in sport are more likely to be in management roles.

“Sport helps you to develop skills from a young age without even realising it. For me, building con dence and self belief has been a big one; this is key as studies have shown that women underestimate their performance and abilities in the workplace compared to men who tend to overestimate what they can do,” said Aherne.

“As a team captain communicating tactics both on and o the pitch and guiding younger people joining the team has proved really valuable in a steering role in professional services.”

She added that playing for Dublin meant she naturally learned the importance of work-life balance. “December is a very busy month in professional services. In 2020 I tore my hamstring in the semi- nal of the All-Ireland and needed four weeks to get back to form. I asked my boss was there anything that could stay o my desk for the month. A transaction was closing and I was answering last-minute emails on 16 December; then went on to play in the nal on 20 December,” she recalled.

“I learned to accept that there are times when you do work or sport better and you never get to do everything perfectly; that there are ups and downs with one or the other. I became able to compartmentalise and establish good boundaries. ere is also a crossover with dealing with defeat in sport and disappointment in work.”

Over half (56%) of women in the survey believe sport is important when trying to achieve a good work-life balance while 74% nd it useful for networking or business development – an area where Aherne has noticed a shi .

“When Dublin won the women’s All-Ireland in 2010 there was hardly any awareness or visibility

Women In Sport And Business

“As a team captain communicating tactics both on and o the pitch has proved really valuable in a steering role in professional services.” of it. By 2017 how this was perceived and valued was so di erent. is change has given me the ability to start conversations and break the ice with clients or teams; to get to know people better and do business with people as opposed to companies,” she said.

Highlight for hiring

Paul McCabe, Chief Operating O cer of VLE erapeutics and member of the 30% Club Ireland steering committee, was also on the panel at the KPMG event. Established in 2021, VLE is a “medicine accelerator” that is focused on slashing the timeline to patients by utilising an adaptive, exible manufacturing approach.

McCabe zoned in on the research nding that 45% of those surveyed look to see if participation in sport is included on a CV when hiring a new sta member.

» 94% of women in business would encourage a female relative to participate in sport

» 58% believe that participating in sport has positively impacted their professional career

» 87% say sport builds confidence

» 86% state it is a great way to meet people

» 69% believe it builds communication skills

» 64% believe it builds leadership skills

» 69% believe they perform these skills better in the workplace due to their participation in sport.

Source: Impact of Sport on Women in Business report – KPMG and 30% Club

“ is statistic really struck me as having coached a lot in sport I understand the value of what that brought to me in business. We make medicines every day which requires the ability to work as team, problem-solve and make the right decisions as well as having that spark of innovation – these are all things you see in sport at any level,” he said.

“A female head of engineering I hired had nothing on her CV about her playing in a camogie championship semi- nal and coaching a club. Delving into this during her interview opened up what she had learned from this, such as leadership, strategy development and building teams. We require people who are technically excellent but this kind of experience establishes whether a person is the right cultural t with the right behaviours.

“It made me think are we missing something as employers generally. A man will talk about how he played for an Under-6 GAA team, whereas women don’t think to mention playing sport at a high level. ere is a real opportunity to do something simple and di erent here as the skills are so transferable.”

Shannon Chamber’s Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026

Launched in February, Shannon Chamber’s Strategic Plan 2023-2026 contains six key objectives to ensure that Shannon’s legacy for pioneering, inspirational and entrepreneurial achievements endures and is recognised. These include championing the delivery of the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan and promoting the concept of ‘Brand Shannon’ to grow the region’s economy and connectivity. “The plan has been framed to perpetuate Shannon’s unique reputation as a powerful business hub and ensure that its sphere of influence continues to permeate throughout the region,” said Chief Executive of Shannon Chamber Helen Downes. This is the first time that a Shannon Chamber plan has been prepared following extensive collaboration with board directors, Chamber staff, Chamber members, and key stakeholders

Waterford Chamber launches new podcast

Waterford Chamber has launched a new podcast called ‘Getting to Know You’ in partnership with Waterford Local Enterprise Office. Presented by the Chamber’s Operations Officer Lynda Lawton, it features interviews with local business people and debates around topical issues. “We are starting with our own Chamber President Paul Nolan, who opens up about his childhood and family life and talks about the current economic climate,” she said. In other news, the South East Regional Jobs & Skills Fair on 4 March organised by Waterford Chamber was a “phenomenal success” – with 50 companies recruiting and attracting around 2,000 people – and Haleon was named Overall Waterford Business of the Year at the Waterford Business Awards in February.

ShopLK gift card sales reach over €4m

Annual sales of ShopLK gift cards have topped the €4m mark for the first time. First established in 2004 by Letterkenny Chamber as a local shopping initiative, ShopLK has gone from strength to strength since moving to the gift card in 2015, with gift card sales increasing year on year. Kristine Reynolds, Chamber President, said: “The increase of 34% exceeded all our expectations; 2021 sales were €3,028,446 and this year they reached an incredible €4,066,695. We have seen corporate sales increase year after year as businesses increasingly chose the ShopLK Gift Card as a reward for their employees.”

The ShopLK gift card is redeemable at over 240 member outlets.

Cross-border tourism conference in Co Louth

Dundalk Chamber organised a crossborder tourism conference entitled ‘Growing your visitors – Learning from the best’ on 29 March. Held in the Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford, Co Louth, the free-to-attend, half-day event was sponsored by Louth Local Development, Louth County Council, Louth Local Enterprise Office, Newry Chamber and The Marshes Shopping Centre. It brought together experts from various tourism projects around Ireland and the UK, providing practical tips and workshops.