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Representing the Shamrock on the World Stage with the belief that positivity IS a force multiplier

St. Mary’s National School Cobh to the super exclusive Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. A World Leading Female Executive, one of the best in her field and just as happy catching up with friends in Cobh’s Roaring Donkey Bar and discussing the latest news from our local Cobh News.

This time of year, when growing up East Cork (Cobh) native Deirdre O’Connor may have been watching Ireland’s most famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade taking place in Dublin on her family’s television as many of us did. Landmarks such as Grafton Street and O’Connell Street turned green for our day of national pride, and children breathed a sigh of relief at a much-appreciated day off from school and homework! Today St. Patrick’s Day reminds us of the vast examples of Irish success stories there are sprinkled across the globe. It turns out that Deirdre O’Connor is one of these success stories. An internationally celebrated Executive she is the former Managing Director of Goldman Sachs & Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. Today she lives within walking distance from the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that take place in Manhattan, New York City. Deirdre has lived in New York for almost 30 years, currently residing in the Upper East Side with a holiday home in the Hamptons.

So, how did all of this come about? Following her Leaving Certificate, Deirdre gained entry to CIT studying her CIMA Management Accountancy qualification within the Business School. Shortly afterwards, following graduation, she made the very brave decision to emigrate to the US and secured employment with JP Morgan. Deirdre’s career had officially begun!

She worked exceptionally hard and this in combination with Deirdre’s natural ability resulted in her accelerated career path in the industry, operating within a number of seriously high-level leadership portfolios. Her beyond impressive credentials can be viewed within her public LinkedIn Profile (11) Deirdre O’Connor | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdremoconnor

However, all did not go exactly to plan always. Deirdre and her husband lived in New York at the time of 9 11 and worked in the industry that was primarily targeted (Financial Services) with many business contacts and friends linked with the World Trade Centre. After settling down in some way following that trauma the Global Recession then hit as we know, and once again New York was the epicentre of the activity. She also has the responsibility as many of us do of being a Working Mother and trying to achieve the ultimate balance we are all striving for with work and family life. Chatting with Deirdre in a bar in New York a few years ago she openly spoke about the importance of achieving balance in prioritizing kids and ensuring they have everything the need and deserve while at the same time delivering from a work perspective. She also spoke about both passion and perseverance ensuring career success.