On April 19th, The Ireland Funds hosted Eileen McDonnell (Chairman & CEO, Penn Mutual), Aedhmar Hynes (CEO, Text100) and Vonnie Quinn (Anchor, Bloomberg) for a conversation on genderless leadership.
Kyle Clifford, Vice President of Development with The Ireland Funds America, opened the evening and introduced Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones to welcome attendees to Ireland House.
Consul General Barbara Jones commended The Ireland Funds for bringing together such a distinguished panel and referenced previous distinguished guests who sat in the ‘hot seat’ such as Former President Mary Robinson.
Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chairman Emeritus of The Ireland Funds America, paid tribute to the late Ambassador Dan Rooney for his generosity, friendship and leadership as a Co-Founder of The Ireland Fund.
Moderated by Bloomberg’s Vonnie Quinn, topics debated and discussed included the qualities of great leadership, the importance of not being afraid to ask for what you want, the value of mentorship and the outdated notion of ‘work-life balance.’
Having emigrated to the United States with young children in the 1990s, Aedhmar spoke about how the notion of having it all is outdated and that there is no such as thing as work-life balance, but rather work-life blend. For Aedhmar, it was important that her children knew what she did so when work needed to be a priority, they understood.
Similarly, when negotiating her return to a high-profile position in the C-Suite after taking time out to raise her daughter, Eileen spoke of how she was upfront and honest about what she would be willing and unwilling to do as both a mother and business leader. Eileen’s advice to those on the evening was always be direct and ask for what you want.
In response to the lack of women in the C-Suite and in board positions across the world, both Aedhmar and Eileen noted that quotas had their advantages and disadvantages. Both panelists agreed that when considering candidates for leadership positions, the best person for the job should get the role, regardless of their gender.
In Eileen’s experience, this issue was something she considered one of omission and not commission citing an experience where her male colleagues didn’t even notice they weren’t considering women for candidates until she made them aware.
Aedhmar spoke of the importance and value of authentic leadership, stating that there was no substitute and that brands and companies may struggle if they don’t align their values with those of their audiences and employees.
In response to a question from the audience regarding mentorship, Eileen commented on how she wouldn’t be in the position she was today as Chairman and CEO of one of the oldest life insurance companies in the country if it wasn’t for the support and mentorship of the men she met throughout her career.
Looking to the future, both Aedhmar and Eileen felt confident that gender equality and women’s empowerment would be further accelerated as the millennial generation joins the conversation and climbs the corporate ladder.
Special guests in attendance included Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones, The Ireland Funds America Chairman Emeritus Loretta Brennan Glucksman and board member Tara McCabe.
Thank you to Consul General Barbara Jones, moderator Vonnie Quinn and guest speakers Eileen McDonnell and Aedhmar Hynes for being so generous with their time, support and for sharing their insights and experiences as industry leaders.
