Young Leaders Leadership Series with Bridget Walsh 2023
The Young Leaders were honoured to have Bridget Walsh, Global Private Equity Industry Market Leader at EY and the newly appointed Chair of The Ireland Funds Great Britain, as guest speaker as part of the Young Leaders Leadership Series. The event took place on Thursday 12th October and was held at the EY Offices in Central London.
In a fireside chat with YL Committee Member, Emer Tiernan, the Young Leaders eagerly listened as Bridget candidly spoke about her illustrious career, including first starting out as an accountant during a turbulent economic period and navigating a varied career. She shared advice with the Young Leaders as well as her vision for The Ireland Funds Great Britain and its Young Leaders Society.
After graduating from Queens University Belfast, Bridget was appointed by EY in 1999. Her naturally curious personality and genuine interest in the ever-evolving financial landscape allowed Bridget to dramatically climb the career ladder at an impressive pace. She joked with the Young Leaders that she loves to delegate but that in all seriousness, building the right team underneath her has been the key to success. Bridget now leads a team of PE professionals across 145 countries in one of the fastest growing sectors and has incubated and grown several businesses within the EY organisation, including the global PE tax businesses.
Bridget touched on her new role as Chair of The Ireland Funds GB and explained that one of the main areas of focus as we move into 2024 is education, a core pillar of the organisation and one of Bridget’s passions. She also spoke about the importance of the Young Leaders Society to the future of the organisation.
Advice from Bridget included:
– Think about your brand and how you are perceived
– Be authentic and stay true to who you are
– Be more intentional about networking
– Stay close to your clients. Prioritise the relationships, take a genuine interest and be naturally curious
– The harder you work, the luckier you get
It is safe to say that the Young Leaders were left feeling inspired and motivated. We thank her for her time and for hosting the event at EY.
We were delighted to also welcome Lorraine Maher and Louise Durant from IamIrish who, at the beginning of the session, told us about the great work that they do to connect, support, advocate and empower Irish people of Mixed Ancestry/Multi Ethnicity, and how support from The Ireland Funds has been vital to the growth and development of their organisation. We are grateful to Lorraine and Louise for taking time to talk to us during a very busy Black History Month.
Photography: Noel Mullen
