IRISH buSIneSSwomen
Working Life
LOOK THE
BUSINESS
In challenging times, it pays to look the business. In the first of a series on Irish working women and style, we talk to Ruth CuRRaN, partner at Merc partners, to see how she does it ...
“I love matching up a client with the perfect candidate – the psychology involved is interesting.” Nude patent shoes, LK Bennett. Navy dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim; taupe handbag, Furla; both at Brown Thomas. Fountain pen, Mont Blanc, at Weirs & Sons.
fILe aWay ... on my desk A glass of water, The Irish Times and my Mont Blanc pen, a gift from family when I was promoted to partner; an A4 diary which I use to jot down notes when I’m on the phone before transferring them to my iPhone
favourite gadget My iPhone (with, I confess, a black Swarovski crystal cover) – I use it for everything except reading the paper. I connect with people all the time and use it for email, online bookings, diary, research and archiving
in my wardrobe I put a lot of thought into buying so I don’t have to think about my office uniform too much. I like feminine clothes – dresses or a suit – and I love colour
LabeLs i Like LK Bennett, John Rocha, Joanne Hynes, Collette Dinnigan PhoToGrAPh By SIoBhAN ByrNE. MAKE- uP By SuSAN BroPh y
accessories Tom Ford sunglasses, long black leather gloves by Helen McAlinden, a black Philip Treacy clutch bought years ago from M&S (and still brilliant) and my mum’s vintage Burberry trench
uLtimate office-to-out piece A black and white shift dress by MaxMara – it’s timeless
make-up essentiaL Diorshow mascara
business must I place a high value on focused networking: our business is all about people, getting to know clients and potential candidates
Look the Business Competition Vodafone is home of the smartphone and offers great devices like the iPhone, and a fantastic new addition to their range, nexuS S fRom GooGle. The Nexus S, running on Gingerbread, is the fastest version of Android yet, meaning better multitasking for business customers. The Nexus S comes with a 5 megapixel camera, 16GB internal memory and with access to over 150,000 apps in Android Market. Vodafone is offering one lucky reader the chance to win the new Nexus S from Google. Email register@thegloss.ie. Include your full name and contact telephone number and the answer to the following question: Q: When is The Gloss Magazine's Look the Business event in association with Vodafone? For terms and conditions, see www.thegloss.ie.
What do you do? “we identify, attract and present key leadership talent for our clients.” Your career path? “commerce degree (in ucg where i also met my husband, a fellow classmate), then qualified as an accountant and trained in professional practice, learning a lot about client interaction, delivery and service. after a stint with a large australian media organisation in the ifsc, i joined merc in 1999, becoming a partner in 2004 while i was taking a masters at ucd smurfit graduate business school.” What do you like best about your job? “the marriage aspect! i love matching up a client with the perfect candidate – the psychology involved is interesting.” A typical day? “it always begins with a carefully made coffee – one of my pals from smurfit gave me a nespresso machine and it’s been the best-used gift. with two small boys at home, getting out of the house looking smart is a challenge so i am organised and buy carefully. i travel to work by car – i like being flexible about getting to clients and candidates. the day involves meetings, research and prep work for new business, frequently a business lunch. engaging a candidate can take up to 10-12 weeks of intense communication with a shortlist.” Downtime? “i try and get out for a quick run after work a few times a week, before heading home. until i had children i never equated exercise with energy, but it really works and it clears my mind. i spend lots of time with family and friends.” Business thought for the day? “why aren’t there more female business leaders? i think we need to do more to woo women back to the workplace after they have kids.” Role model: “my mother – a working mother of five [she was a professor at ucg]. i was the only child in class with a working mum – she was hardworking and, with my father, mutally supportive.” Motto: “persevere, have self-belief and get on with it …”
LOOK THE BUSINESS, the event for working women, held in association with Vodafone, will take place on wedneSday octobeR 19 2011. Advance queries to 01 275 5130 or see www.thegloss.ie for more details. T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | April 2011 | 25