Mary Kelly Women in leadership Masterclass

Dr Kelly talked us through her career which happened organically rather than according to a pre-ordained plan. She stressed the importance of both having and being a mentor for others and that mentors can even be your peers. We can all be guilty of caring too much about what people say but should instead draw on our own integrity and just go ahead and do it. Leadership and communication are important skills. Be authentic, confident and if you need to glue a smile on and be gracious. You can have a quiet leadership style but use your influence for the positive and leave something behind that is better. You don't have to do everything as a leader but be prepared to lead by doing.

I felt the formal/informal approach worked really well. The subsequent  interactive exchange allowed for sharing of experiences

Speaker Biography

Mary Kelly was appointed Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála in August 2011. She had been the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from May 2002.

She holds a PhD in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin, and an MBA from Dublin City University. Mary previously worked with IBEC, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, where she was responsible for environmental policy. Before that she worked in the pharmaceutical industry.