Like many other young people from Ireland at that time, I arrived with a backpack, a sense of adventure, and absolutely no long‑term plan. Yet here I am — three decades later — still on this beautiful island I now call home, having worked my way through the ranks of an industry that has shaped me as much as I’ve shaped my place within it.
I qualified as a certified accountant in 2001, completed my Trust and Estate Practitioner exams in 2012, and have been fortunate to build a career that has continually challenged and fulfilled me. But right now, I can honestly say this is the most exciting chapter yet.
After taking ten months out in my 50th year — let’s call it a sabbatical, because that sounds far more intentional than it felt — I returned with a renewed sense of purpose. I made the time count by completing the Island Walk and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, both of which reminded me of the value of resilience and perspective.
Funnily the majority of the group who climbed Kili were female! I joined Forward Group in October 2024 as a Client Director, aware that the regulatory board was evolving and that I would eventually join that dynamic. What I did not anticipate was that we would become an entirely female board — not by design, not by branding, not by any grand statement, but simply through the natural progression of the business. I am told the original board was predominantly male.
Today, Forward Group has 17 full‑time employees, 15 of whom are women. Our founder, the ever‑flamboyant Alun Griffiths, chose pink as our brand colour long before any of this unfolded. When he resigned from the board in summer 2025 to literally sail into the sunset on his self-sail catamaran, the symbolism was not lost on us. Pink branding. All‑female board. A founder drifting off into the horizon. It almost felt like a sign.
We also have another female presence in the office — Rosie, one of our directors’ rescue dog from Macedonia. One of the joys of being independently owned is the freedom to shape our own culture, and Rosie is very much part of it. She probably spends more time in the office than she does at home.
Our location also sets us apart. Based in St Peter next to Gama Aviation, we are deliberately removed from the bustle of town. I’ll admit I initially missed the buzz — and the shopping — but the location offers privacy for clients who prefer to fly in and out discreetly, and that has become an unexpected advantage.
But here’s the question I wrestled with: in a world that champions diversity, how does an all‑female board fit in? Were we risking being seen as one‑dimensional? Outdated? A bit passé? And honestly — who wants to hear women “bleating on,” as I half‑jokingly put it?
Yet as International Women’s Day approaches, I’ve realised something important: we are diverse. Not because of gender, but because of who we are as individuals.
We each bring different strengths, temperaments, and ways of thinking. A few years ago, I completed Predictive Index training and loved discovering how varied human behavioural patterns can be. Women don’t fit into one box — we fit into all of them. I’m a collaborator by nature, someone who thrives on synergy, connection, and bringing out the best in our teammates. Some of my colleagues are laser‑focused executors who want the job done quickly and efficiently. Others are strategists, analysts and natural organisers. Together, we complement one another in ways that have nothing to do with gender and everything to do with character.
Being a small business makes us agile. We don’t wait for headquarters to make decisions. When one of our client groups indicated they were considering establishing a fund and wanted us to act as administrator, we moved swiftly — implementing policies, meeting regulatory requirements, and submitting our application without delay.
Our Head of Funds and Corporate is female, of course — though at this point, that surprises no one. We move, adapt, and support each other in real time. Empathy and interpersonal awareness, traits often associated with women, help us navigate the social dynamics of a close‑knit team. But the truth is, these aren’t “female skills.” They are human skills, and they are essential to our success.