By Rachel O'Connor
15th Jun 2023
15th Jun 2023
Managing director of General Paints Group, Rachel O’Connor started her career as a civil engineer, later working in a tech company in Silicon Valley before transitioning over to the paint industry where she heads up the family business (and biggest paint manufacturer in Ireland). Here she shares more about her day-to-day, how she unwinds after a long day and what her morning routine entails.
Did you always want to work in the paint industry?
Not at all. I studied civil engineering and my goal was to work in the renewable energy or sustainability space.
My most formative work experience was… when I moved to the US after college and worked for a Silicon Valley startup – it was fast-paced, fun and dynamic.
My first real job was… waitressing in Glacier National Park, Montana. I worked there for several summers during college. Montana is beautiful – I loved the remoteness and spent all my free time hiking, camping… and avoiding bears!
The most invaluable thing I learned early on in my career was… take risks, don’t be afraid of failure, be curious and seek out advice and support. In my experience, people are happy to help.
A common misconception about what I do is… working in the paint industry might not seem very exciting – but it is. There is a lot of variety, great people, and exciting projects.
My main responsibility at work is to… set our company strategy, support my team in implementing the strategy, and ensure we are living our values through our company culture. Part of my role is networking and bringing learnings back to the business.
The biggest risk I have taken in my career so far is… moving back to Ireland and switching industries from tech to paint.
I wake at… between 6am and 7am, unless it’s a weekend.
My morning routine is… I don’t really have one. Sometimes a jump in the sea or a walk with my dog, other mornings it’s a mad dash to get out the door. Either way, there’s always time for coffee.
I can’t go to work without… an obvious one is my laptop, but I’m old school and always bring my leather CarveOn notebook to keep on top of my to-do list.
On an average workday I… every day is different. Some days it’s back-to-back meetings, others I have a chance to sit down for coffee with colleagues. I travel a lot for work; conferences, partner meetings etc.
I usually spend the first portion of the day… if it’s the first Monday of the month., I’ll be at our company breakfast. It’s fun and is a chance to catch up with everyone.
The most useful business tool I use every day is… it would have to be Microsoft Teams, but my preference is in-person discussions and brainstorming where possible.
I save time by… prioritising and being strategic with my time. It’s important to recognise when to not get involved and trust my team.
I rarely get through my working day without… at least two coffees and something sweet.
The best part of my day is… walking meetings, we’re lucky to have Castletown Park at our doorstep.
The most challenging part of my day is… emails! I struggle to keep on top of my inbox, as my colleagues know it’s my least favourite method of communicating.
I know it’s been a good day if… I’ve had productive meetings and connected with people, have an empty inbox and lots of things checked off the to-do list.
I usually end my day with… a true crime or history podcast on my drive home.
I switch off from work by… in summer it’s doing something outdoors, a hike or swim. In winter, I’m a sucker for Netflix or a good book.
After a long work week, I destress by… sometimes it’s painting, reading or journaling and others it’s planning my next adventure.
The accomplishment I’m most proud of is… our company is working towards becoming a B-Corporation; a business with a purpose beyond profit. This resonates with my original career aspirations and it’s so exciting.
If you want to get into my line of work, my advice is to… as Managing Director, a lot of my role is about people and leadership. ‘Take time to understand yourself, so that you can value others and communicate authentically’.
I’ve just finished working on… our Sustainability/B-Corp roadmap. This includes everything from our community donations policy and sustainable product development to diversity and inclusion in our workforce. At the moment I’m working on Enterprise Ireland’s Leadership Program. It’s a nine-month course to support Irish companies in developing their growth strategy in Ireland and other markets.
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