Inspirational Woman: Anne O’Donnell | CEO & Co-Founder, Procorre

Anne O'Donnell

As CEO, Anne O’Donnell is responsible for growing the business and promoting the Procorre brand globally.

This means she’s always on the lookout for new talent and acquiring the right consultants to become an integral part of the business.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and your current role

My passion has always been sales, but as a qualified HR professional I have been both a HR director and senior director in several recruitment businesses, before joining Von Essen Consulting in 2007 which was my first step into the consulting world. In 2014, whilst I was group Sales and Marketing Director, Procorre Consulting became our main brand. We looked to attract the finest talent, as we knew that through working with leading consultants we could always find the best projects, and disrupt the consulting market by consistently providing subject matter experts to deliver those assignments. This approach has allowed us to grow exponentially in 2018.

Earlier this year I was also one of a handful of businesswomen chosen by Westminster to feature as part of the Vote 100 anniversary campaign book Voice & Vote, which celebrates the centenary of women being given the right to vote. This was a tremendous honor, particularly as I was appointed CEO of Procorre in May 2018.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

I think in reality, planning your career in any detail is unrealistic, but my ambition was always to lead and inspire and reach the highest possible position. During the 90s whilst working in IT for Prudential, I was chosen to be part of a women’s development course. It was this that made me realise my passion for sales, so I then went on to become a financial consultant, and nine months later was one of only two female sales managers out of 600 in the UK.

Have you faced any particular challenges along the way and if so, how did you deal with them?

I have faced many challenges both professional and personal, including overcoming cancer, but the only way to deal with them is head on, with belief, tenacity and courage.

If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?

Belief in themselves and what they can achieve. At Procorre, 2018 is a big year for us in which we’re working tirelessly to attract more women into management consulting.

I recognise that inequality very much exists in the industries that I’ve worked in, but thankfully it’s not something I’ve directly experienced. However, over the years I’ve had to work extremely hard, by leading from the front, to be recognised for my skills and to earn the respect of my teams, peers and managers.

Although we’ve had the right to vote for 100 years, it has only been very recently that women’s true voices have started to be heard. Over the course of the next 100 years I want the progress of equality to be faster paced, with all women being equally respected and having equal pay.

How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?

Mentoring is incredibly important. I mentored our current HR manager who joined us as a temp in 2011. We sponsored her to take her IPD, in which she got a 1st, and then I mentored her into what I believe is now a top HR professional.

To get the best out of people sometimes you need to challenge them, but always in a positive way. By knowing you believe in them and their capabilities, they will be inspired to think the same way. Being on hand to support team members when overcoming any hurdles along the way also helps to cement that inspiration and to ensure they reach their goal.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

Becoming CEO of Procorre, a multimillion pound organisation with offices worldwide, is by far my greatest achievement. I’ve loved my career to date and the journey that it’s taken me on to get me to where I am today. Any mistakes or challenges I’ve faced along the way I’ve learnt from, which I like to think has made me a more tenacious, compassionate and dynamic leader.

What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?

My underlying goal is to keep increasing the revenue and profitability of our business. At the same time, I want to continue to champion all staff – women and men alike – with a culture of diversity, inclusion and engagement. In my opinion, leadership is about inspiring people, so they feel motivated, happy in their roles and invested in the organisation. This creates commitment and a sense of belonging.

As a CEO there’s a long list of responsibilities within my role, but at the very top will always be something I prioritise over everything else, and that’s to inspire my senior management team and every team member I talk to. When there are key business decisions to make or other business priorities, this can be tough, but I’ve found that ensuring you make time for everyone really pays dividends in the long run. Upon my appointment as CEO, I asked my team what they wanted from me and they said to be a visible, inspirational and engaged. That is what I will always strive to be.

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