While planning an event for the LIA team this week to mark International Women’s Day, we wondered “what strong, inspiring woman would we all really love to hear from?”. The answer was very clear – our very own CEO Joanne Keane! Having filled various roles at LIA for over 20 years, Joanne worked her way up through the ranks to be appointed as CEO in 2020.
While Joanne has created a very open culture at LIA, and is happy to be asked pretty much anything, any day, we took the opportunity this week to get everyone together to have an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session with Joanne. Here are some of the highlights…
What has been your proudest moment in your career with LIA so far?
For me personally it would be becoming CEO. From an organisational point of view, it would be the pivot we had to do because of Covid and how well everyone moved towards the new world of working online, all the challenges that were faced, and met head on, and delivered upon. I was only 8 weeks in the job and I remember going out one night for a walk in a complete panic thinking “Oh my God, what are we going to do?!”. I just walked and walked and came home with a plan!
What has been the advantage of being a woman, in your career?
I think, empathy. And being more in tune with emotional intelligence, being able to see the human side of things. And just knowing how hard it can be for women in business - as I went up the ranks, there’s no question that I had to work harder than others, or prove myself in different ways, and I met a lot of roadblocks. But it does give you more confidence.
Have you seen the landscape change in recent years for women in business, particularly in positions of power? Do you think things are evolving?
I think they are, certainly if you look around at some of our peer organisations – Mary O’Dea in IOB, Emer Kirk in FPSB, Paula Hudson in II. But there is an awful lot more to be done. And I think women have a lot to do as well, on their own part. They have to take action themselves. But it’s improving, there’s lots being done. I still think it’s harder, you have to work harder, prove yourself more, and I think with women it’s having the belief in themselves that they will have the ability to do it, because what I see is that women generally undervalue their ability, and beat themselves up more “have I done enough, have I given enough, am I providing enough value, maybe I’m being paid too much!”
Have you any recommendations regarding work/life balance, while raising kids? How did you find it as you were progressing through the ranks?
Very, very challenging. It’s easier for me now, not just because my kids are older, but because of the type of role I’m in, I’m not dealing in the firing line of day to day, it’s less deadline driven. But I think, no matter what, once you have kids, you have to have a great support network in place – childcare, good family members you can call on.
What advice would you give to your 18-year old self?
To have more fun! I was such a worry pot, I still am, but not to the same extent. But when I was younger I was so full of anxiety and so worried about every scenario, that I would love to have said “just have fun, relax, experience different things!”. That’s what I would hope for my own kids.
We also learned that if Joanne was not CEO of LIA she would probably be a psychologist, although she would love to trade places with Beyonce for the day (even though her secret talent is actually singing Barbra Streisand’s Evergreen!). Her ultimate dinner party guests would include Barack Obama, Mary Robinson, Meagher’s Pharmacy MD Oonagh O’Hagan and Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal (either one, she’s not fussy!). Thanks Joanne for your leadership and continued openness!