By Beth Gormley, UCD College of Business, PR and Communications Manager

Wednesday, March 29, 2023- The inaugural panel for the Smurfit Finance Group (SFG), the Women in Finance Conference, attracted a standing-room- only audience with faculty, staff and students from different courses and background in attendance.

Head of Women in Finance, Twisha Soni, coordinated and moderated the event, with the support of the Smurfit Finance Group including Conor Maguire, CEO of SFG; and Sakshi Bagul, Public Relations of SFG. Academic Director Dr Cormac MacFhionnlaoich addressed the audience to thank them on behalf of the faculty and College.

"The Women in Finance initiative aims to empower young women aspiring to get into the finance industry by helping them connect with senior professionals,” said Twisha who is pursuing her MSc in Finance. “Our inaugural panel helped students gain insights into the journeys and experiences of the panellists, while also providing networking opportunities.”

The distinguished panel included Marie Gillespie, Director and Senior Equity Analyst at Davy; Maeve Lawrence, Executive Director of Global Corporate Banking at JP Morgan; and Andrea McEvoy, Associate Director, ESG Research at IQ-EQ.

The discussion explored the journey and experiences of the panel, what it is like being a woman in a male-dominated industry, the changing norms and how working from home has changed things for good, followed by trends in the industry, the importance of mentorship and what they believe is the secret to their success. There was also an interesting round of questions from the audience, followed by networking. 

“I'm grateful to our panellists Marie, Maeve, and Andrea for sharing their time and thoughts with us,” continued Twisha, who is also a UCD Smurfit School Class Ambassador and CFA Research Challenge Team Member.

"This initiative is extremely special to me as an ambitious young woman. I intend to bring all opportunities I would love to have to my peers. I am looking forward to continuing to lead the initiative to greater heights,” she concluded.