Sarah McGuinness

I've worked for FD for over 12 years, predominantly based in London. I am the Practice Lead for Change Solutions looking after all things PM/BA and PMO. During my time with FD, I've often found myself getting involved in bits of everything and my paths have crossed with so many great people. Before EPAM, you would have often found me in the Cannon Street office (usually in the same seat) but I've recently returned from Maternity Leave and am now settling into 9DSQ - new favourite seat still to be decided. The forementioned maternity leave means my free time is now spent with my gorgeous son enjoying soft play, long walks and early nights. On the rare occasion I get to go out, I love a trip to the theatre.

I felt a bit lost at the end of Uni, I had finished a Degree in Finance and Mathematics with little thought into what was next, if I had it my way I'd have gone to Drama School so I didn't have lifelong dreams of working in Finance. My sister had a job offer from FD in 2009 but went elsewhere, so she was the one who told me about this company in Newry where I could be a Financial Engineer. The title was enough to sell the role. I arrived in the Newry office for an interview at the start of June 2013, the interview part went well, the aptitude test we had to do did not! I remember emailing HR after the day asking (begging) them to take a chance on me knowing full well, I had failed that test, but they did, and I started on the 3rd July 2013.

Like many others, I started FD as a grad. My first role was a regulatory analyst working on EMIR with a client in London where I worked for 2 years before graduating from the program. I then went onto work in a regulatory change department for 3 years where I started as a Business Analyst and finished as a Project Manager. It was at this point where I started getting involved internally at FD, finding roles, helping with onboarding, interviews, etc. Over the next few years, I worked as a PM/Program Manager in multiple large transformation programs and managed to take a group of grads on a training trip to India along the way. My ambition progress at FD led to a position on the old Client Solutions SLT which gave me the chance to really show what I could do. I worked on everything from RFPs to assigning PTLs and really got to know the business. It was all of this work and my years with FD that landed me my current role as Practice Lead for Change Solutions. Today, while I still step in on projects and client work when needed, my main focus is growing the practice and mentoring our people.

I tell this story whenever asked, but I was told on my second week at FD to go to work on an EMIR project for 6 weeks in London and I am still here 12.5 years later. I met my husband over here and now we have a son, so I'm stuck here for another while until I can convince them to move home to Wexford. London has given me incredible opportunities, I've worked on the trading floor in top investment banks, I worked in India for a month to kick off a project and I've met the same faces in projects across the city. Every time I've been bored at the end of a project, I find myself in a new one learning something else.

It's a toss up, firstly, anyone at the London Christmas Party in 2022 would remember I was given not 1 but 2 awards for Team of the Year and Pioneer of the year, having been a finalist at the Women in Tech Awards a few weeks before; this was pretty special and I did some serious celebrating afterwards. Secondly, when I was made a Practice Lead, I started FD as a graduate and worked my way up to this through hard work and getting to know FD as much as anyone so being recognised and given a leadership position was another proud moment.

I could give countless pieces of advice here! The main one would be, don't be afraid to say no but be able to live with yourself if you do. In other words, avoid putting yourself into situations where you're overloaded and unbale to deliver effectively. If you can help, absolutely do. But if you can't, it's ok to decline and don't feel guilty about it! Setting boundaries is key to maintaining quality and balance. The second piece of advice I wish I had is - don't take it home with you. When you finish work, leave it there. I am an anxious person, I could win awards for overthinking, but I've learned over the years that work is work and life is life. Learn to separate the two.