By Business & Finance 
Catherine Corcoran, Head of Management Consulting, RSM Ireland
Catherine Corcoran, Head of Management Consulting, RSM Ireland, speaks of the importance of motivation and honesty.
My first job was a graduate management position in Dunnes Stores’ head office, personnel department. I was there for two years and it was a really great start to my career. A few things spring to mind, my four children – Simon, Philip, Luke and Rebecca (twins); RSM winning the countries top HR award; being asked to chair the RSM 2017 World Conference in Berlin; building a management consulting unit from a fairly standing start over a ten-year period and becoming a partner in an accounting firm without being an accountant! Health and happiness. How you behave and how you react when the going gets tough is what differentiates the great from the good. A good friend and mentor told me that a good long time ago and it’s been very helpful! I think by encouragement and imbuing a sense of fun and enjoyment into our work. One of our core values at RSM is ‘owning your own future’, and I really believe that giving people control over what they do, freedom to speak and freedom to operate, creates a truly authentic environment that is very motivational. My son is a director with Indeed and I’d love to step into his millennial shoes and tech environment for a day and perhaps let him step into mine – we could do a swop – that would be interesting! Otherwise, it would have to be Miriam O’Callaghan – I really admire her and how she balances so much and seems to enjoy herself along the way. Truthfully – I love box sets and binge-watching them! Spending time with family and friends – walking, eating out and chatting! People and honest conversations first – the rest will follow. To continue to consolidate and build RSM’s presence as first choice business advisors to the mid-market business leaders, both domestic and international. In respect of management consulting, to continue to grow, build and deepen our six key service lines – Risk Advisory, Transformation HR and Change, Economic and Financial Advisory, Technology Consulting, Forensic and Investigation Services and Outsourcing. I’d like to see us doing this through a combination of organic growth and through merger and acquisition. I’d also like to see us building our public sector presence even further. So, it’s a growth agenda – but we won’t grow at the expense of quality, culture or our values.Q. What was your first job?
Q. What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
Q. In three words or less, how do you define success?
Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Q. How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
Q. If you could step into the shoes of one business person for a day, who would it be and why?
Q. How do you relax?
Q. What’s your motto?
Q. What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
One of our core values at RSM is ‘owning your own future’, and I really believe that giving people control over what they do, freedom to speak and freedom to operate, creates a truly authentic environment that is very motivational.
RSM’s history goes back to 1987 and since then it has grown to become one of the top 10 accountancy firms in Ireland specialising in providing business advice to mid-market businesses. On the 3rd of May 2016, the firm joined the RSM network and became united under one single global brand with RSM member firms across the world.
