By Business & Finance 
Norma Lynch, Head of Global Project Management Training Services, Aspira
Norma Lynch, Head of Global Project Management Training Services, Aspira, takes on the Business & Finance 60-second interview challenge.
Q. What was your first job? My first job was working in the local corner shop, which gave me a real taste for business – and all things sweet! Q. What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date? Personally, it would be being a mum to four young adults. Professionally, it would be having completed the Diploma in Leadership, Diploma in Strategy & Innovation and Diploma in Leadership with the Irish Management Institute (IMI) in the past three years; and, early this year, I hope to complete the final part of my Master’s in Business Science. Q. In three words or less, how do you define success? Seeing around corners. Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? To be authentic and to not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and what is right, even if that means standing alone. Q. How do you motivate yourself and your staff? I always try to set myself and my team new challenges as I believe that’s how you grow. To that end, I am also always looking at developing our collective skills and knowledge, to ensure a well-rounded, dynamic team. I love attending the Pendulum Summit at the start of the year, as that helps me to re-focus, re-energise and look at what I would like to achieve that year. I have attended four out of five of them and the calibre of speakers which Frankie Sheehan brings to Ireland is phenomenal and he deserves enormous success and continued support. Q. If you could step into the shoes of one business person for a day, who would it be and why? I am lucky in that I work very closely with my CEO, Pat Lucey, who is the most dynamic business person I could ever hope to meet. Working with him has allowed me to learn so much and work with great business people. Q. How do you relax? My husband thinks I am nuts, as I am always reading what he calls so called ‘self-help’ books. Through my IMI course and the Pendulum Summit, I have discovered some amazing authors and now have a stack of books waiting to be read! Otherwise, I like to spend time with my family and friends – I particularly like to go to Il Padrino or Jacobs on the Mall for dinner. I am also chief dog walker for my dog, Bobbie. Q. What’s your motto? “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde Q. What are your aspirations for the future of the business? This year, we have grown our business internationally, and our aspirations are to continue this expansion, with plans to set up an international office.
To be authentic and to not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and what is right, even if that means standing alone.
Aspira is a consulting and enterprise IT company, providing clients with the resources and technology they need to deliver their projects. The company’s consulting and training services include project management and business analysis, which leverage the Aspira’s software development and testing offerings. All of this is supplemented by its managed IT service team with certification across multiple technologies.
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