By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Gillian Keating, co-founder of I Wish and partner in Ronan Daly Jermyn
Gillian Keating is co-founder of the social enterprise I Wish which encourages teenage girls to consider a career in the STEM field. She is also a partner in RDJ LLP, an Irish law firm. I Wish is currently preparing for its 10th annual STEM Showcase event, taking place on 8 February 2024 at the RDS Dublin. Registration is open at iwish.ie/register, with an estimated 3,000 female students expected to attend.
What was your first job?
I worked part-time in clothes shops and in hotels from when I was old enough to do so. These customer-facing roles were a fantastic training ground on how to engage with people. My first ‘job’, post-qualification, was as a stagiaire in DGIV at the European Commission.
What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?
I have wanted to pursue a career in law for as long as I can remember. I can’t recall what one thing pushed me towards it, but I do recall the many people who encouraged me along the way ensuring I stayed with it. The discipline, guidance and support I received from other lawyers is what allowed me to develop my career in the way I have.
What would you regard as your greatest achievement to date?
Starting and scaling the social enterprise I Wish with Caroline O’Driscoll, Sharon Lombard and Ruth Buckley (and hundreds of other volunteers) to encourage 60,000 girls to consider careers in STEM and ensure they are well-placed to participate in the economies of the future.
Career-wise, would you do anything differently?
No, I realised early on that having interests outside of law was important and I have managed to maintain interests across many sectors while pursuing my legal career. I believe those other interests make my legal career more enjoyable.
In one sentence, how would you define success?
Being part of a team of positive people who are motivated to deliver changes in our society through their actions. I consider myself lucky to have that at work in RDJ and with the team at I Wish.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Don’t take yourself too seriously – I am still working on that one.
How do you motivate yourself and your staff?
I work with very strong teams at RDJ and I Wish. In both organisations, there is a real sense of shared objectives. A “we are in this together” feeling and that one team culture, when working on a difficult or complex project, drives all of us to excel. I don’t take credit for that; it is in our DNA at RDJ and I Wish.
How do you handle adversity?
This is a skill that I have had to work on. One of the many good things about getting older is the experiences you must draw from, and I now know I can handle most things by just digging deep, reminding myself that this is just a moment, and I will make it out the other side.
How do you relax?
Reading the newspaper at 5am, exercising early before the craziness of the day starts to infiltrate my head and catching up with friends and family at the weekend.
What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
For RDJ to continue to grow and develop as a diverse and inclusive organisation supporting brilliant people and clients. For I Wish… the sky is the limit. There is just so much more we can do to support the next generation of female leaders and innovators. We all need to be ambitious for our daughters, sisters and nieces. The future of our businesses, our governments, our hospitals and our society depends on them fully participating and yet we continue to limit them in school, at work and at home. I want to see a future for young girls with no limits and at I Wish we work to deliver that future.
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Martin Byrne, VP and Country Manager, EPAM Systems
