DCU Voices

2021 EDITION 25 “The industry has changed dramatically over the years and that is what keeps me interested,” she says. “When I first started in this industry most of our trading interaction with clients was via voice, and now we offer sophisticated solutions over many distribution channels including API, web, desktop and mobile.” Volatile markets A major turning point in Sinéad’s career came during the financial crisis of 2008. It was around this time that she had moved from US interest rate markets technology to lead foreign exchange technology. Suddenly, she found herself in a new space with new technology and a new team. “That was definitely a very stressful time, I was in a new role during volatile market conditions, and I lacked a bit of faith in myself,” she says. However, some encouraging words from a good manager made the difference. “I learned to be resilient, how to show up every day during those challenging times and become a leader. “My self-confidence was at a low point, but I picked myself up, communicated, worked with others, learned, and emerged from that time with a really good relationship with that business.” Women in technology Sinéad recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovation and Technology at the 2020 DCU Alumni Awards. While her career speaks for itself, the award was also an acknowledgement of her long history of encouraging women into engineering. “I’ve seen the industry change over the years both from who was going into computer science, and then who was coming into the industry,” she says. “I’ve never had a grand plan in life. I’m still figuring that out.” Interestingly, while the technology sector has suffered from a gender gap over the years, Sinéad’s own class of 1992 in DCU was almost 50/50. “It was only as I went through my career and into industry that I started to notice that it wasn’t quite representative of the workforce. “So, where those numbers trail off, it has been even more important that we demonstrate that this is a good career path for women. That has been a passion of mine.” Within Goldman Sachs, Sinéad is the co-sponsor of the group’s Women in Engineering network, and the company is also engaging with young girls and women at school and university levels. She has also served on the steering committee for the New York Chapter of the Anita Borg Institute, which supports female technologists in New York City. “My goal is for women to see that there are enough role models, that this is a valid career path for them, and that they can actually aspire to become more senior and be leaders in this space,” she adds. “My goal is for women to see that there are enough role models, that this is a valid career path for them, and that they can actually aspire to become more senior and be leaders in this space.” Photo Credit: Stephen Zipp