Cork has so much female talent, says award-winning businesswoman

WHEN opportunity comes your way, try not to overthink things, and just say yes.

That’s the advice of businesswoman Paula Cogan, who heeded her own words on many an occasion throughout her hugely successful career that has spanned tourism, hospitality and healthcare… so far!

Paula, who won this year’s President’s Award at the Network Ireland Cork Businesswoman of the Year awards, said she had a good role model in her own mum Mary who, by law, had to stop working in Musgrave when she was born.

“But she ended up returning to the company when I was in my mid-20s, starting in the post room, and then a few years later working up to being the executive assistant to the sales director of SuperValu. She is still my biggest role model.”

Paula’s maternal grandmother, Annie Cremin, is another huge source of inspiration.

“She reared eight children on a farm outside Mallow and was this incredible, resilient woman who was also a little cheeky with this great sense of humour and fun. She was always a big advocate for treating others as you’d like to be treated and that’s something that really stuck with me.

“I find myself thinking of nana’s words and asking how would I like to have been treated as a 21-year-old female in the workplace.”

That’s when Paula embarked on her diverse career. Her primary degree was in archaeology and history in UCC followed by a diploma in management and marketing.

A work placement with Cork County Council saw her being offered the role of general manager of the Gunpowder Mills in Ballincollig and managing a team of 12.

“It was just opening at the time and I was responsible for everything from ordering the cups and saucer, to sales and marketing!” said Paula.

After two and a half years, she took an opportunity to work in a rural development Leader role for IRD Duhallow, and it was at this time that she was approached to work in hospitality by the sales and marketing director of what was then Jury’s.

“My initial reaction was ‘Hotels? No way!’”

She obviously had a rethink, and went on to enjoy a 25-year career in the sector as global head of sales for Jury’s, which later became the Doyle Collection. She managed a global team of 40, and the job required regular overseas travel.

Prior to the pandemic hitting, she felt there may be ‘another challenge’ in her, and an opportunity came her way to work in the healthcare industry.

“I was approached by the chair of Cognate Health, an occupational health provider, we talked for around eight or nine months and I’ve been CEO now for the past three years.”

Despite not knowing anything about the healthcare sector, she didn’t let that hold her back from taking the helm at the rapidly expanding family-owned company which has grown from 24 employees to 68 since she’s taken over.

During this time, she’s also overseen a three year strategic plan with significant investment in two new clinics in Cork and Dublin, new OH mental health services, and a digitalisation and IT transformation project.

“Because it’s a relatively small organisation, I’m involved in most things, so it’s been an incredible learning curve,” she admits.

This ‘can do’ mentality goes back to her willingness to take opportunities.

“Men have dominated senior roles in the business world for so long, and I sometimes feel that women can allow themselves to be pigeonholed. I think that once you have certain key skills, you can transfer to other sectors, but it’s essential to find yourself the right people to work with as nobody can be good at everything.”

What’s also essential, she says, is to plan your career: “Men are much more proactive than women about this. It doesn’t just happen organically, so it’s important to work at developing new networks. I’m actually an introvert, but networking has played a key role in my career.”

Having said that, she does admit a tendency to overthink things: “I can be a bit of a worry guts, and I think it’s important to work to manage any negative thoughts and to trust yourself and your decisions.”

She has been very lucky, she said, to have had incredible male mentors throughout her career, learning greatly while ‘on the job’.

“I do think now that we may be getting a bit too PC, and can sometimes be afraid to call things out if someone hasn’t done something correctly. There’s a right way of doing it, in a non-confrontational way, but it’s a huge opportunity to coach and learn that shouldn’t be overlooked.

In terms of work/life balance, she admits she needs to be better!

She loves her work and Cognate Health is still in a start-up environment so 12 hour days aren’t unusual.

“I can’t expect my team to put in long hours if I don’t either, that’s now how I lead,” she said.

But to unwind, Paula loves nothing more than spending time on Bere Island where her family have a home.

“We all love the outdoors and the water and there’s something so relaxing about physically getting on an island that really helps to switch off and recharge.”

Paula isn’t all about work though, and is very altruistic. She’s the chair of Triskel Arts Centre, sits on the board of the Glucksman Gallery and the Dublin Airport Authority; and previously sat on the board of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, while her family regularly homed dogs who were in training.

The 52-year-old grew up in Glasheen and now lives in Berrings, North Cork with husband Mike and their three sons. Callum (23) has just completed a masters in Sustainability and Planning and is seeking a role in the Greentech sector; Oisin (21) is going into his final year of Commerce and French in UCC, and Senan (18) has just completed his Leaving Cert.

Crucially, Paula acknowledges that her success wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Mike and quotes Michelle Obama, who said: ‘You can have it all, but just not all at the same time.’

“Mike is a member of An Garda Síochana, and he didn’t take opportunities for promotion when the boys were small, which really supported my career path. But last August a chance came up for him to work as police liaison in the Irish Embassy in Paris, which he took and where he’s now based for four years. He was hugely supportive of me and now it’s my turn to do the same. I think you have to acknowledge that you rarely see two people in a relationship accelerate in their careers at the same time and that’s just a reality.”

Paula, 52, was ‘chuffed’ to have won Network Cork’s Businesswoman of the Year award.

“It’s a phenomenal organisation, and a very inclusive one. Members are very generous, and it was very meaningful to have been recognised by my peers. It was also great to see so many men in the room at the awards event who were there to support and advocate.”

She has huge respect for the group’s current president Ingrid Seim, for ‘putting her own stamp’ on the role.

As past president of Cork Chamber, the organisation’s second ever female to take the role, from 2019-22, Paula knows how essential it is to find your own ‘niche’ in such a position.

Network Cork, she said, “add so much to the business sector in the city”.

“We’re lucky to have so much female talent in Cork, and seeing the next generation coming up, the future certainly looks bright.