The Meyler Campbell Interviews: Catherine Devitt

Tell me a bit about your background?

I grew up in Dublin and went to convent schools for my primary and secondary education. I have three brothers, all of whom still live in Dublin and a sister who lives in the UK. I live in Stroud with my husband Kevin.

Where did you study?

I did my degree in geography and politics at University College Dublin, then took a year off to travel. My postgraduate qualification in education didn’t entice me to make my career in teaching so my first job was in a subsidiary of the FT – Fairplay Publications.

I was a Centrepoint volunteer and got involved with Alone in London, a charity supporting housing for young people who had serious problems with abuse, addictions and other factors, I was there for six years before working for the National Association of Victim Support Schemes in what was, in effect, a consulting role to local schemes. It was there that I got interested in learning and development. I did a postgraduate qualification in HR Development at the South Bank and the rest of my career has involved L & D and HR.

I see from your profile on the Meyler Campbell website that you worked in the finance sector for some years. Wasn’t that a big jump from the charity sector you initially worked in?

Less than you’d think. I got a soft landing. We’d made a lifestyle rather than a career choice to move back to Ireland where I worked as the Head of Training and Development at the Irish League of Credit Unions. When we returned to the UK I joined HBOS and during my time there I held a number of senior roles in Leadership and Organisational Development both nationally and internationally. My last role in Financial Services was as Head of Internal Communications for the Wealth and International Division at Lloyds Banking Group. I’ve lived and worked in Ireland, the UK and Canada and relished the opportunities and experiences that has provided for me.

This must have been a stressful stage in your career.

Not so much at the beginning. I know HBOS has had a bad press but they were good to work for. They put their money where their mouth was and invested in innovative people development strategies. I was involved with developing an in-house Masters there and a consortium for new talent. It was an exciting and rewarding place to work.  For a while I was head of OD for Europe and North America and helped set up a start-up bank in Canada.

How did you get interested in coaching?

I was doing some executive coaching as part of my work and wanted to be sure I was doing it well. My employers backed me to go on a programme, I saw Anne Scoular speak at a conference and was part of the Class of 2006. I was, in fact, part of Ann Orton’s first syndicate. That fired my interest in positive psychology and coaching and I dipped in and out of the community after that.

I left financial services and joined Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Meyler Campbell were hugely supportive: for instance, two members of the community volunteered as ‘Booby Birds’ which involved jumping out of planes dressed in pink! They survived! Anne gave us a boost at her book launch to support our fundraising drive.

When did you join Meyler Campbell?

When Breakthrough Breast Cancer merged with Breast Cancer Campaign I left and joined Meyler Campbell.

What do you like about Meyler Campbell?

Everyone says it but it’s true: the people. I love people and Meyler Campbell attracts intelligent, open people. As I found at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, if you ask for some help or information. you never have to wait long before someone in the MC network offers it. Since I’ve become CEO I’ve been inundated with offers of support and help and genuine good wishes.

And what’s your vision of Meyler Campbell?

Well, it’s not broke. I don’t see the job as involving emergency repairs on a crashed machine, the way some CEOs do! Meyler Campbell does so many things so well. We just need to do more of them and let more people know what we’re doing, at the same time safeguarding those values that make it so good in the first place. I’m a firm believer that ‘a rising tide floats all boats’ so success for Meyler Campbell means success for alumni, faculty, the office and our students. Part of all this is to provide more relevant support, more often to our community…. so watch this space for new developments!