MHC Life: Emma Maher

This week in our MHC Life series, we speak to Commercial Associate, Emma Maher. Emma tells us about her first job, her typical day working from home and when she ran into a celebrity on a flight to LA.

Tell us a bit about you and your career journey to MHC – what inspired you to get into this career?

Having studied Speech and Drama all through my childhood with my Granny as the teacher, I became comfortable with public speaking at an early age. During transition year, I did one of my work experience placements at a solicitor’s practice in Kilkenny. My other placement was in a physiotherapists clinic and considering I fainted while operating a machine on a patient, a career in law began to look far more attractive to me.

When it came to the CAO, I couldn’t decide between business and law so I chose to do B&L in UCD. My work experience in summer of 2nd year and my internship the following summer were both in the Commercial department of MHC. Despite a tour during my traineeship around different floors and departments, I’ve ended up back on the 5th floor where I started in Commercial!

What was your first job?

I spent my summers during school and college working in our local shop, which was my family’s business. The pay wasn’t bad, the jellies were free and I got to chat to the locals about the latest gossip and matches.

Talk us through a typical day for you during the COVID-19 pandemic…

I decided to move to Mayo in November 2020 to WFH during lockdown. Although I live right beside Croagh Patrick, my morning walk just gets me to the foot of ‘The Reek’. The Commercial team has a workflow call three times a week at 9.15 so I run through my emails before 9am and join the calls on those days. I usually have zoom calls with the partners on my team throughout the day and try to keep to a routine as much as possible. Since the weather has gotten better over the last few months and the ‘grand stretch in the evenings’, I try to squeeze in a sea swim every evening.

What are you most looking forward to when normality prevails?

I can’t wait to meet up with all of the friends that I have not seen enough during the past year. Hopefully we can go for nice meals out and on trips together in Ireland and abroad soon. Thankfully, I can now get my hair and nails done from 10 May to look glam for all these reunions.

What sports/hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?

I’m an outdoorsy girl so lockdown has allowed me to work in a place where there are plenty of opportunities for physical activity in the West of Ireland. I’ve taken up running which is even more enjoyable by the breath-taking scenery of Clew Bay. I also like to go cycling and hiking at the weekends when the weather holds up.

Being a native of Kilkenny, I grew up playing camogie and look forward to the upcoming hurling championship. I hope to be able to cheer for ‘the cats’ in Croke Park before the end of the year.

Have you ever met anyone famous?

On a flight to LA with my family, we bumped into David Hasselhoff. ‘The Hoff’, star of Baywatch was on his way back to LA from filming Britain’s Got Talent. He was kind enough to take my bag down from the overhead locker and to agree to a photo.