Katie Feeney, class of 2003, Head of legal (interim) at Vodafone Ireland

When I left Mount Anville in 2003, I decided to study Business and Law at UCD. I went on to do a Masters’ Degree in EU and Commercial Law, as part of an academic scholarship. This led me to McCann FitzGerald, where I trained to be a solicitor and spent seven interesting years working with different corporate clients. My time at McCanns made me realise that I wanted to be involved in decision-making rather than advisory work, so I decided to take up a job at Vodafone in 2018, where I worked as a commercial solicitor, Deputy General Counsel and now, as acting Head of Legal.

Vodafone forced me out of my comfort zone, which was challenging because I missed the support of a law firm, but I soon learnt to understand the business and get-to-grips with how the telecoms market works. It was a real shift for me to advise on all areas of law rather than giving specific corporate law advice.

I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to go to Mount Anville. I am very grateful for the values it instilled in me and hope I can do the same for my daughter. My time in school played a vital role in my personal and professional growth. It’s the place where I learnt the importance of being surrounded by a core support network – whether it be in work or at home. I met my closest friends, and we continue to support each other years later, whether it is a question about a job promotion or something much more complicated, like affairs of the heart! I have been lucky to come across several alumni working in law who have been generous with their encouragement and support. If there are any lawyers who ever need advice, I would be happy to help in any way I can.