Elaine O’Brien
In 2010, in the midst of Ireland’s recession, Elaine graduated from Trinity College Dublin, followed by a three-year stint working in KPMG before becoming a qualified accountant. With the world at her feet, Elaine embarked on a new life in London, where she met her husband, Craig.
Elaine is adamant she wasn’t forced to emigrate. “A lot of people don’t think there are many opportunities in Ireland, which I think is sad,” she says. “It wasn’t that I thought there weren’t opportunities for me at home. I left because I was looking for different opportunities, and to broaden my horizons. Ireland is the centre of so much in the business world and I’d go back in an instant if there was the right opportunity.”
Having asked herself, “What would I like to do in finance in an industry that’s interesting to me?” Elaine went to work for L’Oreal, one of the world’s biggest beauty brands.
After a year in London, Elaine and Craig, who had recently tied the knot in Stellenbosch in South Africa, decided to move to New York. “We both got really lucky,” she says, “One of the things that has always been important to me in my career is global mobility. Thankfully, both of our companies supported our move. Craig works for Goldman Sachs and their headquarters is in New York. L’Oreal has an office in New York, too.” Elaine says that being flexible on the role made her transition to the States easier.
Elaine’s commute to work is slightly different to most New Yorkers’ typical fraught rush-hour journey. “I live in the Meatpacking District, and my daily commute is a one-mile walk on the High Line — the most beautiful walk in the city,” she says. The High Line is a public park built on a historic railway line above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.
Elaine has no plans to move home yet. “Ireland is always home,” she says, “But I always want to go where the adventure is and explore. I’m Irish, Craig is South African, we met in London, and now we are living in New York — who knows what the future holds?”