DEBORAH SOMORIN

Activist and consultant at PwC Ireland Once a homeless new mum in her teens, Deborah Somorin has a unique perspective on the needs of others. “I feel an obligation to support the black women who are in or trying to enter my industry. Any one of them could have been me. There are more than 10,000 black people living in Ireland. A worrying percentage are either unemployed or working in jobs they’re overqualified for.” Now on her dream career trajectory, Somorin is well aware of the struggles working mothers face. “Spending as much time with my son as I can while pursuing an ambitious career is a fun juggle, one that would be ten times harder if I didn’t feel supported, so I try to provide that support to others, through Empower the Family, which supports single parents and state care leavers in third level education; Beyond Representation, an event championing women of colour who are breaking new grounds in Irish media, arts and business; Diversein, a global diversity and inclusion embassy of which I’m an ambassador; and in my position at PwC. I also mentor young women as often as I can.”