Women In Finance

The financial world may be easily misconceived as being all about the numbers, but it’s the people who really make it. We speak to some of the female trailblazers making their mark in a highly competitive and traditionally male-dominated space

Caroline, can you describe your role at Hostelworld?

I am the chief financial officer of Hostelworld Group Plc. My role encompasses all things finance related, everything from day-to-day finance operations, tax and compliance work, through to financial planning and analysis (FP&A) and investor relations. I also chair our ESG Steering Committee, working with a great cross-functional team on delivering our sustainability and cultural commitments. Hostelworld is a travel tech company, an online travel agency (OTA), focussed on the hostelling category. Founded in 1999, Hostelworld has its primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, whilst also being listed on Euronext. We have almost 250 employees, across 11 countries, with hostel partners in over 170 countries.

What do you love about your role?

I love the challenge and variety of my current role. I particularly enjoy investor relations work, talking to our shareholders and prospective investors.

What challenges did you face along your career journey that others can learn from?

The last number of years have been immensely challenging for many businesses, particularly those in travel and hospitality. Managing the business through that crisis was a huge challenge, hopefully never to be repeated. But I did learn how resilient I can be, to trust my instincts, and how a crisis can make a strong team even stronger.

With such responsibilities, how do you actually manage the work/life balance?

It is difficult and it can be a struggle to attain balance. I now try not to give myself a hard time if there is an imbalance, knowing that I will make up for it when things eventually quieten down!

What has surprised you the most about pursuing a career in finance?

Finance is a great career. While there have been many challenges and tough times, I’ve had great experiences and worked with some wonderful people. However, females remain significantly underrepresented at the most senior levels. There are four female CFOs of public Irish companies, clearly this is far too low. I would love to see more talented females fill the top positions. This requires fundamental structure change: affordable childcare, succession planning and pipeline management.