Marie O'Donoghue
Meeting her husband, Garrett (also a 1998 BA graduate, in Economics and Sociology) at MU was a particular highlight, she says. They’ve returned together to Maynooth many times, bringing the kids along to show them where mom and dad met.
“I loved the fact that MU was a university town; the sense of camaraderie was something special. There were only 20 of us in the honours English class, which was great. I met some really good friends there that I’m still in touch with.”
Her BA in English and Geography from MU in 1998 has stood her in good stead. “One of my lecturers at Maynooth, Chris Morash, was a significant influence in my student days. He opened my eyes to critical thinking and reasoned argument. As a (very) young undergrad, the jump from the Leaving Certificate to this new way of thinking was huge. His insights into how we think about the world based on the information we are faced with, how this shapes our ideas, and how we can change our thinking and modify behaviour as a result really struck me - it was the catalyst for my interest in communications and change management.”
A native of Donegal, Marie O’Donoghue is a Senior Manager in PwC's People and Organisation Advisory Practice based in Dublin. Her role as a Change Management Lead has seen her working with many large organisations, at home and abroad, in financial services and also with the public sector. The effects of organisational change, from the human perspective, Marie tells The Bridge, is what appeals to her in this role. Before she joined PwC, Marie worked with Ervia and AIB in a number of transformation programmes, spending time in Poland along the way.