JUGGLING WORK AND LIFE

Hannah Kiely CEO HC Financial Services Group

When Hannah Kiely set up a financial service company in the 80s the economic climate in Ireland was not as buoyant as it is today. She tells Niamh MacSweeney how she grew her business and how she finds time for a life outside work.

One of the first independent financial services companies to set up in Galway, HC Financial Services was a relatively new concept 18 years ago. Having worked for a number of years in the UK, co-founders, Hannah Kiely and husband Gerry Cuddy returned to Ireland to provide good financial advice.

Growing The Business

Kiely admits that although the last 10 years has seen considerable growth in financial services the initial three years was very difficult. However, because they set up in association with Goodbody Stockbrokers this did give them a great deal of credibility. Combine this with their previous experience and they did make an impact fairly rapidly, considering the economic climate at that time.

According to Kiely they set out with the ethos of integrity, a quality that always comes to the fore. “We set about doing things the right way. It depended on word of mouth and with 80% of our business still coming from referrals this was a crucial factor in developing the business and always has been. I’m glad to say that the majority of the clients that we started off with we still have today,” she says. Kiely, recognising the importance of her clients, maintains that HC Financial Services provides a very personal service, one that is based on honesty. She sees that the key issue in developing the business is the quality relationship she has with her clients.

Positive Attitude

Evidently Kiely nurtured the business from something very small to something substantial. With 38 employees and a very low turnover of staff, she attributes the success of the business to the fact that people are very happy working for her. “Personally I feel good about things. I go home at night, I feel quite good about how the day went, how the business is going and how life is going and this for me is an indicator of success,” she says. Obviously while turnover and profitability is important to Kiely, the credibility of the company is of equal if not greater significance to her.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

A remarkable woman, Kiely openly admits to really enjoying her chosen career. “ I am very driven and very creative and am always looking at new ideas and challenges. I would be a person who has to keep altering my own position, changing all the time and I have a very good eye for opportunities and potential change,” she confesses.

Family Matters

For many, running a business with their spouse would not be possible. But according to Kiely, for them it works extremely well. “From the very beginning we decided that we would take two very different roles in the business. I took the role of development and growth management; he took the role of sales and client focus. Providing you have a clear focus from the beginning and you don’t cross paths I think you will be fine,” she says. Both have separate interests outside of work and there is an unwritten policy that they try not to talk about work at home. On the other hand, according to Kiely, it does help to have the same viewpoint and it’s easier to work together when both partners have the same focus and commitment.

Work-Life Balance

Kiely maintains the key to juggling family and work is discipline. “I work really hard during the day so I don’t work at night or the weekends. That structure and safety net is paramount and while I expected other people to work very hard during the day, I also expect people to go home and be free,” she explains. This is a policy that is constantly maintained and she believes that having interests outside of work is crucially important not only for herself but for her employees as well.

Future Targets

While her past endeavors were extremely challenging her future ambitions are equally ambitious. “We have five companies within the group and to bring all of those forward will be one of the challenges. Secondly I would like to look at opportunities outside of Galway and further acquisitions within Galway. A further challenge is to continue to grow the company at a rate of 50% year on year, which I think is possible,” she concludes.

Contact: Hannah Kiely, CEO, HC Financial Services Group
T: +353 91 788000
W: www.hcgroup.ie