A day in the life: Catherine Gallagher

My alarm goes off:
Never! With a two-year-old, there's no need for an alarm.
 

My typical day:
I usually check the legal inbox, assign any matters that are outstanding, organise meetings and calendars and get documents signed. It’s a really busy and varied role. I guess you could say that I’m the person who joins everyone up and am the main point of contact.
 

The best part of the job:
Seeing the change and transformation. I really enjoy working with the teams to identify opportunities for growth and efficiency and see these new ideas in action. Every year has been vastly different at CMC in Sydney as we’ve evolved from a 79 person office in 2013 to circa 300 employees, with tier-one banking relationships and supporting six different countries in 2021. I’ve loved working with truly skilled people who’ve helped drive this development –​​ over the seven years I’ve been at CMC, I’ve moved from a Head of Marketing role to leading the distribution, education, marketing and stockbroking product teams.
 

Most proud of:
Watching the teams I manage to adapt and grow. 2020 has been an exceptionally challenging but rewarding year and it’s been great to see the talented staff work together and adapt. Aside from this, I’m very proud of the many innovations from the region including acclaimed podcasts, major events with industry-leading speakers, many awards for service excellence and seeing the ongoing growth in our client base. I’m looking forward to seeing the evolution of our stockbroking offering with the new product team and am confident in the work they are doing to drive a best-in-class experience for our Australian clients.
 

Why work in the CMC APAC front line department/s?
If you want the ability to be at the coal face and make a real difference for the customer. We hope to drive a culture where all ideas are heard and change is supported.
 

My typical day:
No two days are the same! I try to get up early to do some exercise, usually a run or swim (growing up in Ireland it’s nice to live at the beach!) before work. I drop my daughter at daycare, grab a coffee and then into the office for a day of meetings on the various projects with the teams.
 

After work:
Calls with our colleagues in the UK, dinner with friends or family, a walk with an inspirational podcast and/or some serious TV time!