Alum of the Month

Sarah Leahy

January 2015

New York Program

September 2006 Intake

What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Italian & French.

What made you apply for the Mountbatten programme?
I wanted desperately to spend time in NYC,  to get experience working overseas, to be inspired and challenged.

Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
I worked for American Express Bank as an Associate for their Global Financial Markets team. It was a very varied and hugely interesting role that included Business Support for the GFM Team & dealing with all admin on the trading floor.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
I was completely thrown in the deep end having studied languages at University. Learning all about the Financial Markets was fascinating. Giving a marketing presentation to some of the more senior staff not long after I started was terrifying. A trip to the Miami office was probably the highlight!

What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
I went on many trips around the States during the year... A roadtrip around California with other interns at the end of the programme was so much fun and most memorable.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship
My internship year in New York was life changing, character building - I grew so much as a person. Get involved with everything, try new things, make friends outside the programme, travel.
 
If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
Very little.

What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
I moved to Hong Kong to work for Tradition - an inter-dealer money brokerage.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
I work a few different jobs - I manage a private members Arts Club in Ireland. I also work as a product manager for 'Knotable' - a tech start-up company based in New York, I run supper evenings to help people overcome their fear of public speaking. I'm a radio presenter also (Arts & Culture). An inspiring mix!

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
I have a few ideas, mostly in the Art World, which all revolve around more flexible working hours & a reasonable amount of travelling too.