60 seconds with Alex Brownrigg

Tell us about your role and your organisation.  
I am very proud to work for EY as a Senior Manager in its Tech Consulting Practice. My day-to-day role involves helping my clients to develop, build and execute plans to deliver business and technology transformation.   
I spend a good part of my day speaking to clients and managing projects. I try to get involved with student recruitment and community work as well. I’m about to start a “time to code” initiative with a local primary school where we spend some time showing the kids some basic coding skills. 

Give us a brief overview of your career journey so far.  
I didn’t have a career dream while at university and I fell into the tech industry accidentally when I was helping a friend type out some basic HTML and JavaScript. My logic-loving brain found its happy place, and I completed an IT Conversion Programme before joining a local tech firm. I’ve worked my way up to Project and Programme Management via roles in software testing, development, and business analysis.   

Describe yourself in 3 words.  
Tenacious. Cheerful. Open. 

What is one skill that helps you most in your role?  
The most helpful skill is listening. It’s a bit cheesy but the “one mouth, two ears” adage is appropriate. You need to listen to your clients so you can understand and then deliver their ambitions and goals. 

What advice do you have for women in your sector/industry/type of role? 
I always think there is a very simple rule for this: be someone that others want to work with. You will always need the support and knowledge of others throughout your career so be an ally to your colleagues, share your knowledge freely, and support junior staff to succeed.   

Are there any exciting plans in the year ahead in your organisation that you can share with us?  
EY is embarking on a period of huge growth with 1000 new jobs being created over the next five years, alongside an additional office due to open in the North-West. This shows our level of commitment to NI and also the incredible calibre of our people here.  

Who has been your career inspiration and why?  
On my first major programme, I worked with a Programme Manager whose words and guidance continue to be a north star for me. They provided a safety net of guidance, discipline, and structure when it was required, but more importantly, they trusted me to do the job and take full ownership of my pieces of work. It showed me that a great Programme Manager doesn’t just deliver the work, but they lead and inspire. This is what made me want to be a Programme Manager. 

If you had to pick your soundtrack song to get you through the working day, what would it be? 
Mr Blue Sky by Supertramp. It always makes me smile.  

What’s your favourite break-time snack?  
It’s usually something dull like an apple or a granola bar…although occasionally I crack out some habanero tortilla chips and red pepper hummus.