60 Seconds with Lynda Graham

Tell us about your role and your organisation.
My name is Lynda Graham and I am Group Financial Controller at McQuillan Companies. I coordinate the finance function for McQuillan Companies, a family-run business consisting of 5 companies operating in the civil engineering, waste management and outdoor services sectors.

Give us a brief overview of your career journey so far.
After graduating from University in Edinburgh, I joined Ernst and Young (EY) Belfast in 2006 where I completed my training contract and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. I practised as an audit manager with EY before making the move into the industry.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Organised, personable, reliable.

What is one skill that helps you most in your role?
Being Organised.

What advice do you have for women in your sector/industry/type of role? 
Picking a career that you enjoy is important, but finding somewhere that you enjoy doing it is even more important.

Are there any exciting plans in the year ahead in your organisation that you can share with us? 
We are always looking for ways to improve our processes, so there are a couple of I.T. projects in the pipeline that will keep us busy.

Who has been your biggest career inspiration and why?
As a fellow Accountant, my Dad inspired my career choice and always reminded me how important it is to be happy in your job

If you had to pick your soundtrack song to get you through the working day, what would it be?
Anything Westlife!

What's your favourite break-time snack?
A Kit-Kat

How can you fellow WIB members keep up to date with you and your organisation?
To stay updated with the latest news from McQuillan Companies, you can follow them on the social media platforms below:
X
LinkedIn
Facebook

If you'd like to personally connect with me, you can find my LinkedIn profile