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‘Winning an early battle at all costs isn’t always the best long-term business strategy’

The Lighter Side: Andrea Keane, chief financial officer of Dublin Bus

Andrea Keane, chief financial officer of Dublin Bus
Andrea Keane, chief financial officer of Dublin Bus

What businessperson do you most admire? 
I admire values and an ethos, I suppose, more than any one specific person. I admire anyone who commits to working hard, to building an inclusive business that values their employees and their community as well as their customers.

What is your guilty pleasure? 
Watching old episodes of The Good Wife – the joys of catch-up TV.

How do you unwind? 
Spending time with family and friends is a big one. Walking, and the occasional trip to an art gallery or the theatre keeps me going.

How much money is in your wallet? 
€20 since my niece signed me up to Revolut for the commission and needs me to use it to get paid.

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The last book you read? 
It's a re-read – Hilary Mantel's The Mirror & the Light, the last part of her trilogy on the life of Thomas Cromwell. Wonderful series but a lot to take in. I found so many hidden gems from re-reading it during lockdown.

What is the best business advice you've ever been given? 
That you should always do the best you can, with what you have. Not to put limits on your goals but also not to underestimate the importance of building good relationships. Winning an early battle at all costs isn't always the best long-term strategy.

Who is the most famous person in your contacts list? 
I can't say in case they block me for revealing their name.

How do you manage your work-life balance? 
I enjoy my job, but we all need downtime as well. Dublin Bus as a company is really supportive of this and helps and encourages all employees achieve the right balance. For me, enjoying time away from the desk helps me be more productive, but more than that, it protects my mental as well as my physical health.

The last film you watched? 
Hamilton, recorded live for Disney.

What is your favourite possession? 
I'm not sure I have a favourite but my most treasured are small family gifts, low in monetary value but priceless to me.

What's your most memorable holiday ever? 
A trip to New Zealand in 2016. Those were the days.

What social media do you use? 
I mostly use social media for work, so Yammer, Instragram, LinkedIn are the main ones.

If money were not object, what would your fantasy purchase be? 
I'd hire The Hermitage in St Petersburg for a week, just for me, and happily spend hours in every room, soaking up the art works undisturbed.

What is the first website you look at every morning? 
RTÉ News for a quick catch-up.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
The latter trying to be the former – I'm told trying to change doesn't work but I haven't given up yet.

If you were taoiseach for a day what would you do?

Even more support for public transport, naturally!

What person do you most admire?

I have to say my mother, and those of her generation, who I think sacrificed a lot to improve our lives. I think if you’re able to say that you worked to make the lives of those who come after you better, even in small ways, it’s a great personal achievement.

What’s your favourite place in Dublin and why?

I have a few, but I'll limit it to the Chester Beatty Library, an oasis of calm in a busy city, while the Botanic Gardens are always worth a visit.

Anything you would like to plug? 
CityTours returning to Dublin after a tough time, and our continued work with the National Transport Authority to deliver BusConnects.

Barry McCall

Barry McCall is a contributor to The Irish Times