35 Under 35: Orla Beggs, Principal, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

by Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)

An Oxford-educated Northern Irish woman goes to London then New York and becomes a principal at one of the world’s largest professional services firms in less than 11 years. On sabbatical, she goes to South America—did we mention she also speaks Spanish?—to work with underprivileged women and orphaned children. She runs, plays tennis, plays the piano and has a passion for the theatre, Spanish culture and cosmology. She also serves on two committees within her firm, both of which support the work of women within the organization. Overall, it’s an impressive profile.

Ms. Beggs started at PwC as an actuary immediately following her graduation from Oxford University in 1997. “I got an unconditional offer to join Oxford and you don’t really refuse that. I wouldn’t have studied math at any other university. But because the offer came from Oxford, you accept graciously (and then begin to question your entitlement to a place in one of the world’s most prestigious universities).”

As a math major, she wasn’t prepared to go into academia. “Frankly, I wasn’t done with studying. So the actuarial profession appealed to me because it enabled me to work 4 days a week and then have the 5th day off to study for the professional qualifications. So it seemed like quite a nice compromise to take a job with PwC and qualify as an actuary in the process.”

But she quickly realized that actuarial work wasn’t as interesting to her as mergers and acquisitions. “M & A work is varied and provides an opportunity for the actuarial profession to have a big impact owing to the large defined benefit pension plans whose financials implications are oftentimes not understood…[a]nd working for a firm like PwC gives one access to an A-list client base.”

Since joining PwC, Ms. Beggs has steadily climbed the ladder from consultant to principal, a distinction she achieved in 2008. “There are clearly defined career paths with the Big 4 and I went through them in more or less the most direct route. Patience was never a strength of mine.” Ms. Beggs says that her admission to the partnership—“the ultimate goal for some people in a consulting firm”—is her proudest professional achievement.

In spite of that, Ms. Beggs admits to still having a lot to learn in terms of her networking skills and, instead, cites her mentors as one key factor in her success. “Looking back at the last 12 years, I have done incredible work with an incredible number of people and organizations…I’m absolutely shocked that I didn’t keep in contact with any of them…[yet, my] ability to form certain [mentoring] relationships internally has been very important. People have got to want to work with you and to want to help you. No one can do anything by himself or herself, no matter how brilliant they are.”

Ms. Beggs also cites her secondment from London to New York as an important step in her career. “NY was a natural choice due to the M & A market and my desire to come back from my secondment with an enhanced resume.”

“Moving from London to New York really enabled me to raise my game – I was bringing something new to the table.” She began her secondment in 2002. “I thought it was an incredibly energizing city, remarking that I felt like I had awoken from a deep sleep. At the end of the 2-year secondment, she applied for a green card and became a permanent U.S. employee of PwC.

Beginning in May of 2005, Ms. Beggs went on a six-month social service sabbatical. “That was something that was just personally very important to me. I made it a personal priority, and I’m fortunate that PwC supported me.”

She continued, “I chose the orphanage as well as a women’s organization and divided my time between those two subjects close to my heart: support of women and children. The orphanage was teaching and childcare for 2 and 3 year olds, as well as teenage girls, to whom I taught Spanish and English. The women’s organization was about teaching indigenous women in Chile ways to become independent. The living conditions were at times quite difficult and I was lonely, but it was a great experience. I wouldn’t go as far to say that I enjoyed it but I’m very glad I did it. Not only did I improve my Spanish, but I learned a lot about myself.”

When asked about the glass ceiling, Ms. Beggs replied, “Truthfully, I don’t really perceive there to be many barriers out there; however, we [women] are nowhere near as willing to put ourselves out there, so we are often perceived as not having an opinion, which is unfortunate. If anything, the fact that you are in a male-dominated industry can work to your advantage…you can be the one bringing something new to the table.”

Ms. Beggs stresses the importance of challenging oneself to step outside of one’s comfort zone. “The major source of joy and fulfillment in my life has come about as a result of me putting myself out there,” says Ms. Beggs, “So, as painful as it is at the time, I am a firm believer that it is a very important part of life.”

“If I were talking to a school kid right now,” said Ms. Beggs, “I’d encourage them to think very broadly at all the different sorts of employment that one can have, after all they will spend such a large portion of their life in employment. I would tell someone in university to be proactive and take control of their career path. Find out what it is that interests you. Don’t wait for the right interview or connection to be made. Get out there, ask questions, network and find out where the opportunities are and what you will enjoy. I’ve always enjoyed what I do, and that makes it easier to do it every day.”