Catherine McIIraith: the MioD’s sporty-chic lady

The new chairperson of the Mauritius Institute of Directors pursued an intense career in accounting and finance prior to her appointment. Her fun side loves architecture, cycling trips and the natural beauty of Saint Brandon.

She is a fan of seashells, interior decoration and dreams of a meaningful contribution in the architectural landscape, all while donning a corporate hat. 50-year-old Catherine McIlraith, the newly appointed chairperson of the Mauritius Institute of Directors (MIoD), grew up in Mauritius, where she attended junior school at the Loreto Convent Vacoas and then secondary school at the Loreto Convent Quatre-Bornes.

After high school, she worked for a few years as a banking clerk in order to save money for studies overseas, a goal she will achieve in 1985, when she sets off for Johannesburg, South Africa, with the initial intention of studying architecture and interior design.Catherine McIlraith will how-ever end up opting for a Bachelor in Commerce at the University of Witwatersrand while working as a personal assistant for a French company on a part-time basis.

“In 1987, the large accoun-ting firms were recruiting on campus, and I joined the firm that would later on become Ernst & Young. I shared my articles with them while continuing my studies on a part-time basis. I qualified as a chartered accountant in 1992,” she reminisces.

After her graduation, Catherine McIlraith decides to leave the accounting  profession  and start her career in specialised finance in the investment banking industry, first with a boutique finance company which over the years, after a buyout, became part of  BOE NatWest.

“I spent ten years working for them in South Africa. The biggest challenge in this industry is actually the long hours, the commitment and the hard work required. After starting a family, I found the compromise between family time and office quite challenging as well. So, when my youn-gest child was two years old, I decided to take a break in order to spend more time with them,” states Catherine McIlraith.

She thus took two years off and decided to go back to work in 2004 when her youngest daughter was ready for school. Upon being approached by Investec Bank to join them in Mauritius on a two-year contract, Catherine McIlraith will gladly accept the offer; moving to the island with her whole family. “Once I was back in Mauritius, that was it. I decided I didn’t want to go back to Johannesburg. After seven years within Investec Bank, I decided to change directions again. I was already a member of the MIoD and decided to increase my participation within it,” she says.

Consequently, she joined the director forum and the audit committee forum and integrated the Board of the MioD in 2011 before being appointed chairperson of the organisation at the end of October 2014. Catherine McIlraith describes her journey with the MIoD as a rewarding experience, providing a unique platform for growth and development as a director.

Questioned on how does she digest being one of the few women with the title of chairperson in Mauritius, Catherine McIlraith simply replies that with more women having access to education in Mauritius, it is only a matter of time before more women are designed by this title. “Women must not be scared to put themselves forward when such a position becomes available,” she affirms.

Interior design still occupies an important place in her life in spite of her corporate duties. She has even taken a course in this subject to keep her hobby alive.  In fact, had she not gone down this path, Catherine McIlraith would have pursued her career in architecture.

“I keep thinking that I will resume learning about architecture one of these days because I really enjoy it. This is what I would study if I had to start all over again,” she admits with a smile.

She has no regrets over her choices at all, however. For Catherine McIlraith, women should be encouraged to become chartered accountants because it opens so many doors and brings a wide choice of careers and understanding of businesses out there.

Her most enjoyable aspect of her career right now is the involvement in all the various aspects of the MioD and the continuous learning, whether it is about corporate governance or the best corporate practices worldwide.

Outside of work, Cathe-rine loves spending time with her husband John and her two daughters, Stephanie and Emilie, and engaging into sports, namely, kayaking and cycling. She has even participated in a few cycling holidays around the world with a group of friends she made during cycling trips in Johannesburg. They organise cycling trips in Europe every second year and a cycling trip in South Africa every alternate year.

“I have not been to all of them due to work commitments but I always try to make the time for it. Last year, we did the El Camino on bicycle, which is a religious pilgrimage from France to Santiago, in Spain. It was an amazing experience. I have cycled through Croatia, Poland, France, and through South Africa as well,” she adds.

This year, cycling through the Namaqua Land in the Eastern Cape is on the cards. Her favourite holiday destination however is a surprise since cycling cannot be practiced over there and requires fourteen hours of travel by speedboat. Catherine McIlraith singles out Saint Brandon as her favourite place ever, owing to its unspoilt nature.

“Saint Brandon is beautiful and such an amazing place. The sea life, the shells… you really feel like you are cut off from the rest of the world there. I would give up on any trip to go to Saint Brandon,” she describes, with a spark lighting her eyes.

Looking ahead, Catherine McIlraith intends to continue living life to the fullest, armed with her personal motto ‘Never give up’ – which she tries to implement at work and in her personal endeavours as well. “Once you’ve set a goal, keep working hard at it. Do not be afraid of hard work.” Rightly put.