Welcome to the team, Clodagh!

If you haven’t already seen, we’ve got some exciting news to start the new year off with…drum roll, please!

As Cathedral Appointments starts its next phase of growth, with many exciting plans in place for this year and beyond, we recognised it was time to strengthen the team with additional strategic support in order to accelerate our growth plans.

That’s why we’re so pleased to announce that we have welcomed Clodagh Murphy to the team as Director. Clodagh will work closely with our Managing Director, Jo Caine, and the rest of the team, to help take Cathedral Appointments to the next stage of its journey.

Clodagh holds a vast amount of experience in the world of technology, business, entrepreneurship and now, recruitment. With an incredibly successful career that has spanned over two decades, her illustrious knowledge is invaluable, and we cannot wait to see what changes lie ahead for Cathedral Appointments with her on board.

We caught up with Clodagh to learn a little more…

Hi Clodagh! It’s so fantastic to have you on board with the Cathedral Appointments team. Could you tell us a little more about how this came about?

Thank you so much. It’s brilliant to be part of such a wonderful team and I can’t wait to get really stuck in.

I have known Jo for many years through the Exeter Chamber of Commerce. As Chair, and with Jo as Vice Chair, we have worked closely together on many projects through the Chamber, especially through the coronavirus pandemic. Jo spoke with me regularly about Cathedral Appointments and her plans for the future. We clicked immediately, and the visions and passions she had for the business resonated a lot with my own values. It grew very quickly from there and after a brief period of consulting for Cathedral Appointments, the decision was made that I would come on board full-time as a Director to support Jo in her mission.

You’ve been in the Exeter region for a few years now, but you’ve travelled a lot and held numerous roles up and down the country. Could you tell us a little more about your experience?

So, at the start of my career I worked In Dublin, Ireland – my home country. Here, I began to dip my toe into the world of technology and IT working for a large mobile telecoms provider. It didn’t take very long for me to realise that I had found my calling. I loved, and still love, technology immensely. I very quickly climbed the ranks but in 2003, I re-located to the UK and found a job in Hull. This job then took me to Exeter only a few years later and I fell in love with the city. It had such vibrance and enormity about it, but still managed to retain a gorgeous close-knit community feel about it.

And here I’ve lived ever since.   In 2017, I took a role based in London in order to strengthen my career. As Chief Operating Officer for a private equity backed technology service provider, I was truly in my element. However, while in London, I also explored another of my passions – entrepreneurship. I am an incredibly strong believer that everyone has the skills and expertise to run their own business and find success, especially if they have nurturing role models around them. For a year, I worked closely with entrepreneurs of all ages to help them grow and develop their businesses which was incredibly rewarding.

Then in 2019 I chose to focus my career on a more consultative path. I also went back to university in 2019 and completed a Masters in Research, exploring women in leadership and the diversity of business. This forms a huge basis of my career goals currently as I look to support more women into senior roles and help them battle patriarchal hurdles that get in their way.

My career to date has been completely unplanned. I never had a five-year or ten-year goal; I simply took opportunities presented to me when I felt they had the potential to become pivotal turning points in my career. Saying this, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the brilliant mentors I had throughout, those people who I could rely on as a guide to support me through my decisions.

An amazing career so far! It sounds like Exeter is most certainly a home away from home. Why do you think that is?

Exeter is an incredible city and has such brilliant potential. Its growth prospects are huge, especially with its vibrant tech scene. It is an outlier for the whole region and the businesses within it are recognising the roles they play in fueling its progression. No longer do people have to travel to London (as I did) to find the ‘big break’ they need to progress their careers. As the working model changes and geographical barriers become less of an issue, those smaller cities, like Exeter, that hold so many prospects but have been overlooked previously are going to shine.

We completely agree! And to round off, what’s a fun fact about you?

 Oh, great question! My family and I regularly look after guide dogs who are going through training. We currently have Martin with us, a beautiful Alsatian, who is living with us at the moment. Martin is our third guide dog. With three children at home, we have a busy house, but we love having guide dogs live with us through some of the year as we get to experience a pet whilst also doing something very worthwhile.

For further information on Clodagh’s joining news, click here. To learn more about Clodagh and her role in Cathedral Appointments, visit her profile here.