In the High Flyers spotlight this week is Caroline Rowley, head of business development at Kilwaughter Minerals
What was your first job?
My first job was at the Strand cinema in east Belfast where I worked part-time for seven years. It was a great job and a brilliant way to see lots of films.
What qualifications do you have?
I have a degree in business studies, specialising in marketing, while I’ve gained a post-graduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Next on the horizon, I’m planning to embark on a mini-MBA.
What do you attribute your success to?
Without a doubt, it is down to my strong work ethic and desire to learn new things. I am very determined and never afraid to work hard but it also helps that I have always been in jobs and industries that I am passionate about. Kilwaughter Minerals provides me with that opportunity, working across the construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. We’re an ambitious company and I love that drive to keep going forward.
How would you describe yourself to someone who had never met you?
I’m never short of words so would have to say ‘talkative’. I think I’m fairly straight and honest with anyone that I meet.
Who do you look up to in business?
I’ve been very lucky to have worked under some fantastic leaders throughout my career. Working with Gary Wilmot at Kilwaughter, he has taught me an incredible amount about leadership and working with people. When you work with people who are generous with their time and knowledge, it can make such a big impact on you and it’s something I try to do with my own team.
How do you get the best out of the people who work for you?
I think it is really about understanding people, getting a sense of who they are and investing in them. It’s also important to get that balance right between the job and home life and making it easier for those that work for you to juggle those responsibilities. We place a lot of emphasis in developing our people and teams, and our insights training day is a brilliant way to understand personality and learning preferences.
If you could change one thing about doing business in Northern Ireland, what would it be?
I just think that we could all be so much more vocal and proud of what we achieve. For Kilwaughter Minerals, while we are headquartered in Larne, a large proportion of my time is spent visiting other parts of the UK and the Republic of Ireland promoting our brands such as K Rend, K Systems and Kilwaughter Lime. I lose count of the number of trade exhibitions we attend each year but at every one of them, it’s fantastic to see the amount of Northern Ireland businesses represented as they make impact beyond these shores.
What website or app could you not do without?
It has to be Google – if for nothing else you can always settle an argument by Googling it! We invest a lot of time looking at trends in our markets and really trying to build our understanding of them – tools like Google Trends are invaluable to that research.
What was the last book you read?
I like light entertainment from books – a little bit of escapism! I tend to go through phases of reading everything by a particular author and at the minute, that’s Jane Fallon. She’s hilarious and my Kindle is topped up with her titles.
What car do you drive?
I currently drive a BMW 2 Series which hasn’t been great in the snow! I’d definitely like an electric car next time.
What’s your greatest passion outside work and family?
I have two – travel and food. I am always planning my next trip abroad and this year I have a Caribbean cruise and Mauritius to look forward to, as well as Spain. We’ve also got some amazing restaurants in Northern Ireland and it’s a great way to socialise with friends and family.
