MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

Abigail St. John Kennedy

European Chief Counsel

Elavon by U.S. Bank

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

I’ve been a lawyer for 30 years this year, having started my solicitor traineeship in 1996. Over half that time I worked in mergers and acquisitions in law firms and then moved in-house, firstly for the Swedish Bank SEB and then in 2018, with U.S. Bank! Over that time, I learned from a partner in M&A about how to negotiate and present with confidence, and another, an in-house counsel on how to lead teams effectively. I tend to learn by observing and doing.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

The harder I work, the luckier I get, is the saying. I did make a move to U.S. Bank at the right time in my career, which was fortuitous but brought considerable experience and hard work over 25 years to that role.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

It was initially to ensure that my seven years of university were not wasted, and that I had a meaningful career which was fulfilling financially and intellectually. Lately it has been more about learning and growing into management and whatever post-retirement will bring.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

Moving into an equity partnership six months before the Global Financial Crisis was a poor choice, but without that experience of running a €40m turnover business in a downturn, I wouldn’t have learned gratitude for our hard-working revenue earners, the importance of marketing or building lasting client relationships.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

Being the Company Secretary of U.S. Bank Europe and supporting our incredible executive and non-executive directors.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

“Move forward with confidence”. It’s something I say to myself when things are hard – meaning, trusting myself and embracing discomfort.