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Meet Shauna Crowley, Business Administrator with UCC Academy
In this series, we shine a light on our colleagues at UCC Academy and the work they do along with some of their own interests.
Shauna Crowley has been a Business Administrator with the IO Team (International Office) at UCC Academy since 2019. She works in Cork and interacts with people from across the world. Shauna loves to travel; she has a connection with Quinlan’s Seafood Bar on Oliver Plunkett Street and once met an incredibly famous sports star.
Tell us about what you do in the International Team.
The International Team in the Academy assists UCC in extending and developing connections worldwide with universities, research institutes, enterprise, alumni, and prospective students.
I support in administration in the International Team by supporting Alicia O’ Neill, International Service Delivery Manager with management of our three remote office contracts– including the offices in North America, South Asia, and Shanghai. I also work alongside Michael O’ Sullivan, International Agent Manager, and support with Agent administration including Agent contract renewal and Agent onboarding. There are over 100 Agent’s on our panel, and they span over 40 countries worldwide.
What is a typical day for you?
I work three days a week. The cliché is true: no day is typical, but I enjoy the challenges and variety of each day. I work very closely with Alicia. She is very encouraging, and I have learned so much from her in the past few years. I meet with Alicia and Michael each week to cover off all thing’s admin in the International space! Some typical work includes looking after finance work for our remote offices, answering ad-hoc queries from agents or updating the IO website agent page. I also organize Quarterly Service Delivery Meetings for which I schedule the papers and manage the agendas.
What do you like most about your work?
I enjoy the variety of my work because I love meeting and working with many diverse people, which is a constant part of my role. From working with colleagues in UCC Academy and UCC in Cork to working with agents and our remote office colleagues in North America, Shanghai, and South Asia, I have the opportunity to work with, learn and get to know diverse groups of people, which keeps my work fresh and exciting.
Would you like to tell us something about yourself?
I am a proud native of Kerry and the youngest of seven children. I have lots of nieces and nephews. Because of my background, family is an essential aspect of my life. Growing up in Kerry was great, and I spent my teenage summers caddying at Waterville Golf Club. JP McManus used to visit Waterville for a round of golf and always insisted on having a local teenager as his caddy. One day, I was on his bag as he played a fourball. To my delight and excitement, Tiger Woods was one of the other golfers that day!
After school, I left Kerry to study Business Studies and Marketing at LIT, where I met my husband, Patrick. He is from West Cork, and we settled here in in Cork and have two children. I have more family nearby, as my cousins own Quinlan’s Seafood Bar in the city.
What is your favourite hobby?
I love to travel. After studying, I travelled extensively in Australia and Southeast Asia. One of my sisters lives in the East Hamptons in New York, and I particularly enjoy revisiting. It is so beautiful there, and it is always great to catch up with family. Another sister lives in Newport, Sydney and we were lucky enough to bring the kids there just before the world locked down in 2019. Newport is another beautiful part of the world.
My dream travel destination is Japan. I am intrigued by the culture and would love to visit to experience it, enjoy the food, and, of course, see the famous cherry blossoms in bloom.