Donegal Daily
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
Friday 16°CSaturday 16°C

Donegal Daily Donegal Daily

sponsor banner
sponsor banner
  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Politics
  • Features
  • Donegal County Council News
BusinessDonegal County Council NewsNews

Prudent and Progressive – Charlene’s leap of faith back to Donegal

written by Staff Writer August 3, 2021
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint

Charlene Kennedy is a native of Donegal, in her own words she is a ‘home bird’, but always questioned if she could advance her career and live in Donegal.

At 18 she left the county to pursue a career in Law at NUI Galway. After several career moves and locations from Dublin to the UK, she took a ‘leap of faith’ and returned to Donegal in 2015. This proved to be a well-placed jump and the CEO of PGIM (Prudential Group Invest Management) Private Capital Ireland tells us more about her job, the eventful last 12 months and why the future is so bright for investment in Donegal.

“A lot of change has happened in the last 12 months,” explains Charlene, which is something anyone familiar with the business scene in Donegal would attest to. “A lot of people would be familiar with the Pramerica brand in Donegal and how it was the tech and business centre that supported it’s US parent, Prudential Financial Inc. In the last year Pramerica has evolved into a more dedicated financial services entity providing a range of services including asset management, actuarial and treasury to Prudential.”

During this time, a substantial takeover occurred where a majority stake of the previous Pramerica business in Donegal was acquired by Tata Consultancy Services. The two businesses now operate independently within the expanding and increasing internationalised Letterkenny tech sector.

Charlene herself with a background in law, finance and banking is somewhat representative of the growth and development which has taken place within the FinTech sector in Donegal over the past 10 years. Initially managing a legal and compliance team, her dynamism, nature and ambition helped her to become the CEO of the PGIM Private Capital Ireland, with responsibility for overseeing the private debt investment business of PGIM in Europe.

“We have branch offices in Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Madrid and a head office in Chicago,” she said.

“I find myself very fortunate to travel to these destinations on a regular basis (pre-Covid), whilst living at home in beautiful Donegal. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing career and get to live in Donegal.”

So what is the key success factor for PGIM in Donegal? She says: “Our employees are our greatest asset and we work hard to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment. The people are personally and professionally invested in the success of the county and the businesses that exist here. We don’t just have a ‘job’ and we give 110% to everything we do. We also believe that we can offer our workforce a unique lifestyle, situated in scenic Donegal, the ‘coolest’ place on the planet, our workforce benefits from vibrant culture both in and out of the office.”

The pandemic has also shown Charlene that organisations need to be more agile in their approach to work. “In terms of the operational set up, we have been able to work remotely, which is great for the staff. We have not travelled that much but continue to hire new staff, training them virtually. The restrictions however haven’t changed our future outlook and we look forward to the day when we can meet our colleagues face to face, but until then, we will make do with virtual coffee catch ups,” she said.

“For anyone considering relocation or investment in Donegal, my advice is to do it. To all those Donegal people that are working in other parts of the country and world, we want you home. We want your knowledge and experience and we want you to help us to continue to build Donegal as a great place to invest, live, work and play.”

Prudent and Progressive – Charlene’s leap of faith back to Donegal was last modified: August 3rd, 2021 by Staff Writer
FacebookTweetLinkedInPrint
Staff Writer

LEAVE A COMMENT

You may also like

Minister and A5/N2 Committee determined to see...

2 hours ago

Dermot Donohue remembered as Letterkenny festival kicks...

3 hours ago

Deputy Charles Ward to open new constituency...

3 hours ago

Windy day in store with showers and...

4 hours ago

Caution urged after oil spill near Errigal

4 hours ago

Incredible Arranmore Blueway videos to be launched...

4 hours ago

Job Vacancy: Clerical Officer sought by Sea...

4 hours ago

Man claims property rights after criminal damage...

6 hours ago

Much loved local ecologist launches ‘Birds of...

16 hours ago

Donegal planners grant retention permission for hobbit-style...

17 hours ago
Advertisement
Advertisement

Donegal County Council

Facebook
Donegal County Council
Advertisement
Advertisement
Donegal Daily Jobs

Read More

  • News
  • Sport
  • Courts
  • Jobs
  • Sales & Services
  • Obituaries
  • Features
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Council News

Information

  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise WIth Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Our Sites

Donegal Woman
Donegal Woman
Donegal Daily

© 2025 Donegal Daily. All rights reserved.
Website by owenod


Back To Top.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy