Christine OShea

I attribute my success to persistence and a commitment to continuous learning. I’ve always believed in never giving up and in staying open to growth, no matter where you are in your career.

Collaboration has also been a huge part of my journey. I’m not someone who believes in working in silos—whether in a team or across departments. I think people do their best work when they feel connected and part of a community. Throughout my career, I’ve made it a priority to reach out to others, learn from those around me, and build strong relationships.

Connecting people and communicating openly has been critical to my success. When teams collaborate and share knowledge, it not only strengthens individuals but also helps organizations grow and succeed.

The best career advice I’ve ever received was to make sure I’m happy. Your happiness, mental health, and overall well-being are what allow you to truly succeed in any role. If you’re not happy, it’s very difficult to perform at your best or feel fulfilled in your work.

That advice has always stayed with me. When you prioritize your well-being and align yourself with roles and environments that feel right, you naturally bring more energy, focus, and passion to what you do. Taking care of yourself ultimately allows you to show up stronger and be more successful in your career.

My advice to young women entering the industry is to stay curious and never be afraid to ask questions. Probing, learning, and seeking to understand how things work will help you grow and uncover opportunities that others might miss.

It’s also important to recognize the value you bring. Sometimes having an outside perspective allows you to see opportunities or improvements that others may overlook. By sharing your ideas and aligning your strengths with ways to help others grow and succeed, you can create real impact within your team and organization.

There are always opportunities in this industry, but one of the ongoing challenges I still see is achieving true equality, particularly at the leadership level. While progress has certainly been made over the years, I don’t always feel that the playing field is fully aligned between men and women.

At many levels within organizations, representation and opportunities can feel balanced, but when it comes to senior leadership roles, that’s where the disconnect often becomes more visible. I’m hopeful that the next generation entering the workforce will continue to push for greater balance and help drive meaningful change.

Recognizing these gaps also presents an opportunity—for companies to be more intentional about developing diverse leaders and for individuals to support and advocate for one another as they grow into leadership positions.

Building strong relationships is one of the most important values in both my work and personal life. I believe that truly listening to people is essential. When someone is speaking, I try to be fully present and understand their perspective—because that’s how we learn from one another and discover ways to help each other grow.

Collaboration is another value I strongly believe in. I encourage open, cross-functional communication and multi-channel collaboration whenever possible. I tend to avoid siloed environments, because they limit growth and connection. In my experience, people and organizations thrive when ideas are shared openly and teams work together toward common goals. As a leader, collaboration is what helps individuals expand, develop, and ultimately succeed.