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The Engagement Appeal x Cathryn Riley: Exploring Professions and Also the World

By Emmeline Armitage

The meeting point of art and commerce is ever-changing and hard to define. What place does art have in the world of finance? How can young, savvy individuals learn to secure their footing in the world of work through smart investment? What advice do successful entrepreneurs have for the youth of today about finance, culture, and belief in the self? These are all questions ‘Art and the City’ seeks to answer, by interviewing some of the brightest and boldest minds in both the art world and the city.

In this week’s episode we interview Cathryn Riley, Non-Executive Director at Marwyn Acquisition Company. She is an advisor to us here at The Engagement Appeal, Chair of Risk Committee at Liberty, and has over 20 years of experience in insurance and financial services. She was also featured in the top 20 of Computer Weekly’s ‘Most Influential Women in UK IT’, and here we speak to her about all things travel, quizzing, and equity investment!

Cathryn had an unconventional route into the city, most notably through her early work for the National Coal Board, where she worked for several years whilst also studying. She admits that she had a taste for knowledge and never wanted to stop learning, and so soon took up a job at British Airways, where she developed a passion for travelling, and learning about other cultures. Since then, her work has always been a conduit for new experiences, particularly when it comes to visiting new countries.

This desire for variety in life took Cathryn naturally to consulting. Whilst doing so, she lived all across the world, in countries such as Hungary, Slovenia and Saudi Arabia, citing “creativity, resilience, problem solving, and greater cultural awareness” as key things she learnt during her time there. Her lifestyle is a model example of where work meets passion, and where creative thinking emboldens you to think differently about your life prospects in relation to your job.

In her latest role as Non-Executive Director, she admits that you should try to “take every opportunity that arises, because you never know what’s around the next corner”.

Recently, Cathryn has also written a quiz book, which she sells in aid of the cancer charity The Eve Appeal, which you can find here on Amazon.

Listen to the full podcast episode here: Art x City feat. Cathryn Riley

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