Carol Flanagan.
I joined ROD as accounts payable manager in June 2005. I still remember my first day and being made to feel very important as I was brought around to each department and introduced to all the staff. Everyone was so welcoming.
As time passed, my role evolved, and I took on additional responsibilities, including acting as purchasing manager and – for a time - employee representative. The latter role was one I particularly enjoyed, as it gave me the chance to bring matters of interest to the team forward for consideration.
My biggest challenge came last year when the COVID-19 pandemic forced all my work to move online. The speed at which I made the adjustment to remote working is something I am very proud of!
While I am due to retire this summer, I will carry great memories of the laughs and tears I have shared with my friends in ROD with me. Some of my fondest memories are connected with my now-retired colleague, Marion Reidy. Marion established the company charity day in aid of the Irish Hospice, and I would help her arrange the annual bake sale. It was great fun, and everyone was always very generous with their donations. I also enjoyed the company race nights, where I would count the results with our office manager, Michelle Harvey, and present the prizes to the lucky staff members.
Being the oldest staff member in ROD – and the first person to reach retirement age while still working – are big achievements for me. My daughters, Debbie and Catherine, tell me they are so proud of me and the work ethic that I have instilled in them. I am grandmother to four beautiful granddaughters, Kate, Faye, Ava, and Ella, and I am looking forward to seeing more of them in my retirement. I also plan to take up painting to keep me busy! It is the start of a new chapter in my life; the years have passed in a heartbeat.
