Foxford's Anne Marie is enjoying the challenge of senior role in Coca-Cola

Anne Marie Coleman lives a jet-set life in her role at Coca-Cola. As Chief of Staff to the Head of HR for the entire company, the role is undoubtedly demanding and rewarding in equal measure. She is married to Kevin and they have three daughters.

But one of the first things that strike you when you meet her is her warmth and genuine interest in how you are getting on. Anne Marie believes in helping other people achieve their dreams and that drive within her has surely contributed to her journey through the ranks of Coca-Cola.

We meet on a sunny day in her native Foxford and sit down to chat about that incredibly interesting journey.

Angelina: Anne Marie, thanks for taking the time to speak to me. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

Anne Marie: I grew up in Foxford, just over the bridge beside the River Moy. I'm the eldest of six children. 

I have to say I had a very happy childhood growing up here in Foxford with great neighbours, great friends and family. I loved school, both national school and secondary school. I think because I was the eldest of six children, that was a big part of what formed me. I joke with my colleagues in Coca-Cola that that was the start of my leadership journey. 

As I grew up as a teenager, some of the things that were very influential in my life and very important to me were obviously strong values, my family, having a good work ethic and close family and cousins and friends and neighbours. 

Sport was a big part of growing up as well. I loved cross-country running and I was a member of the Ballina Athletic Club and made fantastic friends through sport. 

When I did my Leaving Cert, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do in terms of education or next steps. But I was very lucky that I went on a bilingual administration course to France to study French and work with some companies out there. So I spent a year in Brittany and I was based in Brest, where I went and studied French. At the weekends we would go and stay with a family. And for me, I think that time in France at a young age, after I did my Leaving Cert was a very influential stage in my life.

Angelina: Where did the next step send you?

Anne Marie: Shortly after that, I moved to London and I worked there for three and a half years. While I was there, I saw an advertisement for a role in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in France. I went through a rigorous process and I was successful. I moved to France for another three years working for the Council of Europe as a bilingual administrator, supporting a team of French doctors. 

That was another amazing experience for me. I met amazing friends there. I had a great social life and also a great work life. Obviously, my French improved dramatically, working a lot through French, so I became fluent in the French language and then I got to travel. Most weekends we would go to Luxembourg or Germany or Switzerland or Italy. That was almost 30 years ago and I still have a group of friends that I meet on an annual basis.

Angelina: Where did life take you after that role?

Anne Marie: I decided to come home to Ireland to get married and settle down. And I actually took a career break for a year and said, 'I'll see how it goes because I enjoyed being abroad'. 

But I moved back to Foxford and I was very lucky that that was about the time of the start-up of Coca-Cola in Ballina. There were about 3,000 applications for 150 jobs when the Coca-Cola plant was starting in Ballina. I applied and I was successful as part of the start-up team for the Human Resources function. My role was to hire 150 people in the first year there, help with getting the HR team set up, develop the culture and the strategy of the organisation. I was working with an amazing bunch of people from all around the world. It was hard work, but there was great camaraderie. 

I was also studying for my degree at night in HR and subsequently gained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). It was a lot but it was fantastic because I was getting real in-depth experience and that was, again, an amazing period. My dream, to be honest, was to become the HR director for that site. That was my career goal, which I did achieve. And it's amazing now to say that here I am five jobs later in a corporate role as Chief of Staff to the Head of HR for the whole company.

Angelina: Back in 1999, when Coca-Cola came to Ballina, it was a huge development for the county.

Anne Marie: It was huge, yes. It was one of the biggest investments ever made financially - a 100-acre site in Ballina town and we knew there was going to be growth. The first year was 150 jobs and now today, 25 years later, the company has over 500 people working there. 

It's a very important site, not just for the people working there, but for the whole community of Ballina, Crossmolina, Foxford and all the surrounding areas. The business that that brings to the local economy is important and also it's another huge multinational along with many others in the county and it means Mayo is a great place to do business. 

We've got fantastic talent and expertise. We import talent - we've got 25 nationalities working at the plant in Ballina, but we also export talent. And I've been one of those people who has worked in multiple roles across Europe, Africa and Asia. And I think at this stage in my career, I've travelled to more than 40 countries with my work. 

Ballina is a great talent magnet for people. Also at a corporate level, we are seen as having positive, can-do attitudes, great leadership skills and play a key part of the success of the company overall.

Angelina: Tell us a little about your journey within Coca-Cola.

Anne Marie: At the time, 25 years ago, I didn't really probably truly value and understand how much of a growth and learning I had. I had a wonderful mentor and supporter in my manager, who was fantastic at giving me opportunities to grow and develop, putting me into tough situations so that my leadership would get stronger and challenge me, which I found very fulfilling and rewarding. Then I was able to eventually sit at the leadership table with the team in Ballina and make a good contribution to the strategy in the long-term business. Over time, I moved to be the Operations Director of the site, which was a real challenge for me - leading a team of 250 people in operations across different areas of the plant. After that, I moved into a HR Director role, supporting 12 of our plants in Europe, Africa and Asia, and then into a Europe Operating role. And now I am the Chief of Staff to the Head of HR for the whole company. It's more than I ever dreamed or ever imagined.

Angelina: What does your current role entail?

Anne Marie: I work closely with the HR leadership team for the whole company. Our role is very much about looking at the long-term strategy of the organisation and what needs to happen from a people and culture point of view and how we cascade that across 200 countries, because Coca-Cola is present in almost every country in the world, and then working with the leaders of the organisation to make sure that we have the right leadership skills, both for now and also for the future. 

It also involves thinking more about the future, being future-focused, thinking about technology, thinking about employee experience, thinking about the workforce of the future and how that might be different and how we need to prepare for that today and prepare for that future. And I think, finally, making sure that our employees are getting the right level of development, level of support, and that we look at our employees holistically, not just what they bring to work.

Angelina: What keeps you driven, Anne Marie?

Anne Marie: I would say I am a very driven and energetic person and what really keeps me driven and growing is doing satisfying work, doing rewarding work, seeing other people grow and flourish, helping leaders thrive, and leaving a legacy that is better than we did before. So really my passion now and in the last number of years is very much about giving back, it's not about me, it's about how can I bring leaders along, how can I support junior talent that wants to get ahead, how can I share my knowledge and expertise and how can I give back to my community? 

I'm a chairperson of the Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre, so I try and carve out some time to be on the board and support the leaders there to, again think about the future. Coming from the West of Ireland, I think we're very practical, solid people and that helps you to be grounded. Also having a good upbringing, good anchors, good values, has really helped me stay authentic and connected.

Angelina: What advice would you give people who are considering taking a leap of faith to a career or role?

Anne Marie: I always think of Brigitte Bardot. She said 'je ne regrette rein', and I don't regret anything. I think there's nothing worse than regretting that you did or didn't do something. I think having the courage and the consideration to take a leap of faith is brilliant and you know what, so what if it doesn't work out? 

Everything in my career hasn't been rosy. You just shake it off and get up again the next day. There is a fear of failure, and I think it's not the best to live our lives like that. Give it a try. Be courageous. Seek support. Ask for help. Use your circle of friends, or your vital circle, as I call it, to give you that courage and confidence to go ahead. And if you don't get it right the first time, it's not a big deal, you know, keep trying, and success and happiness and achievement will come.