Spotlighting Gilly Kennedy-Smith

In honour of International Women's Day, Oak Group has invited women from its network to share their inspiring stories throughout the month of March.

We are pleased to share our second story by Gilly Kennedy-Smith below.

Can you tell us about yourself and your career journey so far?

I didn't always want to be a lawyer but as soon as I started studying law I knew I wanted to be a private client lawyer. I trained at a firm in England which is officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest law firm in operation, and was exposed to so many matters during that time.

I then moved out to Guernsey as a newly qualified solicitor to get what I thought would be two years of offshore experience so I could return 'home' and get the job I wanted. I stayed because I loved the island, I loved the work and I had excellent colleagues that to this day are some of my closest friends.

I then felt my career needed a kick start, and moved back to the UK for six years to get some practical UK advisory and tax experience. I completed by Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) cross-border certificate and also qualified as a Tax Technician with Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) before returning to the island to join Mourant as a partner, to build up the International Trusts and Private Client team here. It felt like coming home and I quickly slotted back into island life.

It's been an incredible journey and I've learnt so much along the way about who I am and how I like to work, as well as the people I want around me. You don't stop learning as a partner and I look forward to what's ahead of me – both personally and as part of my team.

What has been your proudest achievement so far since joining Mourant?

I think having a happy, settled team is the greatest achievement and something I try and strive for, closely followed by your firm, team and colleagues being recognised for doing a great job.

I'm very proud of my team (both the Guernsey Private Client team and the colleagues I am lucky enough to work with across the wider firm).

When I see the team have moved up in the independent legal directory rankings (which recognise legal excellence), or a team member who is individually recognised, that makes me so proud of what we've achieved over the last three years.  

What is the greatest advice you have been given?

It's so hard to pick one as I've been lucky to have fantastic colleagues throughout my career. I'd say it's important to never stop being curious. Ask the right questions and be interested in what's happening to your clients, to your team and to your workplace. If you stay curious about your job and your clients then you'll keep learning and I think that's something we should always do.

Also remember that good work is the culmination of hundreds of small details and lessons learnt. It takes time to get there and as tempting as it may be, you shouldn't try and rush the process, as you will undoubtedly learn along the way and those (sometimes painful) lessons will be worth it.

Secondly, something my dad said to me at 18 which has always stuck with me: people employ people. Yes, your CV and all your studies and hard work will help open the doors for you, and are really important, but if people don't like working with you then they won't do so again.

As a manager of a team I now look to employ people that add value to the team I already have, that will enhance it and make us, as a collective, a better whole.

Which women inspire you the most and why?

Women that know who they are and don't try and fill the mould that's worked for 50 years just because that's been the historic success story. They are themselves, they are compassionate, motivating to be around, interested and interesting and as a result really inspirational. Those that know what they want and go after it, but without being a bulldozer to those around them.

What ways are you committed to inspire inclusion?

Everyone I know has felt excluded at some point along the way and we all know that's not a nice experience. All we can do is try and treat others how we'd want to be treated.

I try and incorporate inclusion by empowering my team and making sure they have a voice and feel ready to use it. One of the ways I've implemented  this is monthly team presentations where we all share our knowledge (no matter what level we are) and everyone is expected to speak or listen.

By building up these skills it can help in being able to articulate concerns or advice when required. That voice can be used for many things, not just work, and my hope is that my team feel confident enough to speak up in support of  friends and colleagues in all things and in all ways.

Do you have any advice you would give to other women starting out in the industry?

Be yourself. Don't attempt to be perfect in all things as that's an exhausting impossibility. Also, don't forget to develop your softer skills along the way. They enable you to read a room, read the clients and ask the right questions so you do the job that's needed, which is not always the job you were originally instructed to do. Be enthusiastic and willing to learn. Think about what you want and what you need to do to get there.

I've sacrificed hours of holiday time and weekends to do additional studies to help me in my career (as that's what was expected and what I knew I needed to do so to progress), and while times have changed a lot since I started it's still important to be willing to invest time in yourself and your development. People notice you showing up, being interested, energetic and showing willing. It's important to them and they'll know if it's important to you.

Read more about Oak's campaign here.