My story

Safe to say, I’m probably one of the few board directors in the United States who hails from Termonfeckin, Ireland. (OK, maybe the only one!)

The path from there to here hasn’t exactly been straight, nor has my career been what you’d call traditional. It has brought me from the east coast of Ireland to the west coast of the United States, with stops in Pittsburgh, Toronto and New York. My career has spanned physics, public policy, academia, financial services and technology – and I’m only halfway through!   

My academic journey began at Queen’s University Belfast with an undergraduate degree in physics and applied mathematics and then a PhD in atomic and molecular physics. I knew straight away, however, that my greatest contribution would be in bridging the clear communication gap between scientists and technologists on the one hand and policymakers on the other. 

Thanks to scholarships from the O’Reilly Foundation and the Fulbright Commission, I headed to the US where I graduated with a master's in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. After a couple of years studying the global software industry as a Sloan Foundation industry fellow, I pivoted out of academia and into the world of financial services, where I spent the next decade. 

Having worked in four major banks in Canada and the US before, during and after the financial crisis, it was, as they say, the best of times and the worst of times. But, at all times, it was interesting and challenging work. 

My specialty was enterprise transformation and innovation which gave me a real appreciation for the nature of change, how it differs in various contexts, and the extent to which human and cultural elements really matter. 

This coincided with the emergence of seismic technology shifts. Mobile, social, cloud, AI – trends that were disrupting everything around us. True to my nature, I simply couldn’t resist pivoting again and jumping into the heart of the action in Silicon Valley. 

I quickly found myself being asked to join some very interesting boards which allowed me to draw upon my eclectic and broad range of experiences. Loving the diversity of the work and the pace of it all, I settled happily into a portfolio career. 

These days, I hang my hat in New Jersey and Ireland, working on a really interesting portfolio which includes serving on five boards of directors and speaking all over the world (when you could do that!). I’m also particularly excited to be the incoming James Wei Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship at the Keller Center at Princeton University.

When I’m not doing all of that (ha!), I’m also married to John, a mother to Rosie, a step-mom to five amazing millennials, and a grandmother of three. And, yes, we are Irish, so I literally have red-headed stepchildren!

Along the way, I’ve traversed the globe, got my diploma in piano, won a few public speaking competitions, and even indulged a passion by joining an expedition to Antarctica with renowned climate change activist Robert Swan, OBE. 

These adventures across different countries, industries, disciplines and jobs have exposed me to a vast diversity of experiences, leaving me with a unique set of personal perspectives. Added to that, I have been the beneficiary of incredible advice and teachings from some of the world’s most inspiring leaders and innovative companies. 

Throughout, I developed a daily habit of capturing and reflecting upon the most valuable insights I learned along the way – something I still love to do. These gems are what I now call my #WisdomCards, a collection of several thousand bite-sized treasures of thought which I share on social media (@dranitasands) and here on my website.

To paraphrase Tim Cook: since you can’t take it with you, you should really pass it on. Now, my mission is to do just that.