Meet Your Colleagues - Emma Finney

Here at SERC we are keen to promote internal colleagues to allow staff the opportunity to get to know each other and put a face to the name, particularly due to the size and scope of SERC.  With this in mind, “Meet your Colleagues” is a fun Q and A exercise to help raise awareness of people’s roles within SERC and allows you to get to know more about your fellow colleagues.

This week’s “Meet your Colleagues” features Emma Finney. Recently, Emma was promoted to role of Innovation Manager within the Business Services department at SERC. Congratulations Emma!

1. What does your role at SERC involve?

"I am responsible for driving the work of the Business Services Team. I generate leads which create business opportunities to help maximize income generation streams for the college. I also develop strong relationships with industry, academia and business development organisations.

"I am also responsible for the on-going delivery of Innovation Programmes in line with the Business Services Development Strategy. I am responsible for initiating, creating, and developing new projects and activities to meet the needs of key growth sectors for the College. I provide leadership and performance manage Business Development staff and delivery staff who are working on commercial and funded programmes."

2. Tell us a bit about your background?  

"I worked for Peacock Group for 12 years in various roles.  My last role within the Organisation was Training Manager and I was responsible for the roll out of all corporate training across our region which included retail stores in Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.  

"I joined SERC in 2012 and have worked in various roles in Customer Services and Business Services. Recently, I have been promoted to role of Innovation Manager within the team."

3. What 3 words best describe you?  

• Approachable
• Ambitious
• Competitive

4. What do you like to do outside of work?

"When I am not working I enjoy spending time with my family, swimming and going for long, relaxing walks."

5. If you could swap jobs for a day who would it be and why?  

"If I could swap jobs for a day it would be with my sister. She is a midwife and I would love to see how I would react in that kind of environment as it would be totally out of my comfort zone!"

6. List 3 items you would want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?  

• Picture of my family
• Firelighter
• Lighter

7. What is your favourite film and why?  

"This is such a hard question for someone who doesn’t watch a lot of TV.  When I do watch films, I would say it depends on my mood!  

1. For something funny I’d probably say Grown Ups.
2. For something with the kids Alexanders horrible, no good very bad day;
3. and for something with a bit of everything, Armageddon."

8. Where do you most want to travel, but have never been?  

"Canada is at the top of my list of places I would love to travel to.  I am attracted to the vast range of outdoor activity it has to offer such as the National Parks, Niagara Falls and white-water rafting."