A Little More About Me!

Introduction

My name is Catherine Deegan and most of you know me as the founder of Doc Elite. I thought it was time to properly introduce myself to my network as I am aware that I have many connections I have never met!

My number one occupation is wife and mummy! I am married to Michael, and we have three crazy but perfect kids Seán (16), Ruairí (10) and Líle (5). We live near the seaside in Northern Ireland.

How did I end up in Document Control?

When I remember back to my school days, I always wanted to be a teacher! Having studied initially in an all-girls school, the Construction Industry was never really talked about as an option. I was enrolled in university to study teaching, but my plans soon changed when I found out I was expecting my first child at the age of 18. At the time, I was a wreck (emotional, skint, scared, nervous!!) But with the support of my family (mostly my wonderful mum) and friends, I soon realised that my life was just beginning.

When Seán was 3 months old, I secured a full-time job as a Personal Assistant at a local training college. Over the two years that followed my confidence grew again and I decided to take a career break and study Event Management. After 4 years working and studying in the Events Industry, I wanted a change. The unsociable hours and long weekends where a killer with kids! I got a temporary job in a local Construction Company as a Document Control Manager and I imagined I would be there as a steppingstone for a few months but 8 years later, I was still there!! It was a great place to work, and I was hooked on the nature of the Construction Industry – fast past and challenging. During my time there, I sourced and set up a Collaboration Platform that really transformed the way the projects ran. I gained lots of experience managing a team of Document Controllers and working in prestigious projects. That experience presented me with an opportunity that I took almost 2 years ago when Doc Elite was formed.

How would I describe the past 2 years at Doc Elite?

Amazing! When I started out on this journey almost 2 years ago, I never in my wildest dreams imagined the support I would receive. I am working with some incredible clients on ground-breaking Construction Projects in the UK and Ireland. I feel extremely lucky to have made the contacts I have, and I cherish every single client. I also love my office space in a local business centre and the commute to the office is only 20 minutes which is a bonus!

This journey has been one of the biggest learning curves, I have particularly enjoyed learning more about the software solutions on the market and I have learned so much more about business.

What are the future plans for Doc Elite?

I have secured contracts until 2026. I am also currently tendering for some Construction Projects outside of the UK and Ireland. Over the next few years, I hope to have a global Document Control Consultancy business offering Outsourced Document Control and Document Control Training to the global Construction market.

I plan to grow the current office team, space, and resources to support this business goal.

What do I do in my spare time?

I spend my evenings and weekends in my local sports club (my second home), where I play and coach Camogie (an Irish sport), and watch my kids participate in sport. I love reading and spend most evenings reading anything – from novels, to auto biographies to self-improvement books. I am happiest when outdoors and have recently taken up hiking and beach Yoga!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better!

Catherine

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