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“The Opportunities at Mercury are Endless” Lynda Cahalan on her Journey from Apprentice to Operations Manager
Lynda Cahalan has built a career defined by determination and leadership. Having gained experience at every level in the industry, she now leads multidisciplinary teams in her position as Operations Manager with Mercury.
A native of Nenagh in Co. Tipperary, Lynda joined Mercury four years ago and works in Frankfurt on a large-scale data centre project. Lynda is also a mother to a 25-year-old son, Pearse, who lives in Manchester and recently graduated from university.
A career in construction was always in Lynda’s blood, and she began work at 18 as an apprentice electrician. As one of very few women in the industry at the time, this came with its own set of challenges. Adjusting to a male-dominated environment meant having to work harder to prove herself, all while juggling the challenges of being a new mother. In many ways, it pushed Lynda further to succeed and excel.
As much as she enjoyed the hands-on onsite work, Lynda realised she had more to offer and made the decision to transition into a technical sales role. “I think starting at the bottom was important for my personal and professional development,” she says.
Lynda worked with some well-established electrical suppliers on project-based business utilising her technical and onsite knowledge. As her career progressed, she actively sought out more responsibility, in more and more challenging roles, which only whetted her appetite to learn more and develop her skills and knowledge.
A role with a market leader in back-up power solutions brought her into the data centre industry where she found her niche.
“The projects are so fast-paced and incredibly complex, it really is a ‘sink or swim’ industry, but thankfully I fully embraced the challenge of managing projects right from specification of the product through the entire process of install, commissioning and maintainability in a live environment,” the affable Tipperary woman explains.
“I then progressed to data centre fit-outs, bolstering my all-round knowledge of the mechanical and electrical systems. These opportunities gave me so much insight into the data centre industry and so many invaluable tools.”
When the opportunity to work with Mercury presented itself, Lynda grabbed it with both hands.
I knew this was the opportunity I was waiting for. Mercury is the market leader in the sector, trailblazers for innovation working with the largest international corporations on leading data centre projects across Ireland and Europe.
As Operations Manager, Lynda describes her role as broad, spanning several projects in Europe at once. She leads teams to deliver mission-critical data centre builds and sees herself as “a driving force between all departments.”
Building and maintaining long-standing client relationships is also a priority. She focuses on giving clients certainty and confidence, supporting project managers, commercial teams, planners, and commissioning teams to ensure delivery on time.
“Over my time in Mercury, I have successfully completed several flagship new build projects and a number of live environment projects,” she says. Working alongside top design and architectural firms globally, she and her teams bring projects from concept to handover. “This includes design elements, constructability, coordination and final construction, and handover of a top-quality product. While doing so, our Work Safe, Home Safe motto is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, delivering these results safely is a number one priority.”
Both new builds and live projects bring their own challenges, she notes, but adaptability and the ability to think on her feet have helped her overcome these to deliver handover projects “that both myself and my teams can be truly proud of”.
Lynda is full of praise for her colleagues at Mercury.
She sees her own successes as a reflection of the teams around her. “None of this would be possible without the incredible teams I lead,” she says, describing her colleagues as “some of the best and brightest in the industry.” For her, being able to empower, motivate, and guide people, and then see them flourish in their own careers, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Lynda also credits Mercury’s leadership with shaping this environment. The company, she says, has “outstanding leaders who cascade knowledge, are open to input and support their teams to make Mercury what it is.” That combination of guidance and openness, in her view, ensures the business will only “go from strength to strength”.
Mercury has not only given me the opportunity to grow my career, but also to travel and work with a really diverse team of people who bring many different perspectives to their work. The opportunities at Mercury are endless. The company employs 7,000 people, including subcontractors, across Europe. The growth is extremely impressive and it’s great to be part of that legacy.
ABOUT MERCURY
Mercury is the European leader in construction solutions. We build and manage complex engineering & construction projects for the world’s leading corporations. Our solutions help deliver technologies that connect people, communities, and businesses, giving them the power to achieve incredible things. Our people have the courage to be innovative. Their determination and sharp focus enable us to deliver with certainty, time and time again.
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