I felt privileged to discover this energetic and seemingly tireless woman, full of ideas and initiatives, ready to both drive change and continually multiply opportunities and favourable chances for the good of all.
Born in Connemara, Ireland, in a gorgeous area bordered by the Atlantic, which, as she jokingly says

[Connemara] was the last parish before America

Fiona enjoyed the beautiful nature and the idyllic scenery. But, after finishing her linguistic studies, she felt the call of Europe and decided to venture into the unknown. Brussels eventually became her home and gave her the chance of a solid and long career.
Throughout her life she has always been an active woman full of initiative, always willing to achieve more ; as she says herself,

2+2 makes 5 for me.

Reaching the age of retirement, she confesses that she followed a good friend’s advice :

She told me that you have to take care of three things : one for the mind - and I chose to continue playing Bridge regularly ; one for my health - and now I have become, after decades of playing tennis, an aspiring golfer ; and one for the soul. This is where Femmes d’Europe comes in, which has given me the chance to get involved in helping people and doing meaningful things.

And Fiona has indeed done a lot, especially during the last couple of years, in her capacity as Vice-president Events. She has implemented several measures that have facilitated, improved and diversified the work of the Association, including setting up a Sponsorship Task Force to agree on a coordinated approach. Together with her new connection from the golf course, Philippe de Clerck, founder and owner of Tickitizi, she introduced the Tickitizi electronic ticketing and payment platform for major FdE events. She is also the "godmother" for the monthly events called ‘Get-Togethers’ where members and friends meet and discover delicious food from different regions while at the same time contributing to the annual income of the Association.
Fiona also recognised the importance of having a strategic communication policy and plan so she created a Communications Committee. Subsequently, she was also the woman behind Femmes d’Europe’s collaboration with IHECS, to strengthen the communications planning.
She amazes all with her vitality and it seems she is always there...everywhere !

I enjoy all the events of Femmes d’Europe, I like concerts, music, lectures.

She says that what she appreciates most is the tolerance and open-mindedness of others. She is a feminist, with models such as Mary Robinson (the first Irish woman to be elected President) and Simone Veil (President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, the first woman to hold this office). She loves nature and says that this is one of the things she likes most about Brussels.

It is so green ! But I also like Brussels because it’s so international, you can make great connections here.
Meanwhile, it is not very big, so it is easy to meet friends, get from one point to another and also, being the heart of Europe, it is easy to reach other cities in a short time.

She tells me that she also likes Brussels for its food.

You can find a lot of different foods here in Brussels. My Italian husband loves to cook and he introduced me over the years to a lot of vegetables and different dishes. I don’t cook as much these days, but when I do, I like Ottolenghi recipes.

Fiona is a great admirer of Belgian art and design, she loves jewellery but she is also concerned about the future, about climate change and its devastating impact on population, migration and wellbeing.
Through all her work now, she is trying to contribute to the improvement of people’s lives.
As I am writing these words, a famous quote by Forest Witcraft comes to mind after my conversation with Fiona, something that I believe also sums up her philosophy today :

A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, or what kind of house I lived in, or what kind of car I drove. But the world may be different because I made a difference in someone’s life.