IB Woman
Issue No. 11 - June/July 2003
Simply Orrsome
It seems Hillary Orr was born to attain lofty heights, given she was named for mountain climbing legend, Sir Edmund Hillary. Despite her interest in oceanography, events transpired to guide Hillary Orr down the path of accounting and a career in insolvency.
As an only child, Hillary learnt valuable lessons in teamwork whilst at boarding school. On weekends and after school, the boarders had little choice but to spend time together working on school projects — building sets for the school play, or attending music camps.
After leaving school Hillary desired to emulate her hero, Jacques Cousteau, so she worked for a year at one of only two oceanography institutes in her home country of England.
‘The work was either clerical or repetitive,’ says Hillary, ‘and all I wanted to do was go out in boats. That was considered quite horrific because women never went out in the boats.’
Hillary needed both physical and mental stimulation so she decided to give accounting a try. Based in Liverpool, she combined university with on-the-job training; but Hillary still felt unsettled.
An opportunity arose in the north of England at a men’s suit manufacturing plant in the area of receivership. Hillary found it a satisfying blend of accounting and contact with people.
‘I would undertake currency exchanges, wages and banking but I’d also walk the shop floor to talk with the staff. It was important to keep morale going, but also to understand how the staff felt about the tenuous position of the company. I love it.’
The early skills Hillary had learnt working in teams at boarding school held her in good stead as she liaised with the staff and reported back to management. The lack of repetition and constant array of new challenges fed Hillary’s passion.
The business became solvent and Hillary found herself back in London. Over a five-year period she worked for two of London’s big accounting firms with a year off to be ...
