Women in STEM at Hollister: Honora Egan and Vivienne McNulty

Watch the Hollister Podcast Episode

Honora and Vivienne followed different routes into STEM.

Honora explains how her early interests in art and Irish studies eventually led her towards product design, a discipline that allowed her to combine creativity, business and engineering. Vivienne discusses how an interest in fixing things and a transition-year work placement helped her recognise engineering as a possible career.

The conversation also covers setbacks, changing direction, moving between engineering disciplines and learning how to lead technical teams.

Listen through the Spotify and Apple Podcasts players below.

Meet Honora Egan and Vivienne McNulty

Honora Egan: From Creative Interests to Product Design

Honora did not begin with a fixed plan to build a career in engineering or medical-device innovation.

She initially considered creative and humanities subjects before discovering product design. The discipline appealed to her because it brought together creativity, commercial thinking and technical problem-solving.

Her career later progressed from individual technical contribution into innovation leadership. In the episode, Honora discusses the uncertainty that accompanied that transition and how mentors helped her become more comfortable with the responsibilities of leading others.

Her experience demonstrates that creative and technical interests do not need to be treated as opposites. Product design often requires professionals to understand people, products, materials, manufacturing and commercial needs at the same time.

Vivienne McNulty: From Engineering to Innovation Leadership

Vivienne’s interest in engineering developed through a childhood curiosity about how things worked.

A transition-year placement gave her an early opportunity to experience engineering in practice and helped influence her educational direction. Her later career included work across automation and mechanical engineering, along with further professional study.

Vivienne’s route was not completely straightforward. She discusses challenges during education and the period after graduation, when her career did not immediately develop as expected.

Those experiences became part of her wider progression rather than the end of it. Her story shows that an early setback does not determine the rest of a career and that movement between engineering disciplines can create valuable new experience.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

Honora and Vivienne discuss finding a career through curiosity rather than a perfectly developed plan. They explain how product design can combine creative and technical thinking, how early work experience can influence educational choices and why careers can still develop after disappointment or uncertainty.

They also discuss moving from individual technical work into people leadership. This transition required them to develop new skills in communication, delegation, self-awareness and team development.

Mentoring is another central theme. Both guests describe the value of having people who could provide perspective, encouragement and practical guidance during important career decisions.

The episode covers:

• Discovering product design through creative and technical interests
• Early exposure to engineering through work experience
• Recovering from educational and career setbacks
• Moving between automation and mechanical engineering
• Progressing from technical contribution into innovation management
• Learning to lead and develop other people
• The role of mentors and professional support networks
• Building confidence and greater self-compassion
• Supporting women’s development through employee networks

Hollister’s Women’s Initiative Network

The Women’s Initiative Network, commonly known as WIN, is one of Hollister’s employee resource groups.

Hollister’s 2024 Sustainability Report states that its employee resource groups are open to interested associates and are intended to contribute to a supportive workplace. The report lists WIN alongside groups supporting professional development, accessibility, veterans and associates of colour.

The report also references Honora and Vivienne’s participation in HERO’s #GreatnessHasNoGender podcast. It describes the conversation as covering their STEM journeys, leadership challenges, career-defining experiences and the support systems that contributed to their development.

Employers reviewing their own recruitment and progression practices can also read HERO’s Inclusive Hiring Strategies for Women in STEM Guide.

About Hollister Incorporated in Ballina

Hollister Incorporated develops and manufactures medical products supporting ostomy and continence care.

Its Ballina facility opened in 1976 on a 40-acre site in County Mayo and now employs almost 1,000 people. The operation manufactures products for international distribution and also supports global R&D, new-product commercialisation, engineering, regulatory affairs, supply chain and shared services.

This creates career routes across product design, research and development, engineering, manufacturing, quality, regulatory affairs and related business functions.

Hollister Ballina Update

In July 2025, Hollister announced an €80 million investment in R&D and digital transformation at Ballina. The project was expected to create approximately 50 jobs across areas including engineering, data science and business services.

This announcement took place after Honora and Vivienne’s podcast was recorded and should be presented as a later company update rather than part of the original conversation.

Explore More Women-in-STEM Episodes

Continue the series with:

Women in STEM at Boston Scientific: Aoife Carter and Claire O’Brien

Women in STEM at TE Connectivity: Marilyn Bane, Deirdre Hardiman and Colleen Markland

Women in STEM at West: Aine Brennan and Samantha Murphy

Every episode is available through HERO’s Greatness Has No Gender podcast hub.

Episode Sponsor

This episode was sponsored by Fenero, which provides financial and administrative services to contractors, freelancers and independent professionals.

For more updates on #GreatnessHasNoGender, follow HERO on LinkedIn, reach out to hello@hero.ie for inquiries, or explore our job opportunities in STEM: Permanent Careers, Contracting Careers.