Women in Leadership

Sarah Friar, former CFO at Square and now CEO of Nextdoor and one of our 2018 Business 100 honorees, was the Honorary Speaker at The Ireland Funds Women in Leadership Luncheon on November 30th. The event was held at the Four Seasons Hotel and attended by over 400 guests. In a moving moment, Sarah described how the words of Seamus Heaney, her favorite poet, have provided her with inspiration: “Walk on air against your better judgement.” The audience was captivated by Sarah’s personal story growing up in Sion Mills, Co. Tyrone in Northern Ireland (the nearby town of Strabane was the most bombed town in the province) before an accelerated career that has brought great success. This was followed by an engaging conversation with Janet Reilly, a former broadcaster and co-owner of the Nob Hill Gazette. ♦