The managing director of Ballet International is named Irish businesswoman of the year.

Joan Lawlor began her working life as a trainee manager in Arnotts and Company in 1942. Now 61 years old, she is managing director of Ballet International, a subsidiary of Arnotts.

Ballet International supplies bras and lingerie to most of the big Irish stores. Over the decades it has responded to social movements and difficult situations in the clothing sector and business has continued to improve. In 1983 the company made a profit of over £200,000. The future also looks promising as the company is moving into the British markets.

The Ballet International factory on the Dublin Industrial Estate in Glasnevin employs 180 workers, mainly women. The average take home pay is £80 per week. Joan Lawlor has never had an industrial dispute in the factory.

A typical day starts at 8:30 a.m. with her arrival at the factory and a tour to make sure everything is ready for production. The rest of her time is spent handling queries and attending meetings.

We believe in teamwork in this place.

If Joan Lawlor was to start her career in 1984, she would study to become a teacher. As one of seven children, she could not have a university education as there were no grants,

There was no way my parents were prepared to give a university education to a girl when they had sons.

However, if she was starting work in Arnotts in 1984, Joan Lawlor is confident she would still make a success of it. A widow, she never had children. Her life would have been different with children and she would not have continued to work. While accepting that women can work and raise children, she does not think both can be done to an excellent standard,

It’s possible to do both jobs in a mediocre way.

Joan Lawlor thinks a woman who gets married, has children and continues to work

Would never have a totally committed attitude towards being managing director, but if she wants to enough she will.

She puts her success down to several factors. She was in the right place at the right time and had some luck, but above all, she wanted to be successful. Her advice for anyone starting on their career path is to desire success,

It’s an attitude of mind in my view and I think anybody can do anything, but I don’t think people want to enough.

An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 October 1984. The reporter is Maggie O’Kane.