It is an increasingly familiar tale. You work hard to study, get your masters, strive to be top of the class; you join a company where you work every hour that is sent from above to be d1e best; you rise through the ranks, maybe you get onto the board; you spend your evenings networking and your days at corporate meetings, weekends are for catching up on those emails or, if you've decided to run your own business, are much like any week day.But now you're in your 30s, maybe 40s, and you'd like to be in a settled relationship. The pub has long lost its sheen and meeting someone at a club seems like so much ... effort.That's where Mairead Molloy comes in, or rather, Berkeley International, her global introductions agency for professionals who may have achieved their career and financial goals, but are sti ll time poor and single."Women are working much later in their life, and they don't think about it. They want to build their career, to earn as much money as men, and that's part of why this service is needed."Having set up Berkeley International some 11 years ago after seeing a niche in the market for pairing like-minded singletons with a certain level of expectations, Mairead has seen rapid growth in her company in the last year, with new offices opening in various corners of the world, and an increase in active members on her books."We have a new office just opened in the north of England/Scotland, and that's going rea lly well, and we've a new office in Brussels. We have one in Cannes, Monaco and New York and we've just opened in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. So we're expanding at a huge rate.""We have a new office just opened in the north of England/Scotland, and that's going rea lly well, and we've a new office in Brussels. We have one in Cannes, Monaco and New York and we've just opened in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. So we're expanding at a huge rate."With over 1,100 active members, and nearly double mat dipping in and out worldwide, Mairead believes your chances of finding long-term love are greater, and a hell of a lot easier, when you employ a little help. It's especially good for those who travel alot with their work, and want to be inlmediately plugged into a dating scene in the city they'll be in next – simply email your travel schedule for the next few months and Berkeley will do the rest. It is not, however, for those looking for more 'casual' relationships."We only deal with people who want to get married or have a long term relationship, or those who a re recently divorced and looking for new love. We don't deal with willy nillys. We protect ourselves from that kind of client, because we have to protect our other clients," she explains, adding that she is confident that she can find a good partner match for nearly anyone looking for love. "There are loads of single people out there." And it's not just women with ticking biological clocks on the books. "We try to keep an even keel (of men and women) and if I get overloaded with either, I go off and find clients to keep the gender balance even. But usually it's fine. You'd be surprised how many men join the agency. They don't want to go to the pub, to start a conversation, find someone who matches their lifestyle – with us, mat's all done for you."With most clients ranging from approximately 29 to 54, those employing the help of Berkeley International come from a variety of professions ranging from finance to law, to medicine and entrepreneurs running their own business. The most common ilireads are that time to meet someone is an issue, and money, conversely, is not.
