1. You must have a huge responsibility within your role, tell me a bit more about it.
My official title is Global Director of Strategic Events and Experiences. My role, together with my team, is to deliver world-class events for EY across the globe ensuring that everything we deliver is at the cutting edge of innovation and constantly challenging ourselves to make sure we are getting the right messages across.
2. What do you enjoy most?
There are so many things I enjoy. First of all, I love the global aspect. I love working with people from across the globe and different cultures ensuring that we are delivering events that, not only represent our brand, but also represents the location we are in.
I love challenges. I love learning and I continue to learn everyday in all different aspects of the delivery of events.
I love that no day is the same!
3. What is the best career advice you’ve been offered?
Whilst I have never been offered this, my best career advice is to be passionate about what you do, to love what you do, and to take every opportunity to further your career.
4. To get to where you are now, what has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been making people understand that through delivering events you can change people’s perceptions and that really impactful events can make a huge difference.
5. In your view, what makes a good leader?
From my own experience, a good leader is someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to get a project done. I also think a good leader is someone who lets their team develop.
6. How do you continue to develop yourself and your skills?
By continually pushing to develop. At the end of every event, however successful they have been, we always ask ‘how are we going to do it differently next year?’ We never sit back thinking we can just do the same and every year myself and my team continue to challenge ourselves.
We get ideas and inspiration from all different places such as hotels, airports, museums and art exhibitions. For example, last year we attended an amazing art exhibition in New York and from that we got our inspiration for one of our main events.
7. What do you see as the biggest challenge for the industry at the moment?
Sustainability
8. Any words of wisdom for those wanting to get ahead in the industry?
Be passionate about what you do and be willing to have the confidence to try things. I always say it’s better to try things and fail than to not try them at all.
I believe in our business there is a future for events however, we need to ensure we take responsibility for changing, adapting, and being innovative.
