1. What have you found most challenging as a board member?

As a board member and business leader, the primary challenge is to derive consensus towards realizing big goals! Getting buy-in from fellow board members is key, and we all bring our own unique experiences to the table.

2. How did you become a board member? Can you please briefly tell the story?

My journey to becoming a board member is two fold, one with a spirit of service to the community, and secondly an avenue to expand my business through effective partnerships. My journey to the board of the Chamber of commerce started when I started at Intelegencia as the SVP for North America, a global business and technology services firm. It was vital for me to be a responsible and contributing leader of our community which led me to join the board of the Chamber of Commerce, and now we as an organization are showing our support via the Board.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

My workday is structured around finding balance. I make it a point to balance my clients, my business partners, my family, my health, my friends and my spiritual wellness. My day starts around 7 am with my family, and starting around 7:30 am until 5:00 pm work takes priority. Following which, I attend to the other aspects of my life until about 9:30 PM, and then I get back to work for about an hour. This tends to be the typical routine.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

It's all about the people you lead. A leader needs to create an environment for people to thrive and share ideas. Always be open to learn from the people you lead, you'll be surprised.

5. What are some of the keys to doing governance well in a organisation?

Governance of an organization requires the right balance of Process, technology and people. Technology is a key enabler in standardizing across the board, but inflexible tech can also lead to it becoming an inhibitor. The right process design and the right team are key to get it right.

6. How do you differentiate between the role of board member and the roles of CEO or executive team member of a organisation?

The role of the board member is to bring the outside perspective, and act as an independent agent representing investors' goals. The CEO and the Exec team are there to realize those goals through operational plans.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a board member so far?

The most meaningful story as a Board member for me is that as a board we defined our purpose, and took the time it took to get consensus and get it right. The amount of experience the team had, the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives lead to an amazing outcome.