1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

The most challenging thing in my role leading an inclusive and diverse organisation is building resilience within the committee and building leaders to understand the importance of why our Organisation exists.

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I started in the organisation as the Membership Officer, I then became the Assistant National Coordinator and then a few months later there was a lot of internal issues and I became the National Coordinator, I then filled this position as a volunteer while working fulltime as a nurse for 7 years, I then had to make the decision what was more important, I asked the Defence if there was a way of being paid, otherwise I would have to leave. They found funds to pay for me and I then became the CEO. I then went through the job description and decided that the position name would be better off being General Manager.

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

Every day is different, I may have some cases that come through, or one day I focus on a daily running, implementing policies, and reviewing policies, but each day I try to work through it and work through daily issues.

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

Trusting those I work with, I have been burnt in the past with having a full committee, but not wanting to do the work. I have learned that I need to teach people to keep high school behaviour at the door.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Leadership is both discovering as well as developing. We often have times of discovery, in the least expected moments and developing it with the right practice during the mundane moments.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

I always teach everyone to be responsible and take responsibility for their work, accountability and always support their work.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

I find with my type of work holding the helpline that I am exposed to a lot of family issues and serious cases. I had one family that was in desperate need to get financial support for her surgery. If she doesn't have the surgery and will not live long, we managed to get the funding for the surgery. A few weeks later we got a call to say Thank You for saving my life. Hearing that, really proved to me why I am doing this job in the first place, and showed me why I love doing my job.