Who are you and what’s important to you?
I am currently the General Manager of Business Strategy for Microsoft APAC. I recently moved to Singapore from Seattle where I was leading the team responsible for the digitisation, demand generation, and monetisation of Microsoft’s global event platform, one of the largest lead generation engines for Microsoft. I am Australian and moved to Singapore with my two children to be closer to my Aussie family. My children mean the world to me, and family and friends will always be more important to me than work. I started running competitively as a kid, because I loved it, but it also provided freedom to be outside in nature. This has led to a deep love of wellbeing and the environment and I am grateful to be part of a Singapore-based charity, Her Planet Earth, founded by my dear friend Christine Amour-Levar, focusing on environmental protection and empowering women.
What do you wish for girls and women around the world?
To have an authentic voice and be acknowledged that this voice matters. I am challenging the current status quo on what executive presence means. If you are genuinely focused on diversity and inclusion and you constantly find yourself being the one who does the most talking, I would question the impact on all voices and the ability to leverage your full team to scale.
What advice would you give to young women?
The best advice that sticks ultimately comes from you. Find the people who will help you to discover what you can do, you don’t have to do everything alone, make space for reflection to understand what different perspectives mean to you and why, make your best judgement and learn and adjust along the way. There is no perfect path.
Who has inspired you in life and what was it that they did for you?
One of my favourite lines is “believe in others so they can believe in themselves”. The people who have inspired me the most have demonstrated the ability to see the potential in people and situations, and lead and coach others to believe and achieve for themselves. My most inspiring leaders and friends have done this for me and I try my best to do the same for others.
Thank you, Candina!
