Executive Vice Chairman of Hong Kong real estate development firm, Cheuk Nang Holdings Ltd, Gigi Chao
Leaders that change the world don’t just look towards the future — they always learn from the past. And in the case of some of the world’s most accomplished women, encapsulating that one piece of advice they’d give to their younger selves is a powerful moment.
New York-based Ara Tucker, a business leader who’s a Senior Vice President, Head of Talent at Audible, Gigi Chao, the Executive Vice Chairman of Cheuk Nang Holdings Ltd. and prominent LGBTQ+ activist, and Criteo CEO Megan Clarken, are all change makers — those who have not only had incredible careers but who have radically change the industries they are in, and elevated those around them.
Speaking on Yahoo Finance UK’s Global Change Agents with Lianna Brinded show, each of them had a pearl of wisdom that the younger generation and future leaders could take away from their lived experiences.
Chao who always had lofty aspirations dreamed of being President of a country. But she became a household name for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in Asia, when she famously rebelled against familial expectations after penning an open letter to her father entitled: “Dear Daddy, you must accept I’m a lesbian,” in 2014.
The letter came in response to her father placing a “marriage bounty” on her head – and her bold move impacted people across the globe. She has since founded charities including Faith in Love and Big Love Alliance, Hong Kong Marriage Equality and even an ambassador for AIDS Concern and an adviser on the UN Development Programme’s ‘Being LGBTI in Asia and the Pacific initiative’.
And with all of that, being a spokesperson and gamechanger, who people look up to for help.
“To my younger self I would say… enjoy the element of surprise,” said Chao.
“That is one thing I really miss. When I was younger everything was a surprise and everything was new and amazing. And when you get older you lose that… I keep reminding myself that I wish every interview was the first one I did when I was 21 years old — your heart is racing and you’re so nervous. But really enjoy those nerves and enjoy the experience. Don’t waste it. Let it be a good memory for you.”
Audible’s Tucker’s advice follows her hustle for adventure that has led her down the path to business leadership — she studied visual arts and history of art at Princeton University, and continues to indulge her creative side as a filmmaker and an author. After university, she joined a corporate law firm as a junior associate.
“Is life really just about taking it safe and what’s easy, to a certain extent? Or is it about taking some risks and thinking about what am I really meant to do on this earth?,” Tucker said.
Advice from Criteo’s Clarken centres on instinct and bravery. Before becoming a CEO, with a long career in marketing, she famously trained to compete in the Olympics, but an injury ended the long jump career. With that setback in mind, she managed to rise up the corporate ladder, holding several senior positions at Nielsen before becomingCriteo’s first female CEO — and all without going to university and getting a degree.
“I would say follow your instincts. I’ve always gone with my gut and it’s when I’ve not listened to my own instincts and fed off my own experience from the past that it’s run me into a wall,” said Clarken
“I think if I was to look back now and speak to my younger self, or when I counsel young women and their careers… we’ve got pretty good instincts. So, follow your gut, follow instincts – you can’t go wrong.”
Article Credit: uk.finance.yahoo