Page 45 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

There’s a book, Make Your Bed – Small advice, manage legal risks and I advise advice there is. Now my name is a bit
Things That Can Change Your Life, by the board on any legal matters. We do of a calling sign; it’s who I am.
Admiral William McRaven. What he all the legal documents and treaties
said was, if you get the simple tasks that the World Bank enters into. You are a single mum of two. How do
done at the start of the day you set juggle family and work life?
yourself on a path to get other stuff What are you proudest of so far? You don’t think about it, you just do
done. Now I can’t leave the house I am proud of the wonderful things it. Women have done it for centuries.
without making the bed! I think doing the Bank does, and has done since Now we’ve just made it this really Business, Corporates, Financiers & Entrepreneurs
the simple things in your thought they were created. We lend money to difficult thing to do and no it isn’t easy
processes really matters for success. governments for specific development but also you don’t have to do it on
projects that change lives, particularly your own. It should be a family thing.
Does success not rely on a plan? women’s lives. In Indonesia there is a Not just a women thing. I’m a single
You don’t need a set path – what you mountain village where the women mum and have a daughter with autism
need is a big ambition. It needs to be would walk for four hours a day with but I took the view that I wouldn’t have
so big that it’s unobtainable, but you their kids on their back to get water. to be perfect, I could just be okay.
need to hold it. Don’t worry about We brought running water to that Doing what I do is easier than a four-
being the only one in the room. Do it village. The men didn’t have that as a hour daily trip to fetch water.
because it’s what you want. Aim for priority because they weren’t the ones
big dreams that seem impossible. going to get the water every day. Yet surely you have faced barriers?
Optimism is free. If you hit below I have but I’ve chosen to ignore most
them you will still hit a lot higher than of them. I took the view early on that
you otherwise would have. Women in if I was going to scrutinise every thing
particular can be, “well, I can’t do that it was going to be very difficult. I
because this, this and this”. It’s about decided to only see positives. Maybe
resilience, keeping going. I’ve had to wait longer than other
You don’t need people, maybe I was paid less, but
And luck? a set path to be that’s the way it was. You need a lot
And luck?
I would redefine luck as resilience – of self-belief to get through. There will
I would redefine luck as resilience –
you keep going long enough, you’ll successful - you always be people who automatically
you keep going long enough, you’ll
get there. The other thing I’d say
get there. The other thing I’d say assume I can’t do the job. So you stop
about luck is it’s guts, having the guts need ambition trying to prove yourself to others. If
about luck is it’s guts, having the guts
to do something other people won’t they carry on thinking like that then
to do something other people won’t
and taking a chance and not having they lose out on an awful lot of talent.
and taking a chance and not having
the fear. An opportunity will present What are your aims for the future?
the fear. An opportunity will present
itself and most people do not take it
itself and most people do not take it I’m honoured to have the chance to You must have helped spearhead
because they are scared of failure. The use my voice, and any time anyone change?
because they are scared of failure. The
lucky ones are the ones who take it. gives me the opportunity I will say I don’t know that I’ve necessarily
lucky ones are the ones who take it.
that we need to end gender-based changed attitudes but I’ve seen
You were headhunted to interview for
You were headhunted to interview for violence in this world. We try to build attitudes change generally. There was
General Counsel but hesitated. What
General Counsel but hesitated. What it into our projects but also it has to be no way 10 years ago that we would
changed your mind?
changed your mind? globally tackled. think the World Bank would have a
When I was asked to come for an female black General Counsel. I’m the
When I was asked to come for an
interview I told myself all the reasons You originally trained as a barrister first one and now at the IMF we have
interview I told myself all the reasons
I couldn’t do it, all the skills I didn’t but re-qualified as a solicitor. Why? another black female General Counsel.
I couldn’t do it, all the skills I didn’t
have. I thought, they will never select
have. I thought, they will never select I didn’t have the finances to sustain a
me. Then I went on holiday and career at the bar because a barrister is How do you think we can improve
me. Then I went on holiday and
thought, ‘why did I do that – isn’t it up self-employed and I needed a salary. diversity in your industry overall?
thought, ‘why did I do that – isn’t it up
to the World Bank to decide? If it’s
to the World Bank to decide? If it’s Less talking and more doing. If you
me, it’s me. I shouldn’t assume it’s not And you went on to work in asset look at the diversity in the World Bank
me, it’s me. I shouldn’t assume it’s not
me”. So I got back in touch and said management – was that your aim? we’ve got the best brains from around
me”. So I got back in touch and said
“put my name back on the list”. I’d Not especially. I was looking at all the world. Elsewhere I still hear people
“put my name back on the list”. I’d
never worked in development before,
never worked in development before, these different jobs and Schroders saying, “yes, diversity, but we don’t
I had to move countries from London
I had to move countries from London came up. The recruitment agency want to lower standards”. You’re doing
to Washington, it’s a massive job. But suggested I change my name because it to raise standards – to find more
to Washington, it’s a massive job. But
it was resilience that got me there. Okoro was too foreign, and they said talent, not less! That’s the whole point!
it was resilience that got me there.
I’m black and female so stood very
Outline your role for us.
Outline your role for us. little chance. I thought, well, I don’t And, finally, how do you relax?
I’ve got a team of 160 that I manage want to work for an institution that Ooh, film and TV! I’m that generation.
I’ve got a team of 160 that I manage
across the globe. The World Bank is a
across the globe. The World Bank is a wouldn’t employ me because I have I’m a big Game of Thrones fan. I
development bank, with the goal of
development bank, with the goal of a name like that. Then Schroders love reading, the theatre – I was on
ending extreme poverty. We ensure
ending extreme poverty. We ensure offered me a job and I thought – that the board of the RSC. We can learn
that we work within our founding
that we work within our founding is so not true. There is some really so much from the arts and there
articles and carry out our mission
articles and carry out our mission rubbish advice out there – one day I is an awful lot we can learn from
safely. We give all the legal
safely. We give all the legal want to write a book on all the rubbish Shakespeare.
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