Speaking with Women
Speaking with women is a global conversation on being visible and crafting your professional path when you are a woman.
The options we have, the brands we build, the permissions we give ourselves.
It is a show about showing up.
You will hear the voices of real women from all over the world discussing a variety of subjects. There are special editions such as the 2020 Virtual Coffee Tour or the Unmistakable series, but also solo episodes where we dive into some of the more common roadblocks you might encounter as a professional woman and what you can do to Find your Voice, Own your Story and Step into your Power.
Speaking with Women
Ep. 44 Unmistakably Excellent: Nadia B. Theodore: Head of the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva - Ambassador to the World Trade Organization
On this episode I speak with Nadia B. Theodore, the head of the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva. She is also the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO. This interview left me in a deep state of reflection. Nadia gave us a masterclass on how to lead with authenticity, and how to carefully think about the evolution of our careers. Enjoy!
Nadia began her public service career at the Canada Revenue Agency in 2000. She subsequently worked with the Department of the Solicitor General, and she joined International Trade Canada in 2004. At Headquarters, she has served as director of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, director of the Secretariat for the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and chief of staff to the deputy minister of international trade. Abroad, she served at the permanent mission in Geneva from 2009 to 2012 and as consul general in Atlanta from 2017 to 2020. Most recently, she worked as a senior vice president at Maple Leaf Foods, a Canadian consumer packaged goods company and the world’s first major carbon neutral food company.
Nadia’s Word: Excellence
04:15 - Nadia speaks her childhood, and how she started a petition to be allowed to go to sleepovers
08:35 - How her thirst of understanding the why and why not, led to her being called Koffi Annan 2.0
11:32 - Nadia explains the role of a diplomat, particularly in the international trade space, and why she entered this space
17:25 - We discuss the idea of power, the evolution of power dynamics, and how we can better support different types of leaders
23:15 - On leading with excellence, and the evolution of her stance on it
26:05 - We share thoughts on how asking for permission can stunt our growth, and stop us from reaching our full potential
35:16 - I ask her on the challenges of being visible, and how she manages the pressure that comes with it
40:56 - Nadia's key takeaways: be careful who you give credibility to in your life, and be gracious but not grateful
You can find Nadia on LinkedIn, and Twitter
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