Onyinye Adaora Anyaegbu
01.
What is your professional title, purpose or passion?
My professional title is HR Business Partner – I am a strategic partner for a global travel retail business.
03.
What did you want to do when you were a child and what changed?
My head was swamped with lots of ideas to be honest, from talk show host to acting to singing and being a lawyer at some point.
I would say I got into HR by chance and it’s been a great journey because I get to do things that I love to do to help people and cause change.
I hope to get back to more creative writing at some point. Who knows? maybe have my own talk show.
05.
What's the best career advice you've ever been given?
Clarity is golden – be clear on who you and what you want and go for it. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there.
07.
What is the best thing about your current working environment?
I work for a company that is global and diverse, and that gives such richness and depth to my job. I support a business that has over 22 nationalities and each day you can be sure to learn something new.
09.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
I’m currently going through a change and I’m rethinking what the next 5 years will hold. I’ll have to come back to you on this.
11.
Tell us more about a charitable organisation or project you think is great.
Compassion is a leading children’s charity that has a relentless passion to empower every child left vulnerable by poverty (www.compassionuk.org)
13.
What drives you?
My family and my purpose. I’m passionate about enabling others and I derive joy from being part of people’s success story in whatever way I can contribute.
15.
Any final comments?
I’m currently learning the power of contentment and appreciating my journey. This means I’m being very conscious and deliberate; enjoying each moment and not fighting the process. Always being grateful for what I have and fiercely going for what’s next!
02.
What does a normal day look like for you?
I’m currently on maternity leave so my day is filled with home and kids’ activities, school run/work and ‘exciting’ house chores.
When I’m back to work my day consists of a variety of activities around people - from strategic meetings to one-to-one conversation aimed at supporting individuals and teams to deliver great performance by ensuring they are equipped with the right enablers for success.
04.
What have you achieved that you feel most proud of?
Not to be cheesy- but my kids will have to be top of the list. Being a mum is such a great blessing and having to be part of their story is a great privilege.
06.
Tell us about a a woman who inspires you
My mum – she’s an amazing woman of great strength and resilience. Amidst the craziness life has thrown her way she’s been able to rise and bring others up with her. She’s the kindest of heart and has been a blessing to her family and community
08.
What was your biggest failure?
I honestly can’t say. I’ve made loads of mistakes for sure but nothing significant to fit the category.
10.
What do you like most about yourself?
Drive: I’m very driven and I get lots of fuel from internal validation (it’s taken me a while to work on that - lol!)
Hopeful: I’m a glass half-full kind of girl, and my hope comes from my faith in God which serves as a strong anchor for me during tough seasons.
Playful: not the first thing people associate with me, but I make time to just play. I let go and simply be! As I get older, I appreciate the need to find joy and lightness in my crazy days and that helps me stay balanced. My kids make the best playmates.
12.
How can we make the world more inclusive and accepting?
I love there is so much focus on this now but to be honest the biggest shift would only come when it stops being a tick box exercise. Instead, everyone must take individual responsibility to make time to truly understand, empathise with the other person, their journey and be ready to be part of their story.
14.
What skills have been key to your journey so far?
I would say resilience and self-awareness.