Series 5, Episode 6 - "Human Flirtations". Sophy Norris in conversation with Monica Chadha, Strategic Advisor, Board Member, Coach, Speaker

In this Episode, Sophy talks to a woman who defines the meaning of a portfolio career, a carefully crafted series of roles and services that enable her to share her expertise, support and lift those she works with and lean into the industries she is passionate about.

Monica Chadha's story is one of grabbing opportunities, following instincts, harnessing mentorship and sometimes stepping into the unknown. This is a woman who knows her value and shares it. Today, she is the Chair of a PwC Advisory Board; sits on the Advisory Board for the 30% Club, a Non-Executive Director of the British Film Institute; and a Senior Advisor to Digital Entertainment Group International (DEGI); British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE); and the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC). She is a member of the British Screen Forum and a voting member of BAFTA.

Of course, she didn’t begin with such an illustrious portfolio, but she did start making waves early on. She started her career at Technicolor Distribution in supply chain management and was appointed to the Board of the British Video Association aged 24. She became Production Director of Prism Leisure Corporation PLC aged 25. Since then, she has held several roles including CEO of MyMovies.Net; Non-Executive Director of Obviously Creative; Chair of the British Independent Film Awards Advisory Board; a member of the BAFTA Digital Communications Board; Advisor to Marlow Film Studios; a member of the Bias in AI Research Group at Durham University; and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for AI; and Vice Chair of Queen Mary University of London.

Monica is a faculty member of the Financial Times Board Director Programme and a confidential thinking partner and coach for senior executives. In 2019, she was named as one of the top 50 Women to Watch in the UK Female FTSE Board Report.

It's an impressive list, daunting even. But, as you will hear as you listen to this podcast, Monica is anything but daunting. She is fun, mischievous, insightful and generous. She shares her experiences and wisdom widely, and there is much to learn from her discussions with Sophy.

Just some of the MANY takeaways include:

• Managing success at a young age, and how people respond to that success, "the most important relationship is the one with yourself."
• The importance of turning confrontations into conversations.
• Understanding that what is dangerous for some feels safe for others.
• Knowing what your values are early on and being able to articulate them.
• The crucial power of relationships, of holding on to them, and letting go of them and the absolute importance of egalitarianism (aka human flirtations).
• You are the CEO of your own career. Curate your own personal boardroom of advisors, and know the expanse of your network, and who to tap into for different scenarios and advice.
• Remembering that leadership needs a phenomenal network.
• Hope is harvesting opportunities and seeing possibilities everywhere.
• Sometimes we have to manage the difficult stuff, so understanding how is key.
• Why humour is a superpower.
• Always be careful what you say yes to and remember to think about what you want your exit to look like.
• Progress is a series of tiny wins built on years of experience. Remember that!

LINKS:

Monica Chadha LinkedIn

Sophy Norris LinkedIn

The Dangerous Women Collective LinkedIn

The Alligator Pi Agency LinkedIn