Conversations For Our Future with Kimberley Cole

Welcome to the third edition of Conversations For Our Future. In this interview series we’ll be hearing from a diverse set of voices on how we can harness the pandemic to build a new global normal. I’ll be asking each interviewee the same three questions:

1. What one aspect within your sector have you seen transformed due to the pandemic?

2. In your opinion, has/will the pandemic change how we function as a society? If so, how?

3. How do you hope to personally harness the pandemic to create positive change?

My guest today is Kimberley Cole, Global Head Sales & Marketing at Lynk Global and founder of Risky Woman. You can read her thought-provoking responses below!

Introduction

About Kimberley

Kimberley is Global Head Sales & Marketing at Lynk Global, a platform that matches experts from around world to enable corporations and investors to make better business decisions by accessing those with knowledge. A global executive, she has extensive background in financial services and technology. As a sales and marketing leader for over 30 years she has worked with customers in multiple geographies on big data projects and identifying solutions to help them thrive in an increasingly disrupted world.

She is also the Founder of Risky Woman and is passionate about inspiring and connecting women to be bold, to extend and to take risks.

The network has a foundation in Governance, Risk and Compliance and focuses on the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape offering connections and ideas for building business and careers for women and of course men too.

Married to an often sailing husband, mother of 2 fabulous daughters and 2 rescue dogs. Non-Exec Director of the Fair Employment Foundation.

Questions

What one aspect within your sector have you seen transformed due to the pandemic?

Kimberley: The ability for all staff to be able to work from home and for flexible working to become a reality for all.  This is not specific to my industry or company but wide spread and global. Even countries like Japan who had limited tech enabled teams and often preferred to see staff rather than look at outputs had to switch. And we switched quickly!  Technology has been a huge enabler and the skills to manage remotely and ensure teams feel connected and that we can engage effectively with customers has been a significant shift in how we operate.  We should remember how this shift was possible and shows how we can move quickly for big changes!

In your opinion, has/will the pandemic change how we function as a global society? If so, how?

Kimberley: We are all connected and the world is global. Having lived and worked in multiple countries the interconnectedness has always been clear to me and something that I have loved. The pandemic has demonstrated how boundaries and borders do not count and the need for global coordination and knowledge sharing to address the challenges is key.  There has been some demonstration on how we can work faster and better by sharing information, best practices and knowledge. Unfortunately, there has also been equal issues of mis-information and lack of cooperation and a total lack of leadership. The fabulous changes which I hope will continue and be pushed for is how we can address big issues far more quickly than we ever thought. The climate change agenda needs to move with greater pace and with the pandemic “slow-down” with less travel and other activity we have seen good progress. We need to accelerate and take more action now!

How do you hope to personally harness the pandemic to create positive change?

Kimberley: Slow down, reflect and enjoy where we are! Importantly also, to take action where I can!