As I take steps to achieve my career aspirations, hope and passion lead my way.
Last year, I have decided to leave the company in which I worked for most of the past 12 years. It was not an easy decision. First, there were the people I met. Colleagues who became friends and made my life in The Netherlands and in Berlin more colourful and fun. Like me, they have been long enough in the digital mapping business to have seen its transition from a labour-intensive endeavour to an industry ruled by sensors and algorithms.
Second, there were the products I helped to build. From disrupting the way transit maps were built to planning a new generation of routing services, there were no limits to what we could achieve. We believed we could do better and we kept doing it. Despite becoming more and more distanced from product development functions, I still followed the progress of these products and cheered with the successes of the teams.
Third, there were all the experiences I had had: the memorable trips to Chicago, Fargo and Mumbai; the inspiration and sponsorship provided by a VP-level mentor; the learnings from shadowing amazing professionals; and the opportunity to watch the people I mentored and coached achieve their professional goals.
At some point, I lost the passion as I could no longer achieve my career goals and aspirations in that environment. I felt I that was lacking the opportunity to manage the products which I was passionate about. I felt that I didn't have the drive nor the space to create the impact I wanted. It took me some time to take courage and leave. Last June, I did it.
In the Autumn, supported by a group of extremely talented professionals, I have created PATH. It is my channel to share my enthusiasm about emotional intelligence and conscious leadership and to provide guidance and support for professional women to achieve their goals. As the new year started, I have also started a new job. I have joined Trafi, a vibrant start-up on the mission to make mobility services the first choice worldwide.
I am passionate about my new path and hopeful that I will create the impact I want: helping cities to move more sustainably and supporting professionals to become better leaders.
Comments