The following is Christina Gold’s Convocation Address that she delivered on Thursday morning. This text should be checked against her delivery. The video of Ms. Gold’s Address is available at: http://www.carleton.ca/convocation/speakers/index.html
Good morning, Dr. Runte, professors, students, honored guests – and especially – the Carleton University Class of 2009.
I am honored to be sharing this celebration with you today. This is – most of all – your day to celebrate and to share this special time with your family and friends. Congratulations!
I am celebrating today too. Forty years ago, it was my graduation day – and it was also the day my husband, Peter, and I got engaged. We have been each others’ best friend and biggest cheerleader ever since. Peter – also a Carleton alumnus – is here today, cheering me on as he always does.
I am extremely proud that Carleton invited me to accept this honor and appreciate that so many of my family and friends are here today.
A lot has changed since I attended my graduation ceremony at Carleton. When I received my Bachelors degree — women made up only a third of Carleton’s total enrollment. Today, enrollment is almost evenly split between genders. This year Carleton is granting nearly three times as many undergraduate and graduate degrees as it did when I graduated and seven times as many PhDs.
When I was invited to speak to you, I thought about what I could share with you on this important day. They say experience is the best teacher, but – as I am sure many of you have already learned – she also is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons come afterward.
With that in mind, I would like to invite you along on my journey and share some of the experiences I have had that may be helpful to you. I could never have imagined then where my life would lead me.
Not surprisingly, who I am today begins with my very first ‘teachers’ – my parents. I was born in the Netherlands. My father was a Dutch military officer and champion gymnast. A quiet man, he was a great influence in my life, teaching me the importance of fairness, hard work and always pushing me to learn.
My mother – born in Canada and raised in England – was a nurse and an artist who had a love of nature and was much more outgoing than my father. I inherited my great love of people from her – and learned the importance of putting people first and building relationships.
I have carried their wisdom with me through the years and owe much of my success to those early lessons.
My brother Jan, my sister, Patty and I immigrated with my parents to Montreal when I was five years old. Little did I know then that my future would hold a whole world of new languages and cultures for me to experience.
With a desire to learn, a work ethic and a drive to push myself, I came to Carleton – my first time away from home and my first taste of independence. The four years went by quickly and the time came for me – as it has for you – to turn the page to the next chapter in my life’s story.
Now I imagine that many of you have a well-thought out plan – a roadmap to the future – where you envision yourself in the months and years to come. For my part – for better or worse – that roadmap did not exist. There was no grand plan.
My first stop was Brooke Bond Foods. I was hired as a clerk responsible for adding up the discount coupons that customers redeemed at the grocery store. A perfect fit? Probably not, but it was my introduction to the world of business.
My next stop was getting hired at Avon. At the time that I joined the company, I could never have predicted that I would be with the company for 28 years, becoming President of Avon, Canada and eventually President of Avon, North America.
While I would like to take credit for a shrewd career decision moving to Avon, the truth was I took the inventory control clerk job because it paid $20 more a week, and I wanted to help buy a desk for my husband’s newly opened law office.
Over the years I have learned that some things happen for a reason and to never discount the role luck and timing play when it comes to success.
I worked hard to make my mark at Avon, and that is when good fortune smiled on me and I met my mentor, Mun Lavigne, head of human resources at Avon. Finding a dedicated mentor is a gift – and one whose value you can never underestimate. It was Mun who saw my potential and nurtured it. I recall it was – at times – a painful growing experience.
Not uncommon for many – I had a fear of public speaking and Mun challenged me to overcome it. I remember he persuaded me to give a speech to Senior Management in New York – a terrifying prospect – and he made me rehearse it again and again.
I reached a point where I was ready to quit… but I didn’t…and…. I survived. I learned that there is no such thing as can’t – only won’t – and this was an immensely valuable lesson.
Mun also helped me to understand early on that – when building your career – it is often more important to recognize what you don’t know, and push yourself to fill those gaps.
I am especially delighted and touched that Mun is here to share this special day with me.
With Mun’s guidance, I made it my mission to fill those gaps. I have to admit, filling the gaps required some tough decisions, including making some lateral moves. It was through these moves that I was able to gain my hands-on experience in nearly every aspect of the business
During my years at Avon, I held more than two dozen different positions. From inventory control, customer service, credit and collection to marketing, sales, human resources and manufacturing.
I even made the conscious and very tough decision to take a demotion – giving up my private office and administrative assistant – to move to a supervisory role, but that decision allowed me to get experience in managing people.
It is because of the decisions I made then – that I gained the business knowledge and the skills needed to open the door to the other career opportunities that have come my way.
In 1998 I ventured out to try my hand at a new and unfamiliar industry. I joined Excel Communications – a long-distance carrier in the U.S. – as Vice Chairman and CEO.
Peter and I packed our things and moved to Dallas, Texas. Another unexpected turn in the road for us. As my husband Peter likes to say – “you never know where life will lead you…let’s just enjoy the adventure!”
Ironically, Excel Communications was wholly owned by Bell Canada. Though we lived in the U.S., we still had a Canada connection. It was when Excel was sold that I made the next stop on my career path and joined Western Union, moving to Denver, Colorado, where I am today.
Looking back, my career has gone from cosmetics, to telecommunications, to global financial services – three very separate, unrelated industries of which I had no prior knowledge or experience. I did, however, discover that there is a common thread that connects them. That common thread is people.
During my four decades in business, I have had the great privilege to work with a variety of personalities and a cast of interesting characters representing a broad and deep collection of talents and life experiences. I have seen – first hand – how resourceful and powerful people can be when their talents are unleashed and their energies are channeled toward a common goal.
From my perspective, there is no substitute for fueling the human spirit and no greater reward than celebrating the triumphs of the team!
Coming to Western Union was both a perfect fit and an exciting opportunity. For those of you who may remember the ‘good old days’ when Western Union was a telegram company – today we are a global Fortune 500 company located in more than 200 countries and territories with almost 400,000 Agent locations worldwide. We offer consumers fast and convenient ways to send money around the globe. Simply put, we move money.
Being at the helm of Western Union I know that our services make a difference in so many lives, helping hard-working men and women support their families back home to pay for essentials, like rent, food, clothing and education.
For me – going beyond ‘business only’ has always been a priority. Winston Churchill said it best… “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Leading Western Union, I have had the privilege and opportunity to put these words into action, establishing the Western Union Foundation. Through the Foundation we fund initiatives driven by a single purpose – to empower individuals, families and communities through access to better education and economic opportunity.
Some of my most memorable and rewarding experiences have occurred on trips to places like Mexico, China and India, where individuals on farms and in small villages show me what they have accomplished with the grants they have received.
Having career success can be satisfying, certainly, but it is about so much more than just business. Nothing compares to the satisfaction, fulfillment and importance of giving back. It is these experiences that stay with you.
And that is where my journey has taken me since my graduation day.
Looking back, there may have been a ‘master plan’ after all. With each life experience and with every lesson I learned along the way – from my parents’ encouragement, my insatiable desire to learn and grow….to my mentor pushing me to excel and my husband’s and family’s never-ending support – I discovered that another piece of the plan unfolded, bringing me to where I am today.
However, today is about each of you beginning your own journey.
Keep learning and asking questions – hold onto that powerful curiosity that has brought you this far.
Recognize that success is not a solo act; never forget those important people behind-the-scenes of your success – family, co-workers, friends and mentors.
Be passionate about what you do. It is that passion that positively channels your energy, drive and ambition.
Perhaps most important, do not limit yourself. There is a world of possibility out there waiting for you.
It may not be a smooth journey at times – you may find some potholes and detours in the road along the way – I know that I did – but just keep moving ahead, enjoy the adventure and see where the road leads you.
Finally, trust yourself. Put your future in good hands – your own.
Thank you.
Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Info Brief
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