Close-up: Gail Kelly

In this installment of "Close-up" I would like to introduce you to Gail Kelly. Born in 1956 in Pretoria, South Africa, now residing in Australia, happily married, and mother of four, she has given birth to triplets. Oh, and she's also Australia's highest paid women, and ranks 8th in Forbes most powerful women index. She spent the first 40 years of her life living in South-Africa where apartheid was still in place, and she obtained a degree in arts and teaching, not exactly what you would expect from someone who would become so rich and powerful. Her first job was as head of the Latin department in a private school, but a few years later she got a job in a bank at the bottom of the ladder. She started as a simple teller, but while also having her children she climbed the career ladder at an extraordinary pace, and when they decided to move to Australia she had gained quite some status within the bank. And when she arrived in Australia she quickly made it to the head of a major Australian bank. How did she manage to achieve all this? According to her, the keys that made her successful are impatience and wanting to get things done, but she also has a passion for her job and only sleeps about 4 hours a day. She also says that surrounding yourself with the right people is essential. Quite an extraordinary woman.
Philip Boelens