Connecting Africa’s Skilled Professionals
ReConnect Africa is a unique website and online magazine for the African professional in the Diaspora. Packed with
essential information about careers, business and jobs, ReConnect Africa keeps you connected to the best of Africa.
Grace Alalade
I was educated at....
....Thames University, Kingston University and the Open University.
My first job was....
....a year’s internship with British Rail (before it was nationalised). My roles involved graphics programming, public relations and marketing. I was part of a team responsible for developing graphics training applications for trainee Train Drivers for the Paddington to Bristol route. I was also part of a team to develop a marketing campaign for a weekend first class upgrade and conducted market research on the trains.
What I do now is....
....I am an organisational change expert working in the energy industry, which involves helping businesses manage their change journeys effectively with the introduction of restructuring, business transformation and so on. I develop approaches around organisation design, communications and training for staff. I also have my own consultancy which provides individuals and organisations with leadership development and life skills. My passion lies with supporting children’s charities and also writing plays, lyrics and short stories in my spare time.
Grace Alalade has many years experience in both IT and business and has worked in the public and private sectors.
She joined Shell in 1998 and since then has taken on various positions within the company in Information Technology, Organization Design and Change Management. Her current role involves leading change, training and communications for a number of businesses.
Grace won the Corporate Mainstream Award for Shell from the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners (EFBWBO) in 2006 and was a finalist in the “Influencing the Workplace” category for the Precious Awards 2008.
She was the first Chair of the Shell African Network (an employee network for staff of African/Caribbean heritage). Under her leadership, the Network was the finalist for Race For Opportunity’s Mentoring Award category in 2009. It is now seen as one of the leading networks for blue-chip companies in the country
In 2011, Grace was invited to become a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
Grace is also the Founder of The Dream Bigger Company, which delivers change management and leadership development solutions to individuals and businesses.
What I learned along the way is...
....discover yourself, understand yourself, be yourself! Dream big and don’t forget to live the dream.
My greatest influence has been....
....my parents. My mother has always believed in me and expected nothing less than reaching for the skies. My father imprinted into my brain from a very young age that I had no choice but to be a professional and get a degree! Though the pressure was quite intense back then because of their high expectations of me and my siblings, I am indebted to them and feel truly blessed.
The best advice I ever received is....
....“Time is precious. Don’t waste it. Make sure you can account for how you’ve used it.” My uncle, Papa Mbakwe, said this to me when I had just finished my A Levels and I had spent most of the summer holidays waking up at 11am/12pm. He was not amused and gave me a good scolding. I’m very conscious of my time now and try to use it as effectively as possible.
My top tips for succeeding in my career area are.....
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