Podcast Ep 20: ‘How to Take More Risks in Your Career’ with guest Dessi Silassie

Welcome to Her Ambitious Career, the personal branding and success podcast for ambitious corporate women.

In Episode 20, ‘How to Take More Risk in Your Career’ my fabulous guest, Dessi Silassie, APAC General Counsel and Global IP & Financial Services Legal at IHS Markit shares some personal stories of risk: both opportunities she regrets saying ‘no’ to as well as some that seriously paid off.

In this episode, Dessi talks about:

• Taking risks to move from a legal private practice into a global data business
• Pitching a proposal to be transferred from the London to Singapore offices of IHS Markit
• Being offered the Chief Diversity Officer role and joining the Executive…

And all the self-doubt and considerations she had to weigh up along the way. This is an honest (and sometimes vulnerable) conversation about seeing risk as ‘opportunity’ and enjoying the stretching learning journey as you go!

Stand Out Quotes:

There were lots of standout quotes from Dessi in this episode… so I thought I’d share them all!

“Success has come with a lot of hard work, long hours, tears, uncertainty and insecurity about whether I was good enough or not. But taking risks has given me an appetite for taking more risks.”

“FUD is a real thing, right? For men and women: fear, uncertainty and doubt. I have had to ask myself – my fear [about taking on more risk] is just about me embarrassing myself or being judged by others for not getting it right… but then you find people around you are generous and they want you to succeed.”

“There was something inside me that said, ‘Just do it! Roll the dice!’ And now, ten years on, I don’t recognise the person I’ve become. [By saying yes] I’ve now worked on 3 continents, I adore the people I work with and love the work we do.” (Dessi Silassie, guest on ‘Her Ambitious Career’ Podcast)

Guest Bio:

Dessi Silassie is an Executive Vice President, leading teams in legal and diversity, equity & inclusion at IHS Markit. Dessi leads the teams who provide legal support to their Asia Pacific business, global Financial Services business, intellectual property for the company and last, but not least, she serves as the global chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer supporting the organisation’s commitment to maintaining diverse and inclusive high performance teams.

Dessi describes herself as “a player-coach leader who is passionate about solving problems with people and providing solutions to our customers and stakeholders through smart collaboration. I love what I do because it allows me to grow, develop and connect with people. Every day provides me with opportunities to be challenged and learn from others around me in a way that brings out the best version of myself.”

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Host Bio:

Rebecca Allen is a Career Success Coach for ambitious women looking to land dream career opportunities. She has worked over the last 10 years with clients from companies including ANZ Bank, Origin Energy, J.P. Morgan and Coca-Cola Amatil and loves getting those excited phone calls from clients saying they’ve been promoted, have negotiated a seismic pay rise or have moved into a role completely aligned with their mission, values and strengths. Her own ambitions include raising two beautiful, happy confident children; building a fun and impactful coaching business to empower 50,000 women worldwide; and visiting Alaska! Find Rebecca: www.illuminategrowth.com.au

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