Q: How did your path lead you to SOOP Strategies?
A: I suppose my mom planted the seed in my brain early. She said when I was a teenager, “Hunny, the best thing you can do is work for yourself.” So it was always in the back of my mind that I would one day have my own company. The evolution of SOOP, though, was unpredictable, but here we are!
Q: What is it about SOOP Strategies that you enjoy the most?
A: My teammates. I love them! They are inspiring, kind and caring, funny, brilliant, visionary… I could go on.
Q: If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be?
A: Lord, where to start, there’s a lot. I know. I would have told myself to enjoy my personal joys (maintain dedicated time to continued connections with friends and family, reading novels, hot yoga, puzzles, and so on) while building the career and the business.
I absolutely love my career path – it was exciting and full of wonderful people, and I’ve been able to do things I’d have never dreamed of. However, there is no need to seriously sacrifice friend and family time.
My biggest regret is missing my best friend’s wedding. I was to fly home from a project site in Tanzania three days prior to the wedding. I got sick with malaria and was in hospital in Dar es Salaam. She was wonderful and supportive, but I was not there for her on her big day.
Q: If you could spend a day doing anything you want with money not being an issue, what would it be?
A: I’d go back to my maternal grandparents’ village in southern India, spend time with family and learn all about their lives and my family’s history.
Q: Do you have a favourite holiday tradition?
A: I have several. But I love Christmas. It’s a rush and a whirlwind leading up to, and then on Christmas Day we spend it together, eating everything we had cooked and baked in the days prior, and lounging around in our jammies.
Q: Your favourite vacation destination?
A: Exuma, Bahamas. We went there only once and I’d go again, regularly if we could. The beaches are stunning, the people friendly. The islands are relaxed and joyful. There’s no McDonald’s or major grocery chain. And they put honey on the rice and lobster!
Q: What is your perfect idea of relaxation?
A: Jammies, a good book, tea and/or prosecco.
Q: If you could meet someone famous, who would it be?
A: Rohinton Mistry, author of the phenomenal novel, A Fine Balance, over a lunch buffet at the Regency Restaurant in Toronto, followed by a cup of chai and biscuits.
We’ll be visiting another SOOP team member soon to find out more about the person behind the title.
To learn out more about SOOP and the ESG work we’re passionate about in the extractives sector, we invite you to browse our SOOP Strategies website.