As the saying goes, ”all good things must come to an end.” For me this week marks the end of my six year tenure at HSBC. I joined HSBC in 2013 as one of the first 25 Chief Data Officers (CDO) in the United States and I leave six years later with more than that number of CDOs within HSBC itself. I'm forever grateful to those of you that put your faith in me and gave me this opportunity; the journey was fun, exciting, and even scary at times. While we had our challenges, I think it's safe to say that we made some major strides in both the data governance and data analytics space. I learned so much about myself, the discipline of data, and the inner workings of HSBC. Having said this, the main thing I'll remember is the people; I had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the nicest people you'll find in a workplace environment.
With minimal time at my disposal, I spent this last week focused on getting my affairs in order and saying goodbye to the organization that's been my home for the past six years. My number one priority was trying to connect with as many of my former colleagues as I could. Some of these folks I see every day, others may sit on the same floor and we are like ships passing in the night, and some I've not seen or spoken to in years. Each conversation I had was equally hard and didn't get easier the more times I had it. For those of you that I may have missed, please accept my apologies and I look forward to touching base really soon.
The one thing this week made me realize is that it shouldn't take such a big life event for me to stay connected with my colleagues. As important as it is to fulfill your working responsibilities by attending meetings, completing projects, and meeting deadlines, it's equally important to make sure you're reaching out to talk with colleagues and maintain relationships. It is only through these relationships and conversations that we can foster innovative thought and opportunity. In future, I will work much harder to remember this and make every effort to stay connected.
The bottom line for this post, "change is hard," especially when it comes to something that occupies such a significant portion of your life. Saying goodbye is also hard, especially when you've created deep and meaningful relationships. However, moving on and saying goodbye are critical to personal growth and development; if we don't take risks by entering in to a world of uncertainty, how are we supposed to know what the world has to offer and what potential opportunities it could bestow upon us? The only thing for us to do is to keep moving forward by putting one foot in front of the other and I am very much looking forward to writing the next chapter in my professional story.
To my HSBC family near and far, this one is for you. Thank you for everything you've done for me over the last six years; I can honestly say none of it would've been possible without each and every one of you. While I may be turning the page on this chapter in my life, the memories and friendships I have built over these last six years will hold a very special place in my heart for many more years to come.
