If there is one woman who hit the ground running since arriving in Abu Dhabi in 2013, it is this month’s Spotlight Lady Heather Smith. She came to Abu Dhabi to set up Brightpoint Royal Women’s Hospital. In addition to all of her regular duties as an Hospital Administrator, she spent numerous hours networking and promoting Brightpoint before it opened to the public. She made sure every woman in Abu Dhabi knew what Brightpoint Royal was all about and what women’s health services were available. She invited us into the hospital, introduced us to the doctors and staff. She worked hard and all of that effort has paid off. In such a short time, she has become such an influential member of our community. Everyone knows Heather. When you meet someone that has met her – even if they’ve only met her once – she is often described as a friend, rather than an acquaintance.
Heather’s leadership skills speak for themselves. She has since been promoted to Vice President of Strategic Projects for NMC Healthcare. Heather currently serves on the Board of Directors for AmCham Abu Dhabi is the organisation’s chairperson for Women in Business. She is not all business though. In her down time, you’ll find her in the rink skating for the Abu Dhabi Roller Derby team. This woman is amazing and it’s why we love her.
Here is our interview with Heather.
Describe yourself in three words:
Humble, savvy, and optimistic.
What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
Working with a great team to open Brightpoint Royal Women’s Hospital, the first private women’s hospital in Abu Dhabi.
Do you have children and have they influenced your career?
I do not have any children, but I have certainly helped others with having and raising theirs. I do firmly believe it takes a village to raise children. Children do help us adults keep things in perspective and allow us to laugh at silliness.
How do you stay connected through social media?
Facebook and Instagram.
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Linguist. I love words.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Tricky. When you love your job like I do, work and personal time are not divided into distinct times.
What websites do you visit every day?
Bbc.com, Google.com, and Facebook.com.
Who is your hero and how have they helped make you who you are today?
Malala.
She is influential the world to educate girls and boys and strongly promotes the nature of forgiveness.
What are your top 3 favorite people/places/things in Abu Dhabi?
Saadiyat beach, my great friends, the multicultural aspects of this great capital city.
What is your goal for retirement?
Work for charity for the empowerment of women.
Do you have any advice for women who have just arrived to Abu Dhabi?
Embrace the differences.
What challenges had to overcome in our position and how have you dealt with them?
Every health care system in every country is different. It was challenging to open and operate a safe hospital and clinic while ensuring we are delivering the services that women expect in a women’s hospital.
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
This is a philosophy I apply everyday in life….failure is not what I fear, everyday is a day for me to learn from my failures.
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