What ma
de you decide to become a Program Quality Director?
The reason I joined a Toastmasters meeting for the first time, was only because a colleague had been inviting me so many times – I just couldn’t find any more excuses to refuse. And there, in that small room at the third floor of the building, I was immediately impressed by the people attending the meeting, a wide variety from freshly graduated students to seasoned managers; a wide variety of topics discussed, from chocolate, to leading styles; and really great parties after contests or trainings.
It was such a huge exposure to literature, science and sociology – that I even wanted my family to join the club, which they did: my daughter is a CC, ALB Toastmaster.
I could see so many opportunities for me to learn new skills, to understand more about myself and others, that I needed to explore all the roles, one by one, and here I am now, learning how to be a Program Quality Director.
What is your vision for the upcoming year for you in your new role?
I hope that during my term, I will be able to touch the mind of many Toastmasters and reveal the benefits that Toastmasters program brings: knowledge, self-confidence and structured and persuasive communication.
I believe that educated people have more options to choose from, confident people have the courage to change and good communicators can express themselves in ways that can extinguish conflicts and create progress.
What kind of challenges were you able to identify so far related to your role?
As always, time is a challenge. There are only 24 hours in a day and we need to prioritize our tasks wisely. For sure, Toastmasters will be a top priority, but it won’t be the highest, every single day.
What’s in it for you?
I believe that when we stop learning, we stop dreaming and we stop planning, we start dying. In my life, I need to have goals that I can fulfill, challenges that offer me the possibility to grow and quantifiers to measure my achievements. The Toastmasters program can offer me all of the above.
How do you think this role will impact your professional career/ personal goals?
In my work life I am an vibro-acoustic expert, leading international scientific projects for making elevators ride as smooth, pleasant and comfortable as possible. Toastmasters training and experience helped me to pitch new projects more effectively to our board, to motivate and enroll scientists in my visions and find solutions to reach our targets – while we have a healthy and productive atmosphere on our team.
What are your passions aside from Toastmasters?
I love travelling and exploring new places, I spend a lot of time training my dogs and for my relaxation I do pottery.
What piece of advice would you give someone who would aspire to take on this role in the future?
Invest your time in this role wisely, it is not about how hard you work, but about how wisely you do it. Sometimes with a single word you can build or destroy weeks of effort.
