“Working for a better future in a better world”
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| Renaissance Women
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Article from "THE SEASON" in Association with the Renaissance Club Volume 1 Issue 1 Summer 2003
RENAISSANCE WOMEN
Words: Melissa Sterry
She works hard; she plays hard. She is intelligent and glamorous. Despite her obvious virtues she is frequently overlooked by the media, who choose to focus on women of lesser intelligence and dignity – women who are happy with whatever ploy is required to grab the tabloid headlines.
Unlike her older cousin, the hard-nosed career girl of a decade or two ago, she doesn’t like to burn the midnight oil at the office, instead she prefers to use her natural charm and charisma to network her way into the biggest deals, more often than not over a glass of champagne in one of London’s chicest bars or restaurants. Her combination of business acumen and sex appeal scares the hell out of the few remaining misogynous, chauvinistic males that still roam, usually in packs, around the cark corners of town.
Renaissance Woman is a genuine all-rounder. She’s achieved heavy weight goals in business, she attends society’s most glamorous events and she does it all with grace; she never steps on anyone’s toes to get where she wants, she doesn’t need to, for she creates markets and revenue streams from scratch. She sounds like a myth, but as two women clearly illustrate she is a real phenomenon and is re-inventing the image of women at work and at play.
Heather Bird is beautiful and immaculate; it would be easy to mistake her for just another member of the ‘Lady’s Who Lunch Brigade’. Heather blends seamlessly into any social situation and does not strike one as a pushy career girl, but don’t be fooled.
Originally from Salt Lake City, Heather put herself through an international university education funded by becoming a successful model which taught her the importance of maintaining both physical and mental health, an interest which started well before her modeling career. She went to High School in a small town called St. George where she took a summer job as a sister in a care center, which unbeknown to her at the time would shape the future of her career. Whilst working at the care center Heather helped people suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, learning first hand the dreadful effects of degenerative illnesses.
Heather’s work in the care center inspired her to take up a role at the World Health Organization in Geneva. Through extensive research she developed a comprehensive understanding of anti-ageing medicine and treatments. She discovered that through ‘lifestyle management’ people could enjoy an enhanced quality of life and preserve good health for longer. She integrated her interest in health studies into her MBA, attending medical conferences and basing her MBA business plan on opening an anti-ageing clinic.
Having opened the clinic, Heather is now at the forefront of the medical arena. Her Harley Street and Beauchamp Place clinics have a strong celebrity following and are renowned for offering revolutionary health and anti-ageing treatments. Heather also recently organized a major international anti-ageing conference in Monte Carlo, attended by a number of the most renowned experts in the field. She has launched not just one, but two cosmeceutical lines and is currently writing a book.
You’d imagine Heather had little time for anything else. She not only finds the time to socialize on a global scale, but also raises funds for charities, including the Kidney Foundation and The Shakespeare Globe Trust. She frequently visits the South of France, enjoying the sunshine in St. Tropez and Monaco on weekend visits throughout the year.
Heather sounds like the exception to the rule but she’s not alone. One of London’s most dynamic business-women Karen Haddon shows that the Renaissance Woman is not a rarity.
An elegant, vivacious and quick thinking brunette, Karen manages to head two internationally successful companies. With a passion for singing and dancing, Karen went to stage school at a young age. At fifteen she won the leading role in a television series, a part she played for two years. During the series, Billy Ocean’s manager spotted her potential and offered her a recording contract with CBS. Within a year Karen had recorded an album and found herself on a tour of Europe where chart success followed. However, at 21 Karen re-considered her career and decided to work with her father in his successful furniture manufacturing plant in Croydon. Before long she realized she preferred the lifestyle and normality of a full-time job. She had spent years traveling and auditioning for parts and found it novel to be able to plan her day in advance.
Karen started her business career book-keeping and helping with the general administration; she was fascinated by the cut and thrust of business and watched and listened whenever she saw her father putting deals together. Before long the company was growing and Karen was asked to join full-time as Financial Director. At that time the company, Le Maitre, had a staff of six, including the partners. Today, 21 years later, Le Maitre employ 120 people in the UK across two factories, with the same again at their plant in Canada. Karen’s natural business ability and intuition have taken the company to global markets and enabled the company to position itself at the very top of the fireworks and special effects industry. The company has hosted some of the world’s most spectacular firework displays, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the Millennium Dome, The Channel Tunnel opening ceremony, displays over Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Disney Land Paris and even a major display over the Pyramids in Cairo.
Six years ago she decided it was time for a new challenge. She decided to become a partner in a cosmetic surgery company, which would bring new treatment to England. Over the past few years something that Karen set-up as a ‘hobby’ has grown into one of the most well respected cosmetic surgery companies in Europe. She attributes this not only to new treatments and procedures, but to client care, hand holding the clients through the whole process of cosmetic surgery from start to finish. Compassion is something Karen applies to all aspects of her life. A few years back Karen’s colleagues noticed she was arriving late into work because she had been visiting an old lady in hospital each morning after dropping her daughter off to school.
Fitting a social life around Karen’s commitments may seem utterly impossible but she neatly tucks one in. Every July she takes a month long holiday with her daughter, Jamie; she can also be spotted at many major sporting events, always in the most exclusive areas, be it The Royal Enclosure at Ascot or Centre court for the Wimbledon Finals.
So how do they do it? How do Renaissance Women work and play hard, look great and manage to be so caring and sharing? Surely it’s not natural! The first quality a Renaissance Woman has is her drive and commitment. She doesn’t become successful overnight, she works to achieve major goals and is not easily distracted by fly-by-night schemes and cheap thrills. Secondly, she takes care to keep herself in good shape, both physically and mentally – she is more likely to relax in a spa after a hard day’s work than drink herself silly in a smoke-filled bar in the West End. Thirdly, as a naturally caring person, she treats suppliers and clients with consideration and loyalty, the bi-product being they return the gesture which helps her through the inevitable tough times. However, the key is that her clients not only stand by her, but they also become her friends. The Renaissance Woman is a social creature, she makes the effort to get out and about in all the right places and with all the right people. With her address book bulging and her diary full it’s really no surprised that her email in-box is full of business proposals and her mobile rings constantly with new contacts.
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Heather Bird-Tchenguiz MBA
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