In the Hot Seat with Steph Orde, CFO at Episode 1

What’s your name and where are you from?
Steph. Born in Guildford. Decade in London. Now in Hampshire

Three words to describe yourself?
Curious, Hard working, Adventurous

What has been your biggest success in your life so far?
At work, closing the largest and fiendishly complex counterparty settlement within the Lehman administration. 

Personally, winning the non-pro London Triathlon.

What’s your biggest failure?
Not maintaining the same progression/ trajectory at work after having 2 wonderful daughters. I also see this as my epiphany moment!

If you weren’t doing your job you do today, what would you do?
Run an outdoor activity centre in the Peak District and go wild-swimming every day

Who would be your mystery dinner guest (dead or alive) & why?
Thomas Cromwell – to talk about his early years (which are relatively undocumented) and being advisor to Wolsey

If you were to win big on the lottery what would be the FIRST thing you’d do?
Buy a modest wooden yacht – sailing is my husband’s passion – and retrace the [fictional] voyages in Childer’s “Riddle of the Sands”; and explore Norway’s Fjords 

What’s your favourite book/blog/website to read?
Sorry to pick 2 but I love them both in different ways.

Micro perspective: Tara Westover’s “Educated”  (‘An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. IT’S EVEN BETTER THAN YOU’VE HEARD.’ – Bill Gates

Macro perspective: Tim Marshall “Prisoners of Geography” 

What’s the silliest thing you have ever done?
Become a cub leader. Every Tuesday evening I am “Kolo”. My pack is 25 cubs strong and leading them is silly, wonderful and challenging in equal measure.

What was the biggest EUREKA moment in your life so far?
Work can be “my everything” for phases of my life. But in other phases fitness/health; relationships/family and community/charity also need to feature heavily

If you were to die tomorrow, what advice would you leave to the world?
Life is a series of ‘phases’. Enjoy every ‘phase’ for what it is, because it will pass.