Name: Oona Collins
Title: Founder and director of Potential Plus International
What I do: I work with ambitious leaders and teams who want to be the best they can be so they outperform in their marketplace. Fifty percent of my clients are in the property sector, because I worked in the industry for over 15 years in the UK and Asia. My clients are often going through periods of transition and growth. A typical coaching and consultancy programme will last between 8-12 months, with many going on to work with me on and off for 10-20 years. I work with senior executives who are transitioning into a new role to make sure they have an impact quickly, as well as executive teams to define and review their growth strategy. In the past few years, I have seen a significant rise in the number of women executives I coach. More and more companies are investing in developing their female leaders.
Why I got into the property industry: I grew up within an entrepreneurial family which instilled the same spirit in me. The property industry had always struck me as being extremely entrepreneurial, so that appealed to me. Before I set up my leadership development consultancy in 2001, I spent over 15 years working in the property industry in the UK and Asia across a number of different functions, including land acquisition, residential development and sales.
How I did it: I started off as a land buyer for a developer in London and then moved into agency, launching a Central London office for a large chain, then running the Far East operation for another, based in Hong Kong and Singapore. Following an acquisition I found myself not enjoying the new company culture and resigned to develop my own properties. I was subsequently offered a consultancy role to help an expanding international property company to equip their teams for growth. I have always enjoyed building teams and developing people and consistently invested time in this as I saw it as a critical ingredient for success. This led me to change my career path and I joined the board of Hamptons International as their group training director for three years.
My first proper job: I have always had a deep interest in sport and fitness and at 18 started working in a health club as a part-time fitness instructor running classes and helping people achieve their fitness goals. This led to a lifetime of interest in sport and fitness and I later spent three years in Australia as a fitness and sports coach working with marathon runners and triathletes. There are many similarities between sport and business which I draw from with my business clients.
My first big break: I was asked to do a presentation to the board of the bank that had become a major shareholder of the property business I was working for. I spent a lot of time preparing for this and it paid off. It increased my profile and I was offered bigger roles, including the opportunity to run the Far East division. It reinforced the importance of grabbing opportunities when they come and really preparing well for them.
My inspiration(s): My mother has been the most significant influence and inspiration in my life. We lost my father very early in our lives and her guidance and resilience during a period of hardship was truly remarkable. In her honour, I’ve established a bursary scheme that supports individuals who possess the potential to achieve remarkable things, but have been disadvantaged through disability or social and economic circumstances. Supporting and coaching them brings me immense pleasure.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: When I made the decision to go into property development, I bought two plots of land in London without planning permission, which I gained and sold. Although lucrative, I found it to be lonely and I missed people. This made me realise how important it is to be motivated and happy at work, which is something my clients will often raise as an area that is critical to their success professionally and personally.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: Travel has been a great part of my life. I have lived in South Africa, Canada, Australia, America and Asia and it has shaped who I have become and has led to working with and getting to know some remarkable people. Sometimes you just need to be brave. I pushed myself to say yes to opportunities I may not have felt ready for, and then worried about how to succeed afterwards. There is something about taking bold action that I believe enables you to grow. Maybe it is part of my entrepreneurial upbringing.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: People often view the industry as one that is not as progressive as others, but I have seen significant evolution of the big corporate model. With technology and new business models attracting a more entrepreneurial leadership, the global footprint is more achievable for more people.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: Having worked with many executive teams, there is still a lack of women around the boardroom table. Progress is being made and there is a long way to go. It is one of the reasons why I am a mentor for the Circle Partnership and it is encouraging to see young, mid-level talent coming through the ranks.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: Diversity for me means diverse thinking. The last thing you want is a room full of people who are all very similar making decisions. Leadership teams need a mix of backgrounds and experiences, including gender, ethnicity, age and upbringing, in order to come up with new ideas. I do a lot of work with leadership teams to identify and develop emerging leaders who can bring different perspectives to the table.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I want to continue to be working with progressive, emotionally intelligent leaders and I’d like to think some of those would be the emerging leaders I have worked with over the last few years. Seeing them flourish and make a difference would be very satisfying.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Hannah Waddingham for me is such a great role model for women. She is smart, talented, authentic and powerful; and I think she’d be great fun.
What I do in my downtime: Health is everything so I enjoy exercise and being outside. I like learning and am fascinated with martial arts, so I have just taken up Qigong. Family is everything. My happy place is Italy; my husband is Italian and we like to escape there whenever we can.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: I love what I do and I appreciate how lucky I am to feel that way about my job.
My advice for someone just starting out: Start building your network early. Say yes to opportunities, even if you are not ready yet, there is a reason why they’ve asked you. Make an effort to gain valuable experience, such as putting yourself forward for heading up a project or joining a charity board. Be generous in business and support others. Start thinking early in your career about what you enjoy doing, what you are most interested in and what makes you happy. If you can focus your career moves on those aspects then you are more likely to succeed.
My motto/mantra: When you do what you love you tend to be very good at it!
