Rashda Rana is a Barrister, Arbitrator and Mediator. She has worked at the Bar in London, in various states in Australia and in the Asia Pacific region, notably Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China for the past 20 years. Most recently, she was the General Counsel for Lend Lease Project Management & Construction. Rashda is also an Adjunct Professor at The Sydney University Law School.
What qualities do you most admire in a female colleague?
Perseverance & tenacity in the face of sheer adversity
If you could change another woman’s life, who would it be and why?
Any one woman, with children on her hip, facing poverty & hardship through environmental and social circumstances which threaten- always – to drag people down deeper and deeper leading to despair and surrender. No one should be leading such a life in this age.
You are a role model for women, how do you think you can assist in their success?
By showing them support and encouraging them to persist even when failure seems to loom; by enlarging their own circle of influence to give them the opportunity to succeed.
What is the best path to success in your field of endeavour?
Support from others and very hard work
How would you describe your ideal work day?
Great day of oratory in court followed by opera and dinner with my husband
What’s the key to successfully balancing work and life?
Planning, planning, planning
What makes you happy?
Simple and random acts of kindness
What brings you sadness?
Thoughtlessness, greed and selfishness
What’s your motto?
Just have a go