We’ve been sharing snippets of our panelists in anticipation of the Changing the Conversation: Empowering Women in Business event, happening this Thursday morning at eMarketer. We also wanted to highlight one of the key forces behind (and in front of!) this event, our moderator: Rabia de Lande Long.

We asked Rabia to share with us a little more about herself and her career. Below are her responses:

Rabia engaging the audience of the Changing the Conversation event in April 2016.

Describe a challenge that you’ve overcome in your career.

I went to business school to segue out of human resources roles and into marketing, although I didn’t count on the Gulf War and the resulting recession, which meant that I was back in line for more “people” jobs. I had a great run as the HR head for Stoli (then part of PepsiCo International), and as a reward, they wanted to send me to Moscow for a two-year stint. That was not my idea of a reward.

I was lucky to have networked with some great search people so I was able to get placed at Price Waterhouse as a compensation consultant. However, shortly after joining, I was really missing the business side of the business, and wanted to find a solution within the firm. One day I found myself in a meeting where I spied an unbound “draft” manuscript in front of the fellow next to me. It was labelled “change management methodology,” and I was super intrigued.

I worked up the courage to introduce myself to the partner and asked if I could speak to him afterwards. I did and within a couple of weeks was the third person to join a new practice area. It was the perfect blend of business, marketing, and people and launched my entire career.

The lesson here is to not to settle. Keep looking until you find an area or a role that fuels you.

What is a piece of advice that you wish you could give your former self?

I always put clients first. Then came kids. And golly it goes by quickly. My best advice would have been to take more time to build even more memories with those who are most important to you. After all, they’re the one who’ll be picking your nursing home!

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?

Reading: Julian Fellowes’s follow-up to Downton Abbey, Belgravia, and re-reading How Google Works, which has great lessons for both start-ups and more mature companies.
Watching: season six of Suits with my fourteen-year-old daughter. We have a crush on the lead played by Gabriel Macht.
Listening: to James Bay, one of the few musicians that both of my teens will tolerate.

To learn more about Rabia and our panelists, don’t miss our event! See below for details, and click here to register.

Changing the Conversation: Empowering Women in Business
Thursday, September 8th
8-9:15am
eMarketer (11 Times Square)