‘From 1982 to 1987 I travelled a wild and rocky road on Wall Street.
My five years as a futures trader at the epicentre of capitalism were stressful, and to deal with it I played hard. I was young and impressionable and was taken in by all the temptations the city could offer, like a kid in a candy store. It took overcoming alcoholism to boot me in the right direction.
To succeed in business, or to lead in any capacity, you must find a balance between being in control and letting go
My life very quickly became a blur of trading tickets and cocktails and the whole thing nearly killed me. By 1987, I was burned out, broke and with nowhere to go – and moreover, my life felt unfulfilled.
Overcoming alcoholism and other addictions took me six years.
Only then did I feel ready to start my life and career over again.’