This week on Leaders Getting Coffee, our guest is Theresa Gattung. Former CEO of Telecom NZ, co-founder of My Food Bag, and Chair of Global Women.

Theresa’s story is unique. A chance meeting led to her joining Telecom, where at the age of just 37, she became that company’s youngest ever CEO and the first woman to lead a NZX listed company.

She talks about the importance of a strong leadership team, what she looks for in building a team, and the decision to sell one of Telecom’s biggest assets.

It might seem difficult to follow a corporate career like that, but Theresa became an entrepreneur and alongside Nadia Lim and Cecilia Robinson, she was one of the drivers behind the launch and rapid success of My Food Bag. She talks openly about managing in that high paced environment and has plenty of great lessons for young people with big aspirations.

Theresa speaks with refreshing honesty about the highs and lows of her career, and the things that drove her to become a passionate advocate for women and a lifelong supporter of women in the workplace.

And as always, we wrap up the podcast by asking Theresa what she would do if she was Prime Minister for a day?

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