Windhoek
“My philosophy in life is to do what I do with passion, clear focus and direction, forgive easily and set the bar higher. Always do what do what you do as though you were doing it for the Lord. I know that whatever I do is through the strength I receive from Christ. Success is not an event but a process. Winning this title is therefore an exciting two-year journey for me.”
This was the sentiment which the 2015 Namibian Businesswoman of the Year Baronice Hans shared with women at the Economist Businesswomen Club networking breakfast held in Windhoek last week Friday.
Hans who won the prestigious title on November 14 is the head of personal and business banking at Standard Bank Namibia and the executive director of the same institution. She will hold the title of Namibian Businesswoman of the Year for two years.
“Always have passion for what you do because that is what propels you to success. This is a core pillar in my life because it evokes energy and it is this passion that moves you more than you can push yourself. For me passion is contagious and it is an inspirational action of engagement with people,” said Hans.
Ever since she was 14 years old, while working in a small family retail shop during the school holidays, Hans has had the zeal for hard work and discipline instilled in her.
“It is where I learnt the discipline of hard work and sacrifice, especially through my late grandfather.”
It is with this mentality that she worked at three reputable companies – Ernst and Young, NamPower and now Standard Bank.
“I believe in staying power as opposed to job hopping. Despite multiple opportunities to leave when an organisation is going through difficult times, those are normally the times when we learn and grow the most and certainly this has been the case for me,” elaborated Hans.
She adds that lateral growth is a result of job hopping whereas deepening your understanding of an industry and coming to grips with its fundamentals encourage a more upward career path.
Hans, who is a happily married mother of three children, also highlighted that the key pillars of raising the bar is by constantly learning and growing oneself.
“Accelerate your learning abilities, always think about what can you do differently to grow your business and yourself, match strategy to the situation, be clear about your goals, build solid relationships that work and those that add value, and accept constructive feedback,” concludes Hans.
This was the last Economist businesswomen networking breakfast session for the year, which was also attended by the former Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 2013 Erica Shafudah (Permanent Secretary of Finance), Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 2011 Nangula Uaandja (Managing Partner and Executive Director of Pricewaterhouse Coopers), and young businesswomen of the year 2014 and 2015 Natasja Byleveld (Managing Director of NaMedia) and Tanya Stroh (Owner of Tulipamwe Design Studio), respectively.