Her Visibility- Meet Rukaiya el-Rufai First Female Northerner to Become PwC Partner

GE: From a BSc in accounting to leading PWC’s sustainability and Climate Change Practice and Public Sector Risk Assurance Services, how have you managed to position and up skill to attract and perform optimally in diverse roles?

Rukaiya: I have indeed transformed from role to role accidentally. Even though I am a chartered accountant by training, I have spent most of my career life working in strategy and operational strategy before moving on to work in sustainability and climate change. This has given me breadth of skills. Thinking of the current world and how quickly it changes, especially with the fourth industrial revolution, you have to be agile and versatile. You have to be willing to learn and unlearn, you have to be able to upskill in line with business and operating environment. Of course, this requires being open minded, it requires curiosity, a love for learning & problem solving and most certainly requires hard work and persistence. You can do anything you are passionate about. I am naturally a curious person; I am a disruption and industry 4.0 enthusiast; I love problem solving and I am super passionate about my clients. So, I must say it has been easy to perform in meeting my Clients’ needs.

GE: Take us on a journey, on a typical day at work. What roles and meetings are you involved in and what skills do you deploy daily to succeed?

Rukaiya: My typical workday starts with checking my emails, creating my to-dos and planning my day especially identifying what to prioritize. I typically have meetings with my team members, clients and meet on other practice management related matters. To be effective and exert the necessary impact to succeed, you have to be able to prioritize, delegate effectively and multitask between your important tasks. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to able to lead behind people, so you need to be able to have the leadership skills to galvanize & influence people to play their respective parts as well.

GE: In terms of organizational outcomes, what would you say has been the biggest value add you provide to your employers, past and present?

Rukaiya: Results. I am very results oriented and I deliver. No matter how short my time spent in a role is, I add value and make impact. I am also very self-driven and hardworking. I am personally motivated to delivering excellent quality and once I am in a role, I am all in.

GE: Nothing comes easy, what has been your most challenging day at work? And what did you do to survive?

Rukaiya: Delivering tasks under pressure and within a short timeline. I survive by leveraging the team structure and network of experts at PwC. I consult always and seek help when necessary. The team spirit and value of working together is a survival toolkit.

GE: What are you most proud of in your career?

Rukaiya: That I have been able to establish track record in meritorious schools and workplaces. I have been able to achieve success with credibility, according to my mapped out values and beliefs system. 

GE: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Rukaiya: The constant interface with new clients, new environment and new ways. You are continuously exposed to new things and I find that refreshing. I am curious and do not like mundane, routine work and that what I like the most of my job.

GE: If you could name 3 things responsible for your career progression what would they be?

Rukaiya: Prayer, hard work & self-belief.

GE: How important has building strategic relationships been to your career, including mentors and sponsors, in terms of both on the job performance and career progression?

Rukaiya: Very pivotal. Especially mentors. I have had mentors since I was in University and they have helped put me on track and made smart decisions. They are way more experienced than you and protect you from outfalls and distractions. Of course, you need sponsors in an organization. You need people that will believe in you and help put up the business case for your progression. And once they see the drive, ambition and talent in you, they are willing to stand solidly behind you. My mentors & career sponsors are people that I remain thankful to and will appreciate for the rest of my life.

GE: In your experience, what have you seen as the major challenges that hold women back at work?

Rukaiya: I honestly think that this is relative and specific to each woman’s conditions. What I can say is that women need good support systems on the home front, we need to encourage and support one another at work and we need to put in our best to earn whatever roles are given to us and not just because we are women.

GE: Partner at Pwc at 37, how do you see your career evolving in the next 5 years?

Rukaiya: I have always been very strategic; I think long term and I do have a long-term career plan. I can definitely tell you the end part of it, which is to lecture when I retire so I can share whatever I have learnt throughout my career. In 5 years’, time, I want to be one of the reputable experts in my field and the first that comes to mind when phenomenal issues arise within sustainability and public sector.

GE: What is your advice for other women seeking to become partners or rise in their organization?

Rukaiya: My advice to other women is to be dedicated, work whole heartedly, be within your ‘blue flame’ (where your passion meets your talent) and this makes work effortless and you will not even notice the long hours being put because you are within an area that you are very passionate about. Be a team player, make impact and deliver results. Above all, have integrity and character, be frank and honest, what is yours will always be yours. I believe in destiny; you just need to play your part by working hard and doing things right. When things don’t go as planned, and you know you have done your part, just learn to surrender, have grit, pick yourself up and try other things. Perhaps it is the invisible hand and time will show you that what you didn’t get is for the better.

GE: Beyond work, what do you do to relax?

Rukaiya: I love doing a bit of yoga to relax, aromatherapy and listening to slow music

GE: Best career advice you have ever heard or received?

Rukaiya: To stay focused and try to maintain a good balance but whatever sacrifices you make, including losing some of your social life and relationships will come back to you. Especially the relationships, people like to be associated with success, they celebrate success, and everything will come back together in the end. It is to make sure that you are building back the bridges as you go along the way

Glory Edozien is a LinkedIn Professional Branding Coach and Visibility expert who helps mid-senior level career women and executives build visibility and thought leadership on LinkedIn, so they can get the recognition they deserve, earn more money and climb the corporate ladder.

Through her signature LinkedIn Visibility System she is helping African career women across the continent and Diaspora effectively communicate their skills online and build professional credibility in their sectors.

Available for: 1:1, Group Coaching and Corporate Training. For more information contact glory@inspiredbyglory.com