Transform Your Career: The Power of Diverse Experiences

The Question That Changes Everything

“So, what jobs have you had?”
This question came from a young professional in Port Louis, Mauritius, last month. She asked a question that went beyond the typical ‘what do you do?’ She wanted to understand the journey, not just the destination. It’s this understanding, this curiosity about the path we’ve walked, that can truly shape our professional wisdom.

As I sat there, coffee cup poised, I was struck by the rarity of the question. We often present our current selves—polished LinkedIn profiles, elevator pitches, the carefully curated professional brand. But what about our accumulation of roles? That’s where the real transformation happens. It’s the diverse career experiences that shape us, that mold us into the leaders or who we become.

I grew up in the Seychelles. During that time, I watched my aunt transition between roles as the island’s needs demanded. She was a teacher by day, seamstress, cook, or organizer when required. A single career path seemed foreign in a small island state where everyone contributed wherever skills were needed.

That foundation shaped everything that followed. It led to a career spanning three decades and several countries. I took on roles I never could have imagined as a young statistics graduate.

From Data to Global Health Strategy

My first role was straightforward: analyzing numbers in the Ministry of Health’s epidemiology division. Fresh from Southampton with an MSc in Social Statistics, I understood what data meant. Numbers were clean and objective, telling clear stories.

The reality proved messier and more intriguing. Those health statistics represented real lives. Mothers brought sick children to health clinics. Elderly patients managed diabetes or heart conditions. Communities grappled with emerging health challenges. Data wasn’t just about spreadsheets; it was about understanding human patterns and designing systems that worked.

This realization hit me hard when I became director of the National Statistics Office and oversaw Seychelles’ 1994 Census. Suddenly, I wasn’t just analyzing existing data; I was creating the framework for how we understood our nation. Every household visit shaped how we would see ourselves as a country. Every questionnaire design decision affected how we inform decision makers. Each training session for enumerators influenced policymakers and planners.

The census taught me that statistics are never neutral. They reflect the questions we choose to ask, the categories we create, and the stories we decide matter. This lesson became essential years later. I found myself supporting countries across Africa. My role was to build their health information and monitoring systems.

When Numbers Meet International Development

The transition to international work happened gradually, then suddenly. The World Health Organization recruited me in 1994. They perhaps recognized that my combination of statistical expertise and small-state experience offered something different in perspective. I understood both the technical requirements of health information systems and the practical realities of resource-constrained environments.

I worked as a WHO technical officer across African countries. This experience showed me that skills can be transferred effectively across cultures. It also demonstrated their applicability in different contexts. The statistical principles remained constant, but their application varied dramatically. What worked in island settings needed adaptation for continental countries. Systems designed for populations of 80,000 required different approaches than those serving several million.

Each country taught me something. In Zimbabwe, I learned about the importance of traditional authority structures in data collection and analysis. In Tanzania, I discovered how geographic diversity affects the flow of health information. These experiences built into a more profound understanding of how global health initiatives succeed or fail based on local adaptation.

The Art of Strategic Information

Returning to Seychelles in 1996 as Director General of Health brought these international insights home. Leading the national health system’s strategic planning meant balancing global best practices with island realities. We couldn’t simply import health policies from larger countries. We needed approaches that fit our scale. Our resources and our community structures required tailored solutions.

The multi-million-dollar hospital renovation projects during this period taught me about implementing at scale. Statistical planning was one thing. However, managing construction timelines was entirely different. Coordinating with international contractors added to the complexity. Ensuring facilities met both local needs and global standards posed additional challenges. Success required moving beyond data analysis to operational leadership.

This pattern repeated when I later headed the Ministry of Information Technology, overseeing the 2002 Census and national computerization initiatives. Implementing technology in small states requires different strategies than in larger economies. Every system must be robust enough for professional use but simple enough for widespread adoption.

Global Monitoring and Local Impact

My move to UNAIDS in 2004 was another transition—from national leadership to international advisory roles. I initially worked in South Africa. Later, I held the position of Senior Advisor on Strategic Information at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva. In this role, I found myself supporting the global response to HIV and AIDS.

Geneva offered a masterclass in international coordination. Supporting global monitoring of the HIV epidemic involved synthesizing data from hundreds of countries. Each country has distinct health systems. They have varying data collection capabilities. They also have unique political contexts. The challenge wasn’t just technical—it was diplomatic, cultural, and strategic.

Those years shaped my understanding of how global initiatives work in practice. The most elegant monitoring frameworks fail if they don’t account for local implementation realities. The most sophisticated data systems are useless if countries can’t maintain them. Success requires a constant balance between global standards and local adaptation.

The Multi-Country Director Experience

Since 2017, I’ve served as the UNAIDS Multi-Country Director for Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. The role combines everything I’ve learned about statistics, health systems, international development, and cross-cultural leadership.

Managing programs across four diverse countries necessitates continuous code-switching. Madagascar’s scale and complexity require different approaches than those of Comoros. Comoros has limited resources. Mauritius faces middle-income challenges. Yet all four countries share everyday needs for evidence-based HIV responses, strengthened health systems, and sustainable program implementation.

This role has reinforced a key lesson from my career journey. Expertise isn’t just about technical knowledge. It’s about understanding how that knowledge applies across different contexts. The statistical skills I developed in my early career are essential. Implementation experiences are equally important. Cross-cultural competencies and strategic thinking are crucial. I gained these skills through decades of diverse roles.

The Unexpected Value of Career Diversity

Looking back, my career’s non-linear path has been its greatest strength. The young epidemiologist, who was analyzing disease patterns, informed the census commissioner about population dynamics. The health director managing hospital construction informed the IT director to implement national systems. The country program manager, balancing local needs, informed the global advisor to support worldwide initiatives.

Each transition felt uncertain at the time. I moved from statistics to health administration. Then, I transitioned from national government to international organizations. Moving from technical roles to strategic leadership wasn’t based on obvious career advice. Yet each shift added capabilities that proved valuable in unexpected ways. It’s the adaptability, the willingness to embrace change, that has been my greatest asset.

The most intriguing professionals I work with today often have similarly diverse backgrounds. They’re doctors who became policy advisors, economists who moved into program management, and researchers who became country directors. Their varied experiences create perspectives that purely linear careers rarely develop.

Conclusion: The Portfolio Professional

When young professionals ask about career planning, I encourage them to focus on building capability. They should think about skills rather than job titles. What skills are you developing? What perspectives are you gaining? How do different experiences complement each other?

My collection of jobs—from epidemiologist to census commissioner to UN director—tells a story of accumulated expertise rather than planned progression. Each role taught me something about data, implementation, and leadership, as well as how global initiatives work in local contexts.

The question, “What jobs have you had?” invites reflection on the whole journey rather than just the current destination. In today’s rapidly changing professional landscape, that breadth of experience becomes increasingly valuable. We embody not only our current roles but also the culmination of all the knowledge we’ve acquired throughout our journey.

Your career story is yours. Own it, learn from it, and let it guide you toward work that uses your full range of experiences.