This is part 1 of a 2 part guest blog by Nicola Manning about her portfolio career. This is part 1.
What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc.)
I work two days per week as Chargé d’affaires (an ambassadorial and project specific role) for busy and successful law firm McMillan Williams Solicitors Limited (I was formerly its Chief Professional Officer and Head of Risk and Compliance for 12 years). Within my work for MWSL I also sit on the Law Society Council; the Society’s Legal Affairs and Policy Board, and its Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee so am actively involved in professional strategy and policy on a number of levels. I am currently in my second (of 4 year terms) term of office as a Council member.
I’ve been the appointed Court of Protection/Office for the Public Guardian Deputy to over 100 patients who are unable to manage their own affairs for the past 7 years. I am currently working with a care provider to look at rolling out a nationwide package of financial and estate planning in-house.
I also work with legal risk and compliance and PII companies on a consultancy basis ad hoc, to assist practices to get prepared for Lexcel accreditation and also to give advice about enhancing their diversity and CSR practices to maximise business development opportunities.
I am the CEO and majority shareholder of a trading company in Ghana, West Africa, trading in our own leading brands of sanitary towels and nappies which are imported from China to Africa. Within that role, I am also involved in a charitable project with Breast Care International in Ghana, to whom my company donates funds, and we are working with BCI to raise further funds to provide for all secondary school pupils (male and female) to be educated to raise awareness and bust (pardon the pun) cultural myths about breast cancer to break the country’s cycle of fear and ignorance across an entire generation.
I am actively looking to expand our trading to other African territories and also looking at some environmental based projects in Africa and in UK.
I am a Founder member and Court Assistant at the Guild of Entrepreneurs, one of the City of London’s newest Guilds and an aspirant Livery company. The Guild Court is equivalent to its Board of Directors and I am actively involved in its Education and Outreach, and Membership committees. This is a volunteer role.
I am currently working on several potential new business projects through my interaction with the Guild. I love joining things and people up!
I am a dual- qualified Usui Rei-ki and Karuna ® Rei-ki practitioner and a Master Teacher in both, qualified to attune others and to run courses to bring this wonderful healing energy to the attention of interested others. I am also a qualified Munay-Ki practitioner and teacher (this is another form of energy healing) and I work with crystals for healing purposes as well.
I am a licensed psychometric analyst (Success Dynamics, Level 1)
How did your portfolio career come about?
After 12 years at the compliance and management coalface within MW, and having been forced to make a decision in 2011 (on the sudden death of my ex partner abroad and a threat from a third party to take illegal control of my company) to go back and fight to keep it, once I had it back in 2012, I then decided over the next 12 months, to devote more time to running it and exploring other business opportunities arising, rather than working solely for one employer and running myself ragged trying to run a company abroad, still work full time as a lawyer and also bring up a young child on my own.
Part 2 of Nicola Manning’s guest blog about her portfolio career coming soon.
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View Nicola Manning’s LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamanning
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