Sandra Jacobs

Current Role:

CEO, Bennelong Foundation

A little about me:

I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Bennelong Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, I’ve had over twelve years of experience as a financial adviser with Morgan Stanley.

In 2011, I co-founded Significant Women’s Network, an organisation designed to build stronger business connections for executive women. In 2013,  I co-founded and currently chair the not-for-profit; The Nappy Collective. Personally, I am also mum to Lyla and Thomas and married to Marc.  

How has your Jewishness impacted your career:

I think the strength of our community gives us great confidence. I was also very involved in Jewish youth movements  and learned many valuable skills, such as leadership, teamwork, planning and how to run an organisation.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given:

To say YES more and to have a positive and growth mindset. Once I was able to open myself up to saying YES and backing myself, or just going for it - my professional and personal growth accelerated significantly.  A great example is when I was approached to apply for the CEO role at the Bennelong Foundation. My initial reaction was that I wasn't qualified enough for it, but I decided to have a positive mindset and go for it anyway, and sure enough, I got the job.

What are your thoughts on failure:

Failure always feels disappointing. I think it is ok to acknowledge that, just as long as you don't stay in that head space for too long and then look at how you can improve things in the future. Acknowledge that it wasn't a great outcome and then move on. I move on by owning my mistakes  and then taking it as an opportunity to learn and grow from it.

How do you 'pay it forward' in your career:

I am a big believer in the importance of reciprocity. I am not shy to ask for help or to reach out to someone I think I could learn from or would be good to have in my network, in fact, I have greatly benefited from the generosity of many mentors over the years. So when I can pay if forward I always try to make time for people seeking my advice or guidance. I also use my networks as much as I can to help others.

What is your definition of professional success:

There is a fantastic Japanese concept called Ikigai. Ikigai is all about finding your balance in the world and is the culmination of four key elements to create purpose and meaning in life. These are; doing a job the world needs, doing a job that you are good at, doing a job that you enjoy and doing a job that you can get paid an amount that meets your lifestyle needs. I think if you have this balance, that is professional success!  

What do you do for self-care?

Not enough, lols!

What podcast(s) are you listening to?

I am a big fan of podcasts, my go-to list is:

This American Life
Radio Lab
How I built this
Without fail