HOLLY SAYS
“I MET Sam at Government House in 2011 on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. At 21, I was probably the youngest person in the room and Sam was one of the only men there. It was like our eyes locked in sympathy with each other! He introduced himself as Sam and we had a long chat. When he gave me his card at the end, I was like, ‘Oh, you’re that Sam.’ I’m used to people at his level making a big deal about themselves.
About six months later, he offered me a job as a business analyst at Rio Tinto. His first question was, ‘Where do you want to go and what do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I want to drive change in the world and one day be at the helm of a large-scale organisation that can do that.’ He said, ‘Whatever we can do to help you, that’s what we’re here for.’
It was the start of an incredible relationship and friendship. I’ve grown enormously from conversations we’ve had around leadership, decisionmaking and resilience. He’s a philosopher and a deep thinker. His views on the world have definitely informed my own.
Since I left Rio Tinto in 2013, we’ve met up all over the world. I stayed with Sam’s family in London last year and we WhatsApp each other all the time and send photos. He’s ridiculous. He’ll send me photos saying, ‘I’m at dinner with the Chinese president’ and I’m going, ‘How good are you!’
He routinely asks, ‘How’s your love life?’ I tell him he needs to keep scouting for me. The only thing we disagree on is sport, which I happen to live and breathe and he believes has to be suffered through.
Sam’s mentoring is the single-biggest contributor to my growth and development as a person and as a leader. I’ve come to understand that leaders like Sam get to where they are because people helped, advised and supported them. So whenever they come across people they genuinely believe are going to pay it forward, they’re going to mentor them. I’d encourage everyone to do it.
He’s made me lift the ceiling on what I’m capable of. Having someone in your corner like that changes the game.”