Interrogatory interviews with business leaders are a dime a dozen and the format can be impersonal, leaving the reader with “answers”, but no impression of the person.
Last week’s news of HP CEO Léo Apotheker‘s ouster led me to investigate HP’s Board members, including Dominique Senequier of AXA Private Equity.
Amoung the citations was a short interview last year by the Financial Times‘ Emma Jacobs.Though her interview is a mere twenty questions, Senequier’s answers reveal a few personal qualities that inform her leadership. She is no-nonsense and confident while also ready to acknowledge her personal passions and her heartfelt values.
What are your three best features?
A long-term perspective; swift to act; ability to laugh.What do you like most about your job?
It is challenging, inspiring and changing. You never stop learning from the people you meet.When was the last time you lost your temper at work?
With myself, last month. It was over a missed opportunity. I very rarely lose my temper with other people. I think the ability to control one’s temper is a sign of maturity.Has your job made your personal life suffer?
No. The trick is to be committed in all aspects of your life.How do you want to be remembered?
A woman of laughter, spirit and heart.
(Senequier recently resigned from HP’s board. Apotheker sits on the supervisory board of her firm’s parent AXA, France’s largest insurer. Fellow board member and ex-CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman replaced Apotheker as CEO.)
