In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick sits down with Belinda Brown, a highly accomplished executive who has held top leadership roles at global powerhouses like Sephora, L'Oreal, and Diageo. Belinda shares her inspiring journey, from leaving her father and his home in Jamaica and arriving in Northern Ireland with her Irish mum at the age of three where, amidst the Troubles, she began navigating the complexities of identity, race, and class that shaped her approach and success in the top tiers of the corporate world.

She offers profound insights on redefining resilience—not as mere endurance, but as the ability to learn from failure and amplify your strengths. Listeners will discover the importance of building "cultural capital"; the immense value of reverse mentoring in business; and why aligning your career with your personal values is the ultimate measure of success. Currently embracing a career pause to achieve "midlife clarity", Belinda’s story is an inspiring tale of purposeful leadership, community building, and finding your authentic voice in spaces that were not originally built for you.

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Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.

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Embracing Difference, Building Strength: Belinda Brown on Leadership, Diversity, and "Midlife Clarity"