What I learnt being a survivor of 9/11 in New York

?I would like to share a personal experience of mine during 9/11,

During 2001, I was working on the trading floor at Standard Chartered Bank in Tower 7 of the World Trade Centre

?I remember the day when the planes struck my office like it was yesterday.

?I was working as usual when the first attack happened. It was a bright day with lots of people commuting to work. I walked to work as I lived in a flat opposite the Twin Towers. It was a bright and sunny day.

On the 11th of September 2001, my life changed forever.

By then, I had been working in New York for two years and I was working at the World Trade Centre.

Our apartment was in front of the Twin Towers and we could see them there from our windows.

On that day, it all started like a normal day, it was a sunny day. I walked to the office to be there at seven. Two hours later, the first plane hit the Twin Towers, the building with my colleagues.

We had no idea what was happening. We thought it was an earthquake. I walked down the stairs and then the second plane hit the second tower. Panic was filling the city. Everything started crumbling down.

?I ran, we all ran away from the towers, there was dust everywhere, we couldn’t breathe, we were trying to go north as quickly as possible. As things settled down, I didn’t know what to do. The mobile phones network didn’t work anymore, my husband was in Paris, and I couldn’t go back to my apartment. I was homeless, I was lost, and I didn’t know what to do.

?But it wasn’t just me, it was the same for all my colleagues and thousands of New Yorkers, and on the following days, in the following months, we rebuilt ourselves and we were glad to be alive.

At Standard Chartered, we moved to a temporary office in the New Jersey, where we built a new trading room. We worked extremely hard, creating something new as a team. Our office was something where we felt comfortable and safe to be in, we worked differently and the spirit of the team was phenomenal.

?One year later, our team was awarded for the best team on wall street. This is something I was very proud of because I was part of a team that overcame incredible challenges.

When I look back on that time, it was one of the hardest parts of my life, but where I received the warmest support from family and friends. I remember our cousin Kim Nguyen Taylor and her husband Zach being there for me in New York, being extremely supportive. I thank them.

?But there are things I learnt and we can share. When times are difficult, it is tough but you also learn so much more from that experience. You adapt to changes and you come out stronger.

?Secondly, I learned that one way to navigate tough times is to never feel afraid of change.

Humans are creatures of routine and many of us fear change, one way or another. However, the ability to adapt is key to survival. This is something that I like to call the ‘entrepreneur’ mindset. What makes a good entrepreneur is their ability to adapt.

?Lastly, I discovered that it is absolutely possible for you to rebuild yourself after a crisis. But it is also through crises, that you reinvent yourself and find the best opportunities for you.

?Today, I believe for you is a joyful moment where you can definitely embrace change. Change is positive; it forces you to think, it forces you to be better.

?Life is about building and it’s an important part of me and my family heritage.

After New York in 2004, I moved to London, where I worked in a totally different job at UBS in private banking.

And after 16 years in finance, I made a totally different choice again. I quit my comfortable job as a trader, as a wealth manager, and I become an entrepreneur, a disruptor in education. I really want to make an impact on the society and the people.

?And that's how I co-founded CFTE with Huy Nguyen Trieu, a new type of university that uses online learning to teach professionals about technology in finance. Built on the idea of change.

?We believe emerging technologies and innovation are giving birth to a new era of finance, one that can have a positive impact on the lives of billions.

?We want to use the power of education to train a whole generation of finance professionals to adapt to a world of technology-driven finance and to give them the skills to thrive in this period of step change. and no one be left behind.

?I feel very strongly about learning and embracing challenges.

Our world has completely changed since #COVID-19 and we are all experiencing something which we've never seen before.

?This week I was asked to share my experience of 9/11 to the team and our interns,

I think it is pretty difficult to predict what the jobs of the Future will be. You can dream about your job and have a goal and aspiration. It might not be your first job but you’ll achieve something if you work hard and build up on your different experiences.

?What I have learned and am now telling you, is that you're all living in a world full of opportunities. It is a world that is changing as we speak and there is a place for every one of you if you open your minds.

Understand that the world is changing and we need to learn how to adapt to this. Don’t be scared – Don’t listen to the naysayers.

Nothing is impossible: Love change, Embrace Change