K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Nicola Mendelsohn, the British advertising executive named Facebook’s vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has been a strong force taking the industry by storm.
She has always been led by her Jewish heritage, with strong values instilled in her at a young age.
“I grew up in Manchester, England, in an Orthodox home in which my parents taught me about tikkun olam, giving to charity and helping people,” Mendelsohn told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s always been a fundamental part of my Jewish life, of my DNA and who I am. It’s something which motivates me in my day-to-day work and which I hope my husband, Jon, and I have instilled in our four children.”
Mendelsohn had her start in a surprisingly different career path, studying English and drama for her bachelor’s degree. She was later inspired by a good friend to pursue advertising and quickly fell in love with the subject. “The creativity, the problem-solving, the innovation, are all skill sets that I have learned and that I continue to draw upon,” she explained. “I’m a believer that your job title doesn’t need to be ‘creative’ to be creative and it can be an integral part of any role. Using past experiences will always bring a new dimension to any role you take on.”
Mendelsohn, the daughter of kosher caterers who started a family business – Celia Clyne Banqueting – has not had it easy. In 2016, she was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer. The diagnosis did not stop her, though. She launched the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation (www.theflf.org) and continued her work.
“I feel grateful to be blessed with a life that I cherish and that there were not big changes that I wanted to make,” she said on the matter. “Work is a huge part of my identity and it’s something that gives me energy rather than saps it.”
The coronavirus pandemic surely has not helped her work, but Mendelsohn says it’s allowed for people to find creative ways to continue pushing forward while also bringing people closer with those they love most.
“I know we’re not out of the woods yet,” she said. “But when I talk to business and community leaders, what I’m hearing most at the moment is optimism. An unmistakable sense of hope. And it’s not just about being able to see COVID in the rearview mirror for the first time for 18 months. It’s also about hanging onto the silver linings – the good stuff we’ve learned during an exceptionally challenging time.”
Continue reading: https://www.jpost.com/50-most-influential-jews/women-in-tech-678121
She has always been led by her Jewish heritage, with strong values instilled in her at a young age.
“I grew up in Manchester, England, in an Orthodox home in which my parents taught me about tikkun olam, giving to charity and helping people,” Mendelsohn told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s always been a fundamental part of my Jewish life, of my DNA and who I am. It’s something which motivates me in my day-to-day work and which I hope my husband, Jon, and I have instilled in our four children.”
Mendelsohn had her start in a surprisingly different career path, studying English and drama for her bachelor’s degree. She was later inspired by a good friend to pursue advertising and quickly fell in love with the subject. “The creativity, the problem-solving, the innovation, are all skill sets that I have learned and that I continue to draw upon,” she explained. “I’m a believer that your job title doesn’t need to be ‘creative’ to be creative and it can be an integral part of any role. Using past experiences will always bring a new dimension to any role you take on.”
Mendelsohn, the daughter of kosher caterers who started a family business – Celia Clyne Banqueting – has not had it easy. In 2016, she was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer. The diagnosis did not stop her, though. She launched the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation (www.theflf.org) and continued her work.
“I feel grateful to be blessed with a life that I cherish and that there were not big changes that I wanted to make,” she said on the matter. “Work is a huge part of my identity and it’s something that gives me energy rather than saps it.”
The coronavirus pandemic surely has not helped her work, but Mendelsohn says it’s allowed for people to find creative ways to continue pushing forward while also bringing people closer with those they love most.
“I know we’re not out of the woods yet,” she said. “But when I talk to business and community leaders, what I’m hearing most at the moment is optimism. An unmistakable sense of hope. And it’s not just about being able to see COVID in the rearview mirror for the first time for 18 months. It’s also about hanging onto the silver linings – the good stuff we’ve learned during an exceptionally challenging time.”
Continue reading: https://www.jpost.com/50-most-influential-jews/women-in-tech-678121
