WATCH: Christina Reddy to inspire at 10th Tea on the Terrace

Christina Reddy, guest speaker at the Tea on the Terrace fundraiser, shared an insight into her journey from Cape Town to becoming the first female executive director on the Amazon Data Services Board in South Africa.

The 10th Tea on the Terrace, hosted by Dice (Do I Care Enough?) will take place on Saturday, 7 September from 10am to 12.30pm at Thembela Venue.

ALSO READ: More than 8 million South Africans are jobless

The event supports cancer patients and Dice’s projects, celebrating cancer survivors.

Christina says she started her 23-year career in Richards Bay when she joined BHP Billiton’s graduate programme.
Over the next decade, she steadily advanced through the company before joining Transnet in the Port of Richards Bay.

Her leadership skills propelled her to the position of senior operations leader on the executive committee for TNPA, leading to her current role overseeing AWS Data Centre Operations in SA and serving on the AWS global leadership team.

Breaking stereotypes
Christina cites ‘being the only woman in the room’ as one of the challenges she has faced in her field.
“I had to be brave and challenge assumptions,” she said. “Women are not considered for tough or challenging tasks, with the assumption that women with children are restricted. The best approach is to take these on and prove this stereotype wrong.”

Christina has been married for 19 years and deeply values her role as a mother of two boys. “I had difficult pregnancies for both, with health complications that required a lot of grit and patience,” she said. Family-orientated, Christina’s parents, sister and brother still reside in Richards Bay.

She recommends extending one’s network. “Have two or three mentors for regular check-ins and never stop learning. “Explore learning opportunities when they present themselves, especially on the job.”

Among her achievements, Christina played a pivotal role in maritime operations during an emergency where all key responders were women.

“We faced an emergency with a vessel stuck in the harbour mouth. Coincidentally, the strongest team members who stepped up were all women —from the harbour master to the tug masters. It was a proud moment when we successfully resolved the situation,” she said.

Education
Christina was schooled in Brackenham where she received the prestigious Dux award.
Thanks to a scholarship from BHP Billiton, she earned a BSc in Applied Chemistry at UKZN.

Her credentials include diplomas in Occupational Health and Environmental Management, a Green Belt qualification in Six Sigma, an MBA, and participation in the GIBS Women in Leadership Programme. She also completed senior leadership development through Wits Business School and is currently pursuing certification as a coaching professional through the International Coach Federation.

Christina was awarded a scholarship to an international business school in Rotterdam and led successful projects with Amazon across Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the pandemic. She was also a keynote speaker at the first Women in Tech Summit in Africa, and will be presenting at the Global Amazon Women in Engineering Conference in Seattle, USA.

Breaking the status quo
Christina believes in proving women can excel in demanding roles. “Firstly, gender does not determine leadership capabilities.

“Everyone has the capability to be an influential leader, whether or not you have people reporting to you. As a female in a leadership role, I feel this brings an added responsibility to change the status quo and prove women are capable of doing the hard jobs and making the hard decisions while being mothers, wives, daughters and sisters.”

For young women aspiring to leadership roles, Christina advises: “Don’t wait for opportunities; focus on developing yourself, take feedback constructively, ask for feedback, and don’t stop learning. Aim to be the best you can be in your current role and the opportunities will come to you.”

Outside work, Christina is a proud pet owner of two dogs: an Australian shepherd and a Yorkshire terrier. She is a proud ‘boy mom’, a Star Wars and comic book enthusiast, and an avid reader with a passion for fantasy and leadership genres.

Tea on the Terrace
As a dedicated board member of Dice, Christina has consistently championed initiatives that support the community. She is committed to advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, supporting girls through bursaries, and mentoring young professionals.

At Tea on the Terrace, Christina will discuss the skills women need as leaders across all aspects of life to successfully embrace the digital age of AI and machine learning.

“Change is constant. Jobs today might be dramatically different in the future.
“Some of the key skills needed to do this are resilience, empathy, compassion and communication, which come naturally to most women. Empowering women to enhance these skills will equip them to successfully navigate this digital era,” she said.

Dice invites you to Tea on the Terrace!
Book your table for R2 000 (R1 500 if purchased by 19 August) by contacting Karen Dalton at dice@zob.co.za But hurry! Tickets are limited and sell out quickly.

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