Candidate's Name: Caroline Xia
Candidate's Office: Division Director
Toastmasters member since: 2018
Education:
Bachelor of Network Engineering at Dalian University of Technology
Toastmasters offices held and terms of service:
Jul 2019 - Jun 2020 Division K Area K3 Director
Jul 2018 - Dec 2018 VPE of Dalian No.1 Toastmasters Club
Jan 2018 - Jun 2018 VPM of Dalian No.1 Toastmasters Club
Toastmasters honors and recognition:
2019 Mentor of Dalian Japanese Toastmasters Club, Sponsor SAP Dalian Toastmasters Club,
2018 Sponsor of Rockwell Dalian Toastmasters Club
Relevant work experience and how it relates to Toastmasters and your role as a District leader:
I've been working in Dalian IBM for 12 years, working in different global project teams, focusing on Agile Iteration Management, Software Quality Assurance, Business Analysis. Now I'm a team lead in Dalian CIO organization and also the department cultural development Focal. I could leverage the cross-team communication skills, management and coordinating skills, planning and motivating skill in my Toastmasters District leader role.
What experience do you have in strategic planning?
Working as a Team Lead in Dalian IBM, I worked to create yearly strategic plans with the team and in charge of the execution of the plan. This required collaboration with different stakeholders to make sure the plan prepared the organization to achieve our envisioned future.
What experience do you have in the area of finance?
I've been working as the Financial Focal in our department for five months, cooperated with Global Finance Team and local managers to work on the fall plan, monthly/quarterly financial reports. When I was a Toastmasters Club President, for each big event in our club, I worked with the Treasure to create budget plan and keep track the Plan vs Actual to make sure we are in a good standing of Finance.
What experience do you have in developing procedures?
When I was working as a project lead, I've created several procedures for software deployment. I communicated with clients and development team to make a final procedure and work based on it.
What lessons did you learn from previous leadership positions?
Be open-minded, be patient, keep growth mindset, be positive, support with love. Understand every behavior has a reason behind, try to find the root reason and think how we can deal with it. The more people you helped, the more power you will find in your self. The world is a garden of different flowers, Accept everyone including myself, try to find the shining point in everybady, keep exporing myself to find my personal mission. Try to get mutual success rather than self success, if you win everything alone, it's not a real success.
Why do you want to serve as a District leader?
Calling, it's my personal mission I think.
In your opinion, what are the District mission’s major objectives and how would you work to achieve them?
District Mission - We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. I think the major objectives is, to carry forward the Toastmasters values and good practices to more people so that they can benifit from them, and eventually help build a better community/society. To achieve this, I would leverage my experience in Toastmasters to: 1. Help maitain a good status for exiting clubs. 2. Support potential club's building. In all activities, keep realizing our core values - Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence. Support with love, empower people, mutual success.
Additional information about yourself:
I grew up in a poor family, during my school days I've met a lot of kind people who helped me in many ways. I think they've planted the seeds of love and sunshine in my heart, I wish to help other people when I grow up just to pass the chain of love. When I joined Toastmasters I felt that this is the place I can fulfill my childhood dream. So I stayed till now and serve as many officers, I have a feeling that Toastmasters would be a life-long journey for me. Thanks.
