WHERE ARE THEY NOW Zu Rafalat

I left school in 1998 and ended up reading Russian & Politics at the University of Bristol. I can’t admit to being a particularly hard worker at Bristol but I certainly made the most of the social scene and was always finding opportunities to make a bit of money to fund my various adventures during the holidays etc. It was during my time at Bristol that I shipped myself off to St Petersburg and then Kazakhstan for a year. Kazakhstan, and my travels across China afterwards, was the start of my addiction for adventures off the beaten track.

I managed to line myself up a spot on the L’Oreal Graduate Trainee Scheme after University so was thrown straight into the corporate world. L’Oreal is renowned as a tough working environment but I enjoyed it and was encouraged to travel. I lived in Paris for a few years before moving to New York. But I was only a few months into my job at L’Oreal when I understood that in order to survive a ‘normal’ career I would need to find extreme ways of entertaining myself outside of work to keep myself focused.

In 2005 I was granted an incredibly rare sabbatical to take part in the Polar Challenge – a race to the Magnetic North Pole. This two month expedition was truly life changing and fuelled my sense of adventure even further. It was also incredibly humbling, particularly when I had a polar bear try and take a look inside my tent. This experience also led to my first modelling stint – as the face of She Wee (I’ll let you google that).

In 2008 I started to get itchy feet and instead of moving to China as my employers wanted, I returned to the UK and set up my own ecommerce business specialising in beauty pureplays. I learned a huge amount about retail – from acquiring customers through to running an efficient warehouse (ours was based in Winsford, near Chester). This was a period where there still weren’t a huge number of successful ecommerce businesses in the UK and I was lucky to attract a bit of attention – being a female in tech! During that time I was awarded the IBM Iris Award for Innovation in Technology at the Natwest Everywoman Awards 2011 by Theresa May. I was also voted one of Management Today’s ‘35 Women under 35’ and represented the awards on the cover of the Sunday Times Business Section, with the aim of inspiring more women to get into tech.

After selling the ecommerce business in 2014 I met Robin Phillips, the then Omnichannel Director at Boots, and started a consultancy project for him helping the Walgreens Boots Alliance look at moving into services as well as being a product re-seller. Through this project I was introduced to a small agency start-up called Seven Seconds which I joined as a partner in 2015. Today we are essentially a Growth Consultancy specialising in helping clients (Next, Boots, Samsung, Virgin Media, Experian etc) find ways of modernising quickly through very practical and commercial solutions. We’ve been acquired by Publicis Groupe so I’m entering the last year of my earn-out and integrating my business with BBH (one of the UKs biggest advertising agencies).

In my spare time you’ll find me doing something sport related – whether it’s playing polo, boxing or going off on water-based adventures. I’m particularly keen on seeing big pelagics under water – whether it’s snorkelling with killer whales in Norway or diving with hammerhead sharks in Costa Rica.

What were you like at school?

Rebellious. A living nightmare for teachers I’m sure! And sporty. There were only a few of us girls in the Sixth Form when I was at Mill Hill and I’ll never forget arriving at a big sports event with multiple girl’s schools competing. They all fielded fresh teams for each different sport whilst I competed in all of them! Netball matches in the morning, Athletics at lunch and Swimming races in the afternoon. I nearly had to be carried onto the coach by the end!

The funniest thing that has happened to you recently?

I attract drama so I’m renowned for having weird things happen to me. A complete stranger stopped me in the street a few days ago and gave me a cactus. Does that count?

Do you keep in touch with any OMs?

I certainly do! A group of us recently went to Simon Bunyard’s wedding in France and it was like we were all back at school again….

What’s your driving force?

I want to be able to sit on a rocking chair on a porch with a gorgeous view one day when I’m old and know that I tried as much as possible throughout my life. I’m very curious but also ambitious. These two things keep me going.

Most inspiring teacher at school and why?

Mr Mike Miller – drama teacher for being fabulously eccentric and different.

What has been the most positive thing you have taken from your school days into your adult life?

Encouraging me to embrace my individuality and be a real self starter. Most of my friends from Mill Hill have followed less traditional career paths, which I think is fantastic.

What’s the most interesting thing about you?

That I’m not married! Or at all conventional.

If you were a boarder at Mill Hill, how did you find that experience, the good and the bad?

What is your proudest moment and why?

Work-wise it was probably getting into the front page of the Sunday Times Business supplement. It was a small challenge I had set myself so I was delighted when it came off.

Which four famous people would you invite to a dinner party?

Sir Richard Branson, Wilbur Smith, Kim Kardashian, Ben Aldridge

Favourite memory from your time at Mill Hill School?

So many! Most of them are absolutely not appropriate for printing. I used to be very entertained watching my brother, who is not actually Jewish, being refused pork sausages at school because of his big nose.

Worst memory from your time at Mill Hill School?

Being made to wear a uniform for the first time in my life at the age of 16. I think I managed to get round the rules but still –the shock of the request had lasting impact!

If you won £10 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?

I would invest the majority of it and spend the rest on travelling the world and completing as much of my bucket list as possible.

Your favourite quote?

When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.” -Honore de Balzac.

A piece of advice you would pass on to those leaving Mill Hill School?

Commit to a plan!

(OMs are the WORST at committing to anything – organising any kind of meeting is like herding cats).