MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

Avan Soufy

Group Manager AML & Screening, EMEA

Ayden

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

I’ve always been inspired by people who navigate challenging environments with confidence, curiosity, and resilience. At the start of my professional career, while working in politics in the Middle East, seeing women confidently navigate environments that historically had fewer women in leadership stayed with me. It made those spaces feel possible for me too, even before I fully believed I belonged in them myself.

At the same time, my inspiration has never come from one person alone. It comes from different managers, mentors, friends, and family members I’ve met throughout my life. I tend to reflect a lot on people, how they approach situations, communicate, and ultimately make others feel. A lot of who I am as a leader today comes from the variety of people I’ve learned from along the way.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

I think success is a combination of opportunity, timing, and what you do with it. Early in my leadership journey, someone took a chance on me when I wasn’t necessarily the obvious choice, and I later found out they had to strongly advocate for me internally. That experience stayed with me because it reminded me how important it is to be seen for your potential, not just your experience on paper.

From that point on, I became very deliberate about how I develop. I’ve always spent a lot of time reflecting, not just on feedback, but also on situations, interactions, and outcomes, even when I don’t fully agree with how things are framed. I try to understand what I can learn from them and whether they are shaping the kind of leader, peer, or colleague I want to be.

So while opportunity can open doors, I believe consistency, curiosity, and the ability to build trust are what truly sustain success over time. Once the initial opportunity is there, your work has to start and to continue speaking for itself.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

The driving force behind my career has always been growth, particularly helping people develop, gain confidence, and see themselves in ways they may not have initially imagined. One of the most fulfilling parts for me is seeing someone grow in the areas we’ve worked on together, and later approach situations differently, especially in ways that challenge my own thinking.

I’m also strongly motivated by creating environments where substance matters more than visibility. I’ve seen capable, hardworking people overlooked because they weren’t the loudest in the room, and that’s something I actively try to change in how I lead. I try to build environments that are high trust, high delivery, and low ego, where people feel safe to challenge ideas, take ownership, and learn by doing.

I’m grateful to be working with smart, curious, thoughtful people, trying to understand how things work, why they work that way, and how they can be improved. That process of understanding and improving things together is what energises me most.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

Honestly, I don’t think I would change much. I believe you learn from every experience you go through, even the difficult ones, sometimes especially the ones you don’t enjoy in the moment. I’ve always approached my career with the mindset that each step is part of a larger learning process.

Early in my career, I did struggle at times with taking space in rooms where I felt I needed to prove myself. Over time, I became much more intentional about working on that by putting myself in situations where I had to challenge myself, ask for support, and build confidence through repetition rather than waiting for it to come naturally.

There was also a point where resilience became a bit of over-self-reliance. As I grew into leadership, I started to really understand the value of empowerment, not just doing things yourself, but creating the conditions for others to grow at their own pace. That shift had a big impact on how I lead today, as well as the grace I give myself.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

My favourite role is actually the one I’m in now, because it feels like the point where all my previous experiences and learnings come together.

Earlier in my career, especially in my first leadership role, I had very limited structured support, which pushed me to be very intentional about my own development. I actively sought out learning through leadership books, podcasts, mentors, and coaching, particularly around areas like imposter syndrome and communication. That period really shaped how I think about growth and leadership.

What I value most in my current role is that I’m now in a position where I can apply those experiences to support other people’s growth as well. I find it very fulfilling to help people develop, think differently, and step into new challenges, while also continuing to learn from them in return.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

One belief I consistently come back to is that you can learn something from every (difficult) moment, even if it’s a lesson you didn’t want to have. I find that mindset very grounding because it helps me turn challenges into something meaningful.