Sally Howells
I will have reached my four-year milestone at Informa Healthcare on the day before we head off to Costa Rica so I see this trip as a fitting celebration of my time at Informa so far.
I have always worked in the journals editorial team, starting off as an Editorial Assistant and now as Managing Editor for a portfolio of journals. The main purpose of this role is to act as a point of contact between external parties and the rest of the publishing team at Informa. This involves communicating on a daily basis with production, marketing, sales, finance and other editorial colleagues to ensure that our journals are of the highest quality, published to schedule and within budget.
Managing Editors face new challenges on a daily basis and we often have to resolve difficult and complex situations. Promoting good publication practice, ensuring that everything we publish is ethically sound whilst dealing with some ‘demanding’ editors is often very stressful.
I applied for this volunteer initiative to help me put into perspective the challenges l face and to develop my communication skills that are vital to my role at Informa.
Many people in the world do not have access to the most basic things in life, and I’m glad that I’m going to be able to support the people of Costa Rica in achieving a better quality of life. This ongoing building project will act as a lasting legacy for those currently in need. Having a safe and secure place to live is one of the most fundamental aspects of an individual’s well-being, without which many things in life could not be achieved. In 2009, Costa Rica was ranked top in the ‘Happy Planet Index’, with Costa Ricans reporting the highest life satisfaction in the world. I am so excited to be working with a group of people who will undoubtedly educate me on how to make the best out of every situation. I am sure that their positive attitude will inspire the group and I hope to be able to bring back their amazing capacity for enjoyment to my day-to-day life in the UK.
End Goal
- Help to provide a lasting legacy for the people of Costa Rica.
- Take a step back from the stresses of daily life and allow myself to reflect on what a privileged life I lead.
- Instil positivity in others by sharing my experiences with friends, family and colleagues when I return.
- Be a trusted and valuable member of the team.
- Learn more about myself by testing both my physical and mental skills to the limits.
What can I do to achieve this goal?
- Embrace new situations with enthusiasm.
- Maintain a positive attitude at all times and use my strengths to overcome challenges.
- Be understanding of people’s differences and appreciate the varied strengths people in the team offer.
- Be open and willing to try new things.
- Believe in myself and help others to do the same.