In Conversation with Claire Valoti.

On Wednesday 9th December, Class of 1997 alumna Claire Valoti spoke online to a virtual audience of FHS pupils, parents and alumni about her career to date, stressing the importance of hard work in achieving success. 

Beginning with her days at FHS, Claire shared slides of her days as a pupil and spoke of the hard work that went into her studies, and the leadership and management skills developed as result of her roles as both Head Girl and Hockey Captain. After studying Politics at University of Nottingham, Claire began her career at media agency Mindshare across world-class brands before rising to become the Director of Agency Partnerships at Facebook UK and now Vice President of International Business at Snap Inc. (parent company of Snapchat).

With pupils in mind, Claire advised girls to be their authentic selves, unafraid to show their vulnerabilities and cultivate strong business relationships. She spoke of how seeking work experience while still a student - maximising every opportunity on offer - enabled her to build strong foundations which determined her career pathway.

Claire ended the evening by answering a broad range of questions from her audience, from her experiences as a mother establishing a greater understanding of others to how her choices of extra-curricular clubs ensured that she studied, and later worked, in fields that she enjoyed.

Our grateful thanks go to Claire for providing us with such an informative and inspirational talk.

Below: Claire's school report card

Claire, with her peers, pictured 4th from right, mid-row