IB Woman
Issue No. 16 - April/May 2004
In m’Ladies Chamber
by Alissa Fisher
‘When I joined the Chamber in 1998, I had no idea where my career might lead,’ relates Alisha, ‘but with strong support from the then CEO, Joyce Woody, and the President, Allen Bolaffi, I gained so much confidence because they had confidence in me.’
Listening and learning have played a significant role in Alisha meeting the demands of Chamber life with every day offering different challenges and opportunities. A typical day will be a mixture, to varying degrees, of attending meetings, dealing with trade issues, organising an event or developing marketing strategies.
As if that wasn’t enough, Alisha filled a perceived void in her life by giving birth to son Mitchell, who is nine months old.
‘Apart from sleepless nights having Mitchell hasn’t really affected my work or my private life because I feel as though I am achieving something for him. But I spend a lot of time with him too.’
Despite having a small child and being the CEO of a demanding and growing organisation, Alisha is adamant that her personal challenge is to maintain the lead of exceptional standard in the Chamber Industry. Which is why she was willing to take on the job of National Co—ordinator for the network of Australia—Israel Chambers of Commerce. With a national membership of some 1,500 the Chamber is not simply for people doing business with Israel.
‘Of course we cater for people who undertake business with Israel,’ explains Alisha, ‘but we strongly ...
