Laura Krippner is an interesting lady with lots to chat about… originally (and now back) in the UK, Laura has lived in several countries and has carved out a corporate career in each spot around the world. In a surprise move she went on to open a gluten free bakery and create a cook book for her clients so her story is diverse, varied and an inspiration to all.

Laura, tell us a little about you and what you’ve been up to in recent years…

I’m a globally experienced recruiter with 20 years of achievement in recruitment, business development, training and compliance. I’ve been fortunate to work in diverse verticals like education, financial services, agency and consultancy in the UK, US and Asia. I took a break from the corporate world to start a gluten free bakery which won awards for its tasty cakes and bread. When the 15 hour days took their toll, I closed the shop and wrote a recipe book. I’ve now returned to recruitment and have (finally!) managed to find a perfect work life balance working in a niche business with a dynamic team.

You’ve had an interesting life travelling and working all over the world in a number of professional roles – share with us some of the highlights…

In the US I worked for Deloitte in Independence, Ethics and Compliance I was lucky to have a fantastic manager who gave me some brilliant opportunities. For example, travelling to India to work with the team in Hyderabad for three weeks. The logistics of this were challenging with three young children at home. It was refreshing that he ignored the fact that I was a part-time working Mum and said, Do you want to visit the team in India? How long can you go for?

I know you created a Bakery – which is something very different to other things you have done? Why and what is the story behind this?

When I returned to a small town in the UK I was astounded by the lack of choice in food (I’ve lived in London, New York, Sydney and Singapore), and one of my children was diagnosed with a food intolerance. Given the sad options in the supermarket, it seemed like a no-brainer to start baking myself. A few months after I started the business one of the biscuits, Earl Grey shortbread, was Highly Commended at the Free From Food Awards. I started selling at a farmer’s market, and graduated to a retail space.

What led to you writing your Cook Book… and has that been a success?

I wrote The Twice as Nice Guide to Gluten free and Dairy free baking because my regular customers were really angry with me for closing the shop. To keep them happy I said I’d write down all of the recipes. I’ve not retired on the profits, so it’s not been a financial success! It’s currently 148^th on Amazon UK for gluten free food.

Who or what inspires you and why?

Claire Lomas is an incredibly impressive lady. I first heard about her completing the Manchester marathon in 8 days in a bionic body-suit and smashing her previous time. Her posts on LinkedIn are literally a wake-up call. There I am debating about whether I have time to go to the gym and Claire is cycling for 10 miles in the rain on narrow country lanes. She’s constantly challenging herself to do the next thing. I find the combination of her resilience and ambition to be highly inspirational. I’d love to go to one of her speaking events.

Tell us about some of the differences in the corporate environments you’ve worked in around the world?

In India I didn’t realise that the vast majority of the team took a corporate bus home each evening which meant that their working hours were fixed and quite inflexible. The bus was provided for personal safety, which had not crossed my mind before I went there. In Singapore there was definitely a culture of being in the office early and staying late. Some of my colleagues would eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at work. In the US my husband once flew from New York to Houston for lunch/a meeting. That’s the same as flying from London to Moscow (about 4 hours), how is that a good use of time and resources? As for the UK, I’ve struggled to fit back in to the small town mindset that I’ve encountered in a couple of roles. Fortunately I now work remotely for a company that’s based in a small city and that’s the best of both worlds.

Favourite country you have lived in and why?

Singapore, I loved the weather, people and food.

Do you have a quote or mantra that you live by?

I’m highly optimistic, my glass is always half-full.

Favourite food?

Guacamole or Chocolate, it’s a tough call.