Heels of Steel

Heels of Steel: surviving & thriving in the corporate world – Vanessa Vallely

(Panoma Press, £14.99)

Intrigued by the title of this book, I am pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is actually two books in one. The first is an entertaining autobiography of the author’s journey from council estate tearaway to COO of a major bank in the City; the second focuses on tips and guidance to achieve your own career success. Vanessa dwells as much on what she did wrong in climbing the career ladder as on what she did right and in the process gives the reader a clear insight into the world of career women.

Whether or not you work in a corporate environment, there are great lessons to be learned, backed with practical advice and examples from Vanessa’s experience. As she says, “Commit to grabbing your career by the horns … this is your career and it certainly doesn’t belong to anyone else…”

Kathleen Drum, Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Crossrail