Throughout her extensive career at the intersection of social impact and technology, Salah Goss has been worked across the U.S., Africa, India, and the Caribbean. Salah is published author, an Aspen Finance Leaders Fellow, a World Economic Forum Schwab Foundation Fellow and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident. Salah has been recognized for her leadership in both the public and private sector at Mastercard, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Open Society Initiative and the US Department of Commerce. Salah holds a master’s degree from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. Salah speaks French and has studied Arabic, Kiswahili and Wolof.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Salah shared her professional journey, the secret mantra behind her success, personal role model, her favorite quote, future plans, pearls of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Salah. Please tell us about your background and areas of expertise.
I work at the intersection of technology and social impact with a particular focus on financial inclusion. I’ve worked in government, the private sector and philanthropy, all focused on improving the lives of people who are often underserved. The bulk of my career has been global, focused on the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. I called Africa home for about a decade where I lived in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Egypt. Currently, I am deeply committed to ensuring emerging technologies, such as AI, support equitable economic growth and do not further exclude underserved communities.
Over the course of your career, you have been a recipient of prestigious awards and recognitions including World Economic Forum Schwab Foundation Intrapreneur of the Year, Women in Payments Community Impact Award, 2022 to name a few. Our readers would love to know the secret mantra behind your success.
I am grateful for these awards but know there is so much more to accomplish! When I think about what drives me and about the lessons my mentors have taught me, four things come to mind:
The team you are on is as important as the team you manage. I naturally focus on trying to be a good manager and providing for the needs of my team; however, I have learned that your peers and colleagues also often need support. Forming a habit of collaboration can be really fulfilling since it makes your wins, their win and vice versa. And it’s always better to celebrate together!
Do your best even when no one is looking- I have had so many professional opportunities because someone who recognizes my work ethic and accomplishments recommended me. You never know who is watching so strive for excellence, no matter how small the task. And when it is in support of a colleague, or your broader team, always go above and beyond.
Don’t overlook the basics, or said another way, do a good job at doing a good job. No matter what the task or problem you are trying to solve, there are some principles that you should always apply to be successful- ask the right questions, empower your team, carefully frame the conversations to get the best contributions, state the problem clearly and ruthlessly prioritize solutions, be proactive and always follow-up. If you do these things, no matter what the deliverable is at hand, you will set yourself up for success.
Recognize and respect your unique contribution. When I first got into technology and was new to the private sector, I was often in rooms where I was the youngest, the only women, only Black American and certainly the only one with a social impact background. Unlike 95% of my colleagues, I did not come from banking or payments. Because of this, I was often intimidated into silence. My manager at the time encouraged me to speak up and contribute my opinion. He reminded me that the very reasons that kept me quiet, were the reasons he hired me. He wanted my unique perspective in these conversations and he had my back when my view challenged the status quo. Owning these differences and articulating the varied perspectives they afforded me is what has contributed to my professional success.
If you could have a one-hour meeting with someone famous who is alive, who would it be and why?
I was asked this question for an interview I did a few months ago, and I will give the same answer- Ava DuVernay. She has an amazing ability to tell stories that are both universal and deeply intimate. I get the sense that she has great confidence in her unique point of view and is inviting us all to participate in the way she sees the world. I once heard her say that “in your lane, there is no traffic.” She seems to personify this perfectly. So if I had the opportunity to bask in her confidence and genius for one hour, I would not pass up the opportunity.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
My answer to this question will always be my mother. For her, excellence was never optional in my household, it was the norm but somehow, I always felt loved and supported, never pressured. I am still trying to figure out how my mother managed that fine balance. She was one of the smartest women I have ever met, and she was way ahead of her time in the way she supported, challenged and exposed me and my sisters to different experiences. We never had a new car or even new clothes, but I learned to swim in the sea in Barbados before I could walk and had been to two countries in Africa before my tenth birthday. My mom made me believe that I could achieve anything and that there was not a space in which I didn’t belong.
How do you keep your mind healthy and stay resilient? And how do you motivate your team?
I recently spent a month at the Rockefeller Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy. I was selected to be part of the 2024 Residency based on my research on wellbeing. Years of research have highlighted a few pretty important elements of well-being, one of the most important ones is social connections. As simple as it sounds, it has been useful to remind myself to spend time with loved ones, friends and even with new acquaintances or in communities that are new to me. I think it is quite easy to isolate yourself in the name of productivity or just in the course of a busy life. Sometimes it takes more effort and may slow down your “to do” list but it is always fulfilling to be in community whenever you can and focus your attention on listening to and sharing in someone else’s story.
I have found that empowerment is the best motivator. When your team has the support, they need to make good decisions, they will usually do a good job. As a manager, sometimes the bast thing you can do is clear obstacles, give strategic direction and then get out the way. You can always guide, or course correct but let them decide the route. Your team will think of innovations and ways of doing things that you may never have, their critical thinking skills will be challenged, and their hands-on learning will increase dramatically. This is how you build leaders.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is one by Maya Angelou- it goes “do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better”. To me, this quote speaks to continuous learning; being committed to always improving your skill set and knowledge base. But the important part of this quote that is often overlooked is the idea of not being paralyzed by the pursuit of perfect knowledge. We often don’t act because we don’t have the full picture but in my line of work, and I would say when it comes to the world’s toughest problems, we often don’t have the luxury of full information or a perfect plan. So, what is important is to do the very best and not get discouraged. I also like this quote because it speaks to execution. It challenges us to go back and execute more and more effectively as we learn more.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Professionally, in five years, I want to be in a leadership role where I can continue to be a champion of global inclusive economic growth that changes people’s lives and improves communities. I see myself being most effective toward this goal by using my leadership role in the tech space to tackle bigger and bigger challenges. I am a techno optimist so am confident that technology will be critical to building the kind of future we all want and I see myself continuing to use my leadership to ensure we are intentional that the benefits of emerging technologies like AI are used to raise the quality of life for all communities rather than deepen the divide between those who have access and those who do not.
On a personal front, I like to envision myself in 5-year spending equal time in my garden in my home in DC and by the beach in my home in Barbados. I find the best thoughts happen in stillness, in nature and by water. I have also seen that genius can happen in dream spaces and when we let our minds wander freely. I would like to think that in five years, I would have gotten better at protecting time for to become a daily practice. This may seem like a strange thing to highlight in my answer, but it is a reminder to always make room in my future life plans for rest, balance and being still. I have dedicated time, energy and resources to my career and luckily, I am beginning to see the benefits. I would like to pour the same intention into being well and having protected spaces to think creatively and be expansive in my problem solving. I think this will be an important part of my leadership and legacy.
If the past is a predictor of the future, I have no doubt that in 5 years I will be doing meaningful work that still brings me joy; but I also want to envision a 5-year horizon filled with close community, room for reflection and personal meaning.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out on their career in your industry?
Beyond the advice I mentioned above, I would give 3 additional tips:
Be a problem solver: This forces you to be execution oriented and work with others toward a solution. Solving problems also necessitates asking the right questions, which is invaluable no matter what industry you are in.
Focus on the customer: Centering the person, customer segment or groups you are trying to reach -whether with a product, program or information- is fundamental to good design. It also increases your ability to be empathetic and in tune with the needs you are solving for.
Never stop learning: I have switched industries several times and have had to learn a new skill set each time- from international development, to philanthropy, to technology. It can definitely be nerve racking and humbling but the ability to learn a new skill is important to keep growing in your career. And once you learn something, you can only build on it and improve.