Today we meet Ilona Alcock the Immediate Past President of JCI Sheffield.

Which chamber are you a member of?
JCI Sheffield

How long have you been a JCI member?
Since September 2011

What made you join?
I had attended a couple of training sessions and though "it's great, but not for me" so sent my husband along instead. A few months later I had to join so I could see him as he was out all of the time! I immediately got more involved, joining the Council team in 2012 and becoming local President in 2014.

What is the most interesting JCI event you've been to and why?
So many to choose from! It would probably have to be European Academy, an intensive four day leadership programme in Sweden for deputy presidents. This included outdoor team building activities (note, I am not the person you want to help you build a ladder), Insights personality profiling, indoor group  work and presentations, training on building a successful JCI chamber, chance to build relationships with 85 delegates from across Europe and a grand total of about 10 hours sleep!

Had JCI presented any unusual/interesting opportunities?
Loads... international conferences with thousands of people in Malta and Germany, debating competitions, twinning visits on the West coast of Ireland including meeting their Prime Minister, training on everything from time management to public speaking, supporting a city wide graduate internship scheme.... I was so proud to be able to launch the JCI UK Ten Outstanding Young Persons project following a training academy in Istanbul in late 2012. The best bit of JCI is definitely the chance to make so many amazing friends along the way.

What is your job/career/profession/business?
I run a company called Technology Panda which provides technical solutions which will transform the recruitment industry. It's a really exciting new venture backed by James Caan and I'm so excited to see where the next few years will take us! If you're in hospitality check out our first niche job board, thejobsmenu.com.

Has JCI had any impact on your job/career/profession/business?
JCI has totally transformed my career. When I joined I was a very unhappy corporate lawyer with no real idea of how to get out of it. Between a goal setting session from JCI Sheffield patron Jon Coleman and a great speech at 2012 Inspiration Day, I realised I could quit and set up a business with my husband. The last three years have been an absolute whirlwind and would not have been possible with all the support and contacts from JCI.

Who is a leader you admire?
Solveig Malvik, JCI UK President in 2012. She's just AWESOME. I love that she inspires everyone around her and always works so hard to support her team. A real ambassador for our organisation, I feel lucky to have had chance to learn from her.

What's your proudest achievement?
Within JCI, it would have to be getting our 2014 flagship "be better" project shortlisted as one of the top four personal development projects in the world. It was the culmination of so much hard work from the whole team and just wonderful to see it recognised at that level. 

Where's your favourite place to eat?
At home! Between work and JCI I'm out and about all the time (which I wouldn't change for the world) so it's lovely to get chance to do some cooking and settle in with my husband, my new cats and a nice bottle of wine.

What is your perfect weekend?
Got to be a JCI conference! The amount of activities that get crammed in to national conventions is just amazing - training, debating competitions, zorbing.... -  and you get to spend three whole days with fantastic people. I'm so excited to be off to Aberdeen in a couple of weeks for the JCI Scotland convention.

Tell us something crazy/dangerous/inspiring/unusual you have done
Hmmm..... I'm not sure I've done anything really dangerous! I suppose my most recent crazy decision has been to move across the country to set up a new business in January. So far, so good though!

Thanks Ilona!