P. JOY VILLALINO
Describe yourself in 5 words?
I love being a rainmaker.
How does design imbue your life day-to-day ?
Design for me is a very fluid aspect of my life. I have an advanced degree in design theory, so I tend to be very conscious that my daily experiences with design are quite commonplace from a No. 2 pencil to the tech hardware to the chair I sit on in the office or home. Design is something that is constant and consistent in all our lives. It is also about choice, and I tend to surround myself with colour and strong shapes to help activate my daily experiences.
I Am Woman was designed to inspire the future of women in business, so with that in mind, if you could you give one piece of advice to young females, what would it be?
I strongly believe that as a woman in business who has achieved a C-suite position, I must pay forward my successes by encouraging women to think for themselves. The most important piece of advice I would impart to young females is the importance of having a point of view/professional brand and being able to support and state it clearly.
For example, I have an earned reputation in solving organisational problems effectively, efficiently and innovatively, hence a rainmaker.
If you ran the world for a day .. what three things would you implement/change?
First thought is one day is not enough. But given the opportunity to run the world, I would create the following to further causes which I currently support:
Create an International Gender Equity Day:
to talk about equivalent treatments in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities for women, men and gender-diverse people, all of which paves the path for gender equality.
Feed the world equally:
to further awareness that ALL people must have the capacity to feed themselves by giving those in need adequate dietary and available food, and that extreme hunger and malnutrition (let alone starvation) must be eradicated.
Teachers everywhere receive a living wage:
to support basic education around the world and continue to enhance the teaching of reading and writing (literacy) for all children as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
How do you spend time outside of work ?
Having a galpal crew is very important to me – good female friends provide so much life support and an outlet to really talk about the grist of daily living. You will see me often conversing, laughing and eating with my girlfriends, as well as volunteering my time to help women and girls in need.
I am also a true believer in Mark Twain’s axiom that ‘…travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness’. So if I am not traveling, I am reading about places afar or biographies of people who have changed the world or watching films from foreign lands. Finally the outdoors is a must, whether gardening or hiking, camping or cycling with family and friends (and my West Highland terrier).
What city fits your style and aesthetic most?
I would say that I have a very eclectic aesthetic, infused with intellectualism and individuality – almost everything goes from the English arts and crafts of Rennie and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh to large-scale maximalist works by Donald Judd. Ideally, a city or place needs to be able to complement what I am reading, writing, or studying at the moment – therefore I am not sure that one place is enough for my wandering spirit and curiousity.
If I HAD to be grounded somewhere, I would say San Francisco because it is a city known for its activism and innovation. It is not only the gateway to some of world’s most amazing outdoor experiences like Yosemite National Park and California’s northern coastline, it is a city which is founded on entrepreneurial design innovations that have influenced the world – from its goldrush (jeans) era to the hippie counterculture (tie-dye) to its tech boom (personal computing).
What trends are you loving at the moment whether it be fashion, interiors, beauty or food.
In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, it has been fantastic to see people tapping into their inner creativity whether its making fantastical face masks, DIY house and craft projects, or cooking from scratch. Being locked in just further proves how humans can adapt and be innovative!
In this rapidly changing world, how would you improve sustainability globally?
Global sustainability could be improved a thousand-fold by just one thing: banning production and use of fast manufactured consumer use plastic.
If you woke up tomorrow as Prime Minister of Australia, what are the top three things you would address?
Immigration: creating a realistic policy which is open and inclusive; a complete opposite from Australia’s current punitive policies, which effectively punishes those are fleeing from one part of the world to seek protection in this country.
Gender equity: removing the extra 56 day pay gap that the average Australian woman must work to earn the same pay as men for the same job
Global warming: get the country back on track and set higher targets to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions. Australia is currently one of the world's biggest per capita greenhouse gas emitters and has been criticised that not only are its targets too low (26-28% reduction) but it will not achieve its set reduction goal by 2030.
If you didn't end up in your career what other job would you have done and why?
Every profile test I have ever taken shows that I have the potential to be multi-vocational. There was a time when being singularly focused was a way to the C-suite, but I have professionally benefited from a dual-pronged career in both arts/cultural and sports administration.
If not these sectors, I may have been in the military, but one that was specifically female centric. Preferably similar to the fictional Bene Gesserit women who are so powerful that they influenced the evolution of humanity in the Dune books or Star Trek’s Qowat Milat warrior nuns, who only offer their services to aid lost causes.
Do you have any upcoming projects or events you want to share with us ?
Stabilising the Robin Boyd Foundation and re-establishing its leadership position in Australia’s architecture and design pantheon have been the primary focus of my current role. I would like my next professional evolution to focus on working directly with women and girls/families regarding the design of affordable, social and safe housing.
We would love to know which two products from KFive+Kinnarps are your favourite.
Of course my first favourite is the Boyd Collection, which is a deep research dive and a commercial commitment to modernise the design legacy of one of Australia’ most innovative and intellectual architects Robin Boyd. My second favourite would be KFive’s combination of geometric and modular acoustics and screens, which vastly improve and provide a more artistic take to the bog-standard office solutions.
what woman in your life would you like to thank and why?
When I was young, I befriended my bestie Juliana who was the complete opposite of me and my life. I was Asian living through all the first-generation migrant tropes, and she was blonde and from an American midwestern family. Not only did she look different than me, her family and how they lived were cultural opposites to mine. These early experiences with Julie and her family helped me understand that differences were not barriers. Our steadfast friendship continues to be strengthened as we continue to share our disparate lives across time and place, finding unique ways to ground our connection. Words are inadequate to describe the gratitude and love I have for Julie and our sister-friendship bond.