Find Your Leadership Narrative

Rola Dagher, former CEO of Cisco Canada, spent her early childhood fleeing from one Lebanese town to another amid the country's civil war, hiding from bombs and dodging bullets. She ultimately arrived in Canada as a 17-year-old new mother. Finding her first job in retail, Dagher gradually worked her way into telemarketing for Bell Canada and then Dell, eventually becoming the first female president of a global telecommunications company. "My past," Dagher says, "has shaped me to be the woman, the mother, the leader I am today." She describes herself as selfless, fearless, and focused on others' success. Her core motto is a quote commonly attributed to singer Bob Marley: "You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice."