Jane McNally, the 230th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, has always been a voracious reader, so it makes sense that she wanted to be a playwright when she was growing up.

But there was a plot twist. Jane ended up studying history and politics at university, and then unexpectedly got a job as a fashion buyer.

Jane turned out to have a knack for the commercial side of the fashion industry, and climbed the ranks.

Back in 2008, Jane became CEO of a publicly-listed fashion group in her native UK. These days, she lives in Sydney and is the CEO of prominent fashion label Camilla Australia and a non-executive director at the iconic RM Williams.

When I first laid eyes on Jane, I was struck by … well, how striking she looked. That’s partly due to her sense of style, and partly due to Camilla, I discovered. Jane enjoys the style of the brand she represents. Camilla designs bold, flowing clothing that looks comfortable to wear.

I suspect Jane would’ve made a good playwright, but there’s no doubt she’s built an incredible career in retail.