It starts in an elevator in Paris, France.
On Saturday, April 4, 2026, Amara Uyanna was trying to catch a 10 a.m. flight, mentally checking off her usual work-travel list. Her suitcase in hand, she made her way to the lowest floor of a Parisian hotel where she had lodged; the elevator doors slid open, and she walked in. There, a stranger stepped in, whispering, almost to himself, “Bismillah.” Without thinking, she answered, “Bismillah,” too, their first connection in a foreign land.
When they got out of the elevator, they realised they were both headed to the airport. The man was still trying to find a ride. Uyanna, who was in a hurry to catch her flight, offered to share her Uber with him.
In the car, they fell into an easy conversation, switching between Arabic and English; the stranger and the Uber driver were surprised that she could speak Arabic.
Uyanna recalls this specific camaraderie fondly.
It is a snapshot of how she moves through the world: switching languages, sectors, and continents like she switches tabs on a laptop.
She works as the Chief of Staff at Schneider Electric, the global energy firm, yet her life and work history read like the itinerary of a perpetual commuter between worlds: oil and gas, global policy, media, fintech, crypto, and energy; Nigeria, the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
“The vision is [to be] a global expert,” she told me. But that vision started far from Paris. This is the life of Uyanna, a globe-trotter.
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