Spotlight on Shangelao Ndadi Turnbull – Leading with Heart, Overcoming with Strength

At African Queens’ Ink, we believe that stories are powerful and essential to being African. Stories humanise, empower and inspire. Today, our woman of the day, Shangelao Ndadi Turnbull, tells us her story, and we are incredibly privileged to publish it.

A Story of Strength, Strategy, and Starting Over

I never saw myself as a superhero with any superpowers. As I grew older and, hopefully, wiser, I realised that being a hero doesn’t require extraordinary abilities. It does not require me to wear a cape and be a Wonder Woman. I’ve discovered that my strength rests in my perseverance, fortitude in the face of fear, and agility in adapting and getting back on my feet.

I’ve always been the little girl with a lot of energy and huge aspirations, but when I had my first child as a teenager, I refrained from pursuing them fully. At the time, I thought I no longer deserved any accomplishment. Wanting better for myself, I resumed dreaming and resurrected previously abandoned dreams. I pushed against the odds and decided my story wasn’t over.

Becoming an HR Strategist and Corporate Leader

• Former Regional HR Manager at Walmart t/a Game Discount Stores (Namibia) – Leading HR strategies in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Former HR Business Partner at Namdeb Diamond Corporation – Driving talent development in a highly competitive industry.
• My last key role in Namibia was as Corporate Affairs Manager at Namdeb Diamond Corporation

As a creative at heart, I was allowed to apply my creative mind and energy to the Brand and Corporate Affairs Manager role. Working in this capacity allowed me to significantly touch the lives of vulnerable groups and communities, reawakening my profound sense of caring and affecting lives. I believe that our daily contacts have the potential to impact and touch people’s lives.

Starting Over in a New Country

After a highly fulfilling career, I made the life-altering decision to move to a new country to pursue other ambitions. I left behind everything I knew, everything I had built, and everything I had fought for. I stepped into the unknown, far from my comfort zone, and had to start from scratch. I was terrified. But I knew one thing—I had been here before. Life had tested me before, and I had overcome it. I knew I would overcome again.

A New Chapter: Impacting Lives in Healthcare

Now, I am a Pharmacy Performance Coordinator with CVS Health, where I continue to touch lives—this time, through healthcare.

It is a different world from corporate strategy and HR, but the heart of my work remains the same: helping people, leading with purpose, and making a difference wherever I go.

My Greatest Achievement

As I find my feet and reconstruct my sense of belonging, I embark on a new journey. I am now a Pharmacy Performance Coordinator with CVS Health, touching and impacting lives through healthcare in the United States. I lead with my heart. In my free time, I enjoy expressing my creativity in the kitchen and spending time with my family. Despite all my career highs, job titles, and achievements, my most significant moment was something far more personal.

I sat in my youngest son’s high school admission interview, listening as he was asked a simple question:

“Who is your hero?”

He didn’t name a famous figure. He didn’t mention an athlete or a celebrity.

He said, “My mother! She is the strongest person I know.”

That moment meant more to me than any degree, award, or promotion.

Now, I Pay It Forward

I’ve learnt that my faith and the God in me enhance my superpowers even in the face of adversity. My ability to overcome daily challenges and celebrate minor victories defines me as an imperfectly perfect woman.

That is why I mentor young women, helping them navigate life and career choices and reminding them that no detour is the end of the road. I teach them that strength is not in never falling—it’s in always getting back up.

My Favorite African Woman-Authored Book

One of the writers who inspires me the most is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a powerful storyteller who has redefined African narratives, feminism, and identity.

How I Embody This Year’s International Women’s Day Theme

💜For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.

✔️ I empower others – As an HR strategist, community advocate, and mentor, I help others realise their full potential.
✔️ I lead with heart – Whether in corporate strategy, brand management, or healthcare, my work has always been about people.
✔️ I embody resilience – Life knocked me down at times. I stood back up every single time.

Why Shangelao Inspires Us

Shangelao embodies resilience and transformation, proving that no circumstance can limit one’s potential. Her journey, from teenage motherhood to corporate leadership and later stepping into the unknown to start over in a new country, is a testament to strength, faith, and courage.

✔ She Defied Expectations – Instead of letting society define her, she rewrote her own narrative, proving that early challenges do not dictate future success.
✔ She leads with Purpose. As a former HR Strategist, she dedicated herself to helping people reach their full potential.
✔ She Uses Her Skills to Uplift Communities – Through her Brand and Corporate Affairs work, she impacted vulnerable groups and strengthened community engagement.
✔ She Reinvented Herself Fearlessly—After moving to a new country, she entered the healthcare industry, bringing her leadership expertise to a whole new field.
✔ She Empowers the Next Generation – Through mentorship, she guides young women in career and life choices, teaching them that success is always within reach.

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