Barnard Inc Financial Administrator, Krystal Cochrane was born in Durban, but at a very young age she and her brother moved overseas with their dad. She attended school in the UK and New Zealand. “Growing up abroad wasn’t easy, but we had a close family unit, and we were very close. We supported each other,” says Krystal. Whenever her father wasn’t working, he took them on road trips to neighbouring towns and on outings to museums, castles, zoos and more. It was an existence that taught her that it is okay to find a balance between solitude and bustle.
“My mother has also been a great influence in my life. She taught me how to be independent, and how to set goals to become a strong woman,” adds Krystal “In good and bad times, I have learnt to use every experience as a life lesson, and something to grow from. Krystal joined Barnard Inc’s finance department and quickly found a friend and mentor in Head of Finance, Marisa Myburgh. “Though we have only known each other for a few years, Marisa has already taught me so many valuable life-lessons and has always made me feel like ‘I belonged’. She’s a true leader, a fantastic mother and the best friend a girl could ask for.” Krystal’s colleagues describe her as a hardworking, independent, loyal person, always willing to help those in need – with a great sense of humour. “They say I’m a bit of a ‘kluisenaar’ (hermit) at times,” she laughs. Krystal says she chose to pursue a career in finance, is because she has always had a passion for numbers and problem solving and she enjoys the fact that she still gets challenged at times.
When Krystal isn’t quietly getting on with her work, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, scuba diving, golf, as well as catching up with her friends over a Cajun Chicken Chowder at Crawdaddy’s. And she’s equally happy to be alone to binge on her television shows.
Krystal says that her friends and mentors have helped her, the ‘kluisenaar,’ out of her shell – but if they look closely, they’ll see that she’s standing on top of the shell! Getting a better perspective.
