What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
How do you use this occasion to inspire and support others?
For me, IWD is about connection and celebrating our success. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by how much work there is to do and how far we must go to reach gender equality – the UN estimates it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality – but we also need to take stock, shine a light on the positive stories, and recognise how far we’ve come.
Take the legal profession for example, the SRA reports that the proportion of women lawyers in law firms exceeds that of men and is continuing to rise, and the gap at partner level is narrowing too. There is hope, but we need to stay motivated and keep challenging ourselves to look critically at the systems and behaviours that prevent female progression.
This year’s IWD theme is #AccelerateAction, so it’s also about challenging ourselves to push further and faster. I think we can do that most effectively by coming together and collaborating to drive change across our industry and beyond through increased awareness, advocacy, and allyship.
Reflecting on your career journey so far, have there been any stand-out moments that have shaped the professional you are today?
The stand-out moments for me have been the occasions when I’ve been thrown in the deep end and just had to swim. I pride myself on a growth mindset which I’ve had since I was a child, I’ve always been willing to take up a new challenge and learn through failure; yes, it’s hard, but the more you put yourself in those sink or swim moments, the more resilience and confidence you build. I’m a great believer that every failure is part of the pathway to success.
Examples of this are as a trainee lawyer, seizing the opportunity to deliver an aircraft in Hamburg (where I had the huge responsibility of handling the title deed) and, as an NQ jumping at the opportunity to support negotiations in Venezuela. I actively sought out these opportunities, even though they scared me, because I knew they were the best way to accelerate my learning.
The biggest leap for me was leaving private practice and moving in-house ten years ago. I went through a major life event - the loss of both parents – which, combined with starting a family of my own, shifted my personal values and priorities. While I wanted to continue developing my skills as a lawyer, I also wanted to expand into other forms of work and volunteering that aligned closely with my drive to help others. Moving in-house was the start of that journey, as it gifted me more time and balance and it opened an abundance of opportunities for me alongside my legal career.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role(s)?
I pride myself on being a subject matter expert and having strong working relationships with my business and product stakeholders; being a trusted adviser and business partner and delivering tailored and pragmatic legal advice thanks to my deep understanding of our business and the external market.
I’ve been asked to speak at external industry conferences and have won some awards due to my expertise and reputation. These moments make me appreciate how much I’ve learned and developed since my trainee days and the opportunities that come from stepping outside my comfort zone.
Moving in-house has also enabled me to pursue other interests and passions beyond legal work, getting behind issues and activities that are meaningful to me and will impact others. What I find most rewarding is using my knowledge and experience to help others thrive, whether by delivering great legal advice to stakeholders or supporting colleagues in their success.
Internally, I’ve developed my leadership skills and qualified as a Coach through an apprenticeship with BPP University. These skills have enabled me to mentor and coach both inside and outside the Bank. I co-lead our Learning Community within Legal & Regulatory Affairs and co-chair our Employee-Led Gender Network.
Externally, I’ve completed qualifications in fitness, yoga, mindfulness, and somatics to deepen my understanding of the mind and body work, which has also supported my management and coaching skills. I co-founded a legal community called Hera, which connects women across the industry, and set up my own coaching and wellness practice, Channel Your Serenity, with my friend and fellow coach, Dr. Laureen Jacquet. This initiative blends movement, mindfulness, and practical coaching exercises. The common purpose to all this work is to support people to reach their potential.
What has been a highlight during your time as Global Co-Chair of NatWest’s Gender Network?
I’ve been volunteering for the Bank’s Gender Network on and off during my ten years here, but I became consistently involved after returning from my second maternity leave mid-COVID. I was seeking both connection with colleagues and a way to contribute more widely and give back.
The Gender Network is the Bank’s largest Employee-Led Network, with approximately 9,000 members and 300 volunteers across 16 regions and strands. After leading various sub-committees and programmes over the years, I took a leap of faith and applied to be a Global Co-Chair in 2023 and, to my surprise, was successful.
This role has been one of the biggest privileges of my career, as it allows me to contribute to the Bank being a place where everyone can achieve their full potential, irrespective of gender. There’s so much I’m proud of during my tenure so far (I’m halfway through a three-year term), most notably the volunteers in all our ELNs. These individuals volunteer their time alongside their formal roles to champion inclusion and raise awareness of the challenges faced by underrepresented groups.
The biggest highlight that really brought this to life for me last year was our internal Gender Network Awards, which I co-hosted and were run in five global locations as well as online. It was so inspiring and empowering to celebrate our colleagues' efforts. I’m delighted to say that we have been shortlisted at the British Diversity Awards this year too so I’m very much looking forward to celebrating our success together and with others across industries who are doing powerful work to champion DEI.
How do you balance personal well-being with professional priorities, and what strategies do you recommend for maintaining a sense of serenity in a busy life?
I firmly believe in practicing what I preach, I always remind colleagues, coaching clients, and mentees that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Personally, I know that I perform better when I ensure I’m well-resourced, which means getting the basics right: SHED (Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, Diet). I also make sure I’m working on things that give me energy and keep me motivated and fulfilled.
When I get this right, even the more challenging or less stimulating tasks don’t feel as hard. I thrive on variety and having multiple projects which is another reason I love working in-house - no two days are the same – but I’m also learning to carve out more breathing space in my day. This is particularly important given how much of our time is taken up by meetings, we need time to do the deep-thinking work and it’s also key to find the time of day that you’ll be able to optimise that, for me it’s mornings
Lately, I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of Dr. Cal Newport’s content; he’s an author and professor of Computer Science who talks about the impact of solitude deprivation amongst other things. In the "always on" culture, it’s fundamental to carve out solitude - time for rest, reflection, and renewal - so we can perform at our best.
