Meet Katie, our Head of Operations

What has been your biggest achievement outside of work in the last year?

Developing as a parent. It’s been such a joy to see my daughter develop her character and values, and being able to see the world through her eyes. There really is nothing like a new perspective.

Do you have any comments about being a woman working in a male-dominated industry?

I think as a woman working in a male-dominated industry, you have to understand that you can’t change the world overnight. Diversity is a massively important subject to me, and to even have representation is so important. I think it’s important not to be phased and to believe in yourself. I tell my daughter that she can be anything she wants to be in the world, so I’m hoping we can build a future where questions like this become irrelevant. To any women looking to work in the industry, I’d say work hard and make sure to create a strong support system to keep you driven to achieve your goals. Most importantly, though, don’t underestimate the power of believing in your own abilities. The only person you should compare yourself with is yourself and use how well you’re aligning with your own beliefs as a measure of success. I often work with female colleagues who naturally seek competition or compare themselves against benchmarks set by others, rather than focusing on their own abilities and attributes.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

For me, International Women’s Day provides a moment of reflection to celebrate just how far the women’s rights movement has come. Equally, it’s an opportunity to recognise and understand that worldwide there is still much to be achieved. It makes you realise that it’s a privileged position to have an education and a career.

International Women’s Day is also a time to come together as a team to show appreciation for each other. It seems sometimes that we live in a world where the media would rather pit women against each other – think the Taylor Swift vs. Beyonce competition – rather than celebrating their strengths collectively. I think IWD is a good time to recognise the expectations put on and judgements made about women (in terms of dress sense, makeup, career etc). It should serve as a reminder to just be you and to celebrate the things that make the women in your life who they are.

Which woman is your biggest inspiration in life?

I have a lot of women in my life who inspire me and I’m lucky to have met many great women who’ve supported me from a mentorship point of view. I also find inspiration in many of the people that I work with – I like to learn from those around me daily, regardless of their position.

My daughter is, of course, a huge inspiration in my life. I feel a great responsibility to use my voice to create a future for her that I’m proud of, and to be a role model to inspire her to make positive change happen too. But I would have to say that the most inspirational woman in my life is my partner. Seeing her become a mother in recent years and observing her balancing life, meeting the demands of the world and navigating the unknown every day is so inspiring to me.