International Women's Month, My Why

Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. At Brunel, we’ve decided to dedicate the whole month of March to put a spotlight on this years’ theme #BreakTheBias and to also recognize the women of Brunel who are all contributing to a better future and planet.

As Brunel’s Global Head of People and Culture I am thrilled to open our International Women’s Month. My own career in People & Culture has spanned nearly 20 years across various industries. I have lived in and worked in different countries, and I am a wife and Mother.

International Women’s Day is a time of year where I can take a moment to reflect on my own journey as a woman in a senior leadership role. Also, it’s an opportunity to recognize the very real challenges that women face in the workplace, talk openly about our journeys and listen to others.

Then why celebrate women in the workplace? My ‘why’ is that it gives me a chance to look back, acknowledge how I have contributed to a more inclusive workplace, show self-compassion for the challenges I have experienced, and give gratitude to those who have guided and supported me.

There have been times in my career when I have experienced gender based biases, and felt I had to adjust myself too far to fit in with established structures, archetypes and workplace cultures. I now know that I wasn’t being my true, authentic self, which resulted in a feeling of not belonging, or not feeling ‘good enough’.

Tough, right? I’m sure I’m not that only person who has felt that way at some point. What I lean into is self-compassion. There will be times where challenges arise but the person who you can be kindest to in that moment is you. We are often much nicer to others than we are to ourselves. We are all perfectly imperfect. I talk to other women to understand their perspective and experiences. You’d be surprised at the similarities you’ll find when you start talking to others. During my time at Foot Locker I worked with some incredible leaders, Susie Kuhn, Natalie Ellis and Ainhoa Zubillaga who owned their own personal leadership style and really upheld authenticity in challenging moments.

A diverse workplace creates a balance in perspectives and opinions, to help see things through a different lens. Graeme Maude our COO at Brunel is my sparring partner on tough topics and will ask questions to allow self-reflection. Talking to trusted advisors who support and give honest feedback have been key for my growth. Those who provide you the unvarnished truth at work or in life want the best for you even if it doesn’t land as intended.

Being able to develop these authentic connections with myself, and also support others to do so, is my ‘why’ when I reflect on International Women’s’ Month.

Now, I would like to share some of the great work the Brunel team is doing when it comes to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB), and what we are doing to break gender bias #BreakTheBias.