10 STORIES10 YEARS
WOMEN SHAPING THE FUTURE
COLLABORATION AND KINDNESS
4
THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS
Ten years ago we began a magical journey, not knowing where it would take us.
Woven into the fabric of this journey are the stories of some extraordinary women. Women who faced
every challenge imaginable and still made their mark, women who’ve used their voice on behalf of
those who have no voice. Through kindness and collaboration these women have shattered many
ceilings, letting in the light for others.
These are our Women of the Future.
‘10 Years, 10 Stories’ reveals the extraordinary spirit that defines these women – a spirit of kindness,
authenticity and collaboration. It celebrates the spirit that’s at the heart of our WOF Programme. We
hope that after reading this you’ll help us to keep that spirit alive.
PINKY LILANI CBE DL
Founder and Chairman of the Women of the Future Programme
5
‘10 Years, 10 Stories’ is a vivid account of the new ways in which young women
are shaping the future.
KPMG, as a firm, has been involved with Women of the Future since their early
days. For me, it has been a real privilege to witness the quality and spirit of
previous candidates over the last ten years, and the women featured in this book
truly are the best of the best.
The world is changing fast in relation to attitudes towards gender; with the
achievements of these inspirational role models helping to shape the future, and
empower the next generation of women, I look forward to seeing the positive
changes which can be accomplished by tomorrow’s female leaders.
MELANIE RICHARDS
Vice Chairman at KPMG UK
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
6
Meeting Pinky was a spiritual experience. It was a normal busy day, where
I was rushing from one place to another, focused on what I needed to get
done. My conversation with Pinky stopped me in my tracks. She radiated
warmth and loving energy. Her message was clear: through generosity,
collaboration and kindness we make a difference to other women’s lives and,
ultimately, to the world.
I think we’d all like to do more for others, but sometimes the business of life
gets in the way. This is why Women of the Future helps us all. It helps us
recognise how many brilliant women there are and how we can help each
other become stronger and more powerful, individually and collectively.
Ten years of the awards gives us an opportunity to reflect on what has been
achieved by extraordinary women, doing extraordinary things. With Pinky and
her team’s help, we’ve gone back to talk to previous winners of a WOF Award.
We asked them what they had learnt from their own journeys, what wisdom
they wanted to pass on, and how Women of the Future has helped. This book
tells some of their stories and shows us what many of them feel and think. I
want to thank the brilliant team at Hall & Partners for their enthusiasm and
commitment to bringing these stories to life to inspire other women.
VANELLA JACKSON
Global CEO at Hall & Partners
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
7
18
LISA SMOSARSKI
14
ELIZA REBEIRO
20
LIV GARFIELD
12
JULES CHAPPELL
22
SHANAZ BEGUM
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
8
30
ELSPETH FINCH
26
BECCI TAYLOR
34
SERENA GUEN
36
VICKY JEWSON
28
CHARLOTTE
CROSSWELL
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
9
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE ARE:
97%
97%
DRIVEN
KIND
EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENTINTUITIVE
RESTLESS
COLLABORATIVEAUTHENTIC
93%
86%
56%
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
10
97%
93%
93%EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENTCOLLABORATIVE
11
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
It never occurred to Jules when she was growing up that not
everyone believed there’s nothing girls couldn’t do. She names
Margaret Thatcher and a house mistress at her girls’ boarding
school as her two biggest influences. She feels lucky to have
overcome barriers before realising they even existed.
Whilst working at the Foreign Office, Jules did everything she could
to help women who weren’t so lucky, striving to help others break
through their constraints.
She describes her time in Guatemala, where she gave women a
voice against domestic violence, as confronting but also rewarding.
In Iraq, she worked seven days a week to give women of all
backgrounds self-belief, and the admittance they deserved into the
political process.
JULES CHAPPELLJules Chappell is a Partner at the corporate
and financial communications consultancy,
Hawthorn. She received an OBE in 2004 and
won the Women of the Future Community
Spirits Award in 2013. She’s an avid lacrosse
player with a mission to empower other women.
Jules calls winning her WOF Award nothing short
of ‘life changing’. She remembers being so nervous
on the night that, at one point, she didn’t want to
win. This feeling dissolved quickly when she heard
her name being called. Her acceptance speech gave
her the chance to champion yet another cause –
female genital mutilation.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
12
IT NEVER
OCCURRED TO
JULES THAT
NOT EVERYONE
BELIEVED
THERE’S
NOTHING GIRLS
COULDN’T DO.
>>
>>
SO
ME
TH
ING
TO P
RO
VE
>>
EM
PO
WE
RIN
G >
>>
>
Jules hopes for a future where women don’t have to be recognised
independently. However, she stands strong in her belief that as long as
women face issues, especially around confidence, awards such as WOF
have an invaluable role to play. She says working with Pinky and WOF made
her realise that her contribution could be even more valuable than her work
at the Civil Service. It gave her the ‘kick up the bum’ she needed to make a
change, and helped her jump headfirst into the private sector in 2014.
Having made the transition, Jules felt she had something to prove for
the first time in as long as she could remember. She had to be brave and,
despite things not always going right, she says she’s loved and embraced
every second of the challenge.
Her husband sums it up best stating, “You’ve never worked harder, but
you’ve never been happier”.
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
13
Calling herself a ‘horrible little
kid’, Eliza says traditional
schooling was never quite
right for her. Instead, she
favoured environments where
she felt she had a voice and
could learn creatively, working
with people who genuinely
valued her opinions.
ELIZA REBEIRO Eliza Rebeiro founded Lives Not Knives when she was just 14
years old. She has the heart and the passion to do good; this
is what has always motivated this champion of youth.
>>>> INSPIRING CHANGE >> BRAVE >>>>
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
14
After being kicked out of her Catholic school and not taking
to home schooling, Eliza found the place where she could
thrive, a referral unit called Moving On. Eliza praises the
teaching she experienced there, saying that their approach
was to lend an ear and offer a coffee when issues arose,
rather than a detention slip.
It wasn’t all positive though. Eliza describes this time in her
life as ‘truly eye-opening’. She saw kids of all ages turn to
illegal activities, some out of lack of security and others
from absolute desperation.
It was witnessing a vicious attack on a friend that inspired
her to design a T-shirt with the simple slogan, Lives Not
Knives. This is where it all began.
ELIZA FAVOURED
ENVIRONMENTS
WHERE SHE FELT
SHE HAD A VOICE
AND COULD LEARN
CREATIVELY, WORKING
WITH PEOPLE WHO
GENUINELY VALUED
HER OPINIONS.
LIVES NOT KNIVES TODAY
FOUND IN OVER
150 SCHOOLS
EDUCATING
10,000 STUDENTS
Eliza set out with a new vision to educate children
on youth violence. She quickly became an authority
on the subject, sitting on advisory boards for
gang culture from 14 years of age. By the time
she was 16, Lives Not Knives was present in ten
secondary schools throughout Croydon. Today,
the programme can be found in over 150 schools,
educating approximately 10,000 students on youth
violence every year.
Eliza received the Women of the Future Young Star
Award in 2013 after her mum secretly nominated
her. She reflects on the night as being great fun;
however, she says that it’s the self-confidence and
network she’s developed as a result that was the
real prize.
In her own words, “It’s a lot of love, positivity, power
and energy. A family. It makes it clear that you can
motivate by just being the person you are and by
having a conversation. That’s the power of Women
of the Future.”
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
15
SELF BELIEF
37%
REGULARLY DOUBT
THEIR DECISIONS
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
16
59%
AGREE THAT AT TIMES THEY’VE
FELT LIKE A FAILURE
79%
SAY THE HARDSHIPS THEY’VE
ENCOUNTERED HAVE BEEN CRITICAL
TO THEIR SUCCESS
68%
HAVE DOUBTED THEIR ABILITY TO
ACHIEVE IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREERS
17
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
LISA SMOSARSKILisa Smosarski, the Editor of Stylist magazine,
grew up as a curious girl with a keen interest in
singing, theatre and dancing. Inspired by the TV
show Press Gang, Lisa spent her time pretending
to be a writer. This had a lasting effect.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
18
Born in Thatcher’s time, Lisa felt that with a strong woman at
the top, anything was possible. She set her mind to becoming a
journalist as soon as she left school. She always believed that if
you’re clear on what you want and believe you can do it, you’ll
find success.
Lisa worked her way up with some of publishing’s biggest titles
including Bliss, New Woman and Smash Hits. She was then
given the opportunity of a lifetime: the launch of a new women’s
lifestyle magazine – Stylist.
Lisa and her team identified a new generation of women, one
that wanted to be spoken to intelligently and read content
about all aspects of their lives, not just men, fashion and gossip.
This was a winning concept. Lisa says the overwhelming positive
response from readers meant the early days of gruelling hours
never felt like hard work.
With motivating and empowering women being a shared goal
of both Stylist and Women of the Future, it didn’t take long for
Lisa and Pinky to connect.
Lisa won the Women of the Future Media Award in 2010. She
says the night filled her with a confidence and pride, and it has
had a long-lasting impact.
LISA AND HER
TEAM IDENTIFIED A
NEW GENERATION
OF WOMEN, ONE
THAT WANTED TO
BE SPOKEN TO
INTELLIGENTLY AND
READ CONTENT
ABOUT ALL ASPECTS
OF THEIR LIVES.
LISA BELIEVES
THAT BRILLIANT
WOMEN SHOULD
BE RECOGNISED
FOR THE THINGS
THEY DO.
Knowing that gender disparity is still an issue in many industries,
Lisa believes that brilliant women should be recognised for the
things they do. Her advice to young girls is to have self-belief,
remain resilient and always fight to keep women’s access to
education and opportunity at the top of the agenda.
As a working mum of two and a lover of all things creative, fun
and new, the key to Lisa’s happiness is to balance work and
play. She says she’s lucky to have so many incredible people in
her life; it’s a challenge not to keep the diary jam-packed with
eating, drinking and exploring.
>>
>>
NE
W G
EN
ER
AT
ION
OF
WO
ME
N >
>>
>WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
19
THERE’S
NOTHING LIV
LOVES MORE
THAN GETTING
THE BEST OUT
OF PEOPLE.
With her childhood goal of being an Everton football
manager not panning out, Liv instead started her career
with the Accenture Graduate Programme. Spending much
of her time abroad, it was at Accenture that she developed
an understanding of organisational design, learning and
development.
Liv got to hone these skills in 12 years at BT where she
eventually became CEO of their Openreach division. She joined
Severn Trent in 2013.
Liv says her leadership style is completely focused on
empowerment. This is because there’s nothing she loves more
than getting the best out of people.
Despite working in male-dominated industries, Liv says she’s
never found being a woman in leadership a challenge. Rather,
she believes she’s had amazing support around her and has
always been in teams that hire based on skill, not gender.
LIV GARFIELDIf Severn Trent CEO, Liv Garfield, was
summed up in one word, it would be
‘enthusiastic’. Coming from a long line of
hardworking family people, Liv says she’s
a big believer in the sentiment, ‘if you’re
going to do something, do it 100%’.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
20
As the winner of the 2008
Women of the Future Business
Award, Liv reflects on what a
lovely experience it was. She
recalls being interviewed by
Richard Reid as part of the
judging. She left feeling like
he’d brought out the best in her
through his engaging style.
Liv believes that the confidence
created by the WOF Awards
doesn’t just benefit the winners;
the mere fact that someone
took the time to personally
nominate you is a confidence
boost in itself.
Looking ahead to the next generation of leaders, Liv believes
it’s everybody’s responsibility to act as a mentor or coach in
some capacity. She feels that this is a sign of true kindness,
as is people looking out for each other or offering time and
access to their network to help someone. She believes those
who are kind and collaborate are more likely to get on and
have a better chance to succeed.
>>>> STRONG >> PASSIONATE >> ENCOURAGING >>>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
21
SHANAZ BEGUM As Executive Officer at Mulberry School for Girls,
where she once attended, Shanaz Begum has worked
hard to instil the mantra ‘anything is possible’.
After studying Media and Sociology at Goldsmiths University,
Shanaz returned to Mulberry School for Girls as Women’s
Education Officer, a revolutionary role at its time.
In this position, Shanaz worked very closely with the students
to build aspirational programmes and opportunities for them.
This goal has remained fundamental to her ever since.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
22
The height of her achievements came earlier this year, when
Shanaz oversaw Michelle Obama’s visit to the school. Astonished,
she reflects on how a girl from Tower Hamlets suddenly found
herself making calls to the White House.
Shanaz remembers Michelle Obama simply stating, “My story is
your story”, a sentiment that resonated with the students as the
First Lady presented her strong message of equality.
In her role as student ambassador for Goldsmiths University,
Shanaz built a strong network with some of London’s leading
organisations. This enables her to provide her students with
opportunities they may never otherwise have had access to.
More recently, Shanaz was selected to be part of the US
Ambassador’s Young Leaders UK Programme, an advisory group
with Ambassador Barzun for young leaders under 30. They look
at ways in which the UK and US relationship can be strengthened
and also provide positive platforms for young voices to be heard.
One of her connections was with BBC filmmaker, Fiona Lloyd-Davies.
Shanaz pitched the idea of taking a group of students to Bosnia to
create a film about justice 20 years on from the genocide. The film,
Justice in Action, won Best International Documentary at the People’s
Film Festival in New York, and the Making a Difference Award at the
Toronto Film Festival.
Shanaz’ passion for wanting to make a real difference in the lives of her
students did not go unnoticed; with the help of their Headteacher, her
students secretly nominated her for the Women of the Future Awards
in 2012. Shanaz didn’t find out until she was shortlisted for the Public
Service Award.
She remembers feeling out of place next to the other strong nominees.
It was her grandmother’s empowering words that got her through,
“Remember, you’re nobody’s inferior and you’re also nobody’s
superior”.
Having finished her law conversion course, Shanaz had planned to do
her LPC and practice law. However, she said winning the WOF Award
made her pause and reconsider her path. Instead, she chose to stay
at Mulberry School for Girls, where she was able to move into a more
strategic position, helping bring positive opportunities to the lives of
young women every day.
A GIRL FROM
TOWER
HAMLETS
SUDDENLY
FOUND
HERSELF
MAKING CALLS
TO THE WHITE
HOUSE.
>>
>>
CO
MPA
SS
ION
AT
E >
> A
MB
ITIO
US
>>
EM
PO
WE
RE
R O
F Y
OU
TH
>>
>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
23
COLLABORATION93% 86%
IDENTIFY WITH BEING
COLLABORATIVE
SAY THEY SEEK TEAM
MEMBERS THAT BRING A
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
24
COLLABORATION82% 77%
BELIEVE THEY WOULDN’T HAVE ACHIEVED THE
SAME SUCCESS WITHOUT THE RIGHT NETWORK
OF COLLEAGUES AND SUPPORTERS
THINK FEMALE LEADERS ARE MORE
COLLABORATIVE THAN MALE
25
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
BECCI TAYLORAs a woman working in construction, Mechanical Building
Services Engineer Becci Taylor knows she’s unique. It’s a
quality she thinks all women should strive for.
Describing herself as a determined child, Becci’s strong-minded nature
has helped her find her place in this male-dominated profession.
After graduating from Kings College, Cambridge, Becci joined Arup,
where she’s grown her career ever since.
When asked what advice she’d give other young women pursuing a
similar path, Becci says the key is to embrace and utilise your own
particular set of skills. She also believes in having a supportive network
of people around you.
Becci is a huge advocate of mentorship. While she’s played the role of
mentor several times, she says it’s now often the juniors in her team
that surprise and inspire her the most.
In 2012, Becci won the Women of the Future
Science and Technology Award. She impressed the
judges with her total commitment, passion and
youthful enthusiasm.
Being as shocked by winning as by being
nominated in the first place, Becci remembers using
her speech to send a strong message to women
like her. She wanted them to know that women
don’t have to imitate men; they just need to be
themselves and let their skills shine.
IF YOU DON’T
SEE ANY WOMEN
IN LEADERSHIP
ROLES, IT’S VERY
HARD TO IMAGINE
YOURSELF GETTING
TO THE TOP.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
26
Since her win, Becci says she’s
benefitted from a new supportive
network. She relishes being
surrounded by ambitious women
who encourage each other and
seek advice and support.
Becci also says her win raised her profile as a
female leader within the industry. She believes
that the true value of awards is that they help put
female leaders centre stage.
Becci believes that seeing women in leadership
roles is really important. Without this, it’s very
hard for a female to imagine herself getting to the
top. The Women of the Future Awards raise more
successful women into the limelight.
BECCI KNOWS SHE’S
UNIQUE. IT’S A
QUALITY SHE THINKS
ALL WOMEN SHOULD
STRIVE FOR.
>>>> ONE OF A KIND >> DETERMINED >>>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
27
CHARLOTTE CROSSWELLAs CEO of Nasdaq NLX and the mother of a busy
seven year old, Charlotte Crosswell knows a lot
about hard work and balancing commitments.
From an early age, Charlotte realised that working hard was
the best way she would achieve her goals. Her desire to always
put the maximum into her job still drives her today.
However, Charlotte doesn’t believe her success is due to hard
work alone. She says it was the mentorship and support she
received in an industry that’s not always known for people
development which was key.
Throughout her career, Charlotte has made collaboration
central to what she does. Her leadership style embodies it
completely. She believes you’re not a good leader if you’re
doing it on your own. Success, she says, comes down to having
others around you who share the same vision and values.
YOU’RE NOT A
GOOD LEADER IF
YOU’RE DOING IT
ON YOUR OWN.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
28
Charlotte also advocates leading
from the front, and believes in
working hard and achieving high
standards for herself and her team.
She’s overcome naysayers who
thought a woman couldn’t do the job.
While she admits she can be a hard
taskmaster at times, Charlotte says
people appreciate that she gives
absolutely everything she has.
She describes winning her Women
of the Future Business Award in
2007 as ‘completely unexpected’. To
this day, she still doesn’t know who
nominated her.
Seeing it as an incredible opportunity to get out of her ‘city
bubble’, Charlotte says the award encouraged her to become
more of a spokesperson for women.
For her, the importance of the Women of the Future Awards
lies in the support and recognition of young women building
their careers. She hopes that showcasing the achievements of
female leadership lights the way for a more naturally gender-
balanced future.
AWARDS HELP
LIGHT THE WAY
FOR A MORE
NATURALLY
GENDER-
BALANCED
FUTURE.
>>>> COMMITTED >> APPRECIATIVE >> SPOKESPERSON >>>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
29
ELSPETH FINCHElspeth Finch is the Director of
Innovation, UK for Atkins. She’s
always had an appetite and mind for
revolutionary ideas, loving to make
something out of nothing.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
30
At school, Elspeth was split between her love
for both sciences and arts. Her first taste of
entrepreneurship was when she started the school’s
very first yearbook. It stuck with her.
Elspeth believes collaboration is the key to
delivering new thinking. She’s a huge advocate for
mentorship and says it was her time interning at a
startup when she was 20 that’s had the most lasting
effect, calling the experience of working directly
with their CEO ‘simply incredible’.
At just 24 years old, Elspeth saw an opportunity to start her
own specialist consultancy, Intelligent Space. Here she focused
on understanding and improving how people use towns and
cities. After seven successful years, she was given an amazing
offer and sold her business to Atkins, which had common
interests when it came to designing infrastructure.
Inspired by the freedom to do things differently, Elspeth led
some ground-breaking projects, including the redesign of
Oxford Circus. In 2013, she was awarded the Royal Academy
of Engineering Silver Medal in recognition of her commercial
success and for the advancement of engineering in the UK.
In addition to overseeing the Atkins University Link Programme, Elspeth is the Chair
of the Innovators Network at the Royal Academy of Engineering. She also mentors
startups through the Academy’s Enterprise Hub.
In 2008, Elspeth won the Woman of the Future Entrepreneur Award. She recalls a
fantastic night, and felt honoured to be recognised for her achievements.
Elspeth says winning the award improved her visibility within the organisation
and helped her build networks across the industry. It opened doors to lots of
introductions and conversations she would otherwise never have had.
Elspeth believes that being a good leader is not an end destination. It takes
continuous listening, reflection, adaption and improvement.
INSPIRED BY
THE FREEDOM
TO DO THINGS
DIFFERENTLY.
ELSPETH
LOVES
TO MAKE
SOMETHING
OUT OF
NOTHING.
>>
>>
INN
OV
AT
IVE
>>
INS
PIR
ING
>>
>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
31
CHARACTER
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
32
HAVE BEEN CALLED ‘BOSSY’
IN THE WORKPLACE
54%
ARE OPEN WITH THEIR TEAM
ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT AREAS
77%
IDENTIFY AUTHENTICITY AS BEING
KEY FOR A SUCCESSFUL LEADER
97%
BELIEVE THAT BEING A WOMAN
GIVES THEM DIFFERENT
STRENGTHS AND ADVANTAGES
83%
33
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
SERENA GUENSerena Guen is Director and Editor-in-Chief of
SUITCASE Magazine. She’s always been a keen traveller,
and started out by writing a travel journal for her friends
and family. It soon attracted a wider audience. Realising
there weren’t any publications that catered to her and
her peers, Serena decided to create her own.
>>>> ADVENTURER >> INDEPENDENT >> GENUINE >>>>
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
34
Serena’s vision for SUITCASE was to give readers
something they hadn’t experienced before; an
inspiring look into cultures and places, without any
predictable stereotyping.
With a desire to make something truly unique, Serena
decided to go with her gut instinct. She opted to
create a print magazine, despite many telling her it
was a ‘dying medium’.
When asked about her extraordinary drive to
succeed, Serena says she’s lucky enough to have
never seen anything else. She comes from a long line
of entrepreneurs who, even in retirement, continue to
fulfil their passions and ‘keep their brains alive’.
Believing determination is in her blood, Serena says
this quality has opened many doors for her and
SUITCASE. She describes herself as a ‘sponge’ who
loves to observe.
Serena has always taken the time to build genuine relationships
with people. This approach has helped create once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities, such as exclusive photo shoots in the palaces of
Jaipur and the World Cup Final Stadium in Brazil.
Serena has built many new relationships with the Women of the
Future network and says the admiration and mutual respect that
she’s experienced has already led to incredible partnerships. This
includes her founding role in UNICEF’s Next Generation Programme
with fellow WOF winner, Catrin Nye.
Serena believes winning the Women of the Future Media Award
in 2014 helped legitimise her at a young age. In her own words,
“Friends and family are saying ‘Well done’, but it’s really nice to have
someone else say that, somebody that doesn’t know you”.
When asked what advice she would give to those wishing to follow
in her footsteps, Serena says it’s all about having goals, finding a
structure and being adaptive. She also says it’s important to never
let your ego get in the way.
TAKE THE
TIME TO BUILD
GENUINE
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH PEOPLE.
IT CAN CREATE
ONCE-IN-A-
LIFETIME
OPPORTUNITIES.
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
35
JUST GO
OUT AND
TRY IT,
RATHER
THAN THINK
ABOUT IT.
Vicky remembers spending school holidays with her friends,
putting on plays or creating films. It was these early ventures
that fuelled her go-getting nature. She loved to create
something out of nothing. This is how Jewson Films began.
Her family have always been her source of unwavering support.
They taught her that she could do anything; to just go out and
try it, rather than think about it.
This has helped shape Vicky’s life mantra: “Whatever you dream,
you can do. Begin it, because boldness has genius, power and
magic in it.”
Vicky is an enthusiast who believes that every mistake is an
opportunity to learn. She says it takes grit and determination to
succeed, and the key is to visualise, do and win.
Unable to switch off, Vicky says she has some of her best
ideas when she’s somewhere completely new. She sees her life
as a rich tapestry, one where her career allows her to travel
constantly and meet new people.
VICKY JEWSONFrom a young age, filmmaker Vicky Jewson
invariably had a camera in her hands. She loves
nothing more than storytelling, claiming it’s
always been a part of her life and is in her DNA.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
36
Vicky was one of the first Women
of the Future winners, being
presented with the Arts, Media
and Culture Award in 2006. She
believes awards such as Women of
the Future exist, in a wider sense,
to connect people from various
industries, who otherwise may
never get the chance to learn from
and be inspired by one another.
Since winning her award, Vicky has
been able to develop strong new
connections through the Women of
the Future network. She says not only
has she met new investors and people
willing to stock her films in store, but
also plenty of people she’s been able to
help in return.
>>>> EXPLORER >> CREATIVE >> DREAMER >>>>
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
37
CHARACTERISTICS AND
ATTITUDES OF SUCCESSFUL
FEMALE LEADERS DRIVEN
AUTHENTIC
EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT
OPEN TO EXPERIENCES
KIND
INTUITIVE
TAKE ON ADVICE
RESTLESS
COLLABORATIVE
GENEROUS
SEEK DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW
BRING A VARIETY OF STRENGTHS AND ADVANTAGES
HARDSHIPS CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS
OPEN ABOUT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
COMPROMISE PERSONAL TIME FOR CAREER PROGRESSION
CALLED ‘BOSSY’ BY COLLEAGUES
GAIN SUCCESS THROUGH SUPPORTIVE NETWORKS
COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP APPROACH
HAVE DOUBTED THEIR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN CAREER
HAVE DOUBTED DECISIONS THEY’VE MADE
BELIEVE PARENTHOOD MAKES BETTER LEADERS
AT TIMES, HAVE FELT LIKE A FAILURE
MULTI-TASKER
CHARACTERISTICS
ATTITUDES
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
38
93
86
97
77
59
94
85
82
68
56
40
87
83
79
66
54
%
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
39
“GENUINE EQUALITY, AND CONFIDENCE THAT
MAKING A CHOICE ABOUT WHETHER TO
HAVE CHILDREN, OR TAKE ON OTHER CARING
RESPONSIBILITIES OUTSIDE WORK, DOESN’T
HINDER THEIR ABILITY TO PROGRESS.”
“THAT MEN WILL START
SHARING THE BURDEN OF
CARE AT HOME SO THAT
WOMEN AREN’T ALWAYS
SUFFERING FROM THE
DOUBLE SHIFT.”
“FOR WOMEN TO FEEL EMPOWERED
AND TO RECOGNISE AND
CELEBRATE SUCCESS WHEN THEY
ACHIEVE IT – WHATEVER THAT
LOOKS LIKE.”
Source: Women of the Future Network research
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
40
“THAT THEY’RE
NOT DEFINED
AS A FEMALE
LEADER.
THEY ARE A
LEADER.”
“THAT DIVERSITY IN ITS WIDEST SENSE
WILL BE SEEN AS BENEFITTING BUSINESS
AND NOT JUST FILLING QUOTAS. FEMALE
STRENGTHS WILL BE WELCOMED, NOT
TOLERATED. FAMILY LIFE WON’T BE SEEN
AS INCOMPATIBLE WITH WORK LIFE.”
41
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
HALL & PARTNERS TEAM
We are the Hall & Partners team, and we’re delighted to have partnered with
the Women of the Future Awards team to produce this celebration of female
leadership and achievement.
Our objective was simple: to capture an honest account of the stories,
characteristics and hopes for female leaders of the future, from some truly
inspirational women.
To do this, we conducted an online survey of people that have participated in
this programme over the past ten years. This included winners, nominees and
judges of the Women of the Future Awards. We talked to the whole range of
the award categories. We received responses from 94 inspiring women, and
have peppered their insights throughout this book. We hope you find them
interesting, relatable and uplifting.
Alongside the online survey, we also conducted ten face-to-face interviews
with past winners. An open conversation with each of these women, covering
both their professional and personal motivations, enabled us to dig deep into
the characteristics of a modern female leader. While their stories are diverse,
we all felt exhilarated by what these amazing and very real women achieved.
We know there’s still more to come from them.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading this tribute as much as we enjoyed making it.
10 YEARS, 10 STORIES
42
WOMEN OF THE FUTURE
43
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