Beyond Downe Fourth Edition by Downe House School

DH LI N K S

Connect Innovate Onl ine

Beyond FOURTH EDITION

Where are they now? FASHION AND RETAIL

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND BROADCASTING

Sophie Conran (DH 1984)

Rachel Drummond-Hay (DH 1987)

Olivia Francis (Muir DH 2004)

Belle Donati (Lupton DH 2003)

Sarah Goodwin (DH 2008)

Annie Jaroszewicz (Molesworth-St Aubyn DH 1988)

Sophie Toh (Dennys DH 1999)

Rosie Tapner (DH 2014)

ENGINEERING Rebecca Oldfield (Castle DH 1992)

BUSINESS, FINANCE AND LAW

MANUFACTURING Camilla Hadcock (Harper DH 1987)

MEDICINE AND VETERINARY SCIENCE Dr Clare Ratnage (Michell DH 2002)

Coral Au (DH 1999)

Katie Wilcox (DH 2001)

TEACHING Mary James (Davidge DH 1982)

Poppy Maspero (Hoskins DH 2001)

Clare Angus (Richards DH 1997)

Natalia Colombani (DH 1998)

Kate Crofton-Atkins (Inglefield DH 1996)

Georgina Hilton (DH 2009)

Pam Chirathivat (DH 2000)

Henrietta Paterson (Gourlay DH 1994)

Emma Hamilton (Buckley DH 1988)

Amelia Bouquet (DH 2012)

Alex Wix (Townsend DH 2002)

MILITARY Sarah Waghorn (DH 2003)

DH LINKS

CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE Julie Melin-Stubbs (Stubbs DH 1992)

CREATIVE ARTS Alice Gates (DH 1994)

Harriet Pattinson (DH 2002)

Lara Arnott (DH 2010)

Thank you to all the contributors to the fourth edition of Beyond Downe.

MAGAZINE TEAM Editor-in-chief Alexandra Barlow Content Hazel Ormrod Designer Craig Stevens

On the Cover GEORGINA HILTON (DH 2009) FIND OUT ABOUT GEORGINA’S CAREER JOURNEY Read the full story on page 30

D H LI N K S

Connect Innovate O n l i n e

Beyond FOURTH EDITION

“The contribution that our alumnae are making in so many different fields across the globe is both inspiring and humbling.” One of the things of which I am most proud and appreciative is the way in which our alumnae community supports one another and the School. Never has that been more evident during the last year during the global Covid-19 pandemic. We have been aware for a long time that we are preparing our young women for a working world that we cannot accurately visualise or predict. The pandemic highlighted just how much can change, how quickly it can change and how much uncertainty there can be. It showed too how, when the community does come together, how powerful that provision of support is in giving people security, unlocking potential and enabling great things to happen. It is our aim to enable our girls to develop the necessary confidence to play a positive part on the global stage and the work of our DH LINKS programme, which brings parents, alumnae and current pupils together to explore different career areas through talks, work placements, networking events and mentoring, could not be more important in supporting the achievement of this aim. I am most grateful to everyone who contributes to its work.

I hope very much that you will enjoy reading this publication. Olive Willis, our Founder, encouraged each girl to see herself as an individual and the range of career paths covered certainly shows that individuality is alive and well in the Downe House community. Individuality is not to be confused with self-interest as a group of more generous-spirited, aspirational, interested and interesting women, it would, I believe, be hard to find. The contribution that our alumnae are making in so many different fields across the globe is both inspiring and humbling. Whether it is in HR, TV, the Arts, Technology, Medicine or the Law; whether it is in the UK, Europe, America, Asia or Australia, it is clear that each is making a difference and I am sure that you will share my pride in and take inspiration from each of their stories in this new edition of Beyond Downe House.

Mrs Emma McKendrick Headmistress 3

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fashion and retail

SOPHIE

CONRAN 1984

Sophie Conran is an interior designer, cook, author and runs a successful online homeware and décor business – sophieconran.com. Her career has taken her all over the world from working as a buyer for The Conran Shop to living in Australia employed as a product developer for Jasper Conran, her brother’s fashion empire and writing a monthly column for Country Living. www.sophieconran.com

A ROLLERCOASTER OF A CAREER My career has been a hurly burly rollercoaster of fantastic experiences. There have been highs and lows and I have never stopped learning. I have done a potpourri of different things – everything from having supper clubs, hand making lollypops, a boxer shorts business, interior design, buying, journalism, starting a pie business and writing cookbooks. It wasn’t until I was in my mid 40s and after I’d had children that it all fell into place and everything I had done before seemed to add up to what I do and who I am today. SOPHIECONRAN.COM I have an online homeware store and I work with a fabulous small, motivated, knowledgeable and dedicated team. The essence of the business is about having the best life you can possibly have at home, which to me is the most important thing you can do as the home is the backdrop of our lives – it involves all the good stuff, from cooking, comfortable inviting interiors, gardening and a lot of entertaining. As Director, I oversee all elements of the business and always have an eye on how to move it forward. Creatively I work with both largescale manufacturers and skilled artisan craftspeople from around the world, but also pull in friends, family and inspiration from daily life, to design and develop products of the highest quality that are not just beautiful, but practical too.

WHAT’S NEXT? I am so very lucky that I love what I do and so it never feels like work, so definitely more of the same. The website is growing rapidly, and I am very excited about helping it grow and blossom. I also have a huge renovation project in the country with amazing gardens and am planning to plant native woodlands both for the environment and wildlife. I am looking a lot currently at sustainability which I am extremely passionate about and am looking forward to laying the foundations to making my business carbon neutral.

Words of advice: ● Find great people to work with – you can’t be good at everything so find people that can support, have ideas of their own, have the same focus and ideals as you and can help you play to your strengths. ● Keep family at the core of your ideas. ● Be practical and prepared, do forecasts and plans. ● Be constantly inspired; visit lots of museums and galleries; explore the area you live in and find beauty in everything around you. ● Be kind and most importantly, have fun.

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fashion and retail

OLIVIA

FRANCIS (MUIR) 2004

“The ambition is to be the challenger to Calvin Klein for men’s underwear.” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I had done some work experience for an advertising agency and really liked the fusion of commerce and creativity, so I thought I’d start there and applied to several graduate schemes. A Levels: English, History and French Undergraduate studies: History of Art at Bristol University

www.hamiltonandhare.com

Career path: I started my career at M&C Saatchi advertising agency and worked my way up, with a lot of late nights to be the agency’s youngest Account Director. The idea to start Hamilton and Hare came at Christmas time with my two brothers when they received two hideous pairs of novelty snowman boxer shorts. It struck me that there was a market for more choice and better quality in the men’s underwear market. I quit my job in 2012 and worked as a freelance brand and marketing consultant for six months whilst I got the business off the ground. Since then we have expanded into all underwear styles, pyjamas, loungewear

and travel wear all centred around the idea of seriously comfortable clothing that looks good. Current occupation: As Founder and CEO of Hamilton and Hare, I am based in our studio at the store in Marylebone. My focus is marketing and strategy with weekly sales meetings to review latest figures and forecasts. I usually have a couple of meetings a day with journalists or other brands to talk about collaborations and work with a lot of freelance creatives, photographers and designers. Building a business brings new challenges every day and most days, this is exciting and energising but there’s a fair bit of grit and determination required too. Future plans: The impact of Covid-19 has seen a huge increase in our loungewear sales as it’s become more relevant than ever with people wanting to be comfortable at home. Our online sales have tripled so this has been a very exciting time for the business. Whilst the high street has clearly taken a big hit, I do think it has created opportunity for smaller brands as we are more nimble and more in touch with our customers. We are taking on some big players in the men’s underwear space, our ambition is to be the challenger to Calvin Klein, so this has helped level the playing field a bit as we’ve seen customers come online looking for better quality product and a more personal experience which we’re able to offer.

Words of advice: Don’t worry so much! It’s impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow, let alone in three years’ time. Work hard, be kind and good things will happen.

SARAH www.teaandtequila.com

“In ten years’ time, I hope to have grown a very successful international business, have offices in London and Mexico and a strong team working with us.”

▼ Tea & Tequila accessories and wear designed with Mexican spice and flair.

GOODWIN 2008

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I always loved fashion and languages so probably something in the fashion industry. A Levels: Spanish, French and English Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: Spanish at Bristol University Career path: After I left university I decided to move to Mexico and worked for a brief period at a private equity company. Together with my best friend from university, we created the idea that started Tea & Tequila Trading, a tropical accessories brand blending the Tea (our Britishness) with the rich colourful essence of Mexico (Tequila). We work closely with skilled artisans in different areas of Mexico to create our designs and promote ethical fashion.

Current occupation: I work very closely with my business partner and friend, Millie. She is based in London while I am six hours behind in Mexico. We touch base every day and go over key tasks and projects. I manage the production side in Mexico seeking out highly skilled craftswomen, working on designs, sourcing new materials, marketing, PR and all the admin that goes with running a business. Future plans: In ten years’ time, I hope to have grown a very successful international business, have offices in London and Mexico and a strong team working with us. Our focus is on introducing new designs and getting stocked in more key stores in the UK and USA and of course, all this will help us to support more indigenous communities of women across Mexico at the same time.

Words of advice: Don’t worry about the future as things tend to work out later on – it’s unlikely that you will know what career you want to do when you are at school especially if the traditional routes don’t call out to you.

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engineering

REBECCA

OLDFIELD (CASTLE)

1992

From when she was at Downe House, Rebecca knew that she wanted to be a chemical engineer. After doing her A Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry, she went to Cambridge University and completed a BSc and a PhD in Natural Sciences. On leaving university, Rebecca joined Infineum as a research and development scientist developing new products and is still there! Rebecca explains, “Within two years, I had presented papers at conferences, won an award for my work and found myself living and working just outside New York. In my 20 years at Infineum, I have done ten different jobs, across every part of the business and was the youngest person in the company’s history to reach executive level. I am also the only employee ever to make use of the maternity leave policy while in an executive level role! I have travelled to America, Europe, Russia, India, China and Singapore on business, and as the Head of HR, I have been instrumental in increasing the number of women in management roles. 8

There is a long way to go still, but I am committed to seeing greater ethnic and gender diversity at all levels in our organisation. I am now the Executive VicePresident of Business Transformation at Infineum, reporting to the CEO. I am responsible for digitalisation, our data science capability, and for shifting the culture of our organisation to be more customercentric, agile and empowering. Our aim at Infineum is to create a more sustainable future through innovative chemistry, and my role in that is to reduce the impact of our offices and plants on the environment, ensure

the wellbeing and health of employees and reduce inequality (including gender inequality), and promote engagement with the community. After twenty years, I realise I am passionate about helping people fulfil their full potential, ensuring equal opportunities for those with equal talent, and acting in a socially responsible way, including caring for our environment. I look for roles which allow me to achieve all those things which is where my true motivation comes from. I get excited about solving problems and taking on challenges that others think are impossible. The more difficult they seem, the more motivated I am to try them. I believe I have the opportunity to be the first female CEO of Infineum, and provided I can continue to pursue my passions, this will be my aim for the future. In business, everyone wants to ‘differentiate’ themselves, because if you can offer something unique, you can invariably create value (make money!). But as people, we seem always to want to be just like everyone else. Take a lesson from the business world: own your difference and wear it with pride – it is your ticket to marketing yourself and setting yourself apart from the crowd. And get out of your comfort zone, keep pushing yourself to do things you are not sure you can do; it is the only way to learn, develop and succeed. Good luck!”

“I want to show other women and girls that it is possible to go right to the top, even in industries like oil and gas or petrochemicals.”

www.infineum.com

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manufacturing

“Whatever you do, give it 100%, and don’t be afraid to try new things. If you think you can do it, you can.”

www.roachbridgetissues.com

CAMILLA

HADCOCK (HARPER)

1987

Camilla runs Roach Bridge Tissues, a specialist printer and converter of wrapping tissue paper based at a historic mill site in Lancashire. When I think back to when I was 16 and studying Maths, Chemistry and Physics A Levels, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was attracted to the military but the only options for girls were admin jobs at that time. I enjoyed making clothes, but fashion wasn’t what my parents had in mind for me. Academically, everything pointed towards medicine, but I wasn’t sure it was for me. I had really had enough of education and with no real passion for any of my subjects and no idea of what to study, I refused to apply to university, which didn’t go down very well! My gap year was already planned so I learnt how to cook and type and then got myself a job in a PR company in London. After a while, I bowed to the inevitable and went off to train to be an accountant. Again, I learnt a lot but wasn’t happy auditing, so decided to work for an outside catering company organising weddings and corporate events. Hospitality teaches you many

things and I was behind the scenes at some pretty special events during the early 90s. However, the unsocial hours were unsustainable once I got married, so I went back to work for an accountant for a spell before our children came along. We moved out of London and up to Lancashire with the children and when our daughter was two, my husband came home one day and announced that he had bought a small manufacturing business! A steep learning curve and 20 years later, I run the business which supplies branded wrapping tissue paper to high street shops. I’m in the office daily doing everything from accounts, purchasing raw materials, proofing printing jobs, recruitment and health & safety to sales and marketing, quality control and dealing with mechanical breakdowns on the factory floor. Not much happens in the company without coming across my desk first.

Excitingly, I was invited to become a Board Director of a manufacturers’ organisation called Made in Britain. I now find myself involved in lobbying Parliament and have become an enthusiastic promoter of British manufacturing on a national level. Between Roach Bridge Tissues (my company), Made in Britain, family commitments and hobbies (beekeeping and acting as a national synchronised swimming judge), I’m not looking for anything else to do at the moment, but who knows?

Words of advice: I’m not sure it’s possible to pursue a career like mine, as I did not pursue it myself, rather it pursued me. What I would say is whatever you do, give it 100%, and don’t be afraid to try new things. If you think you can do it, you can.

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medicine and veterinary science

DR CLARE

RATNAGE (MICHELL)

2002

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? Either Medicine or Physiotherapy A Levels: Italian, Chemistry, Biology and General Studies Undergraduate studies: BSc (Hons) in Physiology and MBChB (Hons) in Medicine at Bristol University Career path: I spent two years as a Junior Doctor working in various hospitals in west London. I decided to complete the post-graduate exams for membership to the Royal College of Practitioners (MRCP) and General Practice (MRCGP) before finally settling on General Practice. I spent three years as a GP Trainee in Croydon and a final year as an Academic GP trainee at St George’s Hospital, Tooting where I trained to teach undergraduate students and tried my hand at clinical research. On qualifying as a GP, I joined a practice in south west London where I worked for a couple of years, spending my free

time as an expedition medic in Nepal, Tanzania and around the UK. Current occupation: My husband and I decided to leave London and move to Wiltshire where I now work part-time as a GP in a village practice, juggling my career with three young children! I spend my days in clinic seeing patients and visiting housebound patients at home. As doctors, we never stop learning so I also spend a lot of time keeping up to date and attending courses. Future plans: Once my children are older, I will increase my working hours which I hope will allow me to become more active in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching again. I am also interested in the larger-scale issues surrounding local health care provision which is another area that I hope to become involved in. Words of advice: Medicine is such a rewarding and interesting career. It combines science with the arts and you not only have to be interested in how the body works, but also appreciate the subtle connections with the mind and environment that patients live in. Good people skills are essential. If you are looking for a career that is constantly changing and evolving, that will always challenge you academically, then Medicine is for you!

“Committing to a career in medicine does involve many years of exams, but when you pop out the other side, the door is open to enormous opportunities.” 12

CORAL

AU “I was determined to be a psychiatrist since I was 14.” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I have been determined to be a psychiatrist since I was 14. A Levels: I didn’t complete my A Levels. There was an early admission scheme in the universities in Hong Kong at the time which meant that I could enter university a year early, using my GCSE results. I gave it a shot and got in! I did all the Sciences and Maths for my AS Levels though, and didn’t do too badly... Undergraduate studies: I went to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which is one of the two universities in Hong Kong for medical training. I got my MBChB there in 2010. Career path: I then went on to specialise in Psychiatry, passing

MRCPsych in 2014, then HKCPsych and FHKAM(Psych) in 2017. The topic of my dissertation was on the relationship between anxiety disorders and personality disorders. Current occupation: I am an associate consultant at the United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong, in the child and adolescent psychiatric team. I deal with young people with emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Future plans: I’m happy with where I am at the moment! I’m working towards setting up a more systematic service for young people with personality disorders, collaborating with other team members including clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and nurses.

Words of advice: Your journey may seem daunting and most of the time it’s an uphill struggle in every aspect. In my work, I talk a lot about validation, which means that one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour are understandable and valid given one’s circumstances at the time. Validation is useful especially when the road gets bumpy, be it feeling frustrated over others who may not share in your aspirations or smarting over mistakes you made along the way. It helps to take a step back, see things from another perspective and learn from every single experience, positive or otherwise.

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medicine and veterinary science

“There seemed to be greater opportunity for career progression in Australia, so I decided to apply for permanent residency.”

KATIE

WILCOX 14

www.avenelequinehospital.com.au

Katie’s career has taken her 10,000 miles across the world to Australia where she is now a well-established equine vet and director of the Avenel Equine Hospital in the heart of the breeding industry in Victoria. From a young age, Katie wanted to be a vet and her A Level choices followed the classic combination of Biology, Chemistry and Physics to take her to study Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool. Her Post-grad studies included the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice and a Certificate in Veterinary Business Management at Liverpool University. Katie recounts her career path, “I completed a two-year equine internship at Newmarket Equine Hospital and then went to Australia to work a breeding season for Scone Equine Hospital in the Hunter Valley. I loved Australia and ended up staying there for six seasons shuttling back to Newmarket for the respective Northern Hemisphere seasons. There seemed to be greater opportunity for career progression in Australia, so I decided to apply for permanent residency and moved to Victoria in 2015. For the last six years I have been working at Avenel Equine Hospital and I am now a director of the business. A REWARDING JOB I am predominantly a thoroughbred stud vet in the heart of Victoria’s breeding Industry. I love my job and get great satisfaction from assisting in the breeding and care of mares, foals and stallions as well as being involved in rearing the next generation of racehorses and helping my clients achieve good results in the sales ring.

There is still a good proportion of emergency medicine in stud practice (especially around foaling) and these are the calls where you really feel like you are really making a difference, albeit heart-breaking at times. EXPANSION ON THE CARDS Navigating 2020 was a challenge! When Covid hit, plans for practice expansion were put on hold and the logistics of getting overseas vets here for the breeding season became very difficult... I also had my first child in August which meant I was on maternity leave for the busiest part of the year! Australia has fared very well in the pandemic due to early strict border restrictions. The thoroughbred industry has been remarkably resilient and our business has not been unduly affected, allowing plans for expansion of facilities and services to resume. Although it has been tough not seeing family, I am very thankful that my dayto-day life has been able to continue pretty normally and I have been able to embrace my maternity leave. Henry has brought a huge amount of joy into my partner Daniel’s and my life and has made me re-evaluate how I will work and manage the business moving forward, while still allowing plenty of mum time. Attrition of female veterinarians due to difficulty juggling career and family life is a huge problem for the profession and one that I now feel passionate about addressing.” 15

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teaching

MARY JAMES (DAVIDGE) 1982

“Teaching university students is a new challenge which I am very excited about and I am looking forward to seeing where that takes me.” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I always wanted to be a teacher. A Levels: Latin, English, Maths (Lower Sixth only) and Greek Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: BA/MA Classics at Oxford University and PGCE at Cambridge University, followed by BA in Humanities (Classics and Renaissance) with the OU Career path: I went straight into teaching at a prep school before doing my PGCE at Cambridge University. Then I started work in the Classics Department at Oundle School in Northamptonshire in the year that the school started accepting girls. 16

Over the thirty years, I have taught Latin and Greek to all the year groups from Year 7 to Year 13 and Classical Civilisation to the Sixth Form, and watched the school gradually become completely co-ed – now we have a ratio of 40% girls to 60% boys. I have led many Classics trips for students around Europe which have been tremendous fun and after learning to play the baritone saxophone, I played at the Montreux Jazz Festival twice with the Oundle School orchestra. When my children were young, I undertook a six-year Open University degree course in Classical Studies. Current occupation: As well as a full teaching timetable in the Classics Department, I have been the Head of Years 7 and 8 supporting 60 pupils. I have also taken on the role of Visiting Lecturer in Classics at Buckingham University training PGCE students and supervising MA students. Recently I was appointed Lead Teacher with the remit of developing teaching and learning across the school, a hugely exciting development for me academically, pedagogically and pastorally. Future plans: I plan to continue teaching at Oundle and to develop my role at Buckingham which is very different but a huge amount of fun. My teaching career continues to present great challenges which I am very excited about and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes me. Words of advice: If you are interested in teaching, just do it… it’s brilliant! No day is ever the same and each day, there is the potential to make a meaningful difference to a child’s life.

POPPY MASPERO (HOSKINS) 2001 What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I was certain that I wanted to become a physiotherapist or a sports nutritionist. I absolutely loved all the sport that I did at Downe House but was equally keen to use my passion for science in some way as well. A Levels: Chemistry, Maths, Sports Science and General Studies Undergraduate studies: Chemistry and Sports Science at Loughborough University Career path: I planned to return to Loughborough to do a Master’s in Sports Nutrition but was offered a job at Reed’s School in Surrey teaching

“The traditions are all still here and it is fantastic to see the girls getting just as excited about events such as House Drama as when I was here as a teenager.”

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Chemistry and coaching netball. I absolutely loved it and never made it back to university. I moved onto Cheltenham College where I was Head of Netball, Assistant Housemistress and taught Chemistry. I was then appointed as Head of Chemistry at a new school in London, Wetherby Senior, to start up the department from scratch which was an incredible adventure. Current occupation: I am back at Downe House as Head of Chemistry and am loving every minute. It is bizarre to be back working with ‘colleagues’ who I have to resist calling ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss’ and who probably have mixed memories of me in their various classes. At first, I felt quite nervous talking to some of my old teachers (there are a lot still here) as an equal rather than a quaking 14-yearold who hadn’t done her prep for the second week running. The traditions are all still here and it is fantastic to see the girls getting just as excited about events such as House Drama as when I was here as a teenager. I would have laughed if someone had told me then that this is where I would end up. I loved my time at Downe but no teenager ever imagines (or dreams of) themselves in their Chemistry A Level teacher’s shoes. I can’t imagine why! Future plans: I have recently got married and look forward to continuing my work at Downe House.

Words of advice: Never rule out teaching – I slipped into it almost by accident and have no regrets. If you leave university and are not 100% sure of the way forward, then consider a year working in a school. There is something for everyone and you may surprise yourself.

CLARE ANGUS (RICHARDS) 1997

teaching

Career path: I started work as a support worker at a residential school for children with autism and after a year, became assistant clinical psychologist. After three years, I decided to take a career break and do a ski season. I planned to work as a chalet girl in Val d’Isère for just one season to clear my head and make some decisions about the future. Instead I fell in love with the mountains and ‘met a boy’ who encouraged me to take my first BASI exam to become a ski instructor – and later became my husband! Current occupation: I am now a fully qualified BASI ISTD (Level 4) ski instructor working on an independent basis in Val d’Isère after working for a ski school for six years. I have two children; we live in resort year-round and I teach all levels and ages of skiers – beginners to off-piste guiding, threeyear olds to the over 70s! Five months of the year are crazy busy with not many days off, but the other seven months of the year are calmer.

“I planned to work as a chalet girl in Val d’Isère for just one season to clear my head and make some decisions about the future.” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I had set my sights on a career as a clinical psychologist at the age of 13 and made my education choices with that in mind. A Levels: Chemistry, Biology and Maths Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: BSC in Experimental Psychology and MSc in Research Methods in Psychology, both at Bristol University

Future plans: The next step would be to set up my own ski school or become a BASI trainer but at the moment, life is busy enough with the children.

Words of advice: For anyone thinking of becoming a ski instructor, please do your research very thoroughly because there are many different training programmes. And remember that being a ski instructor does not mean you get paid to ski kneedeep in powder under blue skies every day! You need to love skiing, but you also need to love teaching and sharing the joy of skiing with everyone you meet!

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teaching

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I remember being envious of friends who knew what they wanted to do but looking back, it was liberating to keep my options open. I went on a World Challenge expedition to Nepal and remember thinking that it would be a cool company to work for… and that’s where I ended up after I graduated!

A Levels: Biology, Geography, Economics and General Studies Undergraduate studies: Geography and Philosophy at Liverpool University Career path: After starting in an admin role at World Challenge, I spent five years as Head of Support before moving to a small social action charity called Fixers who worked with young

NATALIA

COLOMBANI 1998

Words of advice: I didn’t set out with a dream to become a yoga teacher; it has evolved over the past ten years and so my advice would be not to put too much pressure on yourself to choose the right career. I chose subjects that I found interesting and applied for jobs that I believed in. If you want to teach yoga – or anything for that matter – be authentic. Find a style or styles that you really connect with, learn as much as you can, find your own voice and your tribe will find you. www.thelittleyogacompany.com

people motivated by a personal experience to help others and ‘fix’ the future. This was my first experience of juggling work and parenthood. My former husband’s job at the Foreign Office moved us to Denmark where we spent three amazing years soaking up the Scandi lifestyle and perfecting the art of hygge. The Foreign Office offers training grants to ‘trailing spouses’ which I used to train to be a yoga teacher and set up The Little Yoga Company. When we moved back to the UK, I got a job at the National Trust working with the Visitor Experiences team, but I missed teaching yoga and so set up my own yoga business again. Current occupation: I am a full-time yoga teacher running classes for children and adults and of course, moved to teaching online during the pandemic. It’s hugely rewarding – life can be so hectic and when I see people at the end of a class with the afterglow of a really nourishing practice, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Future plans: Teach more! I have teaching qualifications in a couple of different styles but am constantly learning and refreshing my skills and adding different elements to my classes. My focus is now on yoga therapy for adults, focusing on Yin yoga and tying it in with Traditional Chinese Medicine, a really holistic approach.

“Find a style or styles that you really connect with, learn as much as you can, find your own voice and your tribe will find you.” 18

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conservation and wildlife

JULIE

MELINSTUBBS (STUBBS)

1992

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I simply chose my favourite subjects to study at A Level. A Levels: Biology, Geography and English Literature Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: International Honours degree in Zoology (BSc) at the University of Leeds and then a Master’s in Conservation Biology at Manchester Metropolitan University Career path: It is notoriously difficult to get a first paid contract in the field of wildlife conservation in the UK. I had to work as a full-time volunteer for 18 months for two different wildlife trusts before a one-year fixed term post came up. I have now been employed as a conservation biologist for over 20 years with a variety of organisations including wildlife trusts, RSPB, Natural England and my current role for the last ten years at the New Forest National Park Authority.

farmers and commoners to encourage best practice and sustainable land management. I currently have four wildlife conservation projects funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and I run a small unit called the New Forest Land Advice Service. I work with DEFRA to influence policy which is particularly important due to the UK’s exit from the EU and the significant changes this will mean for the environment and agriculture. Future plans: Funding for nature and the environment is scarce; my ambitions are simply around

maintaining and building on the work my team does and ensuring it continues. We never know if there will be funding for the future. I don’t have any plans to change what I do or the role I am in but I have to live with the fact that my post, and those of my team, could be made redundant any time due to lack of funding. Words of advice: Working in wildlife conservation is a vocation. With it comes the highs and lows you would expect from being dedicated and passionate about what you do for a living. This is a meaningful, worthwhile career where you can make a real difference in protecting and enhancing our nature and countryside; not just a job but a calling and a way of life. Entering the field with your first paid contract can be a challenge and if you are hoping for a high salary, this is not the career for you! But to my mind, this is more than made up for by the nature of the job. Choosing this area of work could be described as a lifestyle choice; I live and breathe my work and it defines me. I can’t imagine doing anything else!

“Working in wildlife conservation is a vocation.”

Current occupation: My current role is Wildlife and Conservation Manager in the New Forest National Park. In a nutshell, I work with landowners, 19

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creative arts

ALICE

GATES 1994

www.barnebygates.com

“If School taught me anything, it was that to play the game, you need to wing it at times!” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I didn’t have a definite idea but I knew that it was likely to be related to art. A Levels: Art, English and Biology Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: History of Art and Philosophy at Edinburgh University; Figurative drawing at the Charles Cecil Drawing School in Florence; MA in Fine Art at the City and Guilds School of London. Career path: I began as a fine artist, painting commissions as well as my own compositions and had several successful shows in London alongside being a part-time secondary school teacher of Art and History of Art. I also illustrated for Vogue among many other magazines and designed some prints for the fashion label Libelula (owned by DH Alumna, Sophie Tyler-Whittle, 20

(Cranston DH 1994). Around the time of having my first child, I felt a change was needed. I loved the print designing I had been doing for Libelula and together with my greatest friend, Vanessa Barneby, we set up Barneby Gates in 2010. Current occupation: I co-own Barneby Gates, a Wiltshire-based wallpaper and fabric studio which is internationally recognised for its diverse range of prints, combining traditional techniques and historical reference with a fresh, contemporary twist. Everything is hand-drawn, designed, and proudly printed in England; the collection includes wallpaper by the roll, fabric by the metre and a range of beautifully crafted cushions. We are now sold in over 30 countries and boast a range of clients varying from rock stars to royalty.

Future plans: Vanessa and I were incredibly thankful to be so busy in 2020. While some doors closed, others opened and we welcomed all the opportunities. We are about to launch our exciting collaboration with the florist, Willow Crossley and we will be heading to the US as soon as possible as our presence is beginning to really grow there. Fingers crossed the rest of 2021 follows an upward trajectory for everyone.

Words of advice: Don’t be shy and open yourself up to all opportunities. If School taught me anything, it was that to play the game, you need to wing it at times!

HARRIET

PATTINSON 2002

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? Set designer A Levels: English Literature, Drama and Biology Undergraduate studies: English Literature at Exeter University

www.harrietpattinson.com

Career path: During my gap year I went to Florence to study a traditional technique in drawing and painting called ‘sight-size’, focusing mainly on portraiture. I had a wonderful time and found I advanced quite quickly. After university, I had a strong urge to return, feeling that I hadn’t reached my full potential there. The course is set up for three years and so I was lucky enough to be able to go back and complete it. Current occupation: After returning from Florence, I set up a studio in London and have been painting ever since. I split my time in three main ways: painting commissioned portraits, my own figurative work and still life, such as flowers. I try to capture the ephemeral nature of the fleeting expressions in a portrait, as well as the delicate petals of flowers. Clients

come to my studio for sittings which has been a fulfilling and interesting experience! I used to paint almost entirely from life but now I am adapting my techniques and at times, working from photographs. My aim is to blend the traditional methods that I studied with more contemporary and abstract ideas. I feel very fortunate to be able to pursue one of my life’s main passions as a career. Future plans: My plan is to have my first solo show of figurative work and ultimately be represented by a wellestablished gallery.

Words of advice: Learn to embrace failure and see it as a way to progress and improve. Finally, it isn’t just about the painting – you are running a business too. More time than people would expect is taken up with accounts, tax, emails and marketing so it’s important to be aware of that before venturing down this wonderful but uncertain path.

“Learn to embrace failure and see it as a way to progress and improve.” 21

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creative arts

LARA

ARNOTT “Experiment, explore and try everything in order to get to know what excites and motivates you.”

www.laraarnott.com

Named as London’s top society photographer by Harrods Magazine (2018), Lara has forged a hugely successful career for herself. She loved photography when she was at School and always knew she wanted to go into something creative, but she never dreamt that she’d be able to run her own business and make a living out of one of her passions. WORDS OF ADVICE: Remember that you are in charge of your life — figure out what excites you and what comes easily to you. Create a clear vision of what you want and then back yourself to go after it. If in doubt – always trust your gut! It’s so much wiser than we think. Be fearless and say yes to things that scare you – a lot of growth comes from being outside your comfort zone. Be radically authentic. The more you show up as yourself, the better the world will receive you. Often the only thing we have control over is our reaction to things, so pay attention to your mindset and believe in yourself. And finally – stay curious and be open to the mystery of life! Things will be so much more beautiful that way.

After doing her A Levels in Photography, Art, History of Art, Biology and English, Lara studied History of Art at Bristol University Lara tells us about how she got started in the photography business and what the future holds. “At Bristol I got involved in photographing university events and club nights. It was a lot of fun and I thought it was the dream job at the time, but I never considered the possibility of making photography a full-time career. In the university holidays I would photograph private parties, and in the summer after leaving I was booked to do a couple of weddings, until one thing led to another and I realised that making a living out of photography could be a viable option. NO TWO DAYS ARE THE SAME As a full-time photographer, the thing I love the most is that I get to witness such a cross section of life, often in amazing and unusual places. Whether doing family portraits, weddings, parties and corporate

events, my camera gives me the chance to meet so many interesting and beautiful characters from all walks of life, imparting the power of connection and opening the doors to many different worlds. I’ve now photographed all kinds of weddings and special occasions that I would never have dreamed of doing, including Elton John’s Christmas party, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 70th and the Queen at home at Buckingham Palace. In 2018, I was proud to be named as London’s top society photographer by Harrods Magazine, and I’m grateful to have been named one of the UK’s top wedding photographers by Tatler for four years in a row now. DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE FUTURE After feeling more curious to explore the world outside of my comfort zone, and feeling ever driven to add my voice to the fight against climate change, I’ve recently started balancing my event work with photojournalism. My main focus so far has been to document optimistic stories and the solutions through which I believe a new world is possible, aiming to shift the narrative from despair and panic to the horizon of possibility and hope. I’ve recently become fascinated with the role that regenerative agriculture can play in healing the earth, so am currently working on a series of photographs focusing on the local food movement. Through my photos I hope to persuade people that we need a new story and convince people that there is another way of doing things!”

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public relations & broadcasting

RACHEL

DRUMMOND-HAY 1987

“Follow your heart and your passion – if something doesn’t feel right then do something about it.”

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I didn’t have much of an idea but had toyed with Medicine and Law... and remember doing a careers assessment which concluded I should be an astronomical scientist! A Levels: Maths, Physics, English, General Studies and Politics Undergraduate studies: Politics at Bristol University

www.drummertelevision.com

Career path: After starting on the switchboard at the National Rivers Authority, I was encouraged to apply for their graduate scheme and worked in their publicity department for three years. I signed up for a short journalism course and then found a job at a film and video workshop. Three years later, I was running the company producing short films and working on my first TV commissions. My next move was to an Arts Council project called DA2 – a digital arts agency, one of the first organisations to commission ‘digital’ projects. I had my first baby and moved to Barbados for a year with my husband who is Bajan. After moving back to the UK and having our second baby, I freelanced for a company producing many award-winning films – from hard-hitting dramas about drug addiction and domestic violence for the Home Office through to corporate films

for universities and the NHS. Through my children’s school, I met a mum who was a TV Exec and together, we produced a BBC3 drama documentary called Boarding School Bomber. We loved working together, so we decided to set up a company, Drummer TV which we have been running now for eight years. Current occupation: I am Joint CEO of Drummer TV, a Bristol-based independent TV production company that specialises in factual programmes. We make programmes for CBBC, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and BSLBT (British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust). We have won two BAFTAs for our programmes as well as a host of both international and UKbased awards. Future plans: To continue growing Drummer! Words of advice: Follow your heart and your passion – if something doesn’t feel right then do something about it. Good people with real passion will always break through … and most importantly if you want to work in TV, watch TV – lots of it and every different kind of programme!

BELLE

DONATI (LUPTON)

2003

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? Barrister, lawyer or jazz singer! A Levels: English, Spanish, History, French and General Studies Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: English Lit and Lang at Oxford University followed by postgraduate diploma in TV and Current Affairs Journalism at City University Career path: Started as a freelance researcher in documentaries at a couple of independent production companies. A couple of years later, I moved into News as a producer, still freelancing at networks including Al Jazeera, BBC Radio 4, BBC Breakfast, ITV Daybreak (now Good Morning Britain) and France 24. At France 24 I transitioned from producer to desk reporter to presenter. In 2018 I was hired to anchor my own breakfast show by Euronews as part of a relaunch of the channel into a 24-hour news network (with the financial backing of NBC) Current occupation: The pandemic unfortunately led to the demise of my next project, which would have been a new channel, NBC Sky World News. I was due to be its primetime anchor. But this setback allowed me

to extend my maternity leave (I have a wonderful 17-month-old) and reorient my career. I now have a ‘portfolio career’ as a freelancer and am currently hosting long-form Arts and Culture interviews for the How To Academy. I have started my own vodcast on the post-pandemic future of theatre and have corporate presenting work. I am also a freelance anchor on Sky News. Future plans: I’d love one day to present my own culture show!

“I’d love one day to present my own culture show!”

Words of advice: Everyone’s tolerance for rejection and setbacks is different but I found I couldn’t give up on my goal and continued working away on a cycle of night, day and early morning shifts for years before getting the chance to move into voice and screen work. Be flexible. Compromise. And at the start of your career try to have the confidence to set boundaries of what’s expected from you, because many employers may not realise that you’re being worked beyond your capacity.

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public relations & broadcasting

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I didn’t really have a clue and knew absolutely nothing about the real world at that stage, but I thought the Foreign Office sounded fun. A Levels: English, French, Maths and General Studies Undergraduate studies: Economics at Girton College, Cambridge Career path: I joined the Foreign Office on the Iran desk followed by a threeyear posting to Poland where I decided to stay on to start a family and run a relocation company, assisting expatriate families. In 2006, I made a dramatic change and became a financial analyst for a CEE investment bank. After three years, I transferred into investment banking for the same company and helped with government privatisations, stock market listings and mergers and acquisitions, as well as managing the bank’s PR across the region. In 2012, I left banking and joined Cook Communications, a corporate and financial PR agency. Current occupation: I have run the Polish office of Cook Communications for the last eight years. The core of my work is managing our clients’ relationships with the media and developing long-term comms strategies

to support their business objectives. It is a truly fascinating job, because every client is different and each has interesting challenges – so much of it is about managing people and expectations. The difference between diplomacy, relocation, investment banking and public relations is really not that great at all. Future plans: I would like to continue to grow the Polish business although with the children nearly grown up, aging parents in the UK and stuck in the depths of my 25th long, dark Polish winter at the time of writing, I suspect some change will happen in the medium term. What I have gathered is a range of skills and experience that I believe should allow me to adapt to whatever the world throws in my path.

“Choose something that really interests you and give it 100%. If it turns out not to be for you, you can always change, again and again and again if necessary.”

Words of advice: It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want to do yet. Choose something that really interests you and give it 100%. If it turns out not to be for you, you can always change, again and again and again if necessary. Every experience will give you skills and understanding which you can apply in your next job. Don’t be afraid to take risks and remember to enjoy the journey. www.cook-comm.com

ANNIE

JAROSZEWICZ (MOLESWORTH-ST AUBYN) 26

SOPHIE

TOH

(DENNYS) 1999 What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? Due to a run-in with a motorbike, I was forced to sit out the netball season and so signed up for the Young Enterprise Scheme. I threw myself into the marketing of candles, efforts that won me a regional award. This early taste of entrepreneurial success inspired me, and I told myself that one day, I would own my own company. Downe House was a fantastic environment in that it focused on the individual and fostered a sense of self-awareness and resilience. A Levels: Geography, Politics, French and General Studies Undergraduate studies: Politics at Bristol University Career path: After university I did an internship in a political PR company in London, where they gently pointed me towards the consumer sector. I remember being affronted at the time but should really thank these mentors for their wise guidance. I made the most of the opportunities on offer at two London-based firms, Brunswick Arts and LUCHFORD APM and gained great experience in new business pitches, which served me well when setting up on my own. I moved

to Dubai in 2009 and TOH PR was founded in 2011. Current occupation: In late 2019, my company merged with the global communications group PRCO, and so in addition to running the Dubai office, I am now a director of the Group. 2020 was a challenging year, requiring much pivoting of strategy as we advised clients on how to best respond to the pandemic. My work is fast-paced and requires endless levels of diplomacy and problem solving. But the upside is that I have worked with some incredibly interesting figures and high profile brands, including Airbnb, Ferrari, Four Seasons, lululemon and Patek Philippe.

Words of advice: Follow your instincts to find a direction which feels natural and run with it for as long as it inspires you. A career is a journey, so focus on the direction as opposed to the fixed endgoals. Along the way, remain open minded, and be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances – the world will never sit still for you. Whilst remaining true to yourself, remember life is a team game, and always show support and humility to those around you.

Future plans: I merged TOH into a global structure to ensure that we remain a strong player in the region. Access to an international network means we can work with the best clients in the world and attract the highest quality of PR talent. Regionally we’re exploring the immense opportunities presented by the opening up of Saudi Arabia to international tourists. I have big plans, but day-today, I keep breaking my ideas down into actionable steps, as it’s a question of keeping focused on the small details, with the aim of reaching the larger target. That’s the idea anyway!

“Downe House was a fantastic environment in that it focused on the individual and fostered a sense of self-awareness and resilience.”

www.prco.com

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public relations & broadcasting

ROSIE

TAPNER “You never know who might be able to help you so never underestimate anyone.”

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? A TV presenter as I’m fascinated by people and their stories, but I also love adventure and thrive on adrenaline. A Levels: Sports Science and Photography Undergraduate studies: Digital Media Production at Oxford Brookes University Career path: I was scouted when I was 15 by a modelling agency, and reluctantly I went for a meeting with them; little did I know I would be in New York a week later shooting a campaign for Balenciaga. I was soon working with some of the top brands, photographers and models. Since university, I have been working at Ascot and Goodwood as a presenter 28

for their TV channel, as well as hosting live charity evenings. I never really enjoyed modelling and so working on building my TV career is my priority. Current occupation: Ascot employ me on certain race days to present and host the day on their internal TV channel, including interviewing chefs, celebrities, showcasing any activities and of course presenting the racing in the afternoon. I love being in control of my own career, although it can be scary and stressful not knowing what the next job will be. It’s the start of a career that I have always wanted so I’m willing to put the work in. Future plans: I am now signed with a TV agent and will be working as a TV presenter both at the races as well as on other entertainment programmes.

Words of advice: You’ve got to really want to do it in order to succeed in media. Be kind to everyone you meet – a prime example was when I got chatting to a girl on a bench in London and helped her out with something. It turned out she was a producer for Channel 4… you never know who might be able to help you so never underestimate anyone.

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business, finance and law

KATE

CROFTONATKINS (INGLEFIELD) “I have found that those early years sitting at an Excel spreadsheet analysing company cash flows have proved really invaluable.” What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I didn’t see myself living in Asia making candles! I thought I was going to be a lawyer, even though I secretly wanted to work for one of the big beauty companies like L’Oréal. A Levels: English, Maths, Latin, Spanish and General Studies Undergraduate studies: Latin and Spanish at Oriel College, Oxford Career path: I worked for Schroders in Madrid on my year abroad and they offered me a place on their graduate trainee scheme, so I slightly fell into banking rather than choosing it. I worked in their research team analysing FMCG companies and I soon realised that rather than studying the footnotes on annual accounts, I wanted to make a difference to the revenue line.

I went to work for L’Oréal (where I’d dreamed of working at school!) as a product manager on their skincare range, Revitalift. I loved my time at L’Oréal but after four years, I met my husband and we moved to Vietnam for a job opportunity. Soon after I arrived in Saigon, I saw an opportunity to create a luxury home fragrance range inspired by French Asia and Cochine was founded. Current occupation: After 12 years living in Asia (Vietnam and then Hong Kong), I moved back to England last year just before the outbreak of Covid. I am now based in Wiltshire (actually very close to Downe House!), juggling home schooling with Cochine, which is now celebrating its 10 year anniversary and soon to launch a new fragrance.

www.cochine.co.uk

Future plans: To keep on doing what we’re doing, to continue to grow the business, to keep creating new fragrances and products and launching Cochine into new stores, hotels and markets whilst raising my three daughters aged 9, 7 and 3.

Words of advice: It sounds obvious but if you are thinking of starting a business, try to get as much experience beforehand (while being paid for it!) in the boring bits like accounting, logistics and law. When you start a business, you have to wear a lot of different hats and I have found that those early years sitting at an Excel spreadsheet analysing company cash flows have proved invaluable.

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business, finance and law

GEORGINA

HILTON

At 16, Georgina didn’t have a clear idea about what she would do but was always inspired by art and knew that she wanted to do something creative. Her A Level choices were Art, History of Art, Philosophy and Italian which led her on to study History of Art at Manchester University. Georgina describes her career path, “I started in my first job at Christie’s the day after I left university in the Client Services Department. From answering 100 phone calls a day and working at the reception desk, I was able to really get to know the company.

“Each day counts, find something that interests you and work really hard to achieve your goals, there’s no short cut to a successful career but it’s so worth it!” 30

After two years, I moved into the Old Master Paintings department where I spent three years training to become an auctioneer. In 2018, I was awarded Novice Auctioneer of the Year. In January 2019, I packed my bags and travelled to Hong Kong to run Christie’s Events across Asia. Now, I take auctions for Christie’s in Hong Kong and London and I am at my happiest when I am on the rostrum! Sale days are nerve wracking but very exciting – you never know what is going to happen. When I am not selling, as Head of Events for Christie’s Asia Pacific I am challenged with the task of deciding how we should be engaging with our clients in order to cultivate their knowledge and interest in art. I am one year into this role, and thoroughly enjoying the opportunities to travel to such a variety of countries. We always ensure all Christie’s events are focused on the art we sell; it is important to be creative and innovative in my position. I am lucky to work for a company with a such a global presence and I hope to continue to travel with my job. So long as I am able to see incredible art around the world and work with such knowledgeable specialists, I am happy to continue to work as hard as possible in my current role. To anyone considering a similar career my advice is to see as much art as you can! Always drop into the auction houses during the sale previews and feel free to watch the auctions, they are open to the public and you will learn a lot! Each day counts, find something that interests you and work really hard to achieve your goals, there’s no short cut to a successful career but it’s so worth it!”

PAM CHIRATHIVAT 2000

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I was interested in law enforcement but didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I focused on studying something I found interesting at university.

which is very fun) to retail concepts in the city. I’m currently trying to make the properties beneficial to society by giving access to green spaces, mental health education and nutritious meals to all visitors.

A Levels: English, History, Mathematics, Critical Thinking

Future plans: Right now, I’m just focusing on helping the company to succeed. In the long term I would consider raising some kind of search fund in Southeast Asia.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: Law at King’s College London; International Studies at University of Sydney; MBA at Stanford University Career path: I started working in the real estate sector after graduating. My first job was renovating a water park which was fun and I surveyed theme parks all over Asia. Afterwards, I moved into merchandise planning for shopping centres and then project development. Current occupation: I’m in the business development department of a real estate company. The projects range from a township (designing your own mini-city

Words of advice: I think that there are so many interesting jobs out there that you just don’t know about when you are at school (like developing a theme park!) so a great thing to do would be to search widely for opportunities and do lots of internships so you can see what you like and don’t like. Leverage your connections because you might end up in interesting places. Be open to going abroad. The world is your oyster!

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business, finance and law

HENRIETTA

PATERSON (GOURLAY)

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I was interested in hotel management and so did a week’s work experience as a chambermaid at the Savoy which was enough to put me off hotel management for life.

“Jump at every opportunity for work experience, if only to rule it out!” 32

1994

A Levels: Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Economics Undergraduate studies: Psychology and Business Studies at Edinburgh University Career path: Working as a chalet girl in Meribel led to work experience opportunities in media, advertising and investment banking. After university, I was offered a job at Mercury Asset Management (now Black Rock), mainly because Mercury offered a starting salary of £1000 more than Anderson Consulting, and so I became a fund manager! After three years, I was headhunted by WAMCO to be a European high yield analyst and in 2006, I jumped at the chance to move to the Singapore office. I met my husband, had two children and then we decided to move back to the UK in 2012 for family reasons. With my third child on the way, I focused on the family but quickly discovered staying at home wasn’t for me. There was a dearth of children’s activities in Haslemere so I set up the Hen House, a soft play centre. It was packed from day one, but I found it incredibly lonely running my own business and by 2016, I started to crave intelligent conversation. Luckily for me, there was a drive in the City

at the time to get women back into work with ‘Returnship’ schemes and I joined the European High Yield Sales team at Mizuho. I sold The Hen House in early 2018. Current occupation: I am an investment manager overseeing the management of a large family’s money. It is a brilliant job, and I work 3.5 days a week, so my work/life balance is very good. Essentially my role is asset allocation and managing the portfolio. On a weekly basis I meet with various funds, and then on a quarterly basis, prepare papers on the performance of the funds and present this to the Trustees. Future plans: I have the job that most Fund Managers aspire to have, so I have no intention of giving it up! I would like to take over from my boss when he retires though!

Words of advice: Jump at every opportunity for work experience, if only to rule it out! Think about what is important to you in terms of money, intellectual stimulation, time with family etc. If you are not sure what to do, then apply for everything you think you might be interested in – the sector that suits you will find you. Do not try and bluff your way through interviews. Try and ‘own’ the interview by asking as many questions as you possibly can. If you don’t know the answer to something, be honest about it and ask them where you can find out more about the topic. Never ever burn your bridges. Be nice to everyone as you never know when you may need them!

EMMA

HAMILTON (BUCKLEY)

1988

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I honestly didn’t have any clarity at 16 on what to do. I remember being interested in politics but other than being an MP, I couldn’t see how that might translate into a career. A Levels: English, Economics, History and General Studies Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies: Politics at Exeter University followed by a law conversion course at Chester College of Law and then the Law Society Finals (LSF) Career path: I worked as a paralegal in London whilst I waited for my articles to commence and trained for two years at a firm on Fleet Street. I qualified as a litigator and moved firms twice before re-training as a capital markets lawyer at Allen & Overy. After three years I went on secondment

to Citigroup and stayed for nearly 12 years before becoming self-employed. Current occupation: I now act on a legal consulting basis and have been focused on regulatory change projects in banks, most recently working on a Brexit project. Future plans: I would like to be able to diversify and am interested in local politics but also want to spend more time being a mum as my two girls are growing up so fast. Being self-employed has enabled me to achieve more of a balance and it is very empowering to be my own boss having been employed for so many years.

Words of advice: It is critical to do something that you enjoy and that you find interesting. Don’t be afraid to diversify and make changes on your career path. I have been a litigator, a capital markets lawyer and am now focused on regulation. You need to have an open mind as to how you can make change happen.

“Being self-employed has enabled me to achieve more of a balance and it is very empowering to be my own boss.” 33

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business, finance and law

AMELIA

BOUQUET 2012

“I am a firm believer in creating your own luck. It’s important to accept that there will be setbacks and rejections but as long as you keep going, I think anyone can be successful!”

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I had lots of different interests, but I had always been fascinated by plants and helped my dad in the garden whenever I could. A Levels: French, Italian, History and Drama Undergraduate studies: French and Italian at Bristol University Career path: After university, I did a few different jobs that bore no relation to my degree. Then I decided

www.ameliabouquetgardendesign.com

Words of advice: I would say that luck is definitely an element in getting where you want to be, but I am a firm believer in creating your own luck. It’s important to accept that there will be setbacks and rejections but as long as you keep going, I think anyone can be successful! That’s the hardest bit. If you have an idea, just stick with it and keep persevering!

to train in garden design at the English Gardening School located in the historic Chelsea Physic Garden under Rosemary Alexander. It was an invaluable training and I made the decision to pursue my fascination for all things horticultural by setting up my own garden design business. It was a difficult decision to make at the time, to leap into the unknown and start over. But I am so glad I did. Current occupation: My work encompasses all aspects of garden design from the initial consultation through creating a range of conceptual plans leading to finalising a master plan for the client. I will then choose the plants and plant up the garden as well as liaising with landscaping contractors. My days can be very varied – sometimes I will be surveying a new garden for a project, other days will be spent at my drawing board developing designs and ideas and some are mostly dedicated to admin.

Last year, I designed a trade stand for a company at the Hampton Court Flower Show, a stand at the House & Garden Festival for the same company and a display for Truffle London at the Chelsea Flower Show – we used a living green wall to decorate the front of the van and then had lots of lovely planting in recycled scaffolding board planters underneath! Future plans: I am working on developing a more sustainable approach to garden design and making clients aware of the benefits of designing in this way – I was recently featured in an article for the Evening Standard by Alex Mitchell and have written a few articles about gardening for the Sunday Express. Coming up this year, I am working on a large front garden in Surrey, a small garden in Streatham, a roof terrace and a couple of exciting projects in the summer too!

ALEX WIX (TOWNSEND)

2002

What career did you see yourself in when you were 16? I really had no idea what career path I would take but I chose my A Levels with a view to studying Business Management at university.

travel and events. I specialise in arranging bespoke holidays and honeymoons whilst my husband, James specialises in worldwide events such as weddings, incentives or parties.

A Levels: Business Studies, Mathematics, Biology

Current occupation: Every day is full of variety and different challenges which is why it is so exciting. I spend my time chatting to clients, taking new enquiries, creating tailor-made itineraries to exotic destinations, sourcing unique experiences around the globe, networking with journalists and so much more. The past year has been a struggle, with very few people being able to travel internationally and most of my time spent refunding and postponing trips. However once the battle with Covid-19 has passed, there will be pent-up demand to travel and we are ready for this!

Undergraduate studies: BA (Hons) Business Management at Oxford Brookes University Career path: I worked in the travel industry at Cazenove+Loyd for ten years heading up their Asia Department. This put me in the perfect position to launch my own tour operator, Wix Squared in 2017. There are two sides to the company –

Future plans: I would like to continue to grow Wix Squared as a business both in terms of the number of employees and increasing revenue. I am also aiming to further develop our portfolio of destinations and product knowledge by undertaking more frequent research trips to the 22 countries we already cover and to add to our list. www.wixsquared.com

“Every day is full of variety and different challenges which is why it is so exciting.”

Words of advice: The travel industry is a lot of fun and offers great adventures to see incredible places and meet interesting people, but don’t expect to earn millions! 35

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military At School, Sarah thought about becoming a surgeon but the RAF was always an option and after studying for her A Levels in Chemistry, Maths, Biology and General Studies, she went on to study Integrated Engineering at Cardiff University and joined the RAF in 2007.

SARAH

HOLT

(WAGHORN) 36

Sarah did her Officer Training at RAF Cranwell, trained as a bomb disposal operator and then spent six months in the Falkland Islands as an armament explosives specialist advising the Commander of British Force South Atlantic. After that she was posted to XI (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby as one of the two junior engineering officers responsible for managing around 50 personnel. Sarah describes her career path, “We deployed to Italy as the lead squadron for Operation ELLAMY, completing operational missions over Libya. In 2013, I was posted to RAF Waddington as the propulsion manager for the Sentry aircraft which provided an insight into the management of large-scale projects. I then moved to Number 1 Group, Air Command at High Wycombe as the lead for A4 Assurance conducting airworthiness and safety

audits on RAF Stations and aircraft. After being promoted to squadron leader in April 2016, my next posting was to the Defence Explosive Ordnance and Search Branch based at Army HQ, Andover. My last tour was as the senior engineering officer for XI(Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby responsible for the delivery of safe and airworthy aircraft and ensuring the 150 personnel worked to the highest engineering standards and practices. I was ultimately responsible to the commanding officer for delivering combat-ready pilots and ensuring the Squadron was ready to deploy when required, maintaining a fighting capability. In August 2020 I moved to RAF Brize Norton as the A400M Deputy Continuing Airworthiness Manager. I am responsible for the RAF’s twenty A400M aircraft, ensuring they are airworthy to deliver tactical air

mobility throughout the world, a critical asset in support of the Covid pandemic and for UK operations worldwide. I plan to remain in the RAF and continue to make the most of the opportunities it affords me. I stay in touch with opportunities in the civilian industry to ensure I remain competitive with civilian counterparts, both in engineering and beyond. Life in the military is more than a career, it is a lifestyle choice. As I sit writing this, I realise that my time in the RAF is an extension of my days at Downe House. I live as part of a community, can continue to pursue my personal interests and studies but ultimately work hard and have opportunities to challenge myself mentally and physically. I’ve moved around and spent over 700 days out of the country which can take a toll on family life. I would encourage anyone to consider a career in the military and specifically the RAF.

“Life in the military is more than a career, it is a lifestyle choice.”

D H LI N K S

WOMEN IN POLITICS LIVE EVENT 6 MAY 2020

A new perspective

Connect Inno vate Onl ine

To mark the first DH LINKS live virtual event, we invited six impressive female guest speakers from the world of politics and international relations to join a panel with seven members of our Sixth Form. Our seven Sixth Form presenters posed questions to our guest speakers and questions were also taken from the audience.

The vision for DH LINKS has always been to create positive and aspirational events for our current girls and this was never more important than when facing the challenges of the pandemic. We adapted projects using online platforms and held industry insight events across different sectors. The DH LINKS Innovation Programme was launched in 2020 and we are extremely grateful to the alumnae and parents who offered such fantastic work shadowing opportunities.

● Laura

Farris [1] MP for Newbury Finney [2] Director of External Relations at the British Film Institute (Current parent) ● Theo Clarke (DH 2003) [3] MP for Stafford ● Virginia Crosbie [4] MP for Ynys Mon ● Lucina Penney (DH 2016) [5] Politics student at Edinburgh University ● Harriet

Mrs Alexandra Barlow Director of External Relations

DH LINKS INNOVATION PROGRAMME

DH LINKS creates valuable opportunities for our current pupils to network professionally and in early 2020, we launched the DH LINKS Innovation Programme to parents and current girls through key school events and assemblies. As part of the programme, a number of varied work shadowing opportunities were launched to our Upper Fifth and Lower Sixth girls. Following on from this,

THE DH LINKS BIG LIVE EVENT 26 JUNE 2020 As part of Founder’s Fortnight, we brought together six members of our alumnae, all of whom have pursued very different career paths and experiences since leaving Downe House, in a live and interactive discussion. Mrs Alexandra Barlow (Director of External Relations) hosted the virtual event and was joined by two co-hosts, Freya Illingworth (LVI) and Marina Pownall (LVI).

girls were led through a rigorous online application process and took part in group interviews to provide them with invaluable skills that they can benefit from beyond Downe House. Miss Donaldson (AGS Assistant Housemistress & DH LINKS Coordinator) orchestrated and led the girls through the application process and commented: “One of the greatest successes of the past year was the DH LINKS Innovation Programme. In our founding year, we advertised fifty work shadowing placements to the girls in UV to UVI. These placements were of the highest calibre including opportunities to shadow a neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, visiting a travel agent in Bali, keeping up with the fast pace of fashion with Trinny London and learning how to code with top researchers. We received ninety applications of the highest standards from across the year groups with every application worthy of being invited to a group interview.”

PANELLISTS Spearman (DH 1997) [6] Brand Consultant, Sunday Telegraph STELLA Columnist and Ambassador for Smart Works. ● Charlotte Monico (DH 1993) [7] Chief Operating Officer at Founder’s Pledge ● Katie Cary (Harland DH 2007) [8] Founder of Rogue Matilda ● Elizabeth Jenkin (DH 1990) [9] CCO at Nimbla, Non-Executive Director for the Women’s FA and Co-founder of Lift as You Climb ● Alexandra Tolstoy (DH 1991) [10] Adventurer, Author and TV presenter

“Being able to listen and chat to the DH alumnae about their lives after Downe really gave me the motivation to dive deep and figure out my passions and interests and what I really want to pursue in the future. I learnt that having a goal is key, even though you are not sure where you want to go in life, as long as you have something to work towards, then you will definitely end up on the right path.” Jess Bracken (DH 2020)

BECOME PART OF THE DH LINKS COMMUNITY

Tweet us @DHLinks

Like us on Facebook at Downe House Alumnae (Old Seniors) private group

● Isabel

Email foundation@downehouse.net to discuss how to become involved in the growing DH LINKS programme.

Whoever you are… Whoever you want to be…

Be a Downe House girl

Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ T: 01635 204719 E: foundation@downehouse.net www.downehouse.net

Downe House School

@DowneHouse

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