10 years, 10 stories

10 YEARS 10 STORIES 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

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

‘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

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

12 14

JULES CHAPPELL

ELIZA REBEIRO

18 LISA SMOSARSKI

20

22

LIV GARFIELD

SHANAZ BEGUM

8

WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

26 BECCI TAYLOR

28 CHARLOTTE CROSSWELL

34 SERENA GUEN

36 VICKY JEWSON

30 ELSPETH FINCH

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

WOMEN OF THE FUTURE ARE:

DRIVEN AUTHENTIC COLLABORATIV EMOTIONALLY INTUITIVE 97%

97%

93%

KIND

86%

RESTLESS

56%

Source: Women of the Future Network research

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

VE INTELLIGENT 93%

93%

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

JULES CHAPPELL Jules 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.

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 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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

IT NEVER OCCURRED TO JULES THAT NOT EVERYONE BELIEVED THERE’S NOTHING GIRLS COULDN’T DO.

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”.

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>>>> SOMETHING TO PROVE >> EMPOWERING >>>>

Jules hopes for a future where women don’t have to be recognised

10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

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.

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.

>>>> INSPIRING CHANGE >> BRAVE >>>>

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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.

ELIZA FAVOURED ENVIRONMENTS WHERE SHE FELT SHE HAD A VOICE AND COULD LEARN CREATIVELY, WORKING

It was witnessing a vicious attack on a friend that inspired her to design a T-shirt with the simple slogan, Lives Not

WITH PEOPLE WHO GENUINELY VALUED

Knives. This is where it all began.

HER OPINIONS.

LIVES NOT KNIVES TODAY Eliza set out with a new vision to educate children

FOUND IN OVER

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,

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

EDUCATING

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.

10,000 STUDENTS

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.”

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

SELF BELIEF 37% REGULARLY DOUBT THEIR DECISIONS

Source: Women of the Future Network research

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

59% AGREE THAT AT TIMES THEY’VE FELT LIKE A FAILURE

68% HAVE DOUBTED THEIR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE IN THEIR CHOSEN CAREERS

79% SAY THE HARDSHIPS THEY’VE ENCOUNTERED HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO THEIR SUCCESS

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

LISA SMOSARSKI Lisa 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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

Born in Thatcher’s time, Lisa felt that with a strong woman at 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

Lisa and her team identified a new generation of women, one that wanted to be spoken to intelligently and read content

TEAM IDENTIFIED A

about all aspects of their lives, not just men, fashion and gossip.

NEW GENERATION

response from readers meant the early days of gruelling hours

This was a winning concept. Lisa says the overwhelming positive

OF WOMEN, ONE

never felt like hard work.

THAT WANTED TO

With motivating and empowering women being a shared goal

BE SPOKEN TO

of both Stylist and Women of the Future, it didn’t take long for Lisa and Pinky to connect.

INTELLIGENTLY AND READ CONTENT ABOUT ALL ASPECTS

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.

OF THEIR LIVES.

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.

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LISA BELIEVES THAT BRILLIANT WOMEN SHOULD BE RECOGNISED FOR THE THINGS THEY DO.

>>>> NEW GENERATION OF WOMEN >>>>

the top, anything was possible. She set her mind to becoming a

10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

LIV GARFIELD If 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%’.

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

THERE’S

than getting the best out of people.

NOTHING LIV

Despite working in male-dominated industries, Liv says she’s

LOVES MORE

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.

THAN GETTING THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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 >>>>

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE 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.

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,

A GIRL FROM TOWER HAMLETS SUDDENLY

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

FOUND

students secretly nominated her for the Women of the Future Awards

HERSELF

Service Award.

MAKING CALLS TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

in 2012. Shanaz didn’t find out until she was shortlisted for the Public

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.

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>>>> COMPASSIONATE >> AMBITIOUS >> EMPOWERER OF YOUTH >>>>

More recently, Shanaz was selected to be part of the US

10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

COLLABO 93%

86%

IDENTIFY WITH BEING

SAY THEY SEEK TEAM

COLLABORATIVE

MEMBERS THAT BRING A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Source: Women of the Future Network research

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

ORATION 82%

77%

BELIEVE THEY WOULDN’T HAVE ACHIEVED THE

THINK FEMALE LEADERS ARE MORE

SAME SUCCESS WITHOUT THE RIGHT NETWORK

COLLABORATIVE THAN MALE

OF COLLEAGUES AND SUPPORTERS

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

BECCI TAYLOR As 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.

IF YOU DON’T SEE ANY WOMEN

In 2012, Becci won the Women of the Future Science and Technology Award. She impressed the judges with her total commitment, passion and

IN LEADERSHIP

youthful enthusiasm.

ROLES, IT’S VERY

Being as shocked by winning as by being

HARD TO IMAGINE

nominated in the first place, Becci remembers using

YOURSELF GETTING

like her. She wanted them to know that women

TO THE TOP.

her speech to send a strong message to women don’t have to imitate men; they just need to be themselves and let their skills shine.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

>>>> ONE OF A KIND >> DETERMINED >>>>

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

BECCI KNOWS SHE’S

female leaders centre stage.

UNIQUE. IT’S A

Becci believes that seeing women in leadership

QUALITY SHE THINKS

hard for a female to imagine herself getting to the

ALL WOMEN SHOULD

roles is really important. Without this, it’s very top. The Women of the Future Awards raise more successful women into the limelight.

STRIVE FOR.

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

CHARLOTTE CROSSWELL As 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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

>>>> COMMITTED >> APPRECIATIVE >> SPOKESPERSON >>>>

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.

AWARDS HELP LIGHT THE WAY FOR A MORE NATURALLY GENDERBALANCED FUTURE.

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 genderbalanced future.

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

ELSPETH FINCH Elspeth 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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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

INSPIRED BY

mentorship and says it was her time interning at a

THE FREEDOM

startup when she was 20 that’s had the most lasting

TO DO THINGS

effect, calling the experience of working directly with their CEO ‘simply incredible’.

DIFFERENTLY.

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

ELSPETH LOVES TO MAKE

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

SOMETHING

Oxford Circus. In 2013, she was awarded the Royal Academy

OUT OF

success and for the advancement of engineering in the UK.

of Engineering Silver Medal in recognition of her commercial

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.

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>>>> INNOVATIVE >> INSPIRING >>>>

NOTHING.

10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

CHARACTER

Source: Women of the Future Network research

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

97% IDENTIFY AUTHENTICITY AS BEING KEY FOR A SUCCESSFUL LEADER

83% BELIEVE THAT BEING A WOMAN GIVES THEM DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND ADVANTAGES

77% ARE OPEN WITH THEIR TEAM ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS

54% HAVE BEEN CALLED ‘BOSSY’ IN THE WORKPLACE

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

SERENA GUEN Serena 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 >>>>

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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

TAKE 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

WITH PEOPLE.

she’s experienced has already led to incredible partnerships. This

IT CAN CREATE

with fellow WOF winner, Catrin Nye.

ONCE-IN-ALIFETIME OPPORTUNITIES.

includes her founding role in UNICEF’s Next Generation Programme

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.

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

VICKY JEWSON From 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.

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.”

JUST GO

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.

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OUT AND TRY IT, RATHER THAN THINK ABOUT IT.

WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

>>>> EXPLORER >> CREATIVE >> DREAMER >>>>

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.

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTITUDES OF SUCCESSFUL DRIVEN

FEMALE LEADERS

AUTHENTIC CHARACTERISTICS ATTITUDES

OPEN TO EXPERIENCES INTUITIVE COLLABORATIVE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT MULTI-TASKER KIND GENEROUS SEEK DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW TAKE ON ADVICE

BRING A VARIETY OF STRENGTHS AND ADVANTAGES GAIN SUCCESS THROUGH SUPPORTIVE NETWORKS HARDSHIPS CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP APPROACH OPEN ABOUT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT HAVE DOUBTED THEIR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN CAREER COMPROMISE PERSONAL TIME FOR CAREER PROGRESSION HAVE DOUBTED DECISIONS THEY’VE MADE AT TIMES, HAVE FELT LIKE A FAILURE RESTLESS CALLED ‘BOSSY’ BY COLLEAGUES BELIEVE PARENTHOOD MAKES BETTER LEADERS

Source: Women of the Future Network research

38

WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

%

93 86 97 77 59 94 87 85 83 82 79 68 66 56 54 40

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

“FOR WOMEN TO FEEL EMPOWERED AND TO RECOGNISE AND CELEBRATE SUCCESS WHEN THEY ACHIEVE IT – WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.”

“THAT MEN WILL START SHARING THE BURDEN OF CARE AT HOME SO THAT WOMEN AREN’T ALWAYS SUFFERING FROM THE DOUBLE SHIFT.”

“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.”

Source: Women of the Future Network research

40

WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

“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.”

“THAT THEY’RE NOT DEFINED AS A FEMALE LEADER. THEY ARE A LEADER.”

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10 YEARS, 10 STORIES

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.

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WOMEN OF THE FUTURE

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