INSPIRING East Midlands businesswomen met at an Institute of Directors’ (IoD) event in Northamptonshire to mark International Women’s Day last month.
They shared career progresses and challenges and examined ways to improve their leadership prospects and opportunities.
The Institute of Directors’ (IoD) East Midlands third Women as Leaders Convention was held at Highgate House, Northampton, and featured speakers from large business, SMEs, and public and third sector businesses.
Camille McLean, founder of The Pickled Village, in Bulwick was the keynote speaker. Camille, who created a range of preserves in her Northamptonshire kitchen that have become an international business and a local tourist attraction, spoke of her eventful and mercurial career. Her message to convention guests was: “If you are passionate you will succeed.”
Entrepreneur Sue Dewey OBE was the event host and chaired a discussion panel of some of the region’s movers and shakers including:
Sue Smith, who is about to step down as Joint Chief Executive of Cherwell and South Northamptonshire Council to move into a portfolio career. She discussed the importance of continuous professional development (CPD) for effective leadership.
Fiona Baldwin, Head of Audit for the eight offices of the Central Region of Grant Thornton, who discussed some of the findings of the Women in Business report produced by Grant Thornton in 2016.
Lt Col Mandy Davanna, Recruitment and Compliance Officer for the Army Cadet Force in Leicestershire, Northampton and Rutland, who spoke of the Army’s positive attitude to employing women – accommodating family life, training alongside men and being paid the same money.
Rachel Hargrave, a Director of Rachel Hargrave Consulting, with 24 years of communications expertise across a variety of clients, who shared her lessons learned from success and failure in business and the support she received during the challenges faced in her previous business. Rachel Hargrave Consulting were also event sponsors.
James Jarvis, IoD Corporate Governance Analyst, who discussed findings from the IoD’s recent Corporate Governance report. Speaking about diversity and the need for improvement he said that in the six months leading to March 2016 less than a quarter of FTSE 100 board appointments were women and fewer than 10 per cent of the three most senior positions at FTSE 100 companies were held by women.
