Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role.

I come from a very small village in the very north-east of Northumberland called Bamburgh.  I am very happily married with three grown up children and a German Short Haired Pointer who keeps me on my toes! I started as a junior grade, Administrative Officer (AO) around 27 years ago and have moved through the grades, always ensuring I have had at least two jobs in a grade before looking for promotion – I like to make sure I have the breadth in the grade before attempting to move upwards.  All the jobs I have held have been completely different (that is the beauty of being in the Civil Service and a generalist), and often, operationally focused – over my career to date I have held 14 roles, across 7 grades. I have experienced change at all levels and held many varied and challenging roles, which is what led me to my current role as Deputy Director (SCS1) Business Improvement for DIO.  My team partner with each area of the business working with them on small and large scale improvements with the aim for them to become more efficient and effective, which given the current climate, is an important and greatly needed asset.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

The only time I had complete clarity on what I wanted my career to look like was when I was 10 years old and interviewed for a North-East TV programme.  They were speaking to children of miners/ex-miners about their aspirations and generally how ambitions were changing in the mid 80’s.  At that point in time, I loved the programme ‘LA Law’ and so of course I wanted to be a lawyer and move to America – excruciatingly embarrassing looking back but very proud of myself for aiming high! Moving forward several years and I found myself undecided where my future lay, I did A’ Levels (whilst resitting numerous GCSEs – a year of my life that I would never want to repeat!) and went on to take Business & Finance at Newcastle whilst working at Boots the Chemist.  I was married very young, into the Armed Forces family, and found myself in a different part of the country with no support when I was made aware of a recruitment campaign for the Civil Service within Contracts Branch at RAF Daws Hill near High Wycombe….

When you began your career, did you ever imagine that you would be in a leadership role?

When I joined the Civil Service my Grade 7 had his own office with a PA who sat outside and kept guard, I think I only ever saw him twice in my 2-years I was in the department, and I didn’t know anyone existed beyond him!  To think that I could be anywhere near that grade in my career wasn’t something that I dared to consider.  However, I did know that I had a skill where people were concerned, I loved interacting with individuals from different backgrounds and found most were interesting with so much to learn from.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I am naturally a Servant Leader; I have never been interested in the accumulation and exercise of power.  I truly believe that by focussing on the well-being of people and helping them develop in grade and role is the best way to build a high performing team and grow well rounded future leaders.  Having said that I am also adaptive in my leadership style, embracing change and challenging the status quo, working collaboratively to respond to, and tackle complex multifaceted problems.

What leadership qualities do you think are essential for success in today’s world?

The demographic for the Civil Service has changed over my years within it, and thankfully the leadership approach has evolved with it, albeit probably slower than a lot of us would have liked. When I first joined it was very authoritative with a strict hierarchy now it is much more inclusive.  I really feel that the essential leadership qualities are being authentic – bringing your whole self to work, inclusive – ensuring that everyone feels valued, welcomed, respected, represented and heard together with being honest – in the delivery of anything, helping build confidence with those around you which in turn grows trust.

Who are your role models, and how have they influenced your leadership style?

My dad continues to be a role model for me, even in his late 70s.  He went from working in a coal mine to building his own pub company, he knew he had more to offer and had the sheer determination to get there with a couple of O’levels in his back pocket!

Armed Forces and their families inspire me every day to do better. Having worked in several Operational roles I have seen how hard it is on the Service Person and their families, additionally the dignity, determination, and poise that the bereaved families have during tragic times have spurred me on to do better, be better.

What significant challenges have you faced as a woman in leadership, and how did you overcome them?

Wow what a question!  I feel incredibly lucky to be in the Civil Service today as we see the strides being made off the back of so many, much needed, changes, from the lifting of the ban on LGBTQ+ people serving the Armed Forces in 2000, body armour shaped for the female form being introduced, through to the incredibly brave 60 female Senior Civil Servants who highlighted inappropriate behaviour and alleged sexual assault and abuse in the MoD. 

As a woman with a (very strong at times – so my children say!) northern accent, I found it hard to find ‘someone who sounded like me’ in the Civil Service which is why I am absolutely determined to make sure my voice, and accent, is heard.  I was very honoured when asked to take up the Senior Civil Service Sponsor for the Rise talent scheme, aimed at the junior grades, so that I can reach as many people as possible starting out in their career and let them know that regardless of their background (or accent!) its their talent that is seen and celebrated.

Can you discuss a time when you had to navigate a difficult decision or crisis? How did you manage it?

There was a particular Grade 7 role that I was always interested in ‘Head of the Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre and the MoD Medals Office’, though every time it came up it wasn’t the right time for me personally to apply for it.  However, when my youngest was early in junior school I decided to apply knowing that if successful, it would mean a huge change to our family life.  My husband was in the Royal Navy and deployed a lot plus we (Armed Forces) were in Afghanistan and suffering losses, so it was emotionally difficult, unpredictable hours that didn’t follow the school times or the Mon-Fri routine.  The role meant so much to me the decision didn’t seem so difficult in the end, and I put an awful lot of planning in place even before I had the interview!  I was successful and, thanks to family and friends, juggled crazy hours and quality time at home.  The one thing I didn’t count on was the emotional toll a role like that would take and, in the end, after 7yrs, I stepped aside and moved on to a corporate role – now that decision was one of the hardest, I have ever made.  Realising that my personal resilience had become exceptionally depleted and asking for help was a difficult one, but one that I am absolute advocate for.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career?

Juggling a career, 3 children, a German Short-Haired Pointer, homelife and a husband who works away!  It sounds flippant, but I am exceptionally proud to be who I am and where I am in my career with all the trappings of a slightly chaotic family/homelife – I wouldn’t change it!!

Can you share an example of a time when you made a significant impact on your organisation or team?

Whilst in Defence Business Services as Head of Corporate Services I worked with their customers (the MoD Functions) to rewrite the Key Performance Indicators, I know that in comparison to other roles this one doesn’t sound so exciting.. but building the relationships and working toward a collective goal that benefitted everyone and the end user was a huge step forward.  Gone were the days of people blaming each other for the level of service and we stepped forward into a new era of working collaboratively to unstick problems and highlight issues even before they came into being.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to leadership roles?

Don’t give up, no matter what your background or family circumstance you have a lot to offer! You need to believe in your own abilities first and foremost, find a good mentor and increase your network – dig deep and find that tenacity, and remember, every day is a school day, don’t stop learning!

And finally, how do you stay motivated and inspired in your leadership journey?

I am motivated by building the next generation of leaders who are diverse & inclusive, driven, empathetic, emotionally intelligent people with an adaptive leadership style.