Tag Archives: Articles

Foluke Akinlose – inspiring women of colour in the UK

17 Oct

Foluke and her neices

For my last article for theglasshammer.com, I wrote a profile of Intrepid Woman Foluke Akinlose, founder of  website Precious and the accompanying Precious Awards,  both of which celebrate the talents of women of colour in the UK.

I met Foluke at a networking event in August and was so blown away by her talents and passion to help women and girls be the best that they can be that I immediately pitched an article on her to my editor.

And here it is - I hope it does her justice.

Tamara Box, Voice of Experience in Structured Finance

12 Oct

As a child in Texas, Tamara Box was regarded as argumentative but yet was also a leading light in her school’s debating society.  These qualities led her to law school in London and Washington DC and she now leads Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s structured finance practice.

Read my profile of her here and learn why she suggests that women should never eat lunch alone.

Working mums as role models

2 Sep

I’ve had more feedback and positive responses to my article about working mums than about anything else I’ve ever written.  It urges mums to not feel guilty and cites recent research which suggests that children whose mothers work outside the home are no more likely to have behavioural or emotional problems at age 5 than kids whose mums stayed at home.

One woman wrote to me to say:

“My daughter has just been diagnosed [with] ADHD. As a working mother you think ‘maybe if I had stayed at home she would be ok’. (I know it’s silly). So the article means a lot to me – thank you.” 

The Number of Female FTSE 100 Directors Doubles – But Is It Enough?

22 Aug

My final article for theglasshammer on the issue of women on boards is now available and describes some of the measures taken to increase the number of senior female leaders. It starts:

Britain’s biggest companies have more than doubled the number of women they are appointing to boardroom jobs since Lord Davies, the government’s champion of female board representation, told businesses this year that within four years a quarter of senior bosses should be women.

FTSE 100 companies have recruited 23 women to their boards this year – representing about 30% of total board appointments – after Davies said they should sign up to a voluntary target of 25% board representation by 2015.

Read the rest of the article here.

Pictured – Helena Morrissey of Newton Investment Management, a founder of the 30% Club.

Rising Star: Kelly Widelski of Ernst & Young

5 Aug

I interviewed Kelly Widelski earlier in the summer,  as part of a series of articles run by the Glass Hammer in support of June’s Gay Pride month.

She’s had a fascinating global career in knowledge management with the accounting giant and you can read her profile here.

The Davies Review and what it means for women

4 Aug

I’ve been commissioned by the Glass Hammer to write a series of articles which examine the impact of the Davies Review into women on boards and look into what difference the report and its recommendations will really make to the careers of women in UK plc. The first article has just been published:

In February 2011, Lord Davies of Abersoch released his long-awaited report,Women on Boards, a review of female representation at senior levels in UK plc. It was handed to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and sets out recommendations on targets to improve the gender balance in business. It stopped short of recommending the introduction of mandatory quotas (as already seen in Norway and Spain) but suggests that FTSE 100 companies should aim to have at least 25% female board member representation by 2015 – an increase from the 12.5% reported in 2010.

Other recommendations include the requirement for FTSE 350 companies to set their own targets on female representation, that companies should advertise non-executive board positions in order to encourage greater diversity in applications and that headhunting firms should draw up a voluntary code to address gender diversity.

Read the rest of the article here.

A profile of Stephanie Niven of Javelin Capital

27 Jul

Have you ever met or spoken to somebody who has achieved so much in their life that you’re lost for words?  A few weeks ago I interviewed Stephanie Niven (top Oxbridge graduate,  former star at Goldman Sachs, hand-picked to go with her boss to set up a new investment firm, winner of a Women in Banking and Finance award – oh and she does triathlons and competes in Iron (Wo)Man events too …) for a profile on The Glass Hammer.

In addition to being ferociously bright,  she is also completely charming and was a joy to interview.  What a great role model to other women.

… and she’s only 27.

Read my article here and prepare to be amazed …

The LGBT community and the judiciary

22 Jul

Earlier this month, I went along to the Law Society on Chancery Lane to attend the launch of a new report on barriers within the judicial appointment system for members of the LGBT community.

My article about the report and its key findings is now up at Evolved Employer (sibling site to the glasshammer.com) and can be read via this link.

LGBT role model: Sarah Odell of Accenture

27 Jun

Former lacrosse star and now a senior learning and development consultant with Accenture UK, Sarah Odell, who is also very active in her employer’s LGBT network,  is the subject of my most recent article on theglasshammer.

“Her enthusiasm is infectious, as she describes Accenture’s networks as being “… very mature; there’s lots of excitement around the LGBT network and we’re now trying to raise awareness by launching a “Straight Allies” programme. This provides sponsors within each function who serve as ambassadors and mentors for LGBT issues, cascading information on policies and serving as a bridge between the straight and the LGBT communities. The programme’s strap line is “I can’t be out but I’m in” and we hope to make it a global programme over time. We launch later this month at an event with Stonewall.”

Read the full article here.

Sexuality in the City

24 Jun

The first of my three articles on LGBT issues for theglasshammer.com has now been published:

As part of this year’s celebrations of Gay Pride, The Glass Hammer decided to take a look at Sexuality in the City (of London) and ask – how are London’s big companies and financial institutions approaching the LGBT agenda and what do best practices look like in 2011? Are networks making a difference, is it any easier to be out at work than it once was and what does “success” look like if you’re building an integrated and inclusive workplace?  Read more …

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