International Women's Day 2026

It is easy to become negative in the environment of constant change and adverse news. I subscribe to the Stockdale paradox where we look at the truth of the situation we find ourselves in but remain optimistic that we are the team that solve problems and achieve success.

What fundamental shift must organisations make to truly empower women? 

We must make it a level playing field for people of all genders. Women must be promoted to hold roles of authority to make sure they have real decision-making power. They must be equally represented in profit and loss operational roles with budget accountability. To achieve this gender equity must be in all policies and procedures from hiring to performance reviews to flexible work policies. It must become business as usual across organisations and industries.

Can you share a challenge that turned from a roadblock into a personal strength? 

I always prided myself on knowing every single person in my team, their job, name, family circumstance but at some point, you realise you have such a large and diverse team that it is not possible to know everyone to that degree. At first, I found this really challenging. At some point I had to adjust my mindset to that of a leader of leaders and trust that my team was providing that personal connection where I could not. I have found this helpful and understand it does not mean that I don’t care, it is the reason we have built a high trust executive leadership team.

How do you actively empower and support the women around you, whether in your team or beyond? 

For a few years now I have been actively sponsoring women and people from underrepresented communities at work. This includes advocating for them to be paid equally, to take on more responsibility and to be promoted. It has included advocacy and advice on how to position for more senior roles and how to seek sponsorship within an organisation. I also coach women before they interview for promotions to make sure, they are prepared and to set them up for success. 

If your leadership journey were a headline, what would it say? 
"From Directing to Enabling"

More seriously, what really struck me as my responsibilities grew is this: the older and more experienced I get, the more I realize that in a world where power and responsibility sometimes mean feeding egos, narcissism, and imposing domination, we urgently need a new generation of leaders—leaders driven by collective intelligence, committed to serving the common good and fostering cooperation. I’m not saying women are more inclined to be these leaders, but let’s be honest: excluding almost half of humanity from the leadership pool will not help change those outdated models. And as for me, I realize that what was once an intuition has turned into a deep need to resist that model with a strong dose of tenacity.

What is one mindset or habit that has had the biggest impact on your development as a leader?

 What is one mindset or habit that has had the biggest impact on your development as a leader?

Throughout my career, I have regularly changed roles, each time embracing new challenges and unfamiliar environments. These transitions allowed me not only to learn new subjects, but also to learn alongside my Egis colleagues — by listening, exchanging perspectives, and building solutions collectively.