I grew up surrounded by military stories of courageous behaviour and risky adventures; my father and grandfather were both in the Armed Forces and from an early age my ambition was to follow in their footsteps. Growing up in a small rural, farming community, my career choice of a life at sea was definitely viewed as out of the ordinary. However, my determination paid off and in the late 80’s I was accepted into the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a Wren Writer.
After 5 years as a non-commissioned officer, I passed the selection process for Officer training and went on to attend Britannia Royal Naval College. I have always strived to be ‘my very best self’ and following an extremely rewarding and challenging career spanning 27 years, I left the RN as a Commander having served overseas, at sea and in Afghanistan as well as at home in the UK. In 2015 I was ready for fresh adventures and exchanged my military career for one in financial services. Whilst these two sectors may seem poles apart, they both require courage, tenacity and resilience along with the ability to make things happen, get things done and deliver results. I started working in Barclays, initially as a Project Manager supporting Structural Reform and more recently as the Optimisation Lead within Global Markets Operations.
Outside of work I love sport and travel, ideally combining the two; I have cycled across Kenya, Cuba and most recently, Vietnam and Cambodia fundraising for female cancer charities. I am passionate about supporting young women to achieve their potential and volunteer as a mentor for the Girl’s Network, supporting young women from disadvantaged communities, with career and professional development advice. My philosophy is one life, live it; don’t let your own fear hold you back.