WOMENININDUSTRY
‘ Laddish ’ behaviour does still go on and being called ‘ darling ’, ‘ sweetheart ’, and ‘ love ’ are not uncommon . In all honesty , I don ’ t think anyone using these phrases means any harm , but to a younger , less confident female , the affect could be discouraging and demeaning .
Do you think fenestration is a ‘ boys club ’, please could you explain why in either case ?
I don ’ t think it ’ s a secret that the fenestration industry has long been a ‘ boys club ’. Women are massively underrepresented and often have to work harder to gain respect and recognition .
It ’ s with great pleasure that I can say that this isn ’ t the case at Origin , and our gender pay gap is non-existent . However , I truly believe that having a female at the head of the company makes a huge difference and gives many women at Origin the confidence to achieve and the belief that their contribution matters .
Have you faced any negative attitude in your role , as a woman ?
Fortunately , no . My personality doesn ’ t lend itself to worry too much about anything out of my control and instead , I choose to concentrate on my intentions and my commitments , trying to do the best I can each day .
Do you think there should be more women in fenestration ?
100 % yes ! The industry is quite archaic in lots of ways and encouraging more women to join to bring a different dimension can only be a positive thing . Most decision making at home during a build project or renovation is done by females , so why do we have so many men selling , designing , manufacturing , and marketing the products ?
Have you noticed a difference in the representation and treatment towards women throughout your career ?
Yes , I think men feel far more comfortable on the whole to leave their egos behind and embrace women entering the fenestration industry , respecting and recognising the different but complementary approaches to challenges and obstacles in the workplace . From my experience at Origin , there is no question that your voice as a woman will be heard . There is still a way to go for the entire industry though , and we must make sure that all individuals are encouraged to speak up .
Do you think women are treated differently in this industry ?
I do , but I also believe it ’ s getting better . I know that the females in our internal and external sales teams have had to work far harder to gain the respect of some of our customers . Humans are very instinctive , and it will take time for some to realise that whether you are a man or a woman , you are equally able to do your job within this industry .
Do you think women should be treated differently in this industry ?
Absolutely not . As individuals , we all have different needs , likes and dislikes , and if you can accommodate that within your business at an individual level , then I believe everyone wins .
‘ I found guilt a huge burden at first where I felt I couldn ’ t be the best Mum or the best business leader . Then , after a lot of soul searching , I realised that I didn ’ t need to be the best , I just needed to do the best I could at that time ’
Have you had to overcome specific hurdles as a woman in industry – what were these and how did you overcome them ?
The most prominent hurdle has been having children and wanting to continue in my career . Fortunately , I have an incredibly supportive family around me that has made the transition possible , but that isn ’ t the case for all . If businesses can build the flexibility into their strategy to accommodate working parents , I believe you retain some incredible people that will go the extra mile .
I found guilt a huge burden at first where I felt I couldn ’ t be the best Mum or the best business leader . Then , after a lot of soul searching , I realised that I didn ’ t need to be the best , I just needed to do the best I could at that time . Little did I know that my experience is something I draw upon to help improve how we look after our people , our Origin family .
What have been your biggest and proudest achievements in your career ? Getting together with the whole team at Origin a couple of times each year ( sadly not this year due to COVID ). Origin was awarded the Queen ’ s Award for Industry this year . It was a shame we were not able to attend the ceremony at Buckingham Palace due to restrictions , but we did have a small ceremony at our HQ in High Wycombe where the award was presented by the Lord Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire .
What are your short term and long-term career goals ?
Short term , I am in an exciting phase of learning . Learning more about myself , how I can support my team better , and what are the important questions to be asking as we transition to a larger business .
Long term , it ’ s still all about Origin from a career perspective but now we have established a great foundation to grow upon , my focus is on what our future looks like 10 / 15 years from now .
What advice would you give yourself at the start of your career ?
Making mistakes is part of the process . You must fail so you can learn , so be ok with that concept . I have historically been a perfectionist and have realised over the years not to beat myself up when I get it wrong .
Who are your role models ? My managing director , Daniel Baker , is an inspiration to me every single day . My parents , who have always been my biggest fans , encouraging and supporting me every step of the way and showing me very clearly that nothing happens by chance but by hard work , grit and determination .
Being a huge tennis fan , what Billie Jean King has done for women ’ s tennis is just incredible .
What are you working on at the moment that you ’ d like to share with the Clearview readers ?
Whilst we already had a small number of people working remotely at Origin , we now face a scenario where we would like to be fully agile across the business to accommodate every individual ’ s needs and requirements on a personal and professional level . This is a huge project , but one that I feel will be so worthwhile to the whole organisation . It involves a large amount of research , conversation , critical thinking , and empathy to really get to the root of this challenge . It is such an exciting time at Origin right now .
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM » AUG 2021 » 21