People
Colleagues at Leonard Curtis mark a day of celebration for women
It’s hard to believe that International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years, campaigning on important issues affecting women.
The day did not go unmarked at Leonard Curtis. The company is close to employing equal numbers of men and women across its organisation – now 300+ people over 29 offices -and providing opportunities for all.
The business encouraged staff members – of both sexes - to acknowledge the day’s messages and show support for the call to accelerate action on gender parity.
Comments were led by CEO Dan Booth who said: “This is well overdue recognition for all women making a positive contribution to the world, which is rightly deserved.”
Director Siann Huntley, who is regional lead for the Southwest and Wales, said she was proud to have been a member of the insolvency profession for over 20 years and noted the opportunities she had been given at Leonard Curtis.
“Embarking on the profession (I still remember canvassing all insolvency firms in my area with letters and a copy of my CV, for any entry level opportunity!), I instinctively knew this was a vocation for me. Having strived for and achieved my professional qualifications, with challenges successfully navigated along the way, a pivotal point in my career was joining the Leonard Curtis team almost ten years ago.”
She continued: “Being a diverse and inclusive business, I was welcomed into the office in Bristol. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of launching two new offices in Cardiff and Taunton and now head up our operations in the Southwest and Wales. IWD for me is a reminder to be grateful for the opportunities and support that people have graciously provided during the past two decades and to offer every encouragement to those who are on their own career path. To have the opportunity to do so is humbling.”
Beth Eagles, Digital and Design Marketing Executive in the company’s head office in Manchester, who has just joined the business, noted the rate of positive change for women, but the need to keep up momentum.
She said: “IWD is important to me as it is a reminder of the incredible progress women have made in all areas of life from the workplace to education and more. It is important to recognise women's achievements as well as highlighting the journey ahead for continued progress toward equality and empowerment for all women.”
It is a sentiment shared with Director Carl Faulds, who is Group Head of Insolvency Operations. He said it was an important day to mark, commenting: “International Women's Day is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women and their contribution to society and raise the profile of female equality and to challenge inequality where it may still exist.”
Paul Birks, Chief Financial Officer, brought it closer to home. He said: “It gives me chance to stop and think about the women in my life, the strength and support they show daily and not just on IWD. One being my amazing wife who just keeps going no matter what is put in front of her.”
David Brown, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, echoed the theme and reflected on the fantastic female influences he had on his life. He explained: “I was fortunate to have two incredible grandmothers, from a generation where they had tough upbringings and managed to thrive on very little. They both displayed resilience and never complained.
“My Grandma, Dorothy, relocated to Cornwall and served in the Women's Land Army during WW2. Quite rightly, we remember those men who were deployed fighting overseas, but it is important to recognise the impact of the roles many women took on at home.
“My own mum is also a pillar of strength for our family, an incredible woman and both me and my brother have been very lucky to have such a fantastic parent. Last, but certainly not least, my wife Emma has taken on the impossible juggling act of managing her career with being a mum and without her I'm not sure what we would do.”
Leonard Curtis has also responded to the call to make International Women's Day one of the biggest giving days of the year.
Via The Leonard Curtis Foundation, which asks employees to nominate deserving causes to support, the company has steered donations towards charities serving women this month.
These include Refuge, the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK. This charity supports thousands of women and their children, helping them to overcome the physical, emotional, financial and logistical impacts of abuse.
Fortalice, the Bolton-based domestic abuse charity has also been a beneficiary, as has the Every Month campaign, which provides 800 people with free access to menstrual products in the Manchester area every month.
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