Venture Recruitment Partners recently hosted a Women in Business Breakfast for female Finance Directors, Finance Managers, Financial Controllers, HR Professionals, and Commercial figures. Hosted by Karen Rich and Nadia Payne, Skylark Golf & Country Club served as a picturesque backdrop to an eventful morning.
As the lights of the Christmas trees twinkled, guest speaker Rachael Brealey walked us through her career. From ACCA studier to newly qualified Accountant and most recently: Vice President of Strategy and Analysis, Rachael offered an in-depth insight into the various roles and businesses she’s worked for, and the adversity she’s faced in each.
A key point Rachael spoke about was how she preferred gaining as much knowledge and experience as possible from one business, rather than moving between multiple roles. And it’s made her a highly skilled senior finance professional with the ability to understand a business from a multitude of viewpoints. It also means she has built lasting relationships and meaningful connections with the finance professionals she has worked with.
Rachael also stressed the importance of having two good mentors behind you, one finance professional and one outside of the finance and accountancy sphere, as it helps you gain an understanding outside of your role and begin looking at the business with a wider lens. Another interesting point she raised was the importance of being your authentic self in each role as it doesn’t leave people guessing what type of leader or team player you are.
After Rachel’s inspiring speech, we enjoyed a delightful breakfast and wrapped up the morning with an open discussion about the challenges the other attendees had experienced in their past roles. There were professionals across multiple disciplines including financial services, public sector, recruitment, and professional services in attendance, with a diverse range of topics and issues discussed honestly and thoughtfully. Such topics included how to be a more inclusive employer, how to deal with difficult personalities, and advice on switching to a new career.
There’s no doubt that everybody left feeling as though they’d spent the morning in useful conversation and had made new connections.
Some of the wonderful comments we received from attendees were:
‘I found the session so interesting and Rachael so inspiring. It was so great to be in a room with like-minded women and hear their stories.’
‘The conversations were very insightful, inspirational, and eye-opening. It was a really lovely and empowering event’.
‘Such a lovely event. Really inclusive, and open, and encouraged great discussion. Great format.’
A huge thank you to Rachael and to everybody who attended, we can’t wait to see you again soon!