International Women’s Day 2026 Interview with Newtrality
International Women’s Day 2026 Interview with Newtrality
International Women’s Day 2026
Leadership, Sponsorship and the Women Who Shape Us
For International Women’s Day 2026, and the theme “Give to Gain”, we asked members of our team to reflect on the women who shaped their professional journeys and how those experiences influence the way they support others today.
Leadership is rarely built in isolation. Many of us can point to individuals who invested time, trust and opportunity in us at key moments in our careers.
Their influence often extends far beyond those moments — shaping how we lead, how we collaborate and how we create opportunities for others.
Here are reflections from members of our team.
Mike Deering
Which woman or women have most shaped your professional journey and how?
Early in my career at an engineering consultancy (still a very male-dominated environment in the early 2000s), the CEO was an incredible woman who not only broke the mould in her own role but took a genuine interest in people across the organisation.
She recognised my strengths and encouraged me to move into the strategy consulting practice, which accelerated my career into operational excellence and large-scale programme delivery.
Since then I’ve had the opportunity to work with many exceptional women across consulting and local government. Their leadership and collaborative approach have continually shaped my perspective on what effective public-sector transformation looks like.
How do you seek to extend that same opportunity or support today?
I try to create the same kind of supportive environment that helped me early in my career. That means ensuring people are placed in the right roles at the right point in their career and feel confident in their remit.
Often this comes down to simple but important things: encouragement, honest feedback and reassurance. This can be particularly important for those returning to work after a break — something that more often affects women — where confidence may need rebuilding even though capability remains strong.
Why is women’s leadership important for strengthening outcomes across the public sector?
Women’s leadership is essential because it provides representation and role models across a workforce where women form a significant proportion.
Diverse leadership teams bring broader perspectives and better decision-making, which ultimately improves organisational outcomes and public services.
However, executive leadership representation in the public sector does not always reflect the wider workforce — and we need to do better. Strengthening women’s leadership is therefore not only about fairness, but about ensuring public-sector organisations benefit from the full range of talent and experience available.
Beth Stewart
Which woman has most shaped your professional journey and how?
I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible women who have shaped my career, but the one who stands out most is Jackie Foglietta, my previous HR Director.
We worked closely together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic managing workforce redeployment, and she later brought me onto her leadership team to lead on workforce strategy.
What stood out most was how she valued diversity of thought. There was more than thirty years between us and we approached challenges from very different perspectives — we disagreed constantly — but that always led to better outcomes.
She created an inclusive space where people could be themselves and share ideas without judgement.
Jackie passed away five years ago this year, but her approach and what I learned from her continues to inspire me every day.
How do you try to extend that same support today?
I try to build this into my work day-to-day — whether by challenging assumptions, bringing women into conversations or calling out when ideas are wrongly attributed.
Gender equality is not just a women’s issue. I feel fortunate to work in an environment where we talk openly about both what we’re doing well and the steps we still need to take to become more inclusive.
Why is women’s leadership important for the public sector?
Diverse leadership — in every sense — is essential if public services are to truly understand and respond to the needs of communities and places.
Leadership in the public sector requires empathy, humility and deep understanding, alongside financial, technical and political skills.
There is no single definition of what a leader looks like. When certain groups are under-represented in leadership positions, it ultimately limits the effectiveness of the sector.
Pip Peel
Which woman shaped your professional journey?
My very first Programme Manager, when I was a very enthusiastic young PMO analyst, was Nuala McDermott.
She taught me the ropes and became both a mentor and a friend. Nuala was managing the upgrade to the Police National Computer (PNC2) at the time — a high-profile programme with a demanding client — yet she led with calm, clarity and strength.
She was assertive, driven and highly respected across the programme team and stakeholders alike.
Nuala was also an excellent consultant. In later years she continued to give me sound advice about what it really means to be a great consultant — sometimes without even realising the impact she was having.
Having Nuala as my first boss was an incredible start to my career.
How do you promote gender equality in your work today?
Management consulting has historically been a male-dominated industry, but it feels as though that is changing as more women pursue consulting careers.
Throughout my time leading consultancy businesses, we’ve always sought to attract women at every level of the organisation — including at board level.
Why? Because diversity of experience strengthens problem-solving, which ultimately benefits our clients.
I’ve worked on programmes where I was the only male at the table, and others where women were significantly under-represented. Neither scenario is ideal.
I’m pleased that at Newtrality our current gender mix is around 60% women.
Why is women’s leadership important for the public sector?
The answer is simple.
The public sector serves communities — and roughly half of those communities are women.
Leadership in the sector should reflect the people it serves.
Lee Danson
Which women have most shaped your professional journey?
Julie Fisher, a former Chief Executive, has had the biggest influence on my professional journey.
She believed in me when I doubted myself, gave me opportunities to grow and trusted that I would succeed.
Her leadership — strong, kind and focused on bringing people with her through change — has shaped how I now lead and deliver transformation.
I’ve also been influenced by colleagues such as Anita Flavell, Head of Digital, and Katherine Hiscock, Head of Transformation (Housing).
They reinforced a fundamental truth about public sector change: no one delivers it alone. The pressures and complexity are too great to rely on individual effort.
Transformation is ultimately about people — building teams, motivating them and helping them perform at their best so they can deliver improvements for residents.
How do you extend that support today?
I try to create an environment where women feel trusted, supported and able to grow.
That means offering meaningful opportunities, recognising potential early and providing the reassurance and sponsorship that helped shape my own career.
By championing women’s contributions and creating pathways for development, I hope to continue promoting gender equality through both everyday actions and the opportunities I help create.
Why is women’s leadership important for the public sector?
Women’s leadership brings broader perspectives and lived experiences into decision-making, which improves how services are designed and delivered.
When leadership teams reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, organisations make better decisions and achieve better outcomes.
Just as importantly, visible women leaders inspire future talent and help reshape organisational cultures so more people feel able to step forward and lead.
In a sector built on public trust and inclusive service delivery, that diversity in leadership is not simply beneficial — it’s essential.
Conclusion
Leadership is shaped by those who invest in others.
The time someone takes to mentor.
The trust they show.
The opportunities they create.
As these reflections show, when leaders consciously support and sponsor others, the impact extends far beyond individual careers — strengthening organisations, teams and ultimately the public services that communities rely on.