Being The First: Reflections on Breaking New Ground
As we approach International Womens Day 2025, it has caused me to reflect on my career as a woman in a largely male-dominated industry.
While more women now enter at graduate levels, progress at the top remains slow, leaving men in the majority.
This is not a “Woe is Me” – I lead a blessed life – nor is it “All Men are to Blame for …” I have worked with many amazing men and women (although I have always been the most senior female through my whole career). Instead, it reflects on times when I have been The First and how that wasn’t always for The Best for me.
I joined (then) Hungerfords as a graduate, I was The First and The Only female in my intake of 13. This led to some amusing moments, like the firm deliberating over what kind of bag was “appropriate” for a lady, since the standard Tosca Gladstone Bag was deemed too manly. Eventually, after weeks without one, I asked for the same bag as my male colleagues!
I was also The First woman in my firm to complete the Professional Year and qualify as a Chartered Accountant and The Only in the study groups. Later, I became The First to request Maternity Leave, only to be told, “Oh, we don’t do that.”
I still laugh sometimes when I think how forward I was, “Well you sort of have to because that’s the law”.
I was The First to request part-time work while asking for the promotion I had missed. There was the expected resistance:
“We don’t have part-time. That doesn’t work in our profession. What will the clients say?”
I insisted I could make it work – and I did, for 17 years.
Lessons from Being The First
Being ahead of the curve is often lonely. When you’re The First, you’re not just breaking barriers – you’re also the Agitator, the Educator, and the Trailblazer for those who come after you. It’s risky. It’s exhausting. But it’s necessary.
Here are a few key lessons from my journey:
1. If They Don’t Know How to Include You, Show Them
Early in my career, the firm didn’t know how to handle a female graduate or a parent returning to work. Instead of waiting for them to figure it out, I asked for what I needed.
2. Change is Uncomfortable – But Push Through Anyway
Resistance is inevitable when challenging the status quo. I learned to stand my ground and keep pushing. Change only happens when we make it happen.
3. Know Your Worth – And Ask for It
When I returned from maternity leave, I didn’t just ask for part-time work; I also asked for the promotion I had missed. Don’t Ask, Don’t Get.
4. Being The First is Hard – But It Won’t Always Be That Way
Over time, I was no longer The Only. I became The First female promoted to partner at Pitcher Partners, and later, I was joined by others. Change is slow, and we have to hold the door open for others.
5. Lead With Purpose, Not Just Position
Being The First gave me a responsibility: to make things better for those who followed. Leadership is never about titles – it is about using your influence to create opportunities for others.
Here’s to The Firsts – And to Those Who Follow
Being The First wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. I knew I had to step up and challenge, even when it was hard.
The Firsts make way for the next. I’m grateful for those who came before me and hopeful for those who will come after.
This article was originally posted on One Roof on March 6, 2025.
