I always wanted to go into the catering business, but I fell into the railway industry 24 years ago and never left. I started my career at Leeds station, in a customer-focused role, and that customer, stakeholder and people development side of things is still what drives me today. I’ve never had a five-year plan, a 10-year plan, or even a one-year plan, but I’ve fallen into opportunities that have led to really great things.

A long time ago I was a team member, and now I’m the person setting the direction for strategy. After my time at Leeds, I went into the rail infrastructure supply chain I’m still there today, but I’ve deviated over the last 20 years from being based in central functions to regional functions, and from being customer-focused to being more strategic. Some might say that staying in the same place is boring, but I’ve really enjoyed those stepping stones.

The draw of the Women in Leadership programme

I was initially attracted to the Women In Leadership programme because of the networking opportunities. A colleague of mine had taken the programme a few years previously and she was so passionate about it; it really ignited her.

The rail industry is still quite male-dominated, so I really wanted the opportunity to meet with women from all around the world, and really get to know them. I didn’t feel like I had a network outside of the rail industry, so the thought of meeting like-minded women with the same fears, panics and crises of confidence that I’ve experienced really appealed to me.

At the time, I also had a real lack of self-confidence, and I’d recoil whenever I received praise; I used to think, you’re only as good as your next failure, and that could be tomorrow. When I read everything and did the pre-work for the Women In Leadership programme, building my confidence became my objective, and I hoped it would give me the kick I needed to accept that I do add value, and I have a right to sit around the table.

Securing a sponsor

My sponsor was Susan Cooklin, and she was my boss’s boss. She is an amazing lady and really driven, and I’d worked indirectly with her for a few years. When I sat down with her for our first proper conversation I said, ‘I bet you’ve got a five-year plan’, and she just said, ‘no, you don’t always have a plan’. That was an enlightening moment for me.

As well as being my sponsor, Susan also introduced me to other contacts. That really gave me the opportunity to build the network that would help me to develop at a more senior level, which was a real help. I also suspect Susan will have endorsed my recent promotion. She retired at the end of March but we already have catchups in the diary for the rest of the year. Before she left, she also made sure I was set up with some external coaching to help support my development, so her commitment and our sponsor relationship hasn’t stopped just because I’ve left the programme. She’s really opened doors for me in terms of my future development.

Susan Cooklin on her decision to sponsor Julia:

I’d known Julia for approximately five years before sponsoring her. She was a talented individual and I felt she had the capability to move to the next level, but she lacked self-confidence. We’d previously had another senior leader attend the programme and it had transformed her, so I thought that by attending Julia would expand her network and also realise the scale and level of accountability she had in relation to her peers. I really wanted her to build her self-confidence, gain a new network of senior women and learn some new skills and leadership techniques.

I believe that women’s networks have become extremely important in terms of sharing experiences and showing how women can make it to the top of any profession. Some women find it helpful to discuss their career journeys and ambitions and insecurities with other women. The Women in Leadership course run by London Business School is excellent. We have now had two senior women attend the course and both have been promoted. The School makes the sponsorship piece easy and it’s been a pleasure to see Julia gain her confidence and develop into a strong, vocal and caring leader. 



Early on in the programme we had to introduce ourselves and talk about our roles, and I had a lot of feedback from people saying that I was really authentic, even though I couldn’t see that at the time. I’d never used that word to describe myself before, but hearing it from people that didn’t really know me was so powerful and felt very genuine. I’ve realised that authenticity has gotten me to where I am today and will hopefully cement the rest of my career. I took a mantra away from the Women In Leadership programme that I keep at the front of my notebook and written on my desk: ‘authentic, drop the imposter syndrome and develop diversity and inclusion’ (which I do already, but I think there’s so much more to do in that space).

The programme gave me the ability to grow in a safe environment, and it gave me such a strong foundation to take with me. I realised I hadn’t really given myself any time to reflect on my career, and the fact that I could be as good as others thought I was. Now I can walk into a room feeling strong and powerful, knowing who I am and what I can offer.

Being in an all-female environment was a breath of fresh air. I enjoy working in the rail industry but historically I’ll sit around a table and it’s 90% men, and often I’ll be the only female in the room. The opportunity to be with all women, all at similar levels but working in different careers and on different continents, was something I couldn’t replicate. I probably won’t ever get that again in my career. We all faced the same challenges and had similar insecurities and highlights, and that security makes you realise that you’re not alone. When I left the group and went back into the workplace, I took that power with me, and knew that I absolutely had a right to be there.

Before the Women in Leadership programme, I didn’t know what my next step was going to be, and whether I should stay in the rail industry or do something radical and new. The programme gave me that belief that I could stay in the industry, but that I have the strategic skills, commerciality and logistical experience to go anywhere. Before the programme I had tunnel vision, but working with everyone else in small and large groups showed me that there’s a whole world out there and I have a lot to offer. It was really powerful being able to share that.

I’ve learned that the only person that’s going to really invest in you, is you, so taking that time to develop yourself is empowerment at its best. Now, I hear myself doing one-to-ones with my team or people that I coach, and I tell them that they are in charge of their own destiny and development. That investment pays dividends because you can walk taller. If you can do that as a woman, and a woman in a leadership role, then you’re empowering the next generation, too. And not just women, but anybody and everybody. That time to develop yourself and take care of you as an individual only makes you better.

I’ve recently been promoted from Strategy Director in the supply chain function to Supply Chain and Services Director. It’s a bigger role that brings together all of my skillsets, and I honestly believe I put my hat in the ring to go for the role thanks to the Women in Leadership programme, and how much stronger and more confident it made me feel.

Before the programme, I could always solve or fix the problems given to me by senior leaders. But the feedback I’m getting now is that my confidence in my own ability is much stronger and much more obvious, and I absolutely put that down to the programme. Because others can see that confidence, I hope they now know that I can take on different challenges and roles, which hopefully inspires the next generation to know that you can move around and do different things. I want them to see that there are real opportunities for women leaders, even in an industry that is male-dominated.

There are more people in my organisation applying to do the programme now. My advice to any other women coming onto the programme is to be true and honest and don’t hold back, because it is the safest place to have great conversations and boost your learning ability.