Aisha Ali: The friend who supports friends
When I moved to London, I didn’t just gain a new city – I gained Maahwish Mirza. She was my first friend here and from the moment we met I knew she was someone special. A successful banker with a heart bigger than any corporate title, Maahwish isn’t just about climbing the career ladder. She is also about lifting others up with her. Beyond her demanding job, she has an unwavering commitment to giving back to the community. This summer, she ran as the Labour candidate for Mid-Bedfordshire, pouring her heart (and every spare minute) into campaigning. Watching her balance a high-flying career with endless door-knocking, speeches and genuine care for people, was nothing short of inspiring. I can’t help but reflect how lucky I am to have a friend like her, someone who proves that ambition and kindness aren’t mutually exclusive. I hope today we can celebrate women like Maahwish who lead with purpose, push boundaries and show the rest of us that we can too.
Bea Allen: The history teacher who made me opinionated
I wasn’t the brightest at school. I was more than happy to coast, avoid difficult questions and prioritise time with friends. Then I started GCSE history with Ms Bacon. Alongside the conflict and tension of the interwar years, our discussions often drifted into contemporary politics – the recession, Gordon Brown’s downfall, the shifting state of the world. These were things I’d heard in my parents’ conversations, but never engaged with myself. Her lessons taught me that politics wasn’t just something that happened – it shaped our lives and would and should affect me. Who were these people making decisions? What did I actually think about them? She was the first person who made me think critically – not just about history, but about my own beliefs. Was I just repeating something I’d heard? Or had I really considered my opinions? That mindset led me to study history and politics and ultimately to the career I’m in today. It also encouraged me to voice my opinions, often whether they’re welcomed or not – a habit I suspect would make her both frustrated and proud.
Jess Frost: The top spy
I’ve always been transfixed by spies and tales of their derring-do during WW2 and the Cold War. The uncomfortable truth, though, is that for decades, the women who worked in the security services were forced by their gender into career cul-de-sacs. Limited to administrative work, most have faded into obscurity – their sacrifices largely forgotten in the history of British spycraft. Against this backdrop, the achievements of Dame Stella Rimington are striking. She not only broke new ground as the first female Director General of MI5, a service that was famously, notoriously, a boys’ club. But she was also part of a movement that brought the intelligence services into the light. She was the first Director General publicly named on appointment to the role – a decision that came at some personal cost, but which she played forward into making the service more open and more accessible. By the time she left her role as DG, almost half the service were women.
Ewa Lewszyk-Howes: My peers and community
When I thought about the woman who has most inspired my career, I realised it would be wrong for me to pick just one. While there are many female role models out there with remarkable and inspiring careers, the ones who’ve shaped mine the most are my female colleagues, peers and friends who uplift me every day. It’s the people around me who have inspired and motivated me to advocate for myself and supported and encouraged me whenever I was low. Whether its pep talks ahead of difficult meetings, or advice on how to handle tricky situations – it’s that community who have shown me how to have persistence, courage and confidence in my work life. Women are so often pitted against each other, but my personal experience has been one of community and support, not rivalry or conflict. I hope that for my generation, inspiration isn’t limited to a few exceptional women at the top, but found in the thriving networks of many senior, successful women supporting each other.
Temi Oguntolu: The inspiring first manager
For this year’s International Women’s Day, I’d like to spotlight one of my first managers, Rosalind Hermanstein. Though she wasn’t my direct manager, she quickly became my unofficial mentor at the Department of Health and Social Care. What drew me to Rosalind was her confidence, warmth and honesty – her big laugh, great advice and the way she always supported me. I had never met anyone who stood up for others so naturally, while staying true to herself. When I considered leaving, she was one of the first I confided in. Her advice has always stuck with me: prioritise yourself and always do your best. Meeting Rosalind was truly special – seeing another Black woman in a senior role who uplifted others and created opportunities was inspiring. Because of her, I’ve carried that forward in my career, opening doors for others and offering support where I can. Representation matters and I know how valuable it is to have someone who paves the way.
Susanna Voyle: The ground-breaking CEO
Marjorie Scardino became the first female Chief Executive of a FTSE 100 company when she was appointed to lead Pearson in 1997. I still remember the excitement of the moment – all the headlines and the sense that things were finally really changing for women. I was a journalist at the Financial Times then and Pearson was our parent company, so I was lucky enough to meet her on occasion through her 16 years in charge. She was a genuinely inspiring boss and she reshaped Pearson, setting it up for the digital age, tripling profits along the way. A great leader and role model. Importantly, however, her success is also a cautionary tale. While much progress has been made for women in leadership, the change has been glacial, particularly at the executive level. Here we are, more than a quarter of a century after Dame Marjorie’s breakthrough moment, and there are just nine women leading businesses in the FTSE 100. It shows us all how much more there is still to do.
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