School event aims to inspire young women.
How to break the glass ceiling that is preventing women from reaching senior positions in business was the main focus of debate at a TV-style Question Time event at Solihull School.
Boys and girls quizzed female alumni and associates that have gone on to be leaders in their fields about their views and experiences at the lunchtime event, held to mark International Women’s Day.
The panel of businesswomen was chaired by BBC TV presenter Joanne Malin, who pointed to the strides made by women in the workplace but also to the fact that women “are still not paid equally to their counterparts” and “are not present in equal numbers in business or politics”. She encouraged everyone to follow their passion and be prepared to be flexible in their career.
The distinguished speakers represented a wide range of industries from engineering and manufacturing to facilities management and broadcasting. They comprised former pupil Harriet Evans, Corporate Solutions Director for Mitsubishi Electric; Lucy Jeynes, Managing Director of Larch Consulting; Lucy Lunt, a BBC Radio Producer and Solihull Governor; and another former pupil Manty Stanley, Managing Director of Teal Patents Ltd.
The panel line-up was completed by Georgia Adderley, who left Solihull School in 2011 and is now studying broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University.
Julia Skan, Head of Careers, who organised the event, said: “The event was a tremendous success in inspiring both boys and girls with new ideas and opportunities for careers. All the speakers answered the many incisive questions put to them by the packed audience supremely well and our thanks go to the panel for their magnificent support.”