Tell us about your background

I grew up in Glasgow and left school age 16, eager to go to university and experience more of life. I studied Laser Physics & Optoelectronics at Strathclyde and really enjoyed my time; I was secretary of the parachuting club, ran the BUNAC North American club and spent three summers in the US. I was a regular at Reds bar on level four of the Union and made many lasting friendships. 

I realised in my final year that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in a dark lab looking at small lights. I was analytical and had enjoyed the coding I did as part of my degree but wanted to do something that involved people too. I took a year out for a round-the-world trip and wanted to do a masters on my return. At that time the new field of IT was starting to gain momentum (makes me sound ancient doesn’t it) and I decided to do a Masters in Business Information Technology Systems. 

I haven’t looked back since. I joined what’s now Accenture as an IT Consultant in London, then moved to Deloitte when I came back to Scotland. I’m so glad that’s the route I took, as I’ve always loved the variety of projects, working with people in teams and helping clients solve their complex challenges. No two days are the same and life is always interesting.  

I still live in the southside of Glasgow with my partner Stuart and son Ewan. I love hillwalking with my Bernedoodle Skye and travelling with my family.

Why did you choose Strathclyde?

I wanted to leave school after fifth year, despite the protestations of my maths teacher who wanted me to stay for sixth year. I loved maths and physics at school and Strathclyde’s great reputation in the sciences meant that was my first choice. Lasers and photonics were a relatively new field at that time, so I opted for Laser Physics & Optoelectronics. I loved everything about university life so when I was lining up a masters course I didn’t think twice about coming back to Strathclyde and doing my MSc at the Business School. I met my partner of now 29 years (Stuart) at Strathclyde – in week one at physics lab, so if I hadn’t gone to Strathclyde my life would have been different in many ways!

Where are you now? 

Twenty-seven years on I’m still with Deloitte. I focused my career on supporting public sector clients as I’m passionate about delivering projects that have a positive impact on people’s lives. For me that’s the best of both worlds.   

I became a partner 14 years ago which was a massive step in terms of building my confidence and being able to take on new roles and new challenges. I held several UK-wide roles as a partner then decided to focus entirely on Scotland as that’s what I’m most passionate about. I became Glasgow office Senior Partner four years ago, which was an interesting time given the office was closed because of the pandemic. 

Two years ago I was appointed Practice Senior Partner for Scotland & Northern Ireland which is a role I feel very privileged to hold. It’s been a big learning curve, as while I know government and public sector, I had to get to grips with Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, and other parts of the private sector too. I love meeting with clients in other industries and learning more about their businesses, challenges and opportunities. I’ve found the common ground across all sectors is talent and skills, net zero and government policy. Hearing new and different perspectives is important and making new connections is always interesting. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Definitely becoming Deloitte’s senior partner for Scotland & NI. I’m the first woman and first non-accountant to hold the position. Our Scottish clients and 2,000 people across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Belfast are what I care about most, so it’s my ideal role. 

An important part of the role for me is how we work with our local communities. I introduced our schools programme in Scotland, putting in place partnerships with three schools to support their pupils and teachers by providing access to mentoring and fostering skills in an inclusive manner. We're helping to break down barriers to education and employment through employability workshops, climate change education, fintech for schools and other activities.   

We also work with charity partners in each office, and it is wonderful to see the impact our contribution has on the people they support through coaching and fundraising activities. I’m really proud of how our people have got behind our schools and charities programme.

As the first female Senior Partner in Scotland for Deloitte, how do you think businesses can foster top female talent?

Studying Physics then IT, I was used to being the only woman in the room (or at least a small minority) for a long time. And in my field of work (technology consulting) I was one of very few female partners, so I’ve done what I can to sponsor and support other women coming through and I'm trying to be a visible role model. I’m so pleased that the last decade has changed that balance but there’s still more to do.  

Women are normally the primary carers (whether to children, parents or both) and we see a lot of women take a step back when they have a young family. My husband and I always shared childcare and I think that’s an important part of showing how it can work – having a career doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice being a parent or vice versa, although it’s not always easy. Businesses need to have flexible career models that allow women to take time out or reduce working hours but still progress, and I’ve really benefitted from Deloitte’s flexible working policies. Women’s careers often progress as wavy lines rather than straight lines and employers need to recognise and support this. 

It’s important to build diverse businesses (not just from a gender perspective) with an inclusive culture that empowers women to thrive at work alongside authentic, visible leaders at every level.