In March we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, the theme #AccelerateAction reminds us that progress toward gender equality requires more than just conversation, it demands bold, decisive steps. Across industries, women in leadership are not just breaking barriers, they are actively reshaping workplaces, policies, and cultures to create a more inclusive future.
Throughout this month we are running our Women in Leadership series! We have a fantastic group of inspirational women leaders, sharing their insights, challenges, and strategies for accelerating action. Their stories highlight what it takes to not only reach the top but inspire other women looking to progress their career into a leadership role.
In this instalment, we have Amy Lawson, a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer and Founder of Redefine Marketing, with over 20 years' experience in marketing leadership.
1.Please could you provide an overview of your role?
I currently work as a Fractional CMO, which means I work for a number of businesses at any one time, on a Part Time basis. Prior to this, I was CMO at Mojo Mortgages, a Fintech Mortgage broker.
My current role is really varied, which is why I love it. I can be working on a client audit or developing a Go To Market strategy, and then other days I’m elbow deep in a paid search account, helping to execute a campaign or reviewing content. No two days are the same!
2. What do you feel is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career so far?
Having young children and trying to balance being a present parent with work. I think this is widespread issue for both men and women. The most stressful thing by far for me is when the kids are sick. You have a board meeting, or an investor meeting and your little one is ill, so you have to take the day off last minute. Typically, the people I work with have been really understanding when this has happened, but it’s incredibly stressful trying to balance it all. When they are little, they are sick so much!
3. What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Great question! Two things stand out for me:
1. Watching your team develop and go on to achieve great things – not sure there’s anything more rewarding
2. Starting my own business – at the time this was terrifying, but I look back on this as one of the best and bravest decisions I’ve ever made. I now have 2 businesses and some days it still feels terrifying to be honest, but can’t imagine it any other way
4. What advice would you give to women who aspire to work in a leadership role?
First, you need a plan. Where do you want to get to and what do you need to do to get there? Fully appreciate, this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. First off, work with your stakeholders (your manager, your peers and your team) to understand your strengths and development areas. From here, develop a plan that enables you to work on those development areas, whilst you play to your strengths.
Something else I’ve benefitted from, is a mentor. Someone to help guide me, someone I aspire to and most importantly, someone that holds me to account and keeps me on track when it comes to my own development.
We all have blind spots and things we aren’t comfortable with, if these are holding you back, the best thing to do is tackle them head on. It’s not always comfortable but it’s the only way. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and support. And most of all, don’t be scared to fail, as actually these experiences make us more resilient and it’s how we grow. I’ve always had a big fear of failure (and still do) but have worked really hard on myself so it doesn’t hold me back.
5. This year’s theme is Accelerate Action, what factors do you think have caused an imbalance at the top of the ladder between men and women, and what do you think businesses need to do to improve gender equality in senior leadership?
I felt we were making progress with gender equality, but we seem to have regressed over the last few months. I won’t get into the politics of it all, but I think it’s so important that gender equality remains top of the agenda.
For me, the main factors that have caused an imbalance at the top are:
· Unconscious Bias & Stereotypes.
· Workplace Policies That Don’t Support Work-Life Balance – for anyone with young children, this is critical, whoever bears the care giver responsibility will need some flexibility and, in some organisations, this is seen as a sign of weakness and can be an inhibitor when it comes to progression. We really need to start measuring people on output and impact over presenteeism
When we look at the businesses that have made great inroads with gender equality, the common factors that enable this are:
1. Implementing flexible parental leave policies have fostered an inclusive work environment. 2. Continued Hybrid working – a recent survey showed 68% of respondents felt Hybrid working has helped level the playing field for women.
2. Comprehensive EDI policies and practices, identifying areas for improvement, with clear strategies to address the gaps
Huge thanks to Amy for taking the time to share her experience and advice with us! Keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment of our International Women’s Day Series later this week.
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