Celebrating 10 Years of Executive Women in Leadership

This month marks 10 years since the launch of FWB’s Executive Women in Leadership (EWIL) programme.

The programme was co-founded by Judy Wagner, FWB Co-Founder and Director, and Professor Susan Murphy, Chair in Leadership Development, University of Edinburgh Business School and Co-Director of the Centre for Strategic Leadership. This was created following conversations around the barriers women faced as they progressed through their careers and the need for greater representation at senior management and board level.

EWIL was designed to support women in their existing roles, while helping them build the confidence and capability to progress into more senior positions, including board and non-executive roles. The programme also brought together women from different organisations and sectors, giving them the opportunity to learn from one another, hear from experienced leaders and build relationships outside their networks.

A Programme Built Around Its Participants

Over the years, EWIL has brought together women from across Scotland, creating a network of over 220 alumni. Now having merged into ELP, this now sits at over 550 alumni.

While the formal programme provided the learning and development, many participants have spoken about the importance of the relationships they built with one another.

Kirsty Lynagh at Baillie Gifford described this as one of the most valuable parts of her experience:

“My biggest takeaways from the programme are actually beyond the programme. It’s the people that I met and those relationships and friendships I’ve extended now for a decade today.”

For others, the programme provided the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of their careers and think differently about what they wanted to achieve.

Alyson Donaldson at Donaldson Group described the impact it had on her confidence:

“The programme was a huge boost to my confidence; I’ve realised my strength was there all along and just need a push to allow me to release my potential.”

Ten Years On

To mark the 10th anniversary, we have been speaking to EWIL alumni about their careers, their experiences of leadership and the role the programme has played in their professional journeys.

Their careers have taken many different directions, and their experiences of EWIL have been equally varied. For some, the programme gave them the confidence to speak up and make their voices heard. For others, it opened up new opportunities, broadened their networks or changed the way they thought about their own potential.

Lesley Smillie at Deloitte reflected on the confidence she gained through the programme:

“It definitely encouraged me to speak out and to believe in myself a lot more.”

For Jana Werner at Amazon Web Services, it helped her think differently about what she could achieve:

“I do not have to stop here. I can think much bigger for my career.”

For Clare Reid at PivotLab Ltd and Fintech Scotland, the impact was not one defining career moment, but a number of opportunities that developed over time:

“I don’t think it was necessarily one big dramatic step forward. I think it was a few incremental steps which have helped me along the way.”

These are just some of the experiences shared with us as part of the 10th anniversary alumni series.

From EWIL to ELP

The original EWIL programme ran before evolving into the Executive Leadership Programme (ELP), delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School.

While the programme has developed over the past decade, many of the ideas at its heart remain the same: giving leaders the opportunity to step back from their day-to-day roles, learn from others, challenge their thinking and develop relationships that continue beyond the programme.

The network created through EWIL has also continued to grow, with alumni remaining connected to one another and to the wider FWB leadership community.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Ten years on, the anniversary provides an opportunity to look back at the women who have taken part in EWIL and the different paths their careers have taken.

Speaking to EWIL alumni has given us the opportunity to hear those stories directly, from career changes and new opportunities to finding confidence, building networks and taking on board roles.

There is no single EWIL experience. Each participant has taken something different from the programme and applied it to their own career. What comes through consistently, however, is the value of having the opportunity to learn from others and build relationships that can continue throughout their careers.

We are delighted to celebrate 10 years of EWIL with our alumni, colleagues, partners and supporters at our anniversary gala dinner tomorrow.

To read the full articles within our EWIL Alumni Spotlight Series, please click here.