Clare Reid: The Power of Incremental Change

For Clare Reid, the impact of the Executive Women in Leadership (EWIL) programme has been felt through a series of opportunities it unlocked rather than one defining career move.

The programme broadened Clare’s network, introduced her to different perspectives on leadership and governance, and helped her become more visible within the wider business community.

“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.”

Learning from Different Perspectives

For Clare, learning from the speakers and role models on the programme was an important part of the experience. Hearing about different approaches to leadership and governance gave her the opportunity to learn from people outside her own professional environment.

“I would say my own learning and development was hearing from the speakers on the program – in particular different role models of leadership and governance.”

That learning was complemented by the network Clare built through EWIL, which would go on to have a more direct impact on her career.

Opening the Door to Opportunity

As Clare was completing the programme, a fellow participant pointed her towards an opportunity to take on her first non-executive role.

“When I was leaving the programme, there was an opportunity to take up my first board advisory role, which someone on the program made me aware of. It was an opportunity that I wouldn’t have probably been aware of or had the confidence to put myself forward for prior to undertaking the leadership programme.”

Taking that first role then opened the door to further opportunities.

“And then that in turn opened up another opportunity and other roles, just because I had taken that on”.

For Clare, the experience demonstrated how the relationships built through the programme could translate into opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach.

Becoming More Visible

As Clare progressed in her career, she recognised the importance of being willing to talk about her experience and expertise, whether that was through speaking at conferences, sharing knowledge or simply putting herself forward.

“I think having the confidence to put yourself out there to talk about whatever it is you’re expert in or whatever it is you’ve experience or knowledge of is quite important in terms of your development and career opportunities.”

The network played a role in this too. Meeting people across different organisations gave Clare greater visibility beyond her immediate professional circle, while also helping others understand her experience and areas of expertise.

A Network That Continues

The network Clare developed through EWIL has remained one of the lasting aspects of the programme. It brought together women at different levels and from different organisations across Scotland, with some relationships continuing as friendships and others becoming valuable professional connections.

“A second thing would probably highlight as an impact of the programme for me is a really great network of women in leadership roles at different levels in different organizations across Scotland that I got to know, but also that I’ve, some of whom I’ve kept in touch with and can draw on, either as friends or as a good business contacts.”

It has also given Clare a broader view of the women working across Scotland and the different roles, including leadership roles, they are taking on.

“It’s that kind of awareness of women in the network of who else is out there, and what kind of roles people are doing and the opportunities here in Scotland to progress.”

Looking Ahead

Clare’s experience of EWIL shows that career development does not always come through one significant change. Sometimes it is the accumulation of smaller opportunities, new relationships and greater confidence that shifts what becomes possible.

For Clare, the programme continues to have value through the network it created and the opportunities that have followed from it, a series of incremental steps that have continued to shape her professional journey.

Executive Women in Leadership Alumni Spotlight Series

This article forms part of our Executive Women in Leadership Alumni Spotlight Series, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the EWLP programme in September 2026, and has been developed collaboratively with the support of Judy Wagner, Director of FWB Ltd and Prof Susan Murphy of The University of Edinburgh Business School, (who co-founded the EWLP), the EWIL Advisory Board, programme contributors, and interview participants.

The EWLP has since evolved into the Executive Leadership Programme (ELP), delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School and open to leaders of all genders across the private, public and third sectors.

For more information about joining the 2026 cohort, please contact elp@fwbltd.com.