International Women’s Day 2023 & celebrating the amazing women HPMA work with

8th March 2023 is International Women’s Day, an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity!

To celebrate this important day, we wanted to showcase some of the incredible women HPMA have worked with by sharing their individual stories with you. We hope this will not only spread the word about how amazing each of these individuals are, but also highlight the ongoing importance of women working in the health and social care People Profession. Please enjoy each of their entries below.

My name is Tracy Myhill and I have several ongoing roles, which are:

• Director: Tracy Myhill Associates Ltd – ‘Enabling people and organisations to be the best that they can be’.
• Chair: NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
• Non – Executive Director: UK Ministry of Defence – People Committee
• Associate: Alumni Global Healthcare
• Specialist Advisor: Association of Ambulance Chief Executives – Organisational Development and Executive Mentoring
• Previous roles: Chief Executive in local and national NHS organisations; HR Director in NHS Trusts and Health Boards; and Director of HR NHS Wales, Department of Health and Social Services Welsh Government.

Tell us about your experience / what makes you who you are:

I’ve had 36 years working within the NHS commencing as a Clerical Officer / Receptionist and retiring as a Chief Executive in 2020.

Since retirement I have continued working with the NHS and public and private sector organisations – supporting, mentoring, guiding, advising – with a focus on people, culture, social partnership, development.

I would describe myself as a human / real / authentic leader who is in touch / no ivory towers / all about the people/ nothing without the team / humble / honest / courageous / values driven.

I have a passion for fairness, integrity, diversity, and inclusion.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

There are incredible women (and men of course!) leaders across the NHS and phenomenal women across the NHS more generally. Celebrating women through IWD is still very relevant and necessary as, despite enormous progress,  we hear daily of experiences where women are treating differently – in a negative way – because they are women. I have regularly participated in events to celebrate women on IWD (and other days of course) and am delighted to contribute to shining a light on the wonderful contribution women make to the NHS and public services and to society in general.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

HPMA (previously NAHSPO and AHHRM) is in my blood! I’ve been associated with HPMA since I joined NAHSPO in 1985 whilst working as a Wages Liaison Officer in the Personnel Department of the University Hospital of Wales, later becoming the Chair of the Welsh Branch and then President of AHHRM nationally.

Since relinquishing specific roles in HPMA I have maintained a commitment to the charity through speaking at conferences and contribution to publications. The year I was President was one of the best years of my NHS career. It gave me an opportunity to promote the critical role of HR professionals in the NHS and afforded me a fantastic opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the country, speaking at events and learning from the amazing work that is done.  A great privilege was being a judge for the awards.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

From a People Professional perspective, leading the HR function of an NHS Trust from being on the periphery to the centre, driving transformation and change across the organisation and securing full executive status for the HR Director role as a member of the statutory Board.

As Chief Executive leading the successful transformation of the Welsh Ambulance Service, with a relentless focus on creating the culture and leadership to enable its people to flourish.

I will also never forget being awarded the HPMA President’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare HR Management. The surprise and pride with which I was bursting that night will never leave me.

I’m also proud that I have not compromised my values throughout my career, despite many experiences where it might have felt easier to do so than to challenge.

What would you like to achieve next?

Following retirement from the NHS in 2020, the opportunity to contribute to the NHS and public services through a portfolio of interests which includes a variety of independent/non-executive roles and the provision of mentoring and organisational development support is my focus for the foreseeable future.  It provides an opportunity to contribute and support others to learn from my successes and my mistakes!

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @Tracy_Myhill

LinkedIn: Tracy Myhill OBE

My name is Tanya Carter and I’m a Chief People Officer, and Co-Chair of the London HR Director’s Network.

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

What makes me who I am, first and foremost, is my compassion and ability to build relationships. I try to connect with people and make a conscious effort to get to know people as individuals.  Not their role, their band, or their job title. I am the person who tries to get to know a person, personally. I’m the manager that tries to learn and remember team members partners’ names, children’s name, pets’ names even, special events or life changing circumstances such as bereavements etc and remember to pick up from where we left our last conversation. I’m the one who tries to get to know everyone, from the cleaner to the CEO.

I try to inspire and nurture others and to be my authentic self, even when it’s hard or even when what I want to say may not be popular.  I’m the person who hates injustice and always tries to do the right thing, even though it can be the hardest thing. Sometimes, in that moment, I’m not always sure what to do.

I recall being on a national call, observing what I perceived to be a micro aggression aimed at a female colleague, a fellow black woman.  After the call, I called her and asked her how she felt the call went? I explained what I observed and how I felt as a result. My sense was right, and my observations and feelings were congruent with how she felt. So, I wrote a carefully considered email to the individual who displayed the micro aggression. I explained what I observed and how it made me feel as an observer and explained that it was a micro aggression, albeit it may not have been the intent. I offered them the gift of feedback and explained that my feedback was given in the spirit of learning. I believe they heard the feedback,  but I’m not sure how much difference it made, it certainly left the individual with recourse to reflect. I guess it’s one difficult conversation, email, or interaction at a time, that brings about change.

To the person on the receiving end, they were seen and noticed, and someone cared enough to intervene, they felt supported, and I am hoping that my intervention helped to manage the impact on them and that it empowered them to challenge in the future.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

International Women’s Day is important. It’s a moment to champion and celebrate women and to remember the women that went before us.  Their sacrifices and achievements are the basis on which many of us stand today.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

I’m a London HPMA board member and the HPMA is integral in shaping, leading, developing, and supporting the People profession within the NHS. I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to support the development of the HR workforce within NHS and bring diversity of thought and to represent the voice of some HR professionals from the Black, Asian and minority communities.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

I have so many achievements that I am proud of. But, if I had to pick one, I’d cheat, and say my career.  2022 was a phenomenal year for me professionally. I was named in the HSJ Top 50 most influential BME leaders in the NHS. I received a letter from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London to congratulate me on the HSJ listing and he acknowledged the #MyNameReallyIs Twitter campaign, which encouraged people to reintroduce them with their original name, its pronunciation and meaning. My team were recognised as HR team of the year and finally I was crowned HPMA Director of the Year 2022.

I’m proud because I never set out to achieve what I have; at times in my career, I didn’t think it possible. This stuff doesn’t generally happen to little back girls from a south London council estate, but what is important is to follow your heart and mind to do the right thing by the NHS workforce, for our population.

What would you like to achieve next?

The sky is the limit, and my ultimate career goal is to become a Chief Executive.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @Tanyamcarter

Linked in: Tanya Carter, FCIPD

Anything else you’d like to add?

‘My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive… and to do so with some passion, compassion, some humour, and some style. ‘ Maya Angelou

You can. You will. You should! Happy International Women’s Day 2023. #EmbraceEquity

I’m Sarah Morley and I’m an Executive Director of People & OD

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

I have worked for 24 years in the NHS in Wales in a variety of training, development and OD roles. I’m driven by developing people and listening to what really makes people want to do what they do. I’ve had some difficult times and that helps me understand that everyone comes as a package deal and we can all use a little help sometimes.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

International Women’s day is important for me because it gives us an opportunity to stop and take stock of all the amazing things women have achieved and all the work we still need to do to help women colleagues, friends and families be who they want to be.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

Having been Deputy President of HPMA for the last four years I have seen the difference the charity has made to the people who work in our profession in organisations up and down the country. Providing the opportunity to develop, make friends, celebrate success and being a voice for the people profession across the NHS.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

After experiencing mental health problems early in my working life I’m most proud of finding my way into a career in a profession that is core to the NHS and delivery of care to patients. We make a difference to the way that clinical services are run so that clinicians can be their best.

What would you like to achieve next?

In the next few years I’d like to take on even more exciting opportunities and meet even more fabulous people. The sky is the limit!

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @faithllanelli

LinkedIn: Sarah Morley FCIPD

I’m Elizabeth Nyawade and I am a Chief People Officer

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

Came to the UK as an immigrant with my daughter who was barely 2 years old and had to take on several menial jobs including cleaning, ironing clothes, shelf-filling at supermarkets, Health care assistant roles in care/nursing homes to make ends meet. Over time, I went back to school to undertake an MA in HRM and to date I have over 20 years’ experience as a professional in human resources with diverse experience in public, private and third sector. Outside of work, I continue to undertake volunteering. My roles have ranged from chairing charitable organisations to actively delivering services as a volunteer. I have chaired charities supporting women fleeing domestic violence and one devoted to supporting ex-offenders to integrate back into society. I currently work as a volunteer providing a listening service to those suffering loss – loss of a marriage through divorce and loss of loved ones through bereavement.

What makes me who I am? Dogged determination and belief on the art of the possible; never losing hope and sight of what is possible (career goals and personal goals) and being prepared to put in the hard work it takes to achieve the goals I set myself. I also deliberately reach out for help and support to achieve the goals I set myself – this approach has and continues to define my career to date and also my life as a single parent. I also firmly believe in paying it forward.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

To celebrate the impact women have across all spheres of life and to pause and reflect on women around the world that continue to fight for human rights such as the right to education in Afghanistan

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

I am a board member of HPMA London Academy and I attribute my development and career progression to date to the HPMA London Academy development programmes and training courses that I participated in over the years, these have transformed my life by enabling me to earn more and therefore do more for my family and myself as an individual. I continue to be associated with HPMA London Academy because I believe I need to pay it forward and to play my part in supporting the learning and development of many more colleagues so that they too can benefit from the life changing impact that comes with career progression.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

Raising up my daughter as a single parent,  getting her through education – she is now a young adult with a job and leading an independent.

What would you like to achieve next?

Through mentoring and or coaching, I have set myself a target of supporting a minimum of 2 women of BAME backgrounds, every year,  to progress in their career – career progression has a huge impact on people’s lives (financially and it terms of personal growth and development) and I would like to support as many women as possible to realise this. This is as a result of my conversations with BAME staff that have a perception that there is a ceiling to progressing to executive director roles especially in the NHS.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @liznyawade1

Anything else you’d like to add?

My strapline in life is ‘Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can be achieved.’ – Napoleon Hill

My name is Tracy Hill and I’m an Interim Chief People Officer in NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Programme Development Director for the HPMA North Academy.

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

I have enjoyed a phenomenal 30 years working in the NHS People Profession where I have had the good fortune to work with some great colleagues across many organisations.  In addition, I am the Chair of a Young Peoples and Families Charity in my local town.  All of my life’s experiences have made me who I am, where I hopefully continue to grow and develop in some way, every day.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

IWD is important to me because it provides the opportunity to recognise, raise awareness and celebrate the work of women on a global level.  It is also a great opportunity to network and connect with people committed to gender equality.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

My passion for the HPMA is my ambition for all People professionals to gain as much fulfilment as I have been lucky enough to have from my career across health and care services.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

My greatest achievement has been to work across many organisations over the years, with my greatest experiences in mental health and learning disability services.  The opportunity to contribute to the positive development of an organisational culture was very rewarding, where we had a clear line of sight of the positive impact this organisational development programme had on the quality of patient care.

What would you like to achieve next?

What I am going on to achieve is a better balance in my life, where I spend my time engaging in my continued passion to do a great job, alongside my wish to increase my recreational activity.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @tljhill

LinkedIn: Tracy Hill

My name is Amanda Oates (pronouns she/her) and my title is Executive Director of Workforce at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust – not a title but a person!

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

I am midlife  menopausal woman and proud to share that fact, my mum lived in an era  where she could never of said that out loud ! I am a strong, independent woman, a daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt , colleague , friend , counsellor, mentor, ally  and coach – a person who wears many different hats and has a mind of her own. A person who  is not afraid to discuss sensitive topics and share her vulnerabilities. I think I am pretty down to earth, straightforward and approachable.  Above anything, I really care about people and I hope my understanding and actions help people in the most difficult of times and the  best of times.

I started my career on a banking graduate scheme and found myself in HR, I didn’t want to leave!. I joined the NHS in 1998 on a part time contract after I had my first daughter , as the NHS was prepared to support me to work flexibly and as a new mum that was important to me.  I am thankful to that female HRD (still working in the NHS now) who had faith in me, that I could work at a senior level part time – imagine after working so hard to climb the career ladder to be told if I wanted to keep my position I had to work full time, I couldn’t have both career and motherhood , I left and joined the NHS !!!!    During my  NHS career I have worked across a number of Trusts in many different roles across Cheshire and Merseyside taking on my first director role in 2008.  My leadership journey has been challenging, upsetting and amazing in equal measure. Mersey Care’s pioneering work on Restorative Just and Learning Culture has been the best thing I have ever done, sharing our learning about our people processes and the hurt our people experienced, despite our best intentions leading to cultural  transformation,  I hope will be my legacy. My/ our journey is still not over, I am now using this platform to hold that mirror up to myself and my organisation’s practices again, as we embrace our zero acceptance of racism, discrimination and unacceptable behaviours programme of work. I am now working hard to use my privilege to truly challenge and eliminate racism and discrimination – possibly the biggest thing I have ever aspired to achieve and needs constant work.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

As an opportunity to embrace and celebrate all women, whatever their race, culture , religion,  sexual identity, size , age  or their other protected characteristics , women never cease to amaze me.  Its an opportunity to notice women’s talent, skills,  resilience , kindness and the work they do to attain and achieve incredible results with people ! Its also the opportunity to say thank you, bring some light and laughter and a day to look forward too. Its also the opportunity to highlight and educate colleagues about woman’s rights and bring attention to topics such as gender equality , challenge of gender stereotypes and bias, misogyny and  violence and abuse against woman and so much more.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

Every organisation I have worked in , I have maintained my trusts’ membership with the HPMA. Why, because of the insight, connections, networking, learning and support on offer, most recently their joint work around #InclusiveHR has been incredible. At times HPMA has built my self confidence, curiosity , given me new skills and a real passion  to strive for  better. They have also been alongside me celebrating some of the most important highlights in my career and that of my teams. The Awards – always a night to remember – particularly in 2013 when Mersey Care won the partnership award for our just and learning culture work and I won the HRD award on the same night, that was pretty special. But equally as special is seeing all my wonderful inspirational people colleagues work being celebrated and having the spot light shinning on their special moment.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

As we all know, no achievement is ever down to one person. My proudest moment will always be our partnership approach with staff side in developing and implementing  a Just and Learning Culture at Mersey Care, supporting other organisations in their own journey through our transforming culture programme and penning our work and impact in the publication of our first book “Restorative Just Culture – in Practice”. Last year, being recognised by my professional body CIPD as a Chartered Companion, was also a pretty special  moment for me.

What would you like to achieve next?

In April, I take on new responsibilities as Deputy CEO for non clinical services, I am excited yet challenged in equal measure, but then I remember great things are never achieved by one person – and if I have one talent, I know how to  attract and retain the best people around me – literally the ‘A’ team !. For our NHS, greater inclusion and equity for all our daughters should be an ambition for us all. I guess my nirvana moment is that one day  restorative just , learning and inclusive cultures become the norm.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @amandajoyoates

LinkedIn: Amanda Oates Chartered Companion CIPD

Anything else you’d like to add?

A quote I love is “surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all , surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see that in yourself” – its all our job to make each other feel that way!

 

I’m Sheena Hobbs and I’m a Strategic Communications & Engagement Consultant

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

Have worked in healthcare communications for over 15 years – both private and NHS – and strongly believe that communications is a vital part of delivering safe and effective care to the people we serve, and this importance has been highlighted during the last few years of Covid. I take great pride in the fact that I have helped many healthcare organisations achieve high standards of service delivery, transformation and improvement through periods of change and sustained pressure.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

Although the role of women in healthcare cannot be more vital and things have improved greatly over the last few years, there are still many areas where women are undervalued and even worse, not taken seriously. This must and should change and it can only be done women are supported to have a voice, to expand on their skills and given the opportunity to show their worth. Highlighting the achievements of ordinary women will help boost the confidence of women, especially those overlooked in the past.

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

I am an HPMA Trustee, supporting the Board with the role of communications in their business. The Board consists of a great group of professionals who are very supportive of each other, will have a good laugh together but will work together to achieve the best outcomes for our members. They are truly a pleasure to work with.

HPMA is a vital support for NHS HR professionals. While the role of clinicians in the NHS cannot be denied I believe that the vital work of HR people, just like in communications, is often undervalued and underestimated. Also just like communications, there is a far greater percentage of female HR professionals then there are male and yet, very often, the most senior level roles in central or national directors are held by men. HPMA is a charity that supports HR workers to grow their abilities and support them through times of change. They will ‘bang the drum’ on their behalf, and help give voice to those who need it.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

As a communications consultant in the NHS, I am very proud to say that I have been able to add value to all of my roles – be they as a communications team leader or as comms lead in transformation. I firmly believe that staff and patients should have an equal voice in proposed change within the NHS and I’ve ensured that this has been factored in to all of the work that I do and that the organisations I worked with have grown to understand the great value of considering these voices.

What would you like to achieve next?

The NHS has got so much better a sharing knowledge and best practice – especially amongst comms professionals – but I would like to help my fellow professionals achieve more with regard to their own personal development and growth and develop a great mentorship programme where highly skilled comms professionals can be partnered with new recruits in a mentorship programme – no matter where they may be based in the country. These days with virtual tools at our disposal we could widen the best practice sharing to comms professionals around the globe.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @hobbs_sheena

LinkedIn: Sheena Hobbs MCIPR

Anything else you’d like to add?

One of my all time favourite quotes that I try to keep in my mind at all times is: “There are three things you cannot recover in life: the moment after it’s missed; the word after it’s said; and, the time after it’s wasted.” – Anon

I’m Frieza Mahmood and I was appointed as Chief People Officer of Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust in December 2020.

Tell us about your experience(s) / what makes you who you are:

My early HR experience was predominantly in the private sector working for Cadbury Schweppes and Accenture.

After undertaking a degree in Human Resource Management BSc, I started my career on the National Graduate Management Training scheme for the NHS where I completed further Post graduate qualifications in field of HR.

I have spent the last 15 years working in senior HR roles in England across multiple NHS environments from acute trusts, to community and mental health organisations with extensive STP, ICS, and partnership working.

I’m really passionate about widening access and improving staff experience in order to deliver better outcomes. I believe outstanding patient experience is intrinsically linked to the creation of cultures in which highly motivated, skilled, and well supported staff are empowered to work collaboratively to deliver the best quality care.

Why is International Women’s Day important to you?

International Women’s day is important to me as it is a key opportunity to shine a spotlight on the amazing role that women play in society and the world of work. These achievements don’t always receive the recognition they deserve as in my experience women as more likely to be humble about their efforts and the impact these have had, often dismissing these as not being significant. There have been many inspirational women in my life who have given me the courage and motivation to pursue my dreams so they are the ones at the forefront of my mind when I think about this day·

Tell us about your connection with HPMA:

I have been a member of the West Midlands HPMA committee for several years now and prior to that an admirer of the fantastic work that they do in often very challenging constraints which adds so much value to the development of our people professionals in healthcare. We are very lucky to have the HPMA which plays a national and regional role in showcasing best in class people practices and advocating for the people professions to play a key voice in the development of strategy, priorities, and objectives.

Tell us about your greatest achievement(s). What are you proud of?

I am proud of being able to use my privilege to give access to opportunities for career development and advancement for the most disenfranchised people in society with the express focus of improving their life chances and helping them to fulfil their true potential.

What would you like to achieve next?

I would like to use my influence and leadership skills to tackle complex issues where we have traditionally struggled to make significant progress in the health service most notably the areas of fairness and transparency. I feel there is substantial further work we can do in the areas of EDI and distributed leadership approaches related to these spheres.

I would also like to be a good example to young women coming through into our profession and show them that there is not a requirement to compromise their own personal needs in order to deliver professional priorities. I plan to role model what that looks like from a work/life balance and self-care perspective increasingly more in the future.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @FriezaMahmood

LinkedIn: Frieza Mahmood

Want to be part of the conversation?

Tweet us @HPMA_National to tell us why International Women’s Day is important to you and we will share with our network!