Lloyds Banking : Shining a light on female excellence

You joined the Group 35 years ago - would you say this is an easy company for women to climb the ladder in?

''Easy' is the wrong word. I think it implies taking progression for granted, or being handed promotions to 'climb the ladder' purely on the basis of being a woman rather than through hard work, effective capabilities and demonstrating competence, regardless of demographic, that you're the best person for the role.

I'd say instead the Group is a fantastic organisation by way of providing opportunities, if you're willing to push yourself. The one thing for me that has enabled me to progress and undertake so many different roles hasn't been the nature of my gender, but my willingness to never stand still. I've undertaken dozens of roles over the years across a multitude of divisions, usually outside my comfort zone, to gain those appreciations and understandings of how we operate in different functions.