One of the course modules focused on ‘Influencing and navigating stakeholders’ which gave me some very effective tools and techniques that changed the way I behave, and this helped to make me be more assertive and confident. I stopped apologising to people for no reason (although that may be a trait of the British).

Q. One of the modules explores personal brand. How would you define yours?

EJ: For me it was about understanding what was important to me – trust, respect, working hard, honesty, loyalty and having strong moral principles are all things I hope I live by, whilst also making time for my family, friends and health. If I have a ‘personal brand’ I guess that’s how I would describe it.

The most useful thing I learned from the module was how these values linked to my career and helped to define what I wanted for myself, and where I wanted to be in the future. I also hope that I’m more confident about ‘putting myself out there’ now, and that others can recognise and value who I am, what I stand for and the way I work.

Q. How has networking with other female leaders in the industry changed your outlook or benefited your career?

EJ: I found it really interesting talking to such a wide range of people – there were some who were of a similar age and stage in their career to me and who had young children - and others who had 30 years’ experience and held very senior positions in the industry. This gave me a much wider perspective on my own position, and helped me define what’s possible and where I might go next.

For obvious reasons the course was held remotely but some of us have since met face to face for lunch, we have put a diary invite in monthly to catch up in person. We all know how valuable it’s been to hear about everyone’s experiences and learn from each other as we build our own careers. That’s something we all want to continue.

Q. Who was your mentor and what did you learn from them?

EJ: I was so pleased to have selected Caroline Dunn as my mentor, and I feel very lucky and grateful that she accepted me as her mentee. Caroline worked in Lloyd’s and RSA for many years and is now at Zurich as CUO. It was important for me to have a female mentor and one who had a family. I’d never had formal mentoring before in my career and I didn’t know what to expect, but my experience with Caroline has been nothing less than brilliant – I’ve learnt so much from her. Through our regular calls she taught me to think about my skill gaps, how to expand my network, enhance my profile, and ultimately make me think about where I want to take my career.

This has gone into a written personal development plan, and I now spend an hour each week focused completely on myself and the things I need to do to keep the plan on track. Caroline is always on hand to keep the momentum going and remind me to prioritise what’s important to me. She’s also highlighted the importance of networking within my professional sphere to share ideas and experiences, and has helped open up opportunities to broaden my network that I wouldn’t otherwise have had.

Q. Has Lloyd’s Advance changed how you see your future career?

EJ: Definitely. I’m still passionate about HR and that’s where I’ll stay. It’s exciting to see what the future holds and to take all the new confidence that I have gained from the programme and projecting that into new environments and possibilities that I would not previously have dreamed of. I’m so grateful to Asta and to everyone on the programme – my fellow course members, the facilitators, my sponsor, Lorraine Harfitt, and of course my mentor, for making Lloyd’s Advance such an incredible and positive experience.