b'EMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE,VETERINARY WOMAN CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGEACHIEVE & LEAD TOGETHER Nine years later, Im still with XLVets and my role is Chief Operating Officer. The transition from Equine Vet to ChiefWe have seen a 103 per cent increase in the Operating Officer has been a journeynumber of women business owners within the Ive thoroughly enjoyed, and which has enabled me to keep learning andXLVets community over the last 5 years.developing. I ve done a CertVBM and an MBA, as well as coaching and mentoring along the way. I loved being a clinical vet, and I useThis makes leadership seem unattainable, when actually it is exactly the same skills every day in myavailable to us all. role.How do you feel this is making a difference? My drive to make a difference and nurtureI think that measuring success around the Veterinary Women others is more than fulfilled in my role atin Leadership initiative is a long game and tricky to objectively XLVets.measure. We have seen a 103 per cent increase in the number of women business owners within the XLVets community over the last 5 years. And several women have reached out to me from the original research focus groups to say thank you, and that the opportunity to hear other womens career stories made thembetter support for returners is a key action all workplaces can see leadership was possible and achievable for them. Thesetake to knock down the barriers to leadership. I feel I have women shared that they have subsequently taken the leap topersonal experience I can offer to support this change through apply for a new role, have taken on more responsibility, or it hasmentoring and development of a community.changed how they show up at work. This feels like real changeWhat are your next steps to continue creating changecatalysed by the project. for the better?What motivated you to want to change things? We are just in the planning stages of a third phase of Women in During the research focus groups, I had the great privilege ofLeadership research to see what has changed and how we can hearing womens career (and life) stories and heard about manybest enable veterinary women as leaders, so we will use that of the barriers they faced along the way. This included overtto inform our plans for the coming years. In the meantime, we discrimination in the workplace from both men and women. Iwill continue to share different career stories to show what is feel very fortunate that I dont think Ive faced those challengespossible (if you can see it, you can be it), connect women to to the same extent, and having heard some of the enablers, Isupport each other through our mentoring platform and offer felt compelled to do what I could to improve things.the opportunity to gather and connect at events throughoutAdditionally, I have recently returned to work after 15 monthsthe year. Kerrie can be contacted as a Veterinaryof parental leave. Having children, juggling childcare and theAdditionally, XLVets have launched their returners community Women In Leadership mentor or at preconceptions about what is possible as a mother in thethis year which brings together people returning to work for kerrie.hedley@xlvets.co.uk workplace was a significant barrier to women as leaders - theany reason to support them on that journey. While it is not just motherhood penalty. Again, Im incredibly fortunate to havefor women, I think it will be an important enabler to increasing had amazing support on my return to work, and I think thatwomen in leadership roles. 8www.veterinarywoman.co.uk'