Saturday (8 March) marks International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and to inspire others to follow suit. This year’s theme is to ‘Accelerate Action’, highlighting the critical need for swift and decisive steps toward achieving gender equality.
In honour of International Women’s Day, we spoke with some of the talented women in our team who have progressed into managerial positions over the past year, gaining insight into their careers and professional motivations.
Over the last twelve months, MCS has promoted ten women to managerial roles, including our most recent promotion of Lisa Cooke from Operations & Communications Director to Chief Operating Officer. This reflects Lisa’s expanding responsibilities under the Redeveloped Installer Scheme.
We are incredibly proud to have a workforce that is over 60% female, with a Senior Management Team that is 100% female – an achievement that is even more significant in a traditionally male-dominated sector. Creating an environment where women feel empowered, heard, and valued is essential to ensuring strong female representation in the future of the transition to net-zero.
When we asked our team for the advice they had for women aspiring to leadership roles, Alex Hughes, Head of Scheme, shared “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes them, so while you can put a lot of pressure on yourself, try to remember that a setback isn’t a full stop as it allows you to learn.”
Our Head of Standards & Secretariat, Alison Hardman, manages our nine MCS Technical Working Groups, where the majority of members are male. We spoke with her about what it means to lead an all-female team in such a highly technical field with so few women on the other side:
“I’m extremely proud to lead a team of females, especially in the male-dominated environment we work in. It’s highly technical and we don’t get much input from females in the Working Groups – although we are always trying to encourage more to join – so leading a team of females is a real highlight.”
To support the rollout of the Redeveloped Installer Scheme, we welcomed Faye Benton as our Head of Customer Experience last spring. She has been instrumental in bringing complaints handling and consumer protection in-house. Having spent her entire career in customer-facing roles, this is Faye’s first position in the small-scale renewables sector. Reflecting on her journey, she shared the advice she would give her younger self at the start of her career:
“Don’t listen to your imposter syndrome, because I’ve never met another woman in a leadership position who hasn’t experienced it, so don’t let it hold you back.”
At MCS, our events calendar is packed with exhibitions, speaker sessions, and roadshows throughout the year, attendance at these events is crucial to discuss the latest updates from MCS and across the low-carbon sector as demand continues to rise. Our Events Manager, Jordan Hutchings, shares how her career change to the small scale-renewables industry has meant she’s had to challenge her own stereotypes and gender norms:
“Throughout my career I’ve worked in weddings, and very entertainment event focused. When I’ve moved into this sector, a very male-dominated sector, it’s about changing my mind set, so I’ve had to challenge my norms of who my customer normally is. Making sure it’s appealing to them and that the messaging is hitting them.”
These inspiring women demonstrate the importance of representation, resilience, and mentorship in shaping the future of leadership in our sector. You can hear more directly from our female leaders, including our Management Accountant, Elise Helsby; Digital Communications Manager, Lauren Crosbie; and our Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Cooke, here.