We celebrate International Women’s Day this year by honouring the success and achievements of women across the Ascent business. And these are only a fraction of the amazing women at Ascent who bring a wide range of skills, backgrounds and careers to our business, enabling us to succeed and grow our training mission.
Lisa, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I have worked at Ascent as an Operations Manager at the Training Hub for just under five years. Previous to that, I worked at Babcock (Ascent’s Joint Venture shareholder) in a variety of roles; starting out as a Business Management Graduate and then securing a permanent role as an HR Advisor at RAF Cranwell. From there, I managed the Aviation Sector Graduate programme as the Future Talent Programme Manager.
After a couple of years, I took a step away from HR/Learning & Development into Operations, as the Business Support Manager for UKMFTS, supporting the delivery of the day to day contract and SDSR bids. My final role, before joining Ascent, was at Babcock Offshore as Project Manager, delivering business improvement initiatives.
What attracted you to work at Ascent?
After working for Ascent as a customer for a number of years at Babcock, I knew that Ascent would be a great place to work. I was keen to see the other elements of the UKMFTS contract, aside from IT and Infrastructure. I also knew working for a smaller organisation would be a culture change.
What does your role at Ascent entail?
My role as Operations Manager requires me to lead the Ops Training Hub Team in supporting the sites, providing assurance of the operational service and driving improvements where required. The role is really varied; from ensuring completion of contract deliverables and reporting, to facilitating change requests through the Candidate Change Committee.
What should the defence industry be doing to attract more women?
Whilst a long term strategy, there needs to be investment and consistency across STEM initiatives from school age onwards, with more resources about potential career pathways that differ from traditional roles/careers.
What issues for women in the wider defence industry could we/are we tackling at Ascent?
From a personal perspective, Ascent is providing a flexible working environment which meets both individual and the business needs. Networking and mentoring are also really important to facilitate change and can be beneficial both for individuals and the organisation when looking for talent.
What advice would you give to other women who are thinking about doing a job like yours?
You don’t know what you can do until you try it – there has been a lot of research about females only applying for roles if they meet all of the job requirements. I will always encourage people to apply for roles they are interested in and take the opportunity to show their abilities.
“There are different career paths available, and they are not always linear or clearly outlined.”
Do you have a female role model?
I really like the Leadership style of Jacinda Arden (former Prime Minister of New Zealand). She appears to lead with authenticity and integrity and navigated a challenging role without compromising her character/personality.
What do you enjoy most about working at Ascent?
There are a number of things. I really enjoy the variety and challenge that my role at Ascent provides and the natural development that happens through experience. The people I work with on a day to day basis, both internally to Ascent and externally, are all really hardworking and supportive. From a bigger picture perspective, I feel proud to work for an organisation that is making such an impact and contribution to the Defence industry.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
We have a one-year-old daughter and a dog, so spare time doesn’t really exist at the moment, When I am not at work, we love spending time as a family and seeing friends.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It is a reminder of the importance of setting an example and showing what can be achieved. For me, International Women’s Day isn’t about celebrating my successes, but helping to show that there are different career paths available, and they are not always linear or clearly outlined.
