After leaving BGS, I studied Biology at Durham University. I then spent time in Melbourne, Australia, playing and coaching netball through the Sport Lived programme - an opportunity I had first been introduced to during my final year at BGS, when I was captaining the school netball team.

When I returned to the UK, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted my career to look like. I undertook internships and work experience across different sectors in Manchester and London, including working on social media and content around film premieres for Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures. That period taught me that it was okay not to have a perfectly mapped-out career plan, but also helped me discover that communications was where my interests and strengths lay.

I joined multidisciplinary communications agency Kindred on its graduate programme, working across PR, social media and account management for a hugely varied range of clients. These included British Cycling, BAFTA, Kew Gardens, BeatBullying, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and government campaigns including the launch of Shared Parental Leave, as well as, somewhat memorably, campaigns promoting everything from milk and mushrooms to potatoes!

An opportunity then arose to return to Manchester and move into marketing in the property sector, working in specialist laboratory and office space for science and technology businesses. It was a role that immediately appealed to me because of the connection with my Biology degree. Rather than simply marketing buildings, we were telling the stories of some of the UK’s most innovative start-ups and global science and technology companies; understanding their products, ambitions and challenges, and helping create the environments and connections they needed to grow.

That business ultimately became Bruntwood SciTech, which grew to become the UK’s largest property platform dedicated to the science, technology and innovation sectors. I progressed from a regional marketing role to leading marketing across the North West and then new acquisition regions including the Midlands, Scotland and Cambridge, before ultimately heading up Communications, Corporate Affairs and Brand nationally.

At the beginning of this year, I took on a new challenge with a company that had long been on my career ‘bucket list’: Manchester Airport. I now work in public and corporate affairs, helping to build relationships with government, political and regional stakeholders and champion the role the airport plays in connecting the North to the world and supporting its economic growth.

What does your role involve, and what is an average day like for you?

Public and corporate affairs is essentially about building relationships with government, politicians, businesses and other influential organisations, making sure they understand the issues that matter to your organisation and the role it can play in delivering wider economic and social priorities.

At Manchester Airport, that means advocating for both the airport and the North of England on issues ranging from transport infrastructure and international connectivity to economic growth, skills, career opportunities and sustainability. A big focus for me at the moment is making the case for investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail and ensuring Manchester Airport is properly connected into the future rail network, as well as supporting ambitions to secure more direct flights to important global markets such as the USA, India and China.

There really isn’t a ‘typical’ day, and that’s what makes it so fun! I might be briefing our Managing Director ahead of a meeting with a Government Minister, meeting MPs or regional leaders, working with colleagues and businesses across the North to make the case for a new international route, planning a visit to the airport for senior government officials, or working with partners on major infrastructure and economic priorities.

One of the things I enjoy most is that the role sits at the intersection of politics, business, communications and economic development. Airports touch so many different issues, and decisions being made in Westminster or across the region can have a very real impact on our ability to grow, attract investment and connect people and businesses internationally. My job is to make sure Manchester Airport has a strong voice in those conversations.

What skills do you consider to be essential for your job?

Good communication, relationship building, curiosity, resilience and adaptability are some of the most important skills in my role.

Being able to communicate clearly and adapt how you do that depending on your audience is essential. I can be discussing the same issue with a Government Minister, a business leader, a technical expert or a colleague, and each conversation will require a slightly different approach. A big part of public affairs is taking complex subjects and making them understandable, relevant and compelling, something I first learnt through my Biology degree and developed further while working with some incredibly complex science and technology businesses.

Relationship building is equally important. Public affairs is fundamentally about people, and the strongest relationships are built over time through trust, credibility and understanding what matters to other people, rather than simply approaching them when you need something.

Curiosity is another skill I’ve found invaluable throughout my career. You don’t need to be the expert on everything, but you do need to be curious enough to understand it and confident enough to ask the right questions. I’ve worked across everything from science and technology to food products, cosmetics, wild flowers, film, property, transport, aviation and government policy, so being interested in how things work and continually learning has been hugely important.

Finally, resilience and adaptability. Priorities change, opportunities appear unexpectedly and sometimes things don’t work out as you had planned. Being able to adapt, learn from

setbacks and remain open to opportunities you might not originally have envisaged has certainly been important in my career.

What has been your biggest professional challenge, and what are you most proud of in your career?

I’m fortunate to have had lots of professional moments and achievements that I’m really proud of, but perhaps what I’m proudest of is the resilience I’ve shown during more challenging periods of my career.

Like most people, I’ve experienced times when things haven’t gone exactly as I expected or hoped. I’ve learnt that in those moments it can be very easy to question yourself, particularly when you’ve invested a lot of yourself in your work. What I’m proud of is that through periods of challenge and adversity, I’ve maintained my values, held onto my self-belief and, importantly, haven’t changed who I am.

For me, resilience isn’t simply about getting through difficult situations. It’s about learning from them, recognising what you can and can’t control, and having the confidence to keep moving forward without losing sight of what matters to you.

Some of the moments that felt most challenging at the time have ultimately pushed me towards new opportunities and helped shape where I am today. I think I’ve learnt as much about myself and the kind of person and leader I want to be through those experiences as I have through any of my career successes.

What advice would you give to alumni starting their first steps in their career journey?

Don’t panic and think you have to have your entire career mapped out at 16 or 18. It’s absolutely fine not to know exactly what you want to do. Follow what interests you, explore different opportunities and be open to where they might take you. My own career certainly hasn’t followed a straight line, but every experience has taught me something and opened doors I wouldn’t necessarily have anticipated.

I’d also say be determined and proactive. Put your hand up for that new project, even if you don’t have tonnes of experience in that particular area. Be vocal about your ambitions, show that you’re keen to learn and don’t be afraid to take on new responsibilities or step outside your comfort zone. Some of the biggest opportunities in my career have come from putting myself forward for things I hadn’t done before.

Above all, don’t underestimate the value of enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to get stuck in. You don’t need to have all the answers from day one, but being someone who is willing to learn, work hard and embrace new challenges will take you a long way.

When you look back at your time at BGS, what are some of your fondest memories?

All of it! On an almost weekly basis, at least one of my friends will start a conversation with “Remember when…” or send a “Throwback to…” from our BGS days.

The friendships are probably the most special part. Some of my closest friends have now been in my life for more than 30 years, while others joined when we moved up to Senior School and we’ve been best friends for 25 years. Over that time, we’ve lived around the corner from each other, at opposite ends of the country and even in different time zones, but we still speak all the time and have been alongside each other for so many of life’s biggest moments. There’s something incredibly special about having friends who have known you through so many different stages of your life.

And then there’s the wider BGS connection. Every so often you unexpectedly bump into a fellow former BGS Swan, as I did very recently at Manchester Airport, and there’s an immediate shared connection and plenty to talk about, however long it might have been since you were at school.

I also look back with huge appreciation for the teachers who gave us their time, patience and knowledge, and for the sheer variety of experiences we were lucky enough to have. There are lasting memories from ski trips and countless hours playing netball, to climbing Mount Kenya, and performing in Les Misérables - and even just the everyday memories of spending time together in the Sixth Form common room.

It’s difficult to pick one particular memory because it’s the combination of all of those things that made my time at BGS what it was. I genuinely wouldn’t have changed a thing.