International Women’s Day: Celebrating Trailblazing Women Leaders

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, this year’s theme – Accelerate Action –  reinforces our WICT Network mission to Inspire, Connect, and Grow talent across the TMT industry.

To mark the occasion, we spoke with inspiring women leaders about their career journeys, the mindset shifts that helped them overcome challenges, and how they advocate for women in the workplace.

Lucinda Dannatt is Co-Founder and Director of Policy and Development at Street Child.

Amy Waterfall is Managing Director, Engagement, Culture and Communications at Liberty Global.

Amanda Gosling is Lead Strategist, Global Strategic Deals at Capgemini.

Karen Handley is Head of Future Careers at Virgin Media O2.

WICT UKIE: Tell us more about your career history. How did you get started and where are you now?

Amanda Gosling: My early career was organic – I took opportunities for my life, and jobs followed. I’ve worked in more than eight countries, impacted many industries, and learned painful lessons.  I learned my currency was influence and impact, not status and money – so I focused on the opportunities where I would learn the most, always advancing my skills and expertise. The other stuff followed. I’ve moved seamlessly and successfully across industries, started businesses, bought companies and created fantastic teams, which has now landed me with my perfect role.

Amy Waterfall: I started out in retail advertising, thinking that was my calling. But early in my career, I had incredible mobility opportunities that took me to a telco, Oskar Mobil, in Prague, and later to Aker Solutions, an oil and gas engineering firm in Oslo. That’s where I discovered my passion for internal communications, culture, and employee engagement. I then moved between San Francisco and London before joining Burberry, where I loved bringing together 10,000 employees across manufacturing, retail, and corporate roles – understanding what motivated them and fostering a shared mission.

After a decade, I was approached by Liberty Global to lead communications, engagement, and culture – bringing together my experience across industries, driven by digital transformation and a passion for connecting people.

Lucinda Dannatt: In my twenties, I worked as a barrister, initially in criminal courts around London and then specialising in international crimes, working in the UN courts in the Hague, Bosnia and Kosovo. I worked on some landmark cases with some brilliantly talented lawyers from across the globe. It massively influenced my sense of what is possible with drive and determination. 

In 2008, my husband Tom and I started Street Child in Sierra Leone, initially very much as a side project. By 2015, Street Child was many times larger, and more exciting, than anyone could have imagined. Today I work with a wide brief across the organisation, and focusing on our major philanthropic relationships. Meanwhile Street Child has boots on the ground in 20 of the world’s poorest and most disaster-affected countries, working to help hundreds of thousands of children to be ‘safe, in school and learning’.

Karen Handley: My career has been defined by a passion for innovation and creating new initiatives rather than maintaining the status quo. I began spending five years consulting before moving into a Learning and Development Partner role at a Balfour Beatty OpCo. Whilst there, I launched its first graduate programme, which provided amazing learnings that I took forward in future roles. At Virgin Media, I set up its first graduate and intern programmes and expanded the apprenticeship offering from being field tech-focused to encompassing over 30 different apprenticeship qualification standards.

Building on that success, I established a global early careers function between Liberty Global and Virgin Media, incorporating Virgin Media Ireland and UPC Poland. Now, I lead a small but mighty team, and I’m involved in industry leadership. I’ve been a board director for the Institute of Student Employers for four years and was one of the founding directors of Women in Cable Telecommunications, serving as the student director for two years.

WICT UKIE: Who has had the biggest impact on your self-development? What do you admire about them?

AW: I’ve been fortunate to work with, and for, many strong women including Amy Blair, our exceptional Chief People Officer (and recent recipient of WICT’s Woman of the Year award). However, Angela Ahrendts certainly had an incredible impact – anyone who worked with her would agree – she’s an extraordinary leader. As CEO of Burberry, she made every employee feel valued, whether she was in a store or a visiting manufacturing site. She remembered everyone’s name, engaged directly with employees, and built a genuine connection between people and business strategy.

AG: I look for people who provoke me to look deeper, people I admire, who inspire, who do great things. I also take lessons from what I see that I don’t want to be. Ultimately, it’s about designing what you want to be. I don’t want to follow in anyone’s footsteps.

People I’ve been inspired by or learned from start with my father – hardworking, appointed to global C-Suite positions from Australia. He engaged with everyone from the most senior to the most junior and always got stuck in, never bowed to power, and stuck to his integrity even when it hurt him personally.  Farther afield, Carly Fiorina, the first woman CEO of a Fortune 100 company, who was strong like CEOs before her, but she wasn’t a man and faced criticism. Julia Gillard, the first Australian Prime Minister, who stood up to misogyny and back-biting, and gave an impromptu speech in Parliament that shook politics around the world. Howard Shultz, who pioneered thinking of the employee first because they’re the fuel of the business. And he managed the financials of the business to ensure it. They all had a point-of-view, and owned their space.

LD: Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, I remember when my primary school teacher told us that ‘boys were more clever than girls’, and when us girls were banned from playing football at break-time. So, it was an inspiring moment when the headmistress at my girls’ secondary school announced that she had ordered the kitchens to be ripped out over the holidays and replaced with technology labs. Bridget Davies was determined to instil the sense of possible – anything was achievable with commitment, hard work and determination.  She didn’t just talk about it – she took actions that were memorable and more than performative, and she was prepared to go against the grain. Mrs Davies is just one of many women who have influenced, inspired and supported me – but as we say a lot at Street Child, teachers really matter.

UKIE: What would you say were the biggest challenges you faced in your career progression and how did you overcome them?

LD: I have a catalogue of ‘me too’ moments, some of which, when looked through a 2025-lens, I can hardly believe happened, from my time as a fresh-faced junior barrister in what was a very masculine, male-dominated environment. Later on, choosing to be both a serious professional, and to be a proud mum to 4 boys – has not been easy. Juggling is just part of it, overcoming the prejudice and pre-judgment of those who assume it is not possible to excel at both, or that somehow I get a smoother ride because my husband is CEO is another. Overcoming any of this for me really boils down to two things, firstly, not being distracted by the background noise; and secondly and above all, putting your head down and delivering – let your work and results talk for you.

AG: For a long time I was given “feedback” for being too opinionated, moving too fast in that others couldn’t keep up, not respecting hierarchy, challenging status quo. I have paid high prices for this – being laid off in a city I didn’t live in. So, at times, I have tried to make myself smaller, actively step off the stage, try to deny my authentic self. I fell victim to the system, and tried to fit in….then I figured out how to break my own ground. Now, what traits that have been criticised are my secret weapons. I won’t change who I am, I will find situations where I can be successful and enabled to break new ground.

Bear in mind: this took about 20 years. It was a journey for me to get to this place – hopefully now this is quicker as more has ground broken!

KH: One of the biggest challenges I faced early in my career was the perception of my potential. When I first started, I was the youngest and newest member of my team, but I was determined to prove myself. I set a personal goal to achieve a key accreditation within six months and negotiated with my manager to be promoted to the same level as my peers if I succeeded. I met my goal, secured my promotion, and became the youngest person to achieve that qualification in record time demonstrating my drive and ambition. This experience reinforced my passion for supporting others in their careers, as I recognise that assumptions and a lack of qualifications can be major barriers to progression.

UKIE: What’s a skill or mindset shift that has helped you navigate challenges in your career?

AW: Versatility, open-mindedness, and curiosity. I said yes to opportunities - moving to the Czech Republic, Norway, the U.S. - which exposed me to different industries and cultures. At Aker, I learnt quickly that teams on our oil rigs and our subsea engineers didn’t care heavily about corporate values on a poster. That experience taught me to truly understand people’s motivations and tailor engagement strategies accordingly.

Now, I apply that same curiosity to my work - constantly learning how we can better engage employees, attract new talent, and bridge generational perspectives in the workplace.

KH: One of the most valuable skills I have developed is the ability to influence. This involves backing up my points with data, using storytelling to convey compelling messages, and adapting to ambiguity with resilience. The industry I work in is constantly changing, and the ability to remain flexible and navigate uncertainty has been crucial to my success. Developing strong influence and communication skills has allowed me to drive meaningful change and advocate for innovation within my field.

WICT UKIE: Where have you seen great progress – and on the flipside – where do teams, companies and industries need to improve? 

KH: I’m incredibly proud of the progress we have made at Virgin Media O2 in levelling the playing field for women. The telecommunications sector has historically struggled to attract top female talent, and in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, it is critical that we continue to grow a strong and diverse talent pipeline. One of the key steps we have taken is eliminating CV requirements and removing work experience as a prerequisite, instead focusing on candidates' motivations and strengths. However, there is still work to be done across the industry to ensure that opportunities are accessible and that organisations commit to truly inclusive hiring and development practices.

AW: I’m a huge sports fan - Formula E, Formula One, Arsenal - and I admire leaders like Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy. But the fact that I can count the number of women CEOs, owners and MDs in motorsports on one hand is a problem. We still have a long way to go in balancing leadership roles.

That said, there’s fantastic progress in promoting STEM careers to women. Formula E’s Girls on Track is a great example, inviting young women (12–18) to explore mechanics, engineering, and even Pit Lane experiences. It’s initiatives like these that are helping to shift the landscape.

LD: I want to believe that many of the indignities I experienced as a junior criminal barrister would not happen, or be tolerated today - and that is to be celebrated. But I also know that there remains so much to be done. I think that attitude is the key – and it is a constant process: to build working environments that allow everyone to be, and bring, their best. Which in turn of course benefits everyone, because we all get more done! Progress does need to be fought for constantly - it is not inevitable.

WICT UKIE: How do you advocate for yourself and other women in the workplace?

AW: As an extrovert, speaking up comes naturally to me - but I know that’s not the case for everyone. So, I make a conscious effort to bring quieter voices into the conversation and ensure they feel heard.

I also believe in leading by example - asking questions to show there’s no such thing as a “wrong” one. By demonstrating vulnerability, I hope to encourage others to do the same.

AG: I think about advocating for others, not exclusively women. I actively use my position and voice to shine a spotlight on what needs to change, and use my position of influence to change it. It’s through role modelling behaviour, owning my space, using my voice – and showing others how to do so in a way that is authentic for them.

I launched Women (And Allies) at Capgemini Invent – and championed issues that are thought of as “women’s” – like menopause – it’s not women’s issue, it affects 50 percent of the population and in ways that impact everyone. This changed policy, benefits and beyond. Similarly, welcoming a child to your family – through whatever means to whatever definition of family. Now we have programmes that target and engage all parents, alongside training for managers on what they need to change.

It was not my voice alone….it takes a village, and requires encouraging others to find their version of fierce, bold and authentic.

LD: I’m proud that women have always been in the majority on Street Child’s executive team and I think this sets a powerful tone for the organisation. Moreover, a majority of Street Child’s work is not just ‘led by women’, it is ‘for women’. In most countries Street Child works, the situation of women and girls is markedly worse than that of men - and we proactively seek to reverse that. Part of this is promoting female leaders in spaces traditionally dominated by men - for example at Street Child’s International Women’s Day breakfast this year we are privileged to be joined by Jummai Musa who leads Street Child in Nigeria. I remember at the time of her appointment, Jummai was the only local female leader, leading an international organisation in the Boko Haram war-zone, in North East Nigeria (a crisis which received international attention with the ‘Bring Back our Girls’ movement following Boko Haram’s abduction of hundreds of girls from a girls’ boarding school in Chibok – Jummai’s home). Meanwhile, in places like South Sudan to DR Congo there is almost no tradition of women being teachers - so we explicitly seek to train female teachers.

WICT UKIE: What’s one piece of advice you’d like to share with readers that you wish you had received earlier in your career?

AW: Don’t be afraid. Changing industries, moving countries - it was both exciting and daunting. But when I stepped back, I realised: you only live once. Take the leap!

AG: To get to know yourself and what you want to define as success– you will be successful, or more successful based on how you do things, not what you do. Be clear on what you want to be known for, create your own expectations and boundaries – not so they constrain you, but liberate you to see possibilities. Your power is more than you know, and sometimes scary – own it!

And know that leading is about you in any situation. You can lead no matter how senior you are, you don’t have to wait until you have some title or pay grade, you have an opportunity to be leader in how you show up every day.

LD: Delegate. This might seem mundane and not so gender specific but every time I manage to get an act of delegation right (and it is a battle every day!), I marvel at what a ‘win-win’ it is. I’m happy because some time freed in my life to work on, or perhaps just enjoy, something else. And the person who took the task on is also happy because they felt trusted, got to work on something cool and had a chance to shine and grow their skills. 

KH: Have confidence in your convictions. Be bold, be brave, and step outside your comfort zone because that is where the greatest learning and growth happen. Taking risks and embracing challenges head-on will open doors and lead to opportunities you never expected. Trust in your abilities and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself – you are capable of more than you realise.