Girls Talk Global

It was a real pleasure to speak to the women in the Step Up program for Girls Talk Global, titled "The CTO and Technical Manager Playbook". 🚀 Thank you Vanessa Chiedza Sanyauke for organising my involvement, and to all the women for your excellent questions. I hope you all took away something useful! In this talk, I tried to cover the core of what I feel has led to my success in technical leadership, outside of the tech itself: - Recognising that you are only one expert, and that you need a team of experts to move in the same direction to achieve big goals. Don't try to be all of those experts at once! - Understanding how to listen, connect, and motivate other people by cultivating empathy both in an emotional sense and in a 'business drivers'/'motivational factors' sense. - "Say yes, turn up": Taking the initiative on business-critical opportunities that move you forward, improve your visibility, show your value, and position you as a force multiplier. - Networking as being about more than promoting yourself: Understand the people around you and connect them to each other when their interests align. Become the central point around which the network moves and you will find them there to help you when you need it. - Build, fail, learn, repeat: all of it openly and often. The risk is far less than you think, and the reward is extraordinary. One point I didn't get to make for time reasons is to care far, far less about what OTHER people tell you to do. Focus on what you want, on your priorities, and how you get there. Listen to advice, but be judicious about when you accept it - ONLY if it aligns with your own vision for who and what you want to be.

Interim UK Government Review Finds Racism in Maternity Care 💔 A government-commissioned review led by Baroness Amos into maternity care services in England has revealed that racism and staff failings are to blame for poor maternity care outcomes. The interim report found that there were instances were midwives dismissed mothers' concerns, asserting their authority as medical professionals over patients' lived experiences. Black, Asian, Muslim, LGBTQ+, Refugees, and Disabled women face systemic discrimination in maternity settings and it is unacceptable. Baroness Amos centered her findings on six critical areas: 🤱 Overstretched services with poor relationships between doctors and midwives ✊ Structural racism and persistent inequalities 🧡 Lack of compassion and transparency in patient care 🏨 Dilapidated buildings and inadequate facilities ◾ Chronic staff shortages 👂 Power dynamics that prevent patients from being heard Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a maternity task force to address these failures. If I were advising this task force, here's what I would prioritise: ✅ Diverse representation at the decision-making table. This task force cannot be composed predominantly of white women making decisions about care that disproportionately harms women of colour. You need representation across social mobility, disabilities, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and race. Include leaders from organisations like Five X More and The Motherhood Group who have been championing care for women of colour for years. ✅ Address all six areas through an intersectional lens as solutions must consider how structural racism intersects with the other five areas Baroness Amos identified. You cannot improve compassion without tackling the implicit bias that allows medical professionals to dismiss Black women's pain. ✅ Implement real accountability for racism. The report identified blatant racism. Not unconscious bias. Not cultural misunderstandings. Blatant racism. Racism in healthcare is not just discrimination; it is a threat to life. We need stricter enforcement, clearer accountability mechanisms, and faster complaint processes for patients who are routinely gaslit when they raise concerns. ✅ Stop Gaslighting us About racism in England We are constantly told that England is not a racist country. This report is evidence that structural racism is embedded in our healthcare system. Until we stop denying the problem, we cannot solve it. The Stakes Are Life and Death. This is not an abstract policy issue. Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women. Structural racism in maternity care has real, devastating, fatal consequences. The maternity task force has an opportunity to make meaningful change but only if it centers the voices and experiences of the women who have been failed by this system. Anything less is another failure. Full report link in the comments.

🗣️ The 2026 LinkedIn skills report just dropped and it confirms what i've been saying about the Future of Work LinkedIn released their latest Skills on the Rise report yesterday, mapping the most in-demand skills UK employers are seeking in 2026. If you're navigating your career, hiring talent, or building workforce strategies, this data should inform every decision you make this year. 💻 AI Skills aren't about replacement but implementation The number one skill is AI but employers aren't looking to replace humans. They're looking for people who can implement AI systems effectively, manage machine learning workflows, develop chatbots, work with LLMs, and master prompt engineering. In 2026, job seekers aren't competing against AI, they're competing against candidates who know how to work with it. The UK government wants to upskill 10 million workers with AI capabilities by the end of the decade. They state that AI adoption could unlock £140 billion in annual economic output. 👀 The report also shared that DEI Skills will be in demand In addition to Leadership, culture, and communication. Yes, the report explicitly lists diversity, equity, and inclusion as a critical skill area (the dreaded word!) alongside belonging, cross-cultural communication, and cross-functional collaboration. Despite the noise, despite the backlash, despite efforts to say otherwise; DEI professionals are needed more than ever. Why? Because we are in one of the most revolutionary skills transformations of our time. Teams are distributed, multi-generational, and global. AI is reshaping workflows and creating entirely new roles. Companies need people who can help teams work across functions, develop inclusive approaches to change management, ensure leadership remains ethical, and guide teams successfully through uncertainty. DEI isn't a "nice to have." It's a strategic capability that enables organisations to navigate complexity and create environments where innovation thrives. ⁉️ What this means for you If you work in AI implementation, data strategy, risk management, DEI and leadership, or commercial intelligence; update your LinkedIn profile. Put feelers out. Shoot your shot. The future of work isn't about choosing between humans and AI. It's about building workforces that can harness AI, navigate complexity, and lead with integrity. And despite what some headlines might suggest, the skills that help organisations do this well (including DEI expertise) aren't going anywhere. What skills are you building in 2026? Link in comments for the full report and list #futureofwork #skillsonthrise #leadership #career

Is University still worth it in 2026 ⁉️ The Financial Times published an article last week and the data is stark. In 1999, the average graduate earned 80% more than a non-graduate. Today, that premium has fallen to just 45%. University benefits for UK graduates have declined by almost 50%. Meanwhile, students are leaving university with an average of £53,000 in debt, paying 9% of their earnings on anything above £28,400. And we're in the middle of the highest youth unemployment rate we've seen in 15 years. This isn't an abstract policy debate for me. This is the daily reality of the young people I've worked with for over 19 years! I started my first social enterprise in 2007, mentoring young people who were trying to navigate a rapidly changing job market. In 2013, I founded Girls Talk; we have helped thousands access careers at some of the world's biggest companies. I've worked closely with tech companies to mentor and support female university students, helping them secure roles at Vodafone Virgin Media O2 BT Group Cisco Amazon and PwC. I've watched these young women walk across graduation stages with degrees in hand, and I've also watched them struggle under the weight of debt that didn't translate into the financial outcomes they were promised. When young people ask me whether they should go to university or pursue an apprenticeship, here's what I say: ✅ If you know what you want to do and feel in your heart that you want to be in professions such as an engineer, an accountant, a lawyer: apprenticeships are a no-brainer. Employers train you, pay you, and cover your degree costs. After five years, you graduate with a degree from a top university, zero debt, and five years of work experience. I genuinely don't know why I would advise anyone to go to university if they're set on a career path that offers apprenticeship routes. University still has value for those who are exploring, who need time to figure out what they want to do, who are pursuing fields that require academic foundations. But we need to be honest: the financial equation has changed dramatically. There needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the student loan repayment system. We are failing young people in the UK. Youth unemployment is at crisis levels, graduate outcomes are declining, and we're still pushing the same narrative about higher education that made sense 25 years ago but doesn't reflect today's reality. We owe young people honesty, options, and pathways that don't saddle them with decades of debt for diminishing returns. The conversation around university vs apprenticeships isn't about devaluing education. It's about ensuring young people have access to multiple credible pathways to successful careers and that we're transparent about what each pathway actually delivers. How are we supporting the next generation to make informed decisions about their futures? #HigherEducation #Apprenticeships #YouthEmployment #CareerDevelopment #SocialImpact #UKEducation

The UK Has Failed Its Workforce: Nearly 2 Million Unemployed The ONS released data this week that should alarm every business leader, policymaker, and employer in the UK. Unemployment has hit 5.2%; its highest level in five years. The exact figure: 1.84 million people are out of work. 946,000 of them are young people aged 16-24. This is not just a statistic. This is a systemic failure. I work in the tech and skills space. And I can tell you firsthand; the government is making it increasingly difficult for small and medium enterprises to operate, let alone hire. There are no meaningful tax breaks, no real incentives. SMEs are the gateway to employment in this country, and they are being left behind. But here's what I want to focus on: what we can actually do about it. Reskilling is the solution nobody is talking about loudly enough. I recently spoke with a Managing Director at one of the Big Four consultancy firms. Her message was clear: AI reskilling is the single biggest workforce priority for businesses right now. If you can implement AI systems, teach AI tools, and demonstrate that capability on your CV, you are gold. Here is my practical advice for anyone navigating this market: 🔍 If you are job searching: The market is tough and salaries are being compressed by 10-20%. If you receive a lower offer than expected, negotiate. Ask for fewer days at that salary and use the remaining time to build a side hustle or upskill. Multiple income streams are no longer optional - they are essential. 🌅 If you are considering a career change: Look at the trades. Electricians, builders, skilled tradespeople; these roles will always be in demand and are significantly undervalued. A short course could open an entirely new income stream. 🦸♀️ If you are a business leader: The era of employees having one job is over. Create environments that support portfolio careers. Rigid employment structures are crushing people financially in this economy. 🇬🇧 The UK has the fastest annual increase in unemployment in the G7. That is not a coincidence: it is the consequence of policy decisions, rising employer costs, and a workforce that has not been equipped for the economy we are building. Reskilling and multiple streams of income is not a nice-to-have. It is the only sustainable path forward. What are you seeing in your industry? Are employers doing enough to invest in reskilling their workforce? #WorkforceDevelopment #Reskilling #UKEmployment #FutureOfWork #AISkills #Leadership #SME #CareerDevelopment #YoungPeople #EconomicPolicy #ThoughtLeadership