#IWD2018 Who Inspires: Kate Baldwin?

Name: Kate Baldwin
Job title: Consultant
Company:  Quilter Cheviot, University of Law & Belong Limited

Kate develops professional relationships in the legal and financial community and delivers Quilter Cheviot’s Dementia Initiative to make it a dementia friendly business and help staff better understand the challenges of dementia. She is also Associate Professor – Design, teaching and assessment across law, skills and employability to law students, business students and solicitors in practice and Non-executive Director at Belong Limited, with shared responsibility for overseeing Belong’s strategy and its vision to create village communities which enable older people to live the lives they choose.

Which woman has inspired you most?

My mum. She caught polio at 18 months old. Medical science was much less advanced then and she spent four years in hospital, much of it in isolation. Despite her physical disability, she is fiercely independent and has never let it stop her. Alongside a successful career, she has lived life to the full with boundless energy and a sense of adventure, having travelled the world and rafted down the Grand Canyon. She has been a source of inspiration and wisdom throughout my life.

Which famous/historical woman inspires you most?

Too many to mention as I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts of inspiring women. Most recently Sheryl Sandberg and Dame Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey for their resilience and their honest, open and down to earth attitudes.

What does feminism mean to you?

Being independent, having no boundaries and believing that you can and should pursue your dream.
Have you found your industry to be particularly tougher for women? If so, how did you overcome this?
I started my career in law and then moved into financial services and education so I have experienced a few sectors. The biggest challenge for me has been the age old problem of combining family and work life. I love my children and I’m passionate about my work and life but it often feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all of it. The professional services sector has come a long way but I still think this challenge is faced more acutely by women.

Developing a portfolio career over the last decade has offered the best solution by providing me with the flexibility, challenge and variety which felt harder to achieve in a single role.

This year’s #IWD2018 theme is #PressForProgress how do you feel, as women we can push for equality faster?

Agile and flexible working. Employers need to be flexible, adaptable and trusting. We live in an age where technology allows us to work differently. Employers and employees need to work together to find creative solutions to ensure people’s wellbeing and help them effectively manage their work and life.