IWD 2020: Q&A with Jessica Whitcutt Fagan, Founder, It's a Shovel

9th March 2020

As part of International Women’s Day we interview Chamber member,  Jessica Whitcutt Fagan on their role at It's a Shovel, their views on women in business and what a more gender-balanced world-view means to them.

Tell us about your role?

I run a reputation management consultancy focused on helping businesses implement purpose and sustainability.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the moment when the person I am pitching to suddenly ‘sees the light’ and buys into our #ReputationWithPurpose model.

And what are the most challenging aspects?

Having recently moved to the UK from South Africa, establishing a new network is quite daunting!

What 3 things do you think you need to progress as a woman in business?

I don’t really like the idea that women have to work harder or be more assertive, etc. Being a woman is not a disability that has to be valiantly overcome. In fact, I firmly believe that as the new world order settles around us, it is more likely to be men who will need to work harder at compassion, creativity, communication and collaboration.

Nonetheless it is true that we live in an inequitable world. Unless we all work together over the next decade to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, there won’t be much left for anyone and debates around gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc will be moot.

What are the biggest challenges the future generation of women in business face?

The future generation, both male and female will have the enormous task of creating a sustainable and equitable society, but I think their generation is uniquely equipped to do so as their world has always been one of flux.

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