IWD 2021: Chris Buckingham - Empowering Women in Innovation

Author
James Cortis
Content Producer | Business West
8th March 2021

As part of International Women’s Day, we interview Chris Buckingham, on her role at Buckingham Healthcare, her views on women in business and what a more gender-balanced world-view means to her.

Tell us about your role? 

I trained as an Occupational Therapist and worked within the NHS specialising in the Rehabilitation of stroke patients, adaptations within the home for the disabled and special wheelchair and seating solutions for patients with complex disabilities.

Whilst working with patients, I began to realise that there were gaps in the market for equipment that would assist patients in being more independent in their activities of daily living. 

So, based upon my clinical experiences, I began to design, develop and manufacture products that solved specific problems. Buckingham Healthcare was set up 20 years ago and we now manufacture 12 unique products that are sold worldwide.

We were recently awarded an Innovate UK Smart grant and we are now in the final stages of bringing a novel patient transfer board to market. My role is to invent new solutions to existing problems and to oversee the design and development of the product through to market launch.

I work with my clinical colleagues to ensure that each product meets the clinical needs of the patient and clinicians are essential to my work.

What do you enjoy most about your job?  

I enjoy the freedom to design innovative products that actually make a difference to someone’s life. 

I get to work with interesting people like design engineers, universities and my clinical colleagues. I am constantly learning new processes in rehabilitation and manufacturing.

Spending time with my clinical colleagues to ensure that each product meets the clinical needs of the patient is always enjoyable and my greatest reward is receiving a letter from a patient or carer who has benefited from using a product that I have created.

And what are the most challenging aspects? 

Financing product development is always a challenge. Costs associated with design, manufacturing and IP can sometimes be eye watering. We have benefited greatly from the Innovate UK grants and it has enabled us to accelerate our product development.

Because we are designing solutions to problems that have not been resolved before, there are inevitably times when we fail. For whatever reason, although I can see a potential solution to a problem it doesn’t always mean that we can make it work. Coping with failure is always a challenge, but it is a fundamental part of innovation and shouldn’t be feared.

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

In my clinical career, the majority of my mentors and team leaders were women. We were encouraged to progress our careers and I never felt my gender was holding me back in any way.

In my business career, the majority of design engineers, manufacturers and distributers are male, and the dynamics are certainly different. Although I have not felt much pushback from male partners or competitors, there are a few aspects that I have needed to progress as a woman and three of these include: my ability to take risks, the confidence in my capabilities as a clinical professional, and the establishment of strong business connections.

By having initiative to take risks and explore new endeavors, women can push past the uncomfortable barriers that can be presented by a male dominant workforce. Connections made with other businesses or partners can also provide stability and opportunities.

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

The biggest challenge woman in business face is trying to do it all. Balancing a career and a family is an immense pressure and I speak from experience as I wasn’t in a position to take a career break and had to return to work quickly after having both my children. 

The pandemic however has forced us all to look at our work-life balance differently and I am hopeful that there will be even more flexibility in the workplace resulting in a reduction of pressure on the future generation of women in business.

The pandemic has also forced a lot of partners, who are not usually care givers, to be at home with their children which no doubt has had some negative as well as positive impacts. Hopefully this will also be consideration within the business workplace and possibly more parental care as a joint effort will be facilitated by employers. 

Imagine what an impact this would be on the future generation of children if they were cared for in an environment where the gender role gap was narrowed.

What can the next generation bring to business that previous generations may not have?

The next generation have the confidence and courage to question processes and strategies. They have an inbuilt appreciation for the environment so issues such as packaging and our carbon footprint are considerations with both our existing and our new projects.

My eldest son works with me on the Project management team, and he has a wider grasp of technology. The next generation’s experience with social media and online sales markets will be pivotal in moving our business forward. 

I also believe that the next generation have a flexibility to adapt to changes in the market far beyond previous generations and this ability to flex quickly will provide more opportunities.

What does a more gender-balanced world-view mean for you?

I have two sons and sometimes they are my educators. They explain complex gender issues to me in ways that makes sense. They are the future for a more gender balanced worldview because they have no preconceptions or judgements. They are truly acceptive of a range of gender issues and I think that they are a reflection of the youth today. A more gender-balanced world-view to me means a world where gender is not even a checkbox on any lists.

How can we enable more women to take a place at the board-room table?

I think quotas help. They don’t solve all the issues, but they certainly create a focus.

Female business mentors also have a significant role to play, and a business support network of other females provides a base for discussion and sharing of ideas as well as frustrations.

What advice would you give to young women and men starting out in business today in context of promoting a more diverse world-view?

Be confident in yourself as a person. Take a good look at yourself and if there are specific gaps in your skills that make you feel less confident, then work on improving them as confidence is the key.

Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself but be confident to challenge anyone who promotes a negative gender view. It is only by challenging that we can promote change.

What women inspire you and why?

My close female family members and friends currently work within the NHS. They provide frontline care, in different ways, to vulnerable patients. 

I have seen the impact that the Pandemic has had on their professional, personal and family life. They are currently seeing more patients, with less resources and working more hours.

Home working for them means working in isolation, away from their teams and finishing their reports well into the night. 

They are juggling this increase in demand with childcare commitments, home schooling and financial pressures.

There are times when they have struggled and I am able to offer some support, albeit virtually, but even during this pandemic they have not criticised or complained. They just have a moment to reflect and then pick themselves up and carry on.

Sometimes we tend to look to strong women in politics or business for inspiration but for me it is these women around us, who are doing their regular jobs who are my inspiration.

 

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  • Bespoke growth support from Innovate UK Business Growth

    Helping ambitious South West innovators to build on internal strengths and achieve scale.