IWD 2021: Q&A with Amy Kinnear, CEO, Southmead Development Trust

As part of International Women’s Day on 8th March, we spoke to Amy Kinnear, CEO of Southmead Development Trust to learn more about her views on women in business and what a more gender-balanced world-view means to her.

Tell us about your role? 

I’m the CEO of a community business with approximately 50 staff.  We run a health, wellbeing and enterprise hub and are developing one of the largest community led housing schemes in the UK. 

What do you enjoy most about your job?  

Working with a great team who make me laugh every day and really believe in what they do. 

Normal days… when our centre is buzzing, everyone’s busy and nothing is predictable!  

And what are the most challenging aspects? 

Planning ahead at the moment of course.  We have quite radical ambitions about changing some of our systems that don’t work for people in Southmead – whether that’s adult social care or housing.  Sometimes we have difficult conversations that challenge people to get the best we can for our local community. 

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

1. Draw on the people around you including the men.
2. Talk to them about your ideas and find people who give you confidence.
3. A mentor or coach can also be a great help and I would really recommend the Common Purpose Leadership programmes. 

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

Young people have no doubt that climate change is the biggest threat to our future.  They are able to see that clearly, and dissociate the issue from political or personal identity. That’s really powerful. 

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

It means we all benefit! Men, women and all equalities groups.  There is so much evidence that countries run by women have faired better through Covid with fewer deaths.  

Do you think Covid-19 is having an effect on gender equality?

The effect is huge. There is so much evidence that the burden of coping with work and home-schooling has predominantly fallen on women. Women are also more at risk of redundancy.  Many men have spent more time at home this year and it will be interesting to see how this changes dynamics of families and work patterns in the future.  

How can we enable more women to take a place at the board-room table? How can businesses evolve to be more gender-balanced?

I try to ask everyone in the organisation “What would help you to be your best?” You will find women will tell you how to evolve the business and what they need to progress – they have all the answers.  

What women inspire you and why?

So many – my grandmother who came to the UK as a refugee and became a public health leader in Newham.  The social entrepreneur Hilary Cottam.  My Mum and Sister.  All the amazing women CEOs of social enterprises in Bristol … Heather Williams, Joanne Holmes, Stacey Yelland, Suzanne Wilson to name a few.