Celebrating the Inspirational Women of Wards of Kent

Wednesday the 8th of March marks International Women’s Day 2023, but we didn’t think that just one day is quite enough. That’s why, here at Wards of Kent, we’re celebrating the amazing women in our team all week!

We took the opportunity to catch up with some of the incredible and inspiring women who work here at Wards of Kent, starting with our Senior Operations Director, Sam Dalton.

Over the last 22 years, Sam has worked her way up from a Trainee Sales Advisor to get to now overseeing over 20 branches across our network, so we were keen to hear about her experiences within the company:

“Wards has given me the opportunity to progress throughout my career. You always feel valued and supported as a member of this wonderful team and I have always been encouraged in my ambitions to keep moving forwards.

The support and training that we have access to means that everyone has equal opportunities for progression.”

Ensuring those equal opportunities for progression is key to our company culture here at Wards of Kent, and when we caught up with our Human Resources Director, Jo Potter, she told us:

“I am lucky enough to work alongside many inspiring and talented women. 

Creating an environment that enables all our employees to move forwards with their careers is really important to us and I’m proud to work for a company where 50% of the senior leadership team are female.”

Vicki James, our Lettings Operations Director, is just one of those women heading up our teams and departments across the company.

Vicki first joined our team back in 2013 as a Lettings Branch Manager and, since then, has worked her way up to her current role.

When we took the opportunity to catch up with Vicki, she told us:

“What inspires me most about working for Wards is the opportunity to learn and progress. In my 10 years here, I have been supported and encouraged at every step and have never felt held back in my ambitions.

I’m proud to be working at the top of our company and hope that we can continue to support even more of our incredible team to achieve their ambitious goals.”

But, whilst we know that encouraging female team members to strive for ambitious goals is vital to equality in the workplace, we also understand that there is so much more to creating a working environment where women feel supported, appreciated and understood.

In many cases, becoming a mother can be where women feel they are most held back in their career, so for us it is important that our maternity support allows female team members to continue thriving in their jobs, however they feel is right for them.

When we spoke to Senior Branch Partner, Emma Ohlson-Page, about her experience, she told us:

“I have worked here for 14 years and, during that time, I had my two amazing children. The support that I was given by both the company and my branch team made the whole process so much easier and more manageable. 

I was delighted to return to the job I love after my maternity leave and the support and understanding of my needs as a parent and team member has been outstanding. 

From supporting flexible working to prioritising the need for annual leave in school holidays, I have always received any help that I needed to enable me to thrive in my career whilst raising my kids.”

This supportive and encouraging workplace allows our team to progress at every level of their career, a thought that was echoed by Senior Operations Director, Becky Jennings, when we asked her about her experience.

Becky joined us in 2001 as a Sales Advisor and has quickly risen to her current position.

So, when we asked Becky for her thoughts on opportunities for women within our company, she told us:

“Over the last 22 years, I have been given the opportunity to move forward in my career at every stage. The support from the rest of my team and from higher-up members of staff has always been outstanding and has really helped me along the way. 

I feel like my journey throughout my career shows that we can all move forwards with hard work and the right support, and I hope that I can inspire and encourage my own team members to strive for that same progression.”

As a company, we are proud to be represented by many inspirational women who lead our teams and departments with ambition, passion and strength.

So, let’s take the opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 and always strive for more!

Are you considering a career in the property industry? Discover our full range of vacancies here and join a supportive and encouraging team where you can grow and progress.