125 Speaker Series: Baroness Helena Morrissey

2 March 2022 - All

As part of the School’s 125 celebrations, we were extremely lucky to welcome Baroness Helena Morrissey. She is a current member of the House of Lords, author of two books on female empowerment and founded the 30% Club, which campaigns for equality in the boardroom and champions equal opportunities for women in business.

Lady Helena shared the story of how she progressed in the workforce, starting from her A levels to becoming one of the first female CEOs in the country. She talked in particular about studying what you enjoy at university, which was one of her reasons for reading Philosophy at Cambridge. After having graduated from university, she encountered many barriers as a woman in a male-dominated workforce. As a school with ambitious girls, it was incredibly inspiring hearing about how she overcame these obstacles and remained committed and determined to achieve her goals.

As the head of a leading business, there were often times when Lady Helena was the only woman in a boardroom and was looked down upon as a result. I found it especially interesting when she brought up a specific example of being patronised by one of her colleagues, to which she immediately defended herself, and from that moment onwards, she was respected. Her strength and perseverance was clearly evident and it was particularly motivational for all of us listening.

Lady Helena spoke about being authentic and not trying to blend in with the crowd – in fact, she argued that standing out is an asset and one of the main reasons for her success. We were really appreciative of Lady Helena giving out such excellent advice, and it was particularly generous of her to answer all of the audience’s questions so openly and truthfully. It was a very memorable, constructive talk, and so on behalf of the School, I would like to reiterate our thanks to Lady Helena for taking the time to speak to us.

Pia, LVI